A lot goes into preparing to pack up and transport all your belongings to a new home. Which typically means hiring a moving company is on your seemingly endless list of to-dos. You will need to consider several factors as well. How much help will you have from friends and family? What types of vehicles do you, or others you know, have that can help with your move? How much are you willing to spend vs. how much are you willing to work?
There are a lot of headaches and expenses that come up within the moving process by nature. In this post, we’ll examine the three major types of moving companies, so you can figure out what’s best for your next move!
Table of Contents
Three Main Types of Moving Companies
1. Full-Service Moving or “The Sit Back & Relax”
While you surely won’t be completely at ease on moving day, hiring professional movers will help put you at ease a bit. These movers can provide a box truck for all your large furniture and move your belongings themselves. This helps prevent some of the issues that take place on moving day.
However, these types of moving services are heftier in price compared to other options. Not only a larger base fee for the truck and labor, but you may feel a little more obligated to leave a larger tip for the extensive help provided by the movers. This solution is great for people who don’t have access to larger vehicles or trucks, people who do not live close to family and friends in their location, or anyone willing to pay their way out of a sore back.
2. DIY Moving or “Rent-a-Rig”
You might be thinking that you don’t need to hire a moving company. After all, you’re in good shape and moving companies are expensive! In this case, getting a truck rental is the right choice for your move. Companies like U-Haul and Penske offer trucks of all sizes, so it is important to plan out or at least form an estimate of what’s going inside prior to renting the truck.
Relative to an all-inclusive mover, getting a truck rental is a more cost-efficient approach to your move. Of course, more will be asked of you in exchange. Including figuring out how to get all your belongings and large items out of your current residence without (too much) damage. This choice is awesome for people with kids and people who have many friends in the area willing to help. Or this can be used in conjunction with the third type of moving company to get you the best bang for your buck.
3. Labor-Only Moving
Finally, we have labor-only moving. With labor-only moving, you get the truck, we bring the muscle! There are plenty of labor-only moving companies and most full-service moving companies will provide just the labor as well.
Hiring moving labor is a great, affordable alternative to full-service moving because you save money and your back! By renting and driving the truck yourself, you remain in possession of your items at all times, and you’ll save (on average) 30-50% on your move. And I know what you’re thinking, “Isn’t driving a big truck hard, or require a license?” The answer is, well, no! You just need to be at least 18 years old and have a valid driver’s license. They’re easy to drive too! Don’t take my word for it, check out this Reddit thread that talks all about it. If you’re uncomfortable driving a moving truck or don’t have a license, another option is to look into local shipping container companies.
Hiring a labor-only moving company is also great (and cheap) for folks who have access to larger vehicles, are moving and don’t need a truck, or require in-home moving. By keeping their overhead low (i.e. not owning trucks) they can provide much lower hourly rates.
Additionally, you will have the freedom to figure out the best way to transport your stuff. For example, instead of settling for whatever standard surcharge an all-inclusive company charges for their truck, you can research rates from multiple truck rental companies, and find local movers with low rates. This way, you can maximize what you are getting for your money and customize the moving resources to exactly what your move requires.
Conclusion
Moving can be an overwhelming experience but it doesn’t have to be. You have plenty of options to help take the workload off yourself. If money is a limitation there are many ways to offset the cost of moving. No matter which option you choose, remember to take a deep breath, stay hydrated, and roll with the punches. Something is bound to go against your original plan. Remain flexible and you’ll get where you need to in the end!
Frequently Asked Questions
The three main types of moving are full-service moving, do-it-yourself or DIY moving, or labor-only moving. Full service allows you to focus on other things while a moving company takes care of everything from packing to trucks to logistics. This option is the priciest of the three. Your cheapest option is DIY moving. Costs vary based on what you already have. DIY movers typically rent a moving truck and buy other supplies like packing tape and boxes. A great option for your budget is hiring labor-only moving services. You’re still responsible for providing the materials and moving vehicle but your movers will take care of all the heavy lifting for you.
If you’re looking to save money on your move you should aim to do a DIY move. This type of move only requires you to spend money on materials you don’t already have on hand. You’ll save money by not hiring movers but make sure you have enough helping hands from friends and family. If you can’t find enough helpers, consider hiring labor-only movers to save yourself money and unnecessary back pain.
You can get a moving truck for affordable rates from many different companies. This includes Penske, Budget, Enterprise, Uhaul, Home Depot, and more.
You can get a mobile storage unit from many different companies for an affordable rate. Although, it’s worth noting that mobile storage units are often more expensive than moving truck rentals. You can find mobile storage units at companies like PODS, 1-800-Pack-Rat, and Uhaul.
Collin Flynn comes born and raised in Racine, Wisconsin off the coast of Lake Michigan. He graduated from Coe College in 2019 with a degree in physics. He is the founder of College Movers, a company that enables young entrepreneurial-minded people to open their own business utilizing the gig-economy and its technological backing. Collin has 4+ years of experience in the moving industry and writes about moving, fitness, and business. When he's not managing his business you can find him running, biking, or swimming — after all he does have triathlons to train for.
