Recommendations/suggestions for moving cross country

So, getting ready to move from northern VA to Ogden, UT next weekend. I'm headed out first, family will follow toward the end of winter. Going through the process of getting house ready to sell, trying to figure out how to move engines, etc.:wink:

As I've not moved in quite a while(11+ years), and never this far (500 miles was my previous max distance), I am wondering if those who have done this sort of thing before might have any tips, strategies, etc. to shared.

Note: my new employer is covering moving expenses, and has their preferred carrier. They will be coming in, boxing everything up, putting it on a truck, and unloading it on the other end. So, looking more for tips about preparing for and surviving move rather than picking a moving company.

More info:
The cast of characters in this drama include a middle-aged couple, their two lovely daughters, and the Hounds of Sloth (three rescue dogs). The current plan (if it can be called a plan) is that my wife will drive cross country with our daughters and two of the dogs. The third dog (the one that can usually but not make it 1/2 mile to the vet without getting carsick) will be flying out to join me. If that is the case, all of my motors and reloads are going in the car. Otherwise, well, we'll see.

TIA

Boeing moved my brother, his wife and 4 resue Grayhounds from Detroit to Marysville, WA.
If you pre-box stuff so it won't get damaged in transit, they will take it.
Including rockets and motors. My brother had tons of car parts and they said they wouldn't move them, but they did when they are boxed.
Mark your boxes by room, not specific items. Such as Kitchen, Dinning, Master Bedroom, etc.
They will leave a pile of boxes in that room.
My brothers wife flew out, his cars took a train ride, and he drove with the 4 dogs.
That was 7 years ago. He still has a 2 stall garage filled with boxes. He didn't buy a big enough house.
Let your realitor make selling choices for you, that is their profession. Just get let them make you spend a bunch of money for the sale, beyond paint.
Hope this helps, and good luck on your move.
BTW, what is your profession?

Although the moving company is being paid to pack your stuff, do not count on them knowing how to pack (or even how to handle. or what to do with) specialty items like pet supplies, aquariums, craft supplies (if they need special handling), antiques, artwork, etc. When we move we buy special boxes for picture frames, and we wrap, box them ourselves. Some of them require special handling and cannot be subjected to high temperatures (my wife brought artwork home from Africa that is done in wax) and so we never allow that on the truck. Our antique radio is wrapped in bubble wrap... by us.

Leave room in the car or trailer or be prepared to store stuff somewhere (or throw it away), because the movers always a) run out of room on the truck, or b) refuse to carry some stuff like liquids, cleaning supplies, lawn fertilizer, etc. I always try to leave at least half my trailer available on moving day for all that stuff.

On one move, the driver refused to take a bunch of our lawn tools (rakes, shovels, etc.). I have no idea why. He said they were supposed to be boxed but finding boxes big enough for skis was hard enough so I just threw them in the trailer too.

Some rules are DOT regulations (some fluids, poisons, gasoline, etc) but it seems to me that every company, every driver, and every crew seem to make up their own rules as well. It pays to be prepared for last minute weirdness.

When I moved from SoCal. to Sunnyvale Ca back in 1988 everything I owned fit in the back of a Subaru “B.R.A.T.”.

Twelve years later when I moved from Sunnyvale Ca. to Oklahoma It required a U-Haul box van with a trailer to haul my Subaru Wagon.

Thankfully I had a good friend, who may one day speak to me again, to assist in the loading and the 1,300 mile drive.

I came to the conclusion that the first move was how it should be done. That when moving cross country it would have been much easier, and perhaps even cheaper, if I had taken all my belongings, except books, out to a big empty field and burned them to ash and driven my Subaru to Oklahoma and bought all new stuff.

Good luck with your move.

So this move... who is the new employer if you do not mind me asking(?)

Sounds like a start of a plan, good luck I'm not going quite as far as you are, and you've sen my motor shipping thread, so if you run out of room in the car you know how to at least get the Estes motors to the new place.

Thanks, all. Hope there will be even more good ideas later. Appreciate all the suggestions, and I know my wife will as well.

A little concerned about stuff not being carried, as I won't be there, and I don't think we'll have a trailer available. We do have friends, however, so I can at least stash things somewhere.

After several years as a software developer, I'm going back to being a statistician. I'm going to be working for Autoliv.

Yes, I qualify as a geek. Definitely!

P.S. Anybody want to hazard an opinion on whether they will transport compressed gas cylinders? Propane and/or CO2.

mjennings said:

Sounds like a start of a plan, good luck I'm not going quite as far as you are, and you've sen my motor shipping thread, so if you run out of room in the car you know how to at least get the Estes motors to the new place.

Click to expand...

Yes, thanks for all of the information! I probably will contact Estes. I don't know yet where I will be staying, so it's a little difficult to mail the motors yet!

My reloads (with one exception) are all G80 or lower, so if you hear back from AT will definitely be interested!

They may or may not.
They did my brothers, but when they arrived all 6 were empty and valves open.
They probably blead them off before loading. And they were the same tanks, not replaced with empty ones he said.

Compressed gasses: check with carrier but generally empty tanks so marked are moveable. YMMV.

75Grandville said:

P.S. Anybody want to hazard an opinion on whether they will transport compressed gas cylinders? Propane and/or CO2.

Click to expand...

From what i recall of my SCUBA classes, most carriers cannot carry compressed gasses. Empty tanks are generally fine. The problems with SCUBA tanks is that empty tanks have to be reinspected because they can get moisture in them. Not sure about Propane and CO2.