The 5 Best Ways to Move Across the Country

A cross-country relocation is a big undertaking. On top of coordinating the details of a new job, preparing to live in a new home, establishing utility services, and more, you need to figure out how to get your stuff from point A to point B. And the more belongings you have, the more daunting the moving process becomes.

Yet before you start to feel intimidated by the prospect of a long-distance move across the United States, you should understand that there are many ways to handle your moving experience. The trick is to figure out the best way to move cross-country for your specific situation.

The following guide will walk you through the five best ways to move across the country. Once you know your moving options (and the associated costs), you should be in a better position to figure out the moving strategy that makes the most sense for you and your moving budget.

Table of Contents

• Rent a moving truck
• Hire a full-service moving company
• Use a moving container
• Rent a freight trailer
• Ship your moving boxes
• Best ways to move across the country FAQs

Rent a moving truck

There’s no question that cross-country moves can be expensive. But if you’re in the position to handle the relocation of your belongings yourself, you might save a significant amount of money by acting as your own mover.

Renting a moving truck remains a popular option — especially for people facing long-distance relocations. According to U-Haul, around 75% of movers manage the process on their own.

Average truck rental costs

If you’re considering renting a moving truck for a DIY move, one of the first steps you should take is to compare rates from multiple companies. No matter what type of service or product you’re seeking, rate shopping has the potential to save you money – sometimes a significant amount.

When comparing truck rental costs, you’ll need to input the specific details of your move to get accurate estimates. In particular, the size of the truck you need along with your pick-up and drop-off locations can have a significant impact on your final cost.

Rental truck rates vary widely depending on the details of your move. Below are the average costs to rent a truck for a one-way, cross-country move (2,400 miles average) from three popular truck rental companies. These rates reflect the average cost of a 16-26 foot, one-way truck rental (based on availability) for the same three cross-country moves: Miami to LA, Houston to Chicago, and Las Vegas to Pittsburgh:

Company & Average Cost

U-Haul: $2,802
Penske: $3,397
Budget: $3,231

Additional costs

It’s important to consider that you’ll have additional costs when you drive a moving truck across the country to your new home. You should budget for moving supplies such as boxes, storage containers, packing tape, bubble wrap, and any other packing materials you need to secure your belongings for the interstate moving process.

Fuel costs are another expense you should include in your budget. According to the AAA, the average gas price in October 2022 was 3.79 per gallon. You can use this information, plus the average miles per gallon for a rental truck (around 10-12 miles per gallon) and the distance you will be traveling, to estimate fuel costs for your relocation.

Below is the formula you can use to estimate your fuel costs.

(Distance Traveled ÷ Miles Per Gallon) x Average Gas Price Per Gallon = Fuel Costs

Consider a cross-country move from Miami to Los Angeles as an example. The distance of this trip is around 2,730 miles. Assuming you drive a rental truck that gets 12 miles per gallon, your estimated fuel costs would be $862 based on current average gas prices.

If your new location takes a few days to reach, you’ll have food and lodging costs to cover while you’re on the road. Reports show that in the spring of 2022, the average daily hotel rate was around $150 per night. Yet depending on where you’re traveling and the time of year, you might encounter rates that are higher or lower.

How does a rental truck work?

Most truck rental companies provide two separate sets of rates — one for local moves and one for long-distance moves. If you’re moving out of state, you typically rent the vehicle for the number of days you expect the move to take, plus a few days added for loading and unloading.

When you rent a moving truck, you’ll have to pack your belongings and load them onto the truck yourself. If you can’t handle this yourself, you’ll probably have to hire outside help. There’s a lot more hassle when you move by renting a truck, but the DIY moving process remains a less expensive way to relocate compared with other options.

Hire a full-service moving company

The most convenient way to move is to hire a full-service moving company. Full-service movers can take care of packing your belongings, loading and unloading them, and every step in between — including transporting possessions to your new home. A professional moving company could also help you secure a temporary storage unit, help you move your vehicles, and more.

However, with convenience typically comes a higher price tag. Working with a van line to manage your move could be two to three times more expensive than a DIY move with a rented moving truck.

Average cost of moving companies

It’s smart to get moving quotes from multiple companies if you’re thinking about hiring cross-country movers. You’ll need to share the details of your move to get accurate estimates, including the distance you’ll be moving, the size of your home, the services that interest you (e.g., packing, unpacking, insurance, vehicle transport, etc.), and any special requirements.

A cross-country moving company is unlikely to share rates online since there are so many variables that can affect the final cost of a full-service move. Factors such as the lead time between your contact with the mover and the date of the move, the time of year you want to relocate, and your starting and ending destinations all drive the cost of your move up or down.

Depending on the full-service moving company you hire, it’s common to encounter rates of $25-$50 per hour (per mover), plus additional fees for moving supplies, fuel surcharges, optional insurance, tips, and more. Below are the price ranges you might encounter if you hire professional, full-service movers to move the belongings of a standard 3-bedroom home approximately 500-1,500 miles.

Companies & Price Ranges

American Van Lines: $5,700-$11,000
Atlas Van Lines: $4,000-$10,000
Bekins Van Lines: $5,800-$10,000

How does a moving company work?

A full-service moving company is not the cheapest way to move across the country – but it’s probably the easiest.

Here’s how the process of hiring a full-service moving company might work, depending on the services you choose.

