U-Pack Review (2024)
U-Pack is a company that specializes in portable storage container moves. Its sturdy containers and professional drivers have earned them many positive reviews.
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U-Pack is a self-service moving container company that helps you move while still giving you the convenience and independence of do-it-yourself (DIY) packing. To help you find the best moving company for your needs, we analyzed some of the top moving companies across the nation and compared factors such as customer service, plan options, and state availability. In this review of U-Pack, we take an in-depth look at the company’s services, pros and cons, reputation, quote process, and more to help you determine if it’s a good fit for your next move.
Our Take on U-Pack
Founded in 1997 and headquartered in Fort Smith, Arkansas, U-Pack is a nontraditional moving company. Its self-move service style offers flexible options for homeowners and renters alike. The company claims to offer affordable services because it eliminates the need for movers to pack and load your items and includes the cost of transportation, storage, and moving supplies in your quote.
U-Pack has an A+ rating on its Better Business Bureau (BBB) profile and a higher customer reviews rating than many competitors. It may be a good moving option for DIYers who don’t have the budget to hire a professional moving company.
What Are the Pros and Cons of U-Pack?
Here’s a look at some of the pros and cons of moving with U-Pack:
Pros
- Is widely available around the nation and can transport your belongings to Canada and Puerto Rico
- Allows customers to save money by doing the packing and loading on their own
- Insures each move with liability coverage
Cons
- Requires customers to purchase additional service to access service guarantee
- Doesn’t have an app to monitor or track your move
What Moving Services Does U-Pack Offer?
U-Pack provides door-to-door moving services for residential homes of various sizes and offers customizable options to fit your needs for both local and long-distance moves. However, U-Pack uses a service model that’s different from the traditional moving company.
When you hire U-Pack, you’ll be using its self-pack method, during which the company will drop off a pack trailer or moving container at your home for you to pack yourself. You’ll have three business days to load the container with your stuff. When you’re finished, U-Pack will return to pick the container up and drive it to your new home.
Services from U-Pack include:
- Cost of the driver
- Equipment
- Transportation
- Mileage
This allows many families to save money on hiring movers to pack and load their items. While U-Pack doesn’t offer moving help, it can refer you to a service provider that offers these services. The company partners with local companies that offer moving labor, which you can add to your move.
When you request a self-pack moving service from U-Pack, you can choose from the following types of moving equipment:
- ReloCube: This is the main product used for packing and shipping belongings. This small storage container is ideal for smaller moves, as it’s small enough to fit in a regular parking space.
- Moving trailers: If you have more furniture and belongings than what fits in the ReloCube, you may opt for a moving trailer. This can be parked at your home, then driven to your new place.
U-Pack Availability
U-Pack has over 240 locations across all 50 states, as well as some branches in Canada and Puerto Rico. Its team can drive your belongings virtually anywhere in the United States.
How Much Does a Move With U-Pack Cost?
The cost of self-pack moving services from U-Pack will vary based on the linear footage you need for a moving trailer or the number of ReloCube containers you need, as well as the distance of your relocation.
Other fees include:
- Fuel cost
- Taxes
- The driver’s time
On its website, you can get a free quote for your upcoming move. U-Pack also has a space estimator tool that can help you determine how much storage space you may need for your belongings.
Note: When requesting a moving quote, U-Pack has a mileage requirement for its moving services. A request for a local move within California was rejected, so we inputted information for a cross-country move. Check with the company for details on a local move.
Here are a couple of sample quotes we received:
- Move a one-bedroom home or apartment from California to Nevada: $780
- Move a one-bedroom home or apartment from California to Georgia: $4,423
Your final price may be different from the original quote if you use more or less space than initially quoted, add extra services, or are planning to move to Canada. While you must reserve services with a credit card, you won’t be charged until the day of the move.
U-Pack Discounts
- Customers can save $25 when they book a move online. U-Pack also provides discounts for students and military members.
