2020 1-800-PACK-RAT Review

Bottom line: 1-800-PACK-RAT provides local and long-distance container moves, short- and long-term storage, and a slew of other moving services. It pairs these services with a heaping helping of discounts and some of the best prices in the industry for moving midsize homes.

1-800-PACK-RAT is a moving and storage container company, so when you move with 1-800-PACK-RAT, you do all the packing and the company does all the driving.

Here’s how it works: you rent a storage container (or several) that the company brings to your home. After you fill the container with all your furniture and household goods, the company picks it up and either stores it at a facility or ships it to your new home.

Container moves are far cheaper than full-service moves, but they’re much more convenient than going full DIY. That’s why containers are the best way to move if you’re on a thin budget but you don’t want the hassle of doing everything yourself.

And 1-800-PACK-RAT is one of the best moving and storage container companies around. Keep reading to learn all about 1-800-PACK-RAT’s services, unique features, and prices.

How much does 1-800-PACK-RAT cost?

We requested dozens of quotes from 1-800-PACK-RAT, and we found that for small (1–2 bedroom) homes and large (5+ bedroom) homes, 1-800-PACK-RAT could cost hundreds of dollars more than the industry average, depending on the move distance.

For midsize (3–4 bedroom) homes, though, 1-800-PACK-RAT really stood out as a solid budget option. Almost all of the company’s estimates for homes of this size were between $50 and $500 cheaper than the industry average, again based on the length of the move.

1-800-PACK-RAT’s average prices

You probably noticed that 1-800-PACK-RAT’s prices for the 1-bedroom and the 3-bedroom moves are the exact same. This is because 1-800-PACK-RAT recommended 16-foot containers for every move we requested quotes for. This was a surprise since the company has smaller containers that should work for 1-bedroom homes.

We don’t know for sure why 1-800-PACK-RAT always recommended the 16-foot container. It could have something to do with availability in the areas we requested quotes for. It’s also possible that the company always gives estimates for this container size so customers have all the room they might need.

Whatever the reason, it resulted in higher prices for smaller homes but budget-friendly rates for midsize homes. For large homes, the prices jump higher because you’ll probably need two 16-foot containers to fit all your household goods.

Though 1-800-PACK-RAT’s prices are often higher than the competition, you get what you pay for in safety and security. The company’s containers are much more sturdy and secure than those of its competitors (more on that below).

1-800-PACK-RAT’s discounts

We’ve got good news for anyone deterred by 1-800-PACK-RAT’s high prices: the company frequently offers discounts that can significantly lower your rate.

The prices we’ve listed above don’t include discounts, but almost every customer service rep we spoke to offered us a discount that cut our price by a couple hundred bucks. These discounts included things like lower transportation costs and free first-month rentals. The company’s website also lists discounts when you go to book.

The discounts we received weren’t very consistent or predictable from one call to another, so we can’t guarantee 1-800-PACK-RAT will offer you one. Like we said, though, it almost always offered us one when we posed as customers.

Getting a 1-800-PACK-RAT estimate

If you’re moving locally (under 100 miles), getting an estimate from 1-800-PACK-RAT is easy. All you have to do is fill out an online form that asks you for the following information:

• Your current zip code
• Your destination zip code
• When you plan to move
• Your contact info

After you complete the form, 1-800-PACK-RAT will instantly generate a quote for your move.

If you’re moving long-distance (100 miles or more), the process is a little more tricky. You’ll still fill out the form, but then you’ll need to hop on a call with 1-800-PACK-RAT to finalize your details and get your quote.

Ready to get your 1-800-PACK-RAT quote?
Moving prices fluctuate daily and depend on a lot of factors, so your price will be unique to your situation. To know how much your move will cost, you’ll need to get your own quote.

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1-800-PACK-RAT at a glance

1-800-PACK-RAT services

• Local and long-distance moves
• Military moves
• Warehouse and on-site (at your home) storage
• Loading and unloading assistance
• Auto transport
• Office storage and relocation
• Moving supplies

1-800-PACK-RAT has three different moving container sizes. This selection provides a key benefit companies like U-Pack and U-Haul—which only offer one container size each—can’t match. It allows you to pick a container that has just enough space for your stuff. That way you’ll never need to pay extra for unused space.

