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Any one use the ABF - you pack for a long distance move ?
They provide testimonials on their website but...
I have never actually heard anything firsthand.
If you go to a website called movingscam.com, folks discuss ABF and Broadway (pack yourself-type movers) at great lengths. Go to their Message Board and click on Open Community. I was going to go with ABF when we moved, but they couldn't pinpoint a delivery date, so I just said heck with it and rented a Penske truck. I hired guys to load and unload the truck, too. Turned out to be cheaper, and I had control over when it arrived.
I'm moving in Jan. and have been doing a lot of research on Pods, U-Pack, Penske, U-Haul, Ryder & Budget. So far Pods, U-Pack and Penske have the best reputations but I can't give you first hand experience. If you type in Yahoo not Google anyone of those companies with the word "reviews", "complaints" or "rip off" you can get some first hand info.
Microsoft's website just ran an article on this sort of company, in their real estate section. They recommended ABF U-Pack Moving, Broadway Express, and Door to Door. Here is the article but I would not be surprised if this link gets removed: http://realestate.msn.com/Rentals/Ar...mentid=1285203
I'm moving in Jan. and have been doing a lot of research on Pods, U-Pack, Penske, U-Haul, Ryder & Budget. So far Pods, U-Pack and Penske have the best reputations but I can't give you first hand experience. If you type in Yahoo not Google anyone of those companies with the word "reviews", "complaints" or "rip off" you can get some first hand info.
Does anyone have any suggestions of who you would call to hire a team to pack one of these trucks. Is there some company that would specialize in this service?
You’ll find people that do that type of work through a variety of publications and the Internet. I pulled some names off of the U-Haul affiliate website, for example, at emove.com. They even had comments there from people that used the movers. You can also find names looking in the Yellow Pages, or asking the people at the place you rent the truck. I believe that with one of the companies mentioned above, maybe Broadway, you can even hire the driver.
Wherever you get a name from, I’d highly recommend that you do some background checking through the BBB, through people that used the services previously, or any other way you can. I had good experiences, but I’ve read some horror stories.
I moved from Boston to Ohio and used one of those moving deals where you are renting part of a standard over the road freight truck. I basically had no other real choice as I wanted to move a lot of weight in one move. Something like 14 tons, I had a lot of tools and construction type equipment. I could not have driven the truck if I wanted too, as I don't have a CDL. No other method could I hire one vehicle to move that much weight and go where I wanted to go. Plus I didn't have enough bodies, just me and my nephew and he was only available for a few days. A need to do the impossible in a short period.
I used MoveAmerica
http://www.moveamerica.com/ (broken link)
Sort of good, sort of bad.
First the trucking company provided all the equipment, driver, etc. I figured out how to load it all myself in that time frame. Basically wound up staging the goodies in several sheds outside very close to where the truck would be and using a large dolly to roll it aboard. Really packed it in tight, floor to ceiling, used about half the truck. I just had to move myself, personal vehicles, dog and some personal stuff. It was very cheap to move what I was moving. It all got done in one big move. My only other option would have been to try to get one of my former neighbors who was a trucker to rent a semi, probably would have been a lot more expensive.
The bad was the people had no clue how the trucking business actually works. They are sort of brokers and the one I used was a pop and mom operation being run from the kitchen. If you called them once the truck was loaded, apparently they were using call forwarding and you got some kid in high school answering the phone who knew absolutely nothing. Pretty much a total zero once they had your money and the truck was scheduled and loaded.
Basically once I knew who the trucking company was, I finally wound up dealing with them direct to finally get the truck to my door in Ohio. You just call the load dispatcher once you have the right numbers on the invoice. Sure beats talking to some kid and giving the same information over and over again.
Those MoveAmerica people are totally screwed up in how many days they claim it takes for a truck to get somewhere. I missed the arrival date in Ohio because of them and had to unload the truck myself. Was a zoo, once the truck trailer was left at my house in Ohio, the trucking company didn't have a rig to come get it for over a week. Totally messed up and not because of the trucking company. It only worked because I finally knew to bypass them amateurs pretending to be transportation types.
In the end it all worked but I think you could just call any trucking company and do it all better yourself. Especially the scheduling part. Not a method for everybody, you got to be a kind of take charge type and really know how to plan out every little detail. Especially the getting it on and off. I designed a ramp system out of lumber and plywood, loaded that last on the truck once it was loaded and used it again to unload. You could work directly with a freight company and just be another customer.
Apparently some of these type companies are being run by people with maybe some trucking experience but zero business knowledge. Mine could have been a disaster if I didn't know to just deal with the trucking company once I knew exactly who it was.
Is sort of comes down to the fact the trucking companies know what they are going and it is just another load. Those moving brokers may / may not be a joke. My opinion is now, why do you need them. Just attempt to go direct via some local freight company if that is to be your method, you would get the same deal and probably an even cheaper price, sure will have a lot more control. Dealing with the load dispatchers is the only way to go. Remember the trucking system is highly computerized and they know exactly what is going on and can schedule it, tell you the exact situation, etc. You do sort of have to understand the transportation system. I spend like 15 years around MSC for the government and knew a lot about the entire system, air, water, land. You just have to understand the basic rules as it relates to trucking.
You’ll find people that do that type of work through a variety of publications and the Internet. I pulled some names off of the U-Haul affiliate website, for example, at emove.com. They even had comments there from people that used the movers. You can also find names looking in the Yellow Pages, or asking the people at the place you rent the truck. I believe that with one of the companies mentioned above, maybe Broadway, you can even hire the driver.
Wherever you get a name from, I’d highly recommend that you do some background checking through the BBB, through people that used the services previously, or any other way you can. I had good experiences, but I’ve read some horror stories.
Used Penske 3 times. Had a lot of friends do ABF, only reason we didn't was no actual delivery date. We wanted to have family/friends over for help, not on call.
The sales reps for professional moving companies I got quotes from gave me insight. Once my husband put our info out for moving quotes, it was an avalanche. Call after call after call, emails, horrible. Hadno clue how to start.
- don't use a broker. Too far removed
- bbb. If their are complaints, make sure they are at least resolved and satisfied.
- make sure if it's a professional mover, they come into our home for an estimate, not over the phone.
Good luck. ABF can lighten our drive!! Hehe!
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re: ABF
