I'm going to be moving 2,000 miles in 2 months.  Has anyone ever done a gigantic, cross-country move?  Got any advice?

I'm 23, not a LOT of stuff.  Some furniture, enough for a 1 bedroom apartment.  One car.

Thanks!

Mike

I just moved a couple days ago, although my move was only 330 miles away.  I moved from MD to MA.  My advice is to start packing now, if you haven't already.  By the time it was down to the week I was moving I was so sick of packing that I began to throw everything in sight away.  It is overwhelming, and stressful to move.  I rented a Uhaul truck to move everything which saved a lot of money, but there are also moving companies that will drive for you, but you pack everything in and unload everything.  It is a cheaper route to go.  
Good luck to you!

I moved from MI to CA and CA to KY.

Since it sounds like you're single, I would pack everything myself and have a moving company pick it up and drop-off. Anything that has value to you, take with you if possible.

If you can, give yourself extra time to get to your destination. Take in the sights, while you're on your way, it maybe the only time you get through that area.

i have made 4 major moves in 40 years !!

figure out your cubic footage rent a truck 10 cubic feet bigger, rent the car tow dolly & hitch it to the truck, get deisel powerd truck, pack everything as tgo you are going to haul it across the Rockys in a covered wagon......

if you have it hauled by someone else (Mayflower etc.) they will not haul combustibles, ammunition, lawn mowers, motorcycles, or what they determine a "dangerous" item..., & for Gawds sake never let them touch yer guns !!!!!!!!

i've moved from indy to phoenix (and back) and can tell you it can be a royal pain in the ass.

on the flip side, it was kinda fun too.

you can save money as has already been recommended by renting a truck (avoid the uhaul if possible, more on that later) and moving yourself.

i'd say you can start packing a month before you leave if you don't have a lot of stuff.  the problem with packing too soon is where to keep all the boxes that begin to accumulate.

if you're an NRA member, check for services that you can use to save money, particularly hotel stays for overnight.

your best bet is to be organized.  uhaul and rider trucks might have some organization tips on their websites to help.  or do a search for "moving" and  you'll get more than you need.

now, regarding the uhaul.  i don't mean to bash them, but between myself and matt, we've had 4 major hassles/problems out of 7 different rental situations.

3 of 4 times that matt's family moved when he was younger, the truck broke down.

i've had a trailer come off the ball because the hitching mechanism wasn't working on the trailer.  not even the safety chains held.  the only thing that kept that trailer from rolling down the highway of its own accord was the brake chain.

and i think ryder has better service for a better price.  but shop around.  i've heard that penske truck rental rates aren't bad.

WOW!  

Thank you for all of the information!

FYI, I'm moving from Wisconsin to Arizona.I had looked at U-Haul, Ryder, and Budget for truck rentals.  The prices for a 14' truck (10' trucks can't use a tow dolly for the car) ranged from $1,100.00 - $1,600.00.  Add in gas and I figure I could spend anywhere from $1,600.00 - $2,000.00.  [b]ARlady[/b], I've also found a lot of complaints about U-Haul and their equipment.  (Way too many to be totally comfortable.)  But, thank you for the heads-up!

I'm also considering U-Pack.  You pack up their trailer (semi), and they sell the rest of the space to whoever.  (Your household items may travel with some machinery, etc.)  But, they're a lot cheaper- $870.00 [b][i]with[/i][/b] tax, gas, and everything.  The only difference is that they take 5-7 business days (no weekends).

A third option is to sell my furniture and skip trucking entirely.  Kitchen sets sell for cheap ($200 for a good wooden set at Sam's Club), end tables are inexpensive (Sam's Club), and I could pick up a larger table/coffee table cheap at Sam's as well.  My cloth stuffed chairs and dresser...  Ehh.  Do-able. My only worry is one piece; an armoire.  Replacing that would be expensive; a leather couch would be cheaper.

I'm trying to figure out the cheapest and most hassle-free way to go.  I could milk some money out of my furniture, and add that to the savings of no truck.  But.....  Hrmm.

Anyhow, THANK YOU for the suggestions!  As for packing, already going on that.  Last year I sold half of my worldly possessions at a rummage.  This year, it may be another third of what's left.

THANK YOU AGAIN!

Mike