Moving is a nightmare. I’ve done it five times in ten years, and every single time, I think I’ve figured out the budget until the final invoice hits. If you’re staring at a mountain of boxes and wondering how much to ship a pod across country, you’re probably looking for a straight answer. Well, here is the honest, unvarnished reality: it’s going to cost you somewhere between $3,000 and $7,000 for a long-distance move.
Prices fluctuate wildly.
One day a quote is $4,200, and the next week—because it’s suddenly a "peak" Friday in June—that same container costs $5,500. It’s chaotic. Most people assume the container itself is the expensive part, but it’s actually the diesel, the logistics of the hub-and-spoke delivery system, and the insurance that eat your wallet alive.
Why Everyone Gets the "Average" Wrong
You’ll see websites claiming the average cost is $3,000. That’s a bit misleading. If you’re moving a studio apartment from Philly to Pittsburgh, sure, maybe. But we are talking about across the country. New York to Los Angeles. Seattle to Miami. That’s 2,500+ miles of road.
When you ask how much to ship a pod across country, you have to account for the "empty leg" fees. Companies like PODS (Portable On Demand Storage), U-Pack, and 1-800-PACK-RAT don't just have an infinite supply of containers sitting in every city. If everyone is moving out of San Francisco and into Austin, the companies have to pay someone to truck empty containers back to California. Guess who pays for that? You do. It’s baked right into your quote.
The Breakdown of Real-World Quotes
Let’s look at some actual numbers I’ve seen recently. A standard 16-foot PODS container for a 2,000-mile move often lands in the $4,500 to $5,800 range. Meanwhile, U-Pack, which uses "ReloCubes," might charge $2,500 for one cube or $4,800 for two.
It's basically a game of Tetris with your life's savings.
If you go with a smaller company or a "we-haul-you-pack" service like ABF Freights, you might shave off $500, but you lose the flexibility of having that container sit in your driveway for three weeks. That’s the real value of a pod. You aren't rushing to load a U-Haul in 24 hours while your knees scream for mercy.
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The Factors That Blow Up Your Budget
Distance is the obvious one, but timing is the silent killer.
If you move in May, June, or July, you are paying the "family tax." Everyone with kids moves during the summer to get settled before the school year starts. Demand skyrockets. If you can wait until November or February, you might see the price of shipping a pod across the country drop by 20% or even 30%. It’s cold, and moving in the snow sucks, but $1,500 is $1,500.
Container Sizes Matter (A Lot)
Most people underestimate how much junk they actually own. A 7-foot container is tiny. It’s basically for a dorm room or a very minimalist studio. If you have a two-bedroom house, you’re looking at a 16-foot container or multiple ReloCubes.
- Small (7-8 feet): Good for 1 room. Expect $2,000 - $3,500 for cross-country.
- Medium (12 feet): The "Goldilocks" size, but harder to find in stock.
- Large (16 feet): This is the workhorse. It holds 3-4 rooms. Expect $4,500 - $7,000.
Don't forget the "Stair Tax." No, the companies don't charge for stairs, but if you're in a third-floor walk-up and it takes you three days to load, you might find yourself paying for an extra month of container rental because you missed your pick-up window.
PODS vs. U-Pack vs. Pack-Rat: Which One is Cheaper?
Honestly? It depends on the week.
PODS is the household name. They have the best infrastructure and the most locations, which usually means they are more reliable. But they aren't always the cheapest. U-Pack is often the winner for pure cross-country moves because they charge by the linear foot in a massive trailer or by the ReloCube. If you use less space than you reserved in a U-Pack trailer, they actually refund you the difference. PODS won't do that.
1-800-PACK-RAT is the "tough guy" of the group. Their containers are all-steel, whereas PODS uses a lot of polymer and wood. If you're worried about your stuff getting crushed or moisture seeping in during a cross-country trek through a thunderstorm in Kansas, the steel frames are a nice peace-of-mind upgrade. They also tend to price-match PODS if you've got a written quote.
