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PODS vs U-Haul vs Full-Service Movers: Which Moving Option Is Best For You?

When it’s time to move there is no shortage of options. Whether you’re looking for a one stop shop full service moving company or rental truck to get it done yourself, there is plenty to choose from. One of the first names that comes to mind is usually U-Haul, the most recognized moving brand in America, which seems like just about everyone has used them at some point for something. They offer rental moving trucks of many different sizes as well as vans, pickup trucks, trailers and even have storage now. They are not just one of the most recognizable names in moving but one of the most recognized brand names in America. 

Another name that came onto the scene in more recent years and has since exploded is PODS. PODS sprung on the moving scene in 1998 in Clearwater, Florida with their service offering of mobile storage. With the offering being it is storage brought directly to you eliminating a “double move” when you need storage. PODS have a unique delivery method of their PODZILLA lifting the container onto and off of the truck to place where the client would like it. PODS has grown into the number one name in mobile storage. Mobile storage has since exploded and grown across the county since then with even U-Haul now having an option for mobile storage. 

Then you have the full-service moving companies, the one stop shop, make the call and be done with it all. Where a moving crew will come in and pack everything, disassemble and wrap furniture and load/deliver and set you back up at your new home. This is the most white glove premium option to bundle everything together to make your move as easy as possible. 

Beyond this there are a plethora of competitors in each sector and this article is going to break each option down to really give you a view on what option may be best for your specific move as well as a risk analysis on each option including insurance vs valuation coverage, what rental coverage is actually covering and even get into 3rd party labor services offered by these companies and the risks that can come up. 

U-Haul

U-Haul started in 1945 in Ridgefield, Washington as a one way, do it yourself option after World War II. They started with building trailers in a garage of their founders home. The company grew from 30 trailers its first year in business to 10,000 trailers in 1955. It revolutionized the moving industry by using a franchised network of independent gas stations, and later expanded into rental trucks, moving boxes, and self-storage. As of 2026, it is estimated that uhaul owns and operated over 200,000 trucks, over 130,000 trailers and over 40,000 towing devices. Having over 24,000 locations across the United States and Canada according to this article. It has grown into one of the most recognizable brands in America over the last 75 years.

From just rental trailers to trucks to a one stop shop for boxes and packing materials, having storage unit facilities across the county, as well as more recently, have gotten into mobile storage as well, which continues to be a growing sector of the moving industry over the past decade or so. Their main facilities even offer services like installing trailer hitches to enable more people to tow a U-haul of course, as well as propane, and have even started offering labor services to connect you with local crews that can assist with loading and unloading in hopes to turn themselves into a full service option for your move. While costs can start as cheap intro rates, there is a lot more that goes into the bottom line price of renting that I will take you though. Not to mention the fuel costs that you have to put into a giant gas truck engine that gets under 10MPG. 

Insurance options for rentals

One of the reasons why U-haul is so appealing is their ability to keep costs low for their customers. This base costs don’t cover much and then you can quickly get upsold on things just like a dolly and furniture pads before you even get to what is covered under the base insurance. If you’re familiar with renting a car you may know that rental insurance is often covered under your personal auto policy or even how some credit card companies will provide collision damage coverage for using a credit card. U-Haul trucks do not fall under any of these coverages and if you decline additional protection when renting your moving truck you are held financially responsible for any and all damage to the equipment, regardless of who is at fault. The fine print will cover items like direct damages to the truck or other vehicle or property, loss of income to U-Hual for having a unit down for vandalism and theft, holding the client responsible for damage resulting from vandalism or if the truck is stolen while you are renting it. With declined protection you are also not provided any coverage if something happens to your belongings on the truck which can provide a high risk for long distance moving. 

U-Haul has plenty of options to add on coverage to your rental of course. These policies can quickly bump your rental price from the intro rates 30% to 75%, depending on the level you select and rental needs. Their main options are their Safemove and Safemove +. For example a base truck may cost $19.99 a day and the rental coverage will add on $15 per day or more to that. The Safemove+ adds $1M in supplemental liability but does add approximately $30 a day to your rental costs. For larger one way moves the insurance cost is often higher by itself compared to local moves but represents a smaller percentage of the total bill, ranging from $96.00 to over $150.00 depending on the distance and duration of the trip. 

In any move there can be damages to the truck, someone else’s vehicle on the road, property damage, damage to your shipment of household goods you’re moving or even medical needs resulting from an accident. Uhaul is a great budget option usually for younger folks who are still physically able to perform the moving labor themselves. One mistake we frequently see when trying to handle a large move with a U-Haul is depending on family and friends for labor. This usually results in people bailing last minute and puts folks in a time crunch to get their move done with less hands then they hoped and can become overwhelming quickly. Each summer we get last minute calls from customers who are in desperate need of help after their plan for labor fell through and they’re stuck in a time crunch to get it all done. 

U-Haul is also a great option for long distance moving. You just have to get the truck loaded and unloaded if you’re able to drive it. U-Haul has also started to provide third party labor services to assist, which is their attempt to provide a full service moving option at a cheaper price. Common mistakes or misconceptions we see with this are usually regarding how experienced the moving crews are as well as how much insurance they carry. U-Haul does not require Moving Help providers to be licensed or insured to list their services. Moving Help is a “labor-only” marketplace, meaning providers are independent contractors who primarily provide physical labor rather than transportation services. While some carriers do carry coverage there is no way to be certain before. Even if you have what looks like  a quality option booked it can be changed last minute before your move.  It also comes from a third part service so it will not be U-Haul fielding customer complaints during or after your move to provide customer service.

