Moving can be extremely stressful. Choosing the right moving company to help transport your belongings is key to reducing headaches and ensuring a smooth transition to your new home. Two popular national moving shipping container services are Estes Sure Move and U-Pack.
But which one is the better choice?
| Service | Estes Sure Move | U-Pack |
| Container Sizes | 16ft, 20ft, 28ft | 12ft (U-Box), 16ft (U-Pack) |
| Loading Assistance | Yes | No |
| Climate-controlled | Yes | No |
| Insurance | Full-value protection | 60 cents/pound |
Overview of Estes Sure Move
Estes Sure Move is the moving and storage division of Estes Express Lines, an asset-based freight shipping company with over 90 years of experience.
With Sure Move, you pack your belongings into reusable steel containers that Estes transports for you across the country.
The 16, 20, or 28-ft climate-controlled containers protect your belongings from outside elements like rain, snow, heat, and cold. Professional drivers will safely deliver the sealed container directly to your new home or into storage.
Sure Move containers have barn-style swing doors that open wide for easy loading access. You can fit the contents of a 1-3 bedroom home into a single container. Ramps are provided to roll heavy items in and out. Estes can also help load your container for an additional fee.
Overview of U-Pack Moving
U-Pack Moving is an affordable do-it-yourself moving option powered by ABF Freight System, a company with nearly 100 years of shipping experience. With U-Pack, you load a container yourself and ABF transports it cross-country.
U-Pack has an exclusive line of U-Box containers that are custom-designed for household moves. U-Boxes have roll up doors and built-in ramps to make self-loading furniture and boxes easy.
There are currently two U-Box sizes to choose from:
- 12ft U-Box: Holds a small 1 bedroom home
- 16ft U-Box: Fits the contents of a 2-3 bedroom home
The cargo area of each container is climate-controlled with an Eco-Carrier refrigeration unit to protect goods. However, the rest of the container is not fully sealed like Sure Move’s containers.
Pros of Choosing Estes Sure Move
There are several advantages to choosing Estes Sure Move over U-Pack:
- Fully Enclosed Steel Containers
Sure Move uses high-quality steel containers with locking barn doors that seal tightly to fully protect your possessions from weather and debris while in transit. U-Boxes do not have a weather-tight seal and may leave belongings exposed.
- More Sizes to Fit Home Contents
With container sizes ranging from 16ft to 28ft, Sure Move offers more options to fit the contents from any size home.
This allows for transporting more items in fewer containers, which can lower your total moving costs.
U-Pack currently only has 12ft and 16ft U-Boxes, which may not provide enough space from some homes.
This often requires renting a second container or leaving some items behind.
- Full Replacement Value Protection
Sure Move covers your household goods at full replacement value in case anything breaks or goes missing, providing complete peace of mind. U-Pack’s basic protection only covers 60 cents per pound. For full-value protection, you would need to purchase additional third-party moving insurance.
- Loading & Unloading Help
Estes can assist you with professionally loading and unloading your Sure Move container. U-Pack requires you to load and unload entirely on your own. Having an extra set of hands can save tremendous time and effort.
- More Established Company
With over 90 years of transport experience shipping time-sensitive freight, Estes offers a reliable moving service you can trust to safely get your container delivered on schedule. ABF Freight may have equally long history moving freight, but their U-Pack division is still newer to the household moving industry.
Pros of Choosing U-Pack
While Sure Move has some advantages that make it a smart choice for many, U-Pack offers a few benefits of its own:
- Lower Cost
U-Pack tends to be more budget-friendly because you handle packing and loading everything yourself without any extra help.
This allows them to keep prices down.
If you’re willing to do all the physical work and don’t require any additional services, U-Pack can save you money.
- Convenient Container Design
U-Pack’s containers were specifically engineered to make loading furniture fast and easy on your own, thanks to the roll-up doors and built-in ramp system. Sure Move provides ramps too but may require more physical effort to load.
- Storage at Destination
A unique perk of U-Pack is that they will store your loaded container at your destination city either indoors or outdoors for a small daily storage fee. This adds flexibility in timing your move-in date. Sure Move delivers containers directly to residences without a storage option.
Side-by-Side Comparisons of U-Pack And Estes Sure Move
To help you further decide if Sure Move or U-Pack best meets your needs, here is a detailed side-by-side look at key policy differences:
Pricing
- Estes has a base rate plus fees for add-ons like loading/unloading help, storage, or expedited delivery
- U-Pack has an all-inclusive flat rate including 30 days storage and limited accessorials
Container Equipment
- Sure Move containers are made of corten weathering steel with locking doors
- U-Boxes use a proprietary high-strength steel alloy and have roll-up doors
Climate Control
- Sure Move containers are fully climate controlled
- Only the cargo area of U-Boxes is climate controlled
Insurance & Liability
- Estes Sure Move protects goods at full replacement value
- U-Pack offers 60 cents per pound valuation and no electronics protection
- Both make you sign a limited liability waiver
Tracking Visibility
- Sure Move sends email alerts at key transit milestones
- U-Pack provides GPS tracking you can self-monitor
Accessorial Services
- Sure Move assists with loading/unloading for a fee
- U-Pack requires self-service loading/unloading
- Both can provide custom crating and specialty equipment
Choosing What’s Best For You
There are clearly tradeoffs when selecting between Estes Sure Move and U-Pack.
Factors like budget, amount of items, loading assistance needs, insurance, timing flexibility and reliability are all important considerations.
If having a modern steel container with full climate control, maximum valuation protection, and loading help is critical – then Sure Move may be worth the extra costs.
But if you are extremely budget conscious, able to handle loading a container solo, and want storage flexibility – then U-Pack could be a smart bet.
Think through your specific moving situation and needs to decide which match up best. Both companies aim to reduce the headaches of a long-distance move through their container transport services.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Estes Sure Move containers come in 3 different sizes:
1. 16ft container – 160 sq. ft. cargo capacity
2. 20ft container – 260 sq. ft. cargo capacity
3. 28ft container – 460 sq. ft. cargo capacity
The largest 28ft trailer can fit the entire contents of a 3+ bedroom home.
A freight move refers to using a professional freight shipping company to transport your belongings, often by loading items into a crate or container that is then hauled on a truck, cargo ship, or train.
It differs from a traditional household move where a moving company packs up all your possessions and drives them directly to your new home in a large moving van.
Freight moving services from companies like U-Pack and Estes Sure Move offer an affordable alternative by having you pack containers that they then ship.
The largest trailer offered by U-Haul for moving and towing is a 20ft steel car trailer. This has an interior cargo volume of about 333 cubic feet.
So if you have an extremely large amount of household possessions to move across the country, U-Haul may not offer an adequate trailer size and you’ll likely need a bigger container from a freight moving company like Estes Sure Move.
As one of the largest less than truckload (LTL) freight shipping companies in the nation, Estes Express Lines has a fleet of over 7,100 tractors and 23,000 trailers. This massive transportation network helps them ship over 1,000,000 pounds of freight each month.
Their Sure Move container moving service taps into this extensive infrastructure to ensure reliable national delivery of your household possessions. So you can trust you stuff is in good hands with the extensive fleet Estes operates.
Final Thoughts
Moving requires making a lot of tough decisions. Choosing between Estes Sure Move and U-Pack ultimately comes down to your specific needs and preferences for moving container types, loading help requirements, insurance coverage and overall affordability.
Carefully weigh the pros and cons highlighted here based on your unique situation. This will lead you to the right long-distance moving container service providing the best overall value and peace of mind.