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Hidden Fees That Will Make You Cry
You’ve got the base quote. Great. Now let’s talk about the stuff they don’t put in the big bold letters.
Storage fees are the big one. Most quotes include 30 days of storage. If your new house closing gets delayed—which happens all the time—you’re suddenly paying $200 to $500 per month for that container to sit in a warehouse.
Then there's the "City Surcharge."
Trying to drop a 16-foot steel box on a narrow street in Brooklyn or San Francisco? You’re going to need a permit. That’s not the moving company’s problem; it’s yours. A parking permit can cost anywhere from $50 to $500 depending on the city’s bureaucracy. If the driver gets there and can't find a legal spot to drop the pod, they’ll drive away and charge you a "dry run" fee, which is usually around $150 to $200.
Insurance (Contents Protection)
Do not skip this. Your homeowner’s insurance might cover your stuff while it’s in transit, but usually, it doesn't. Moving companies offer different levels of protection. The basic "60 cents per pound" coverage is worthless. If they drop the pod and break your $2,000 OLED TV that weighs 40 pounds, they’ll give you $24.
Get the full-value protection. It adds maybe $100 to $300 to the total cost, but it's the only way to sleep at night.
How to Actually Lower the Cost
If you want to know how much to ship a pod across country without going broke, you have to be tactical.
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First, get three quotes. Not one. Not two. Three. Use the first two to negotiate with the third. Tell them, "Look, U-Pack offered me $3,800, but I’d rather go with you guys. Can you get closer?" You’d be surprised how often they find a "regional discount" or a "seasonal promotion" hidden in their system.
Second, purge your life. Moving a container across the country is expensive because of weight and volume. Why are you paying $400 to ship a couch you bought at IKEA five years ago for $600? Sell it on Facebook Marketplace. Buy a new one when you get to the other side.
Third, check the "terminal-to-terminal" option. Instead of having the company drop the pod at your house, you pack your car or a small rental truck, drive it to their local hub, and load the pod there. Then, on the other end, you pick it up at their warehouse. It’s a huge pain in the neck, but it can save you $500 to $1,000 in delivery fees.
The Logic of the Long Haul
At the end of the day, shipping a pod across the country is about buying time. You’re paying for the luxury of not driving a rattling 26-foot box truck over the Rocky Mountains while worrying about a tire blowout.
The industry is currently facing higher labor costs and fluctuating fuel prices. In 2026, we’re seeing that those costs have stabilized a bit compared to the chaos of a few years ago, but the "sweet spot" for booking is still 8 to 12 weeks out. If you try to book a pod two weeks before you move, you will pay a massive premium—if they even have a container available.
Actionable Steps to Take Right Now
Stop guessing and start doing these specific things to lock in the best rate:
- Measure your largest items. Don't eyeball it. If your sectional sofa is 10 feet long, it's not fitting in a small ReloCube. Knowing your dimensions prevents you from ordering a second container at the last minute, which is the most expensive way to move.
- Call (don't just web-quote) at least two providers. Web quotes are "teaser" rates. Talking to a human often reveals "unadvertised" discounts for AAA members, military, or students.
- Check the "Drop Zone." Walk out to your street. Look for low-hanging branches, power lines, or "No Parking" signs. If a PODS truck can't clear 14 feet of vertical space, they won't drop the container, and you'll be stuck with a bill and no way to move your stuff.
- Lock in your dates early. Even if you have to pay a small refundable deposit, getting your name on a container for a specific date in the future protects you from the price surges that happen as the calendar gets closer to summer.
- Inventory everything. Use an app or a simple notebook. If you do have to file an insurance claim later because a forklift driver had a bad day, you’ll need a detailed list of what was inside that container to get paid.
Shipping a pod is a massive logistical feat. It’s not cheap, and it’s rarely simple, but if you go in with your eyes open to the hidden fees and the physical space requirements, you can move across the country without losing your mind—or all of your savings.