U-Pack Review (2023)

U-Pack is a self-service moving container company that helps you move while still giving you the convenience and independence of DIY packing. To help you find the best moving company, 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.

Founded in 1997 and currently 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 earned an A+ rating on the Better Business Bureau (BBB) with reviews that are above average. It may be a good moving option for the DIY-ers out there who don’t have the budget to hire a professional moving company.

Here’s a look at some of the pros and cons of moving with U-Pack:

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 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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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:

“Everyone from start to finish…acted with the utmost professionalism, and the entire process went well beyond my expectations. I cannot say enough good things about this company and the lengths they go to take the stress out of moving.” —Pennie W via BBB

“They dropped off the trailer on time. We took two days loading and they picked up on the third day. Had my stuff in storage for 3 months. The only reason for the 4 instead of 5 stars was; We chose a different location to move to so our trailer had to go to another terminal. That was a $600 add to move our trailer 100 miles. When we called for our stuff, the move had not been made. They were awaiting approval for the $600 despite prior approval. They expedited and moved it and had it to me in 3 days. They compensated for the delay but the way it was handled was 5 stars from then on. The drivers were 5 stars and very helpful and explained how the stuff works. Slight room for improvement, the approval to move the items was made 1 month prior to taking delivery, might check back to verify approval as there was no choice in the matter. That was my only issue, after it was identified, they hustled to fix it.”  —James P via BBB

*BBB ratings and reviews are accurate as of March 2023

Based on in-depth research, here are our top recommended moving companies:

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.

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.

To see if U-Pack’s offerings fall within your budget, we recommend getting a free quote by filling out this short form.

The This Old House Reviews Team backs 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 Reviews Team at reviews@thisoldhousereviews.com.