Cost of Shipping Furniture

[Golfgar4]

Sometime this summer, I'm going to need to get some furniture moved from my home here in Wisconsin out to my son's place in Fallon, Nevada.

Originally I just figured that I'd rent a U-haul trailer and haul it out there myself. After all, I'll be retired and should have the time to do it. /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif

But I've started reconsidering this idea. First, I think I'm going to need at least a 4 X 8, if not a 4 X 10 trailer. That could cost, based on U-haul's website, anywhere +- $500.00 to well over $700.00 for the one-way trip. And of course that doesn't include motels, food, and GAS! /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif Who knows how much gas might be by July or August. /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif

So I think I'll check into what it might cost to have it shipped. But not ever having done this before, are there certain things to watch out for? The charges usually are by the pound, aren't they? Would we need to wait until a "load" is going out there before it gets sent, or would the shipping company store the furniture until they have a load headed west?

We're talking about a king sized bed, box spring and mattress, an armoire, a dresser a couple of night stands, and some miscellaneous boxes that we'd send along.

I'm checking around to see if I can find someone that might loan me a trailer, but then I'd have to haul it back here also and I'd still have the costs associated with the trip. Although admittedly the costs would be quite a bit less without the cost of renting a trailer.

Are there easier and less costly ways of getting the stuff out there?

 

[buckle97]

I can't be any help on the cost of shipping furniture. But I will let you in on a secret of UHaul /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif. Those trailers don't have any way of recording the miles they are driven. When I moved from Kansas to Mississippi, I rented one of the 6' x 12' trailers for a "local" move after they quoted me over $500 to rent it one way. I pulled the trailer to MS, unloaded it, and pulled it back 3 days later and turned it in. If I remember correctly, it was under $40 for the trailer rental /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif.

Lawrence

 

[Golfgar4]

/forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif

Don't you have to specify how many days you might have it if you're going to rent it locally?

Boy, that could work out great if I can't figure out anything else. Of course, with my luck, I'd get back and discovered that they had some type of odometer hooked up on the inside of the wheel. /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif

Thanks for the tip! /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif

 

[Bird]

Garry, when I was sent to Northwestern University for one school year long ago, I rented a U-haul trailer to take some things up there with us. I can't remember what the price was, but I didn't think it was bad at all. Near the end of the school year, someone else who was going back south mentioned some exorbitant price to rent a U-Haul, so I called and found that the "rental" fee was the same either way, but it seems at that time a lot more people were going south than going north so if you rented a trailer to go from Chicago to Texas, they tacked on a huge "relocation" fee that was a lot more than the rental fee. That was supposedly, and I'm sure truthfully, because they had so many trailers in Texas and needed more in Illinois, so they had to transport trailers themselves back north. So even if they know you're going to tow it a lot of miles, it might be cheaper to tow it back empty to the place you got it than to rent it "one-way". And yes, I think you have to specify how many days you intend to have it.

 

[Golfgar4]

Bird,

Thanks for the tip. Sounds like it could be like buying a roundtrip airline ticket because it's cheaper than a one-way.

Hadn't considered that that might be case. I'll check it out. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[GerardC]

Buckle97 has it. You can rent it as "local" and do what you gotta do. Return it where you rented it and all is good. Gerard

 

[buckle97]

<font color="blue"> Don't you have to specify how many days you might have it if you're going to rent it locally? </font>

Yes, you do. I asked the UHaul lady who was doing the paperwork what would happen if I didn't return the UHaul trailer on the day specified. She replied: "Don't answer your phone." Apparently there is no extra charge for keeping the trailer longer, but they will start calling you when someone comes to pick up the trailer that THEY reserved /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif and YOU have not returned /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif. I assume they will eventually consider the trailer stolen if you don't return it within a couple of weeks, but I wasn't concerned since I was only keeping it a few days.

Lawrence

 

[alan40]

Hi Gary. Did your son use a navy mover on his original orders? He had the option for express and regular shipping. If his home of record orginally was yours or close to it maybe the Navy will move him. Have him go to his PSD and check into it . Can't hurt to see if they'll move it. Also unless he really needs it he might be able to get it moved with his next set of orders.
PSD =Personnal Support Detachment /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
Take care.

 

[Golfgar4]

Hey Alan! /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

The Navy did move him, but not from where we are. And he's not moving. He'll be out in Nevada for about the next 2 years.

We're the ones causing this. We're selling the house and downsizing, so to speak. So we either send the stuff he wants out to him, or we sell it here!

So I have a feeling that the Navy won't spring for this little move. Wish they would. That would solve all of these problems! /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[Ozarker]

Doesn't matter if he moved from where you are or not. If he recently moved to where he is on orders he may be entitled to a split move. He should see his transportation office and tell them he had stuff stored with you and ask if they will ship it? I did this very thing a couple of times while in the Army. Shipped stuff from my fathers house in Kansas and my father-in-laws house in Iowa to me in Germany.