Ways to move
Moving containers, sized and priced against a crew
PODS, U-Pack, 1-800-PACK-RAT, and U-Haul U-Box: the box each company publishes, what it holds, the street it needs, and when hiring loaders makes it cost about the same as a full-service crew.
Haulest data team · 17 September 2026 · Research fallback. Not a first-party median.
The four containers people actually compare. Dimensions, cubic feet, and limits are each company's published figures, checked 23 September 2026.
| Company | Size | Dimensions | Cubic feet | Holds about | Weight limit | Where it moves | Drop and permit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PODS | 8 ft | 8 x 7 x 8 ft (outside) | 402 | Up to about 500 sq ft: a studio or one room | Not published | Local and long-distance. Quoted per container. | The 12 ft container is for local moves and storage only; long distance is 8 ft or 16 ft. |
| PODS | 12 ft | 12 x 8 x 8 ft (outside) | 689 | About 500 to 800 sq ft | Not published | Local and storage. Not the long-distance box. | The 12 ft container is for local moves and storage only; long distance is 8 ft or 16 ft. |
| PODS | 16 ft | 16 x 8 x 8 ft (outside) | 835 | Up to about 1,200 sq ft: one to two bedrooms | Not published | Local and long-distance. Quoted per container. | The 12 ft container is for local moves and storage only; long distance is 8 ft or 16 ft. |
| U-Pack | ReloCube | About 6 x 7 x 8 ft | 308 | Fits a king mattress up to 72 x 84 in and sofas up to 92 in | Not published | Local and long-distance. Quoted per container. | You get three business days to load and three to unload; after that, per-day fees apply. |
| U-Pack | Freight trailer | 8 ft wide, 9 ft high, pay per linear foot (5 ft minimum) | 1,944 | Whole homes; a divider wall locks off your section | Not published | Long-distance. Pay per linear foot you fill. | You get three business days to load and three to unload; after that, per-day fees apply. |
| 1-800-PACK-RAT | 8 ft | 8.5 x 7.2 x 7.8 ft (outside) | 404 | One to two rooms | 4,000 lb | Local and long-distance. Quoted per container. | The 12 ft container is for local moves only. |
| 1-800-PACK-RAT | 12 ft | 12 x 7.75 x 7.5 ft (outside) | 620 | Two to three rooms | 6,000 lb | Local and storage. Not the long-distance box. | The 12 ft container is for local moves only. |
| 1-800-PACK-RAT | 16 ft | 16 x 7.75 x 7.5 ft (outside) | 830 | Three to four rooms | 6,000 lb | Local and long-distance. Quoted per container. | The 12 ft container is for local moves only. |
| U-Box (U-Haul) | One size | 95 x 56 x 83.5 in (inside) | 257 | About a room to a room and a half | 2,000 lb | Local and long-distance. Quoted per container. | The 2,000 lb limit per box rules out pianos and makes books and tools the constraint, not space. |
Sources: PODS: container sizes; U-Pack: moving equipment; 1-800-PACK-RAT: container sizes; U-Haul: U-Box dimensions.
When a container costs about the same as a crew. Full-service ranges are Haulest planning bands (September 2026). The container column is that band scaled for a box you load yourself. All-in adds two movers at $40 to $80 an hour, both ends, plus a street permit of $0 to $200 locally or $50 to $250 long-distance. Not a bid.
| Home | Distance | Full-service crew | Container, you load | Container plus labor and permit | Read it |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Studio | Local | $450 to $950 | $140 to $480 | $460 to $1,320 | Same band once you hire labor and a permit |
| Studio | Long-distance | $1,800 to $3,400 | $860 to $2,380 | $1,230 to $3,270 | Same band once you hire labor and a permit |
| 1 bedroom | Local | $700 to $1,400 | $220 to $700 | $700 to $1,860 | Same band once you hire labor and a permit |
| 1 bedroom | Long-distance | $2,400 to $4,300 | $1,150 to $3,010 | $1,680 to $4,220 | Same band once you hire labor and a permit |
| 2 bedroom | Local | $1,100 to $2,200 | $350 to $1,100 | $990 to $2,580 | Same band once you hire labor and a permit |
| 2 bedroom | Long-distance | $3,200 to $5,600 | $1,540 to $3,920 | $2,230 to $5,450 | Same band once you hire labor and a permit |
| 3 bedroom | Local | $1,700 to $3,200 | $540 to $1,600 | $1,500 to $3,720 | Same band once you hire labor and a permit |
| 3 bedroom | Long-distance | $4,300 to $7,600 | $2,060 to $5,320 | $3,070 to $7,490 | Same band once you hire labor and a permit |
| 4+ bedroom | Local | $2,400 to $4,500 | $770 to $2,250 | $2,050 to $5,010 | Same band once you hire labor and a permit |
| 4+ bedroom | Long-distance | $5,600 to $9,800 | $2,690 to $6,860 | $4,020 to $9,670 | Same band once you hire labor and a permit |
Source: Haulest planning bands and published container terms (September 2026).
