Hello
We have sold our home in Calif. and are moving to Bloomington, Illinois.
I have, like you, a lot of locos, cars, buildings, and etc. that I don’t want
stolen or lost by the movers. All of my train tables(layout) are modulars
(dominos). The tables will have to be crated and shipped.
I plan to remove all my Digitrax components and pack them seperately.
Can you recommend an honest and reliable moving company?
Thanks for any help you can provide. Timothy in Calif. NMRA Life#544
Yes. Yourself.
For three moves now we’ve used the same guys (a local company, not one of the national companies). They’ve done a great job each time. Never broken anything. But my computers, trains, and other electronics stuff I take myself in the car. I just feel better that way.
–Randy
Try using a company that uses containers, these eliminate a lot of unneccesary handling and are a lot more secure than sharing a van with other loads plus you get 30 days free storage.
Bingo! And remember you get what you paid for. Several years ago I moved my Father from TO to Dartmouth through A-1 movers of Toronto. Big mistake as they busted up several pieces of furniture. They refused to honour the contract and did not pay for damages.
Bottom line: get a vetted and insured national mover to do the job though it will cost you up front.
Fergie
Try looking at PODS, they drop off a 20’ container in your yard and you have as long as you want to load it up yourself. They will pick up and transport and you unload at your own pace. They pricing is very close to that of U-Haul/ Budget truck. and storage rates are very resonable. ABF trucklines offers a similar deal but you only have a few days to load/unload.
Can’t say who is best, but our last move was 25 years ago and North American Van Lines moved us. Don’t remember how they packed the layout, but it came through undamaged and they didn’t even blink at that or some other odd stuff like ham radio towers. The irony in it all was that I didn’t have any problems with the movers, the problem was with the railway! We lived in a northern community without a road to the rest of the world (they’ve got one now) so the trailer had to be shipped by rail–TOFC. CNR lost the flat car. They eventually found it on some back track in a yard it wasn’t supposed to be in after 3 or 4 days of searching.
It all depends on the local people at both ends of the move.
I have worked for several moving companies in my time, and was raised in a family full of furniture movers. They are some great and honest guys out there, and there are some real a**holes.
Get quotes from several Agents of national van lines (ie. local Allied Van Lines agent, United Van Lines Agent, Atlas Van Lines agent,etc.) then shortly after you have each of the quotes in hand (they should come out to your house and actually LOOK at what you have), stop by each of the offices and ask a few questions of someone there. You will quickly get a feel for whom it is you trust most.
And always remember accidents do actually happen, keeping your cool after something going wrong is far more likely to get you somewhere with a claim than if you walk in or call them ranting and raving.
I’d rate United first, Atlas a close second, and Global a distant third.
Beware long carries, etc. All any of them will give you is an ESTIMATE. I have done this enough I know what to do. Last time I sent them a notarized, registered letter telling them they needed a cab over unit, a good driver, and to come in from tthe South. They did “none of the above” and tried to charge me for a long carry (and man, it really was… like 270 feet!) but they didn’t get a dime thanks to my foresight.
I just helped my Aunt and Uncle Load all their belongings on two pup trailers from ABF. They had called all over the place and they got the best deal from them. They even had a freind in the moving business that couldn’t price it as good.
I’ve always gone the U Haul route. Boxed the stuff myself, then hired some guys from a moving company to load the truck and trailer, since they have experience as to how to make it all fit.
Then when I got to my destination, I’d just hire a couple of guys from the local unemployment office, since it doesn’t any skills to unload it and carry it into the house, and they had it done in a couple of hours.
Packing and driving yourself will save you a bundle, and you don’t have to worry about how well the moving company packed your things or if the truck will arrive when they say it will.
Hello, We used North American for our move from Detroit to Central Illinois, they packed everything and un packed it, I did pack my train stuff though, and did not take my layout, just buildings and the trains, But just wait for the culture shock from Ca to Illinois