What to Expect When You Move with Upack—The Sundbloms’ Move

U-Pack offers budget-friendly moving containers and top-notch customer service, which is why it’s one of our very favorite long-distance moving companies. In July 2019, we hired U-Pack to handle a move from Washington to Utah to test the company’s pricing and customer service firsthand.

What did we find? U-Pack’s customer service, pricing, and reliability are second to none. The company’s communication could be better, but it’s easy to work around this shortcoming. Keep reading to learn all about our experience with U-Pack.

Want to know how much a U-Pack moving container will cost you?

Scott and Nadine Sundblom moved from Kent, WA, to Provo, UT, with their three kids, their cat, and their dog in July 2019. They shipped all of their belongings using U-Pack ReloCube, and they also shipped a car using Montway Auto Transport.

If you want to learn more about the Sundbloms’ auto transport experience, check out What to Expect When You Ship a Car with Montway.

U-Pack charged $1,613 for three ReloCube containers. The inside of each ReloCube container measures 70 in. x 82 in. x 93 in., which is enough space to hold roughly one room of furniture (according to U-Pack’s website).

We were able to pack all our belongings into three ReloCubes without a problem, but we didn’t have couches or dressers. Keep in mind that you may need more than three containers if you plan to move with a lot of bulky furniture.

Our price included all taxes, fuel charges, and the cost to ship the containers from Kent, WA, to Provo, UT (roughly 880 miles). It also included three days of loading time.

It didn’t include loading services because we loaded our belongings into the containers ourselves, though U-Pack does offer loading services for an additional charge.

By comparison, this price is much lower than what most van lines charge for shipping your belongings long distance. We also want to emphasize that U-Pack’s original estimate matched the final bill exactly. In an industry plagued by horror stories of last-minute charges and hidden fees, an estimate that perfectly lines up with the final bill is a breath of fresh air.

U-Pack’s customer service was first-rate on the Washington side. U-Pack’s representatives were very helpful and polite throughout the planning process. When our ReloCube was delivered, the U-Pack crew placed them exactly where we asked, making them easy to pack.

After we packed our containers, we called U-Pack to schedule the pickup (more on that later), and U-Pack came and got them shortly after.

The only thing we can complain about took place when the full ReloCubes were delivered in Utah. We wanted the containers placed on our driveway with one facing the garage and two facing the other direction to make unloading a little easier.

Unfortunately, we didn’t have a chance to tell this to the delivery crew because they didn’t call us before they showed up with our containers.

Luckily, we were able to tell them what we wanted during the delivery process. The crew quickly rearranged the cubes for us, so it all ended up fine. But it would have been more convenient to have received a call so that we could have communicated what we needed before the crew began unloading.

We write about U-Pack a lot, and they’re one of our favorite moving companies, so we weren’t surprised by its competitive rates and good-to-great customer service.

The only thing that really caught us off guard is how the company handles ReloCube pickups. U-Pack gives you three days of loading time to pack your belongings into your containers, and you can add additional time if you let the company know. However, this doesn’t mean U-Pack automatically returns for your ReloCube once your three days are up.

You need to call U-Pack to schedule a pickup after your containers are loaded. Otherwise, the company will assume you need more time and will leave the containers with you.

We didn’t realize this beforehand, so we didn’t make a call immediately after our containers were packed. Luckily, we called U-Pack on the fourth day and got it all sorted without having to pay extra fees, so it wasn’t a major problem; our delivery in Utah was delayed by only one day.

However, this is something you should be aware of when you work with U-Pack, especially since it can result in extra charges.

U-Pack is an exceptional moving company, and if you’re willing to pack your containers yourself, it’s much cheaper to work with than a full-service mover.

We especially love that the company’s initial estimate perfectly matched the price we ended up paying.

While there were a few small communication snafus getting from point A to point B, these inconveniences were relatively minor, and they’re easily avoidable if you know what to expect before moving with U-Pack.

If U-Pack’s low prices and first-rate service sound like everything you want in a mover, head to their website to request a quote. If you’re still uncertain and you want to see how U-Pack stacks up against other moving container companies, go read our list of The Best Moving Container Companies.