That’s the theory, anyway.

In our experience, though, 1-800-PACK-RAT always recommends going with the 16-foot container, even if you’re moving out of a home that should work with one of its smaller containers.

Why we recommend 1-800-PACK-RAT

Now that we’ve covered 1-800-PACK-RAT’s pricing and services, let’s dive into the things that set the company apart.

It has some of the sturdiest containers in the industry

Unlike most of its competitors, 1-800-PACK-RAT makes the walls, doors, and frames of its containers from steel.

While some other companies make containers with steel frames, very few feature this all-steel construction. Instead, they use materials like plastic or polymer for their doors and walls. In fact, some companies like SMARTBOX and U-Haul actually have wooden containers that come with flimsy “weather-resistant” covers.

This makes 1-800-PACK-RAT’s containers more sturdy and weatherproof than almost any other container on the market.

1-800-PACK-RAT’s containers also feature barn-style doors that swing outward when they open. This makes them more accessible and roomy than PODS with roll-up doors that slide up and into the container when they open.

Lastly, 1-800-PACK-RAT uses a hydraulic no-tilt system to load and unload its containers onto its trucks. This keeps your items from shifting haphazardly inside your container when it’s lifted or lowered. While many other companies load and unload using various no-tilt methods, this hydraulic method is one of the best ways to eliminate harmful tilting.

Want to ensure your stuff is safe?

In 1-800-PACK-RAT’s containers, your household goods are about as safe as they can be in a moving and storage container. Sturdy construction and no-tilt loading techniques aren’t always enough, though. That’s why 1-800-PACK-RAT offers comprehensive coverage plans.

The company includes $10,000 in coverage for long-distance moves and a damage waiver for the container at no additional charge.

This type of coverage is fairly standard across the industry, and it covers the repair or replacement cost of any items that are damaged because of something 1-800-PACK-RAT did wrong. It will not cover damage caused by normal shifting and bumping in transit, however, so pack your items well.

For local moves, you have to pay for coverage. You can purchase just the container damage waiver for $9.99, or you can purchase a contents protection plan. These plans cover between $5,000 and $75,000, and they cost between $34.95 and $149.95. They also include the damage waiver.

These coverage plans are also available for long-distance moves if you want to cover your belongings for more than the included $10,000.

It has a comprehensive menu of moving services

1-800-PACK-RAT can handle just about every part of your move from beginning to end. While the company mostly focuses on container moving and storage, it offers a full range of additional services including auto transportation and packing assistance.

Some of these additional services are handled by 1-800-PACK-RAT’s partners, not by the company itself. Essentially, 1-800-PACK-RAT operates as a broker for these services.

There’s nothing wrong with this. Plenty of our favorite moving companies are brokers. It just means that the crew that ships your car or packs your moving container won’t work directly for 1-800-PACK-RAT. They will probably also have different logos on their shirts and trucks.

It handles local moves

Unlike some moving container companies—such as U-Pack—that only accept long-distance and cross-country moves, 1-800-PACK-RAT services local moves (under 100 miles) in addition to long-distance jobs.

1-800-PACK-RAT isn’t unique in this, but it provides service in some states where other moving container companies might not operate.

If you want the budget-friendly convenience of a moving container for your local move, then 1-800-PACK-RAT is one of your very best options almost anywhere in the country.

Our recommendation

While its prices can run high for small and large homes, 1-800-PACK-RAT is the best budget option for homes with around three rooms. Even with some higher prices, the company’s discounts, additional services, secure containers, and availability for local moves make it one of the best moving and storage container companies in the industry.

Time to get moving!
Now that you know all there is to know about 1-800-PACK-RAT, the next step is to get your free moving quote.

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Other moving container picks

If you want to see how 1-800-PACK-RAT compares to some of our other favorite moving and storage container companies, check out these reviews:

• U-Pack
• PODS
• SMARTBOX