• Request a Quote: To begin the process of hiring professional movers, you must fill out an online interest form or give the company a call. From there, most companies have some process for gathering information about your upcoming move and the services that interest you (e.g., packing, unpacking, moving, etc.). Once that information has been conveyed, you’ll be provided with a free quote that estimates your moving costs.
• The Moving Estimate: Some professional movers might want to perform a video walkthrough of your home to evaluate the items you need to be relocated (and packed, if that service interests you). Others might be satisfied with asking you questions over the phone. Some long-distance movers might prefer to visit your home in person instead. Once this process is complete, you should receive an estimate of your moving rate. It’s important to understand that an estimate is just that: an informed idea about what the total cost may be. Your actual cost may be higher.
• Moving Day: Assuming you’re comfortable with the price an interstate moving company quotes you, the next step would be to schedule your moving date. You may have to put down a deposit to make this reservation. If you choose to have the moving company pack your belongings, this deposit might be due prior to moving day. However, a trained packing team will be able to complete this process much faster than you could alone (often within hours, not days or weeks).
• Unloading and Unpacking: Once professional movers arrive at your new home, they will unload your belongings. If you paid for unpacking services as part of your moving package, the company will handle that process for you as well. Again, a team of pros can unbox your items much faster than you’d be able to on your own — often within a few hours.

Use a moving container

Working with a moving container company may be another contender for the cheapest option if you’re looking to save money on a cross-country move. But like renting a moving truck, this approach leaves you stuck doing the heavy lifting on your own (or hiring an outside company to help you).

Average cost of moving containers

No matter how you choose to transport your belongings, it’s always smart to shop around to compare prices and services from multiple companies upfront. Factors such as the number of containers you need, the length of time you keep your containers, and the distance of your relocation can determine how much you’ll pay.

Here’s the approximate cost of renting a moving container for a 2-3 bedroom home.

Companies & Approximate Cost

PODS: $3,650
1800 packrat: $3,850
U-Haul: $3,700

Note that longer moves or moves that require larger or extra storage containers to accommodate your belongings could potentially cost twice as much as the averages above.

Additional costs

In addition to the moving expenses above, you might encounter other expenses if you use moving containers to handle your move. Below are a few examples.

• Extra Monthly Rental Fees: The rates above assume that you’ll be returning your storage containers within 30 days. However, if it takes you longer than a month to load, have the company relocate, and unload your rented container(s), you could have to pay additional fees.
• Storage Facility Fees: Some container companies, like PODS, offer the option to store your loaded containers at an indoor storage facility. This could be helpful for people who aren’t yet ready to move into their new home or for those with an HOA that doesn’t allow a storage container to sit in their driveway. However, if you use this service, you will pay for it. Storing a 16-foot PODS at one of the company’s storage facilities could cost as much as $279 per month. But the company does offer discounts for multi-month storage arrangements.

Rent a freight container

Renting space in a freight container for your belongings is another solution that might work well for budget-conscious movers. This unique approach to moving involves sharing space with commercial freight that’s also on its way to your new destination. And since you’re sharing (secured and divided) space, you might be able to get a more affordable moving rate in return.

Average cost of a freight trailer

Companies that offer freight container rental services typically base prices on the space you require for your belongings, not their weight. Here’s how much you might pay to relocate a 3-bedroom home from Atlanta to Las Vegas with three different freight trailer companies.

Companies & Approximate Cost

U-Pack: $4,890
OD Household Services: $6,461
Estes SureMove: $4,101

How do freight moving companies work?

If you decide to use a freight container for your move, you load your belongings inside a portion of a large shipping container. (Typically, the company drops off the shipping container in front of your home and allows you several days to complete this process.) When you’re done, you install a secure bulkhead divider wall to separate your possessions from the remainder of the container.

When the freight company picks up the container with your belongings, it may take the container to a new location and add commercial shipments to the remaining space. A professional driver then drives the full container to your destination, stopping to unload its commercial contents along the way.

Once the driver reaches your new home, it will drop off the shipping container. Again, you will have several days to unload the container — either on your own or with outside assistance that you hire yourself.

Ship your moving boxes

Some moves don’t require giant moving trucks or containers to relocate your possessions. If your relocation involves a small number of belongings, traditional shipping might be a way to get the job done at an affordable price.

Average cost to ship your moving boxes

Most companies base the cost of shipping services on the weight of the boxes you need to send from one location to another. So the heavier the moving boxes you need to ship, the more you can typically expect to pay. The number of boxes you need to ship will determine your overall shipping costs, as well as the shipping speed, origination and destination of the delivery.

Below is how much you might pay to ship a large individual moving box (70 pounds) with three popular U.S. shipping companies.

Companies & Average Cost

USPS: $20-$225
uShip: $300-$400+
FedEx: $150-$800

How Long does it take to ship your moving boxes?

There’s a lot of flexibility when it comes to shipping speed, depending on the company you choose to handle the delivery of your moving boxes. However, it’s important to note that the faster you want your boxes to arrive at your new home, the more you should expect to pay.

Consider the following estimate from FedEx to send a 70-pound package from Atlanta to Las Vegas.

• 6-Day Shipment: $151.82
• 5-Day Shipment: $464.24
• 2-Day Shipment: $724.49
• Overnight Shipment: $806.64

If you opt to use Priority Mail (USPS), your package should reach its destination within one to three business days. With uShip, it could take up to four weeks for your package(s) to arrive if they’re traveling more than 1,000 miles for a cross-country shipment.

Summary of our guide to the best way to move cross-country

• Rent a moving truck
• Hire a full-service moving company
• Use a moving container
• Rent a freight trailer
• Ship your moving boxes
• Best ways to move across the country FAQs