Local overlap is the common case: the crew's price is mostly labor, and you pay that labor back if you hire loaders for the container. Long distance, the haul is the large piece, so loading the container yourself is the saving. A 12 ft PODS and a 12 ft PACK-RAT are local and storage units, not the coast-to-coast box. Price the same home with a crew or against a rental truck.
Size it
How many containers your home needs
- BigSteelBox 20 ft, 1,172 cu ft20 ft dimensions and volume checked against BigSteelBox's container tour on 29 October 2026×1
- Go Mini's 16 ft, 900 cu ft×1
- PODS 16 ft, 835 cu ft×2
- 1-800-PACK-RAT 16 ft, 830 cu ft, 6,000 lb limit×2
- Zippy Shell 15 ft, 680 cu ft, 5,500 lb limit×2
- Go Mini's 12 ft, 675 cu ft×2
- 1-800-PACK-RAT 12 ft, 620 cu ft, 6,000 lb limitLocal moves only×2
- BigSteelBox 10 ft, 564 cu ft×2
A rough fit: 900 cu ft for a typical 2 bedroom home, divided by each container's published volume. Heavy homes hit weight limits before they fill the space.
Companies
Every container company on this list
- PODScontainer · US, CAA steel container is dropped at your door; you load it, PODS moves it to the new address or to one of its storage centers.Largest835 cu ftReviews1.0 · 128FMCSA fleet1,324 trucks
- U-Box (U-Haul)container · US, CAU-Haul's small container. You load one or more boxes at home or at a U-Haul location; U-Haul ships them.Largest257 cu ftReviewsBe the firstStorageYes
- U-Packcontainer and freight trailer · US, CAYou pack and load; ABF Freight, U-Pack's parent carrier, drives. Choose ReloCube containers or space in a freight trailer that is filled with commercial freight, never another household's goods.Largest1,944 cu ftReviews4.0 · 3FMCSA fleet4,604 trucks
- 1-800-PACK-RATcontainer · USSteel containers delivered to your door, moved or stored by the company.Largest830 cu ftReviews1.0 · 6FMCSA fleet345 trucks
- Zippy Shellcontainer · USA franchise network. Containers come on a street-legal trailer and can be dropped where a larger container truck will not fit. Sizes vary by market.Largest680 cu ftReviews1.0 · 222FMCSA fleet51 local operators
- SMARTBOXcontainer · USSmall wooden boxes, one per room or so, delivered and moved by local operators.Largest280 cu ftReviewsBe the firstFMCSA fleet23 local operators
- MI-BOXcontainer · US, CAA dealer network. A patented lift system sets the container down level, so it can go where a tilt-bed truck cannot.Largest8 ft, 16 ft, 20 ftReviewsBe the firstFMCSA fleet29 local operators
- Go Mini'scontainer · US, CAA franchise network with larger containers than most, all 8 ft wide and 8 ft high.Largest900 cu ftReviewsBe the firstFMCSA fleet23 local operators
- BigSteelBoxcontainer · CACanadian company using ISO-certified steel shipping containers for moving and storage.Largest1,172 cu ftReviewsBe the firstStorageYes
Ask out loud
Questions people ask
- How many containers does a 2-bedroom need?
- A 16 ft PODS or 1-800-PACK-RAT holds about 830 cubic feet, which is a one- to two-bedroom load if you pack tight. A U-Box is about 257 cubic feet and a ReloCube about 308, so the same home often needs three or four of the small boxes. Use the fit tool on this page and leave about 10 percent spare.
- Is a moving container cheaper than full-service movers?
- The box itself is usually cheaper than a crew, because you load it. Add loading labor at both ends and a street permit and a local move often lands in the same band as a full-service crew. Loading it yourself is where the container stays cheaper. Long distance, the container can still win if you do the labor.
- Do I need a permit to drop a container?
- A driveway or lot usually does not. A city street often does. PODS publishes a placement footprint of about 12 feet wide, 15 feet high, and 40 feet long. Ask the city and the building before delivery day. An HOA can refuse the drop even when the city allows it.
- What will not fit in a U-Box?
- U-Haul publishes a 2,000 pound limit per U-Box and about 257 cubic feet inside. Books, tools, and a piano hit the weight limit before the box looks full. A 16 ft steel container is the one that takes a household's furniture in one drop.
- What if my closing slips after the container is booked?
- Containers are built for a gap between keys: the box can sit, or go to the company's storage yard, and you pay for the extra days. A full-service crew that has to hold the shipment uses storage-in-transit instead. Price both before you book a one-day load.
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