U-Pack Scheduling
When you’re ready to schedule a move with U-Pack, you can book your move online or over the phone. U-Pack recommends booking your reservation as soon in advance as possible to secure services. Your reservation will guarantee your move date and the equipment you requested, and you don’t have to pay a deposit to reserve your spot. Note: same-day services may be available in some locations.
When scheduling a move, U-Pack encourages customers to ask their driver or customer service representative for a one- or two-hour delivery window to estimate the time their belongings will be delivered.
If you need to cancel your reservation, call the U-Pack customer service line. If you cancel more than seven days before the moving date, you won’t be charged a cancellation fee. However, if you cancel within seven days of the reservation date, you’ll be charged a $50 cancellation fee. For same-day cancellations, there’s a $150 fee.
U-Pack Customer Service
U-Pack has a 24/7 customer service line for getting quotes and making reservations, but unfortunately, there’s no mobile app to help track your move. You can, however, add on the provider’s U-Pack Guarantee to your services.
This guarantee will let you know the exact day you can expect your delivery. The driver is guaranteed to be on time, every time, offering homeowners a 100% satisfaction guarantee. If your container is not delivered on your guaranteed date, you’ll get a refund of the transportation charges.
U-Pack Reviews
U-Pack is accredited with the BBB and has an A+ rating from the organization. U-Pack reviews are mostly positive, with some customers complimenting the professionalism of the customer service representatives and service people and other customers praising the company for working around their schedule and having an easy booking process.
On the other hand, there are a few unsatisfied customers who mentioned that their moving containers were either damaged or messy when a U-Pack driver dropped it off. Other negative reviews mentioned extra fees that made the price way higher than the original quote.
Read a couple of U-Pack reviews below:
Positive Reviews
Negative Reviews
Alternative Moving Companies
Based on in-depth research, here are our top recommended moving companies:
Note: Sample quotes are for a 2-bedroom move from Portland, Oregon, to San Francisco.
Note: BBB ratings are accurate as of April 2024.
Our Conclusion
If you’re on a budget and just need help to transport your items during a move, U-Pack may be a good option. U-Pack is staffed by courteous service people, allows homeowners and renters to pack their own belongings, and offers a satisfaction guarantee to ensure your move is as seamless as possible. For larger moves, consider a mover that specializes in that area, such as International Van Lines.
This company may be a good choice for people with fewer belongings who have the desire to pack and load their items on their own or the do-it-yourself homeowner or renter who just needs help getting their belongings from point A to point B. If you are interested in hiring a full-service moving company, check out our highest rated moving companies for small moves.
To see if U-Pack’s offerings fall within your budget, we recommend getting a free quote.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are my belongings covered by insurance with U-Pack?
Each move includes carrier negligence liability and catastrophic liability coverage. Because customers are packing their own belongings, U-Pack doesn’t cover damage due to poor packing and loading.
What is the size of a ReloCube from U-Pack?
The moving containers offered by U-Pack are six feet long, seven feet wide, and eight feet tall. According to U-Pack, a ReloCube can hold about one room’s worth of furniture and belongings. You can order multiple containers and use tools on the company’s website to gauge how many cubes you should order.
Where will U-Pack drop off and park the moving container?
U-Pack will use a moving truck to drop off your ReloCube in a residential driveway or an approved parking lot or street. Check that there’s legal parking available in your area before requesting the equipment. If you’re using your driveway, make sure it has a slant of no more than five degrees. If you’re looking to drop off a container at your storage unit, check with the property manager of the facility to ensure the best drop off times and whether it’s okay to leave it overnight.
Our Rating Methodology
We back up our moving company ratings and recommendations with a detailed rating methodology to objectively score each company. We conduct research by reading through the company websites, analyzing customer reviews, conducting consumer surveys, requesting quotes, and speaking with customer representatives. We then score each moving company against our review standards for services, contents coverage, scheduling, trailer and container options, additional benefits, and reputation to arrive at a final score out of 100.
To share feedback or ask a question about this article, send a note to our team at reviews@thisoldhousereviews.com.
