planning our move - Penske vs ABF

Is anyone else doing a long-distance move for grad school?  Even though we're going back "home" to Utah, we currently live in Pennsylvania.  Those 2,000+ miles look so fast and easy on Google Maps, but the reality is a bit hard to swallow.  This post is the first part of an explanation of how we are preparing for moving day.

There were two main moving options we looked into: renting a moving truck or paying for space on a freight truck.  I priced out lots of different options, but we eventually narrowed it down to Penske or ABF.  Here's why...

Penske (you pack it and drive it): 

- We used a Penske rental truck for our first move as a married couple and would gladly have been return customers.  Their trucks have a reputation (IMO) for being dependable.  Penske offers 24/7 roadside assistance in case you run into trouble along the way.  Traveling long distance made reliability a top priority for us.

- The price was very competitive, and even less expensive than some of the other companies.

ABF (you pack it on to a trailer, they drive it):

- Family members and friends used this for cross-country moves and highly recommended it. Who wouldn't want someone else to drive the truck, right?  

- This option was especially appealing because we have two kids.  My husband and I would be able to ride together so one person could drive while the other could supply our three- and one-year-old with the "coping mechanisms" (books, snacks, entertainment), rather than me driving alone with the kids. 

- If you need more space, you simply pay $92 for an extra square foot.  If you use less space, they refund you $92.  You pay for what you use.  

Ultimately, price was our bottom line.  There are so many expenses involved with moving--deposit and rent on the new house; hotels, gas, & food driving across the country; deposits and tuition for school, etc.  If we could save a few hundred bucks on the move, that meant more money in the bank during school.  Initially it appeared that Penske would be the more cost effective option.  

After checking online price quotes, we called Penske and ABF--always call the company!  

They will almost always negotiate with you.  If you are flexible on your dates and pick-up/drop-off locations, you can save a significant amount.  Also, be sure to ask about student discounts!  

Check this out...

Penske quote online: ~$2200

Negotiated Penske quote: ~$1850

Estimated fuel costs: ~$850

Grand Total: $2700

After calling Penske, we were able to get a quote that was a few hundred dollars below the online quote.  We calculated the cost of gas for the truck (most moving trucks get between 8-11 mpg...awesome, right?) and added that to the total cost.  Our grand total with Penske would have been around $2700; definitely a good price for a reliable truck with plenty of room.  

ABF online quote: ~$3500

Negotiated ABF quote: ~$2900 

When we called ABF to negotiate price with them the first time, we talked to a Grumpy Gus.  He insisted there was no wiggle room in the price we'd gotten online, so we planned on going with Penske to save $800.  But we thought it odd that the guy totally refused to give us any discount, so I called the following day and talked with a much nicer man.  I was frank with him.  I explained that Penske was giving us a student discount on the truck and that it would cost about $2700, including gas.  He put me on hold to talk to his manager, and came back with an AWESOME price--around $2900!  

It worked out for us to do ABF, but we would not have been able to do this option if they hadn't given us such a good deal.  So for those of you who may be doing the rental truck option, the next post will contain ideas for making the most out of that experience.