Many Full Service moving companies will assist with professionally loading a rental truck. This may involve paying a little more for a true professional service but when it comes to long distance moving, a U-Haul with a professional loading/unloading service it will typically still provide huge savings vs a large company providing a full service long distance move. We recommend renting the U-Haul furniture pads so our crews can still professionally wrap and pad your furniture. This will ensure your items are loaded safely as well as ensure you’re maximizing the space of the truck for everything to fit in one truck for one trip. At Tropic Moving for our professional crews to load a “Super-Mover” 26ft U-Haul from a ground floor residence it typically will take a two man team 3-4 hours and price range is generally around $600-$800, for smaller trucks this usually falls under our service minimum of $477. For homes/apartments with stairs or elevators this can add some time, we will always be happy to come out to assess the move beforehand for an accurate price estimate as well. You can get a request for a price started on our website. 

It is a popular call we get, especially in the summer months of someone moving to Brevard County, Florida from out of state and by the time they get into town they are wiped out and calling last minute to get their moving truck unloaded. Unloading is a very efficient process and most unloads of a 26ft super mover take our crews between 2-4 hours to complete. Many clients are coming in wiped out from the long drive with the quite literal, weight on their shoulders, of getting the truck unloaded in time to get it returned to avoid additional charges and call for quick relief to get that taken care of quickly. 

U-Haul Competitors

The biggest competitors to U-Haul are going to be Penske trucks, Enterprise and Budget Trucks. All offer a similar option with the main differentiator being the size of their fleet, ease of making a rental and support if you have any issues with the truck. All of these categories are dominated by Uhaul for residential moving. The other truck rental companies end up being used a lot for commercial use with their liftgate and larger freight bodies. 

PODS: What to Know

PODS (Portable On Demand Storage) was founded in 1998 by Peter Warhurst in Clearwater Florida, originating from a desire to modernize the traditional storage industry by bringing storage containers directly to customers. PODS is based around being able to bring storage to the customers to take the need of “moving” to storage out of the equation. You can load it up right from your house. PODS works great when there is an in between time before getting into your new home as well as a more affordable long distance moving option if moving outside of Florida. 

The difference between a POD and U-Haul is that with a POD, you’re typically renting for a month, which makes them great for folks who want to take their time with the move so they don’t have to cram everything into one crazy move day. It is definitely a competitor of U-Haul on the “Do it Yourself” options. The client still does the physical labor part of loading and unloading but in this case the transportation is included so you can avoid driving the huge moving truck. For interstate moves PODS can reduce your total moving price by up to 50-75%. We see many PODS customers still looking at hiring professional movers with the POD reservation to ensure that their goods are properly and professionally loaded. They also rent furniture pads so our professional crews can still ensure your items are protected before loading. 

Some of the “cons” of using PODS are that it is a little bit of a slower experience. Whereas you are still waiting on delivery from the company and on the delivery schedule which can create challenges especially with a changing or fast timeline. You do get someone to transport the POD so you don’t have to worry about driving a huge moving truck but they do charge pick up delivery fees every time the PODZILLA truck needs to come out. Some common mistakes we see with using pods is that it’s very hard to know exactly how many pods you will need to fit all of your belongings. We see customers just assuming one pod will fit everything and then are shocked when we let them know they’re likely looking at 3-4 PODS if they go that route. We also see missed delivery windows when using as a long distance option which can be challenging when getting in from out of town and expecting your bed to sleep in that night. You do loose control of the shipment vs going with U-Haul, where you’re with your belongings the whole time. It can be tough finding out you are going to need way more space than you anticipated when it’s already moving day and seeing the total cost dramatically jump up. If you end up needing another POD, sometimes ordering an additional POD may take days to get delivered which can cause problems with closings and deadlines during your moving process. This can put you in a pinch if you have to have your house cleared out that day or are on a tight timeline.

Similar to U-Haul, the estimate of the POD rental online does not always represent the total cost of the move. There are still costs of packing, labor to load and if any addresses or timeframes change it may still go up. PODS has a network of labor to help with loading/unloading to appear as a full service offering, but like U-Haul, there are some holes in the process. They also use a 3rd party provider for the labor and the requirements for insurance are slim to none for vendors to be listed on the site. Even if they have insurance it is typically just liability coverage which still may leave you liable if someone gets injured or damages your belongings. PODS does offer storage insurance which will cover your items while in storage with them which is a great value and definitely worth it for the peace of mind. 

HOA Restrictions

Another issue we commonly see with PODS is that there can be an HOA restriction or even restrictions from apartment complexes where they don’t allow PODS on site. Occasionally we run into this where we will have had to go to the PODS facility and load up the contents of the POD into our moving truck on site and complete the delivery as a local move to the new residence. This can add hidden costs that customers were not aware of when scheduling, and significantly add charges to your overall move.  

3rd party Labor Providers

PODS and U-Haul both offer their “full service” pitch of adding in labor to your rental. These companies use labor sites like movinglabor.com, movinghelp.com or hireahelper.com to find independent contractor crews to pick up the work. The rental company holds no responsibility for any damages or injury that take place while crews are working. These are basically broker sites for small labor jobs of loading and unloading these rental containers. 

PODS is best suited for smaller moves when there is plenty of time to get the move done and it is all planned well in advance. They also work best for short term storage where instead of moving to storage and then moving from storage to the new home, you only move into storage once and then unload directly into your new home. This in turn makes what would be two moves (Into storage and out of storage) into one move. This cuts costs down as well as reduces the amount your belongings are handled and lowered the risk of any damaged belongings. 

PODS Competitors

Since PODS came on the scene many competitors have popped up across the country. Their largest competitor today is Packrat with companies like U-Pack and Zippy Shell also doing their best to compete. We also have a local company that does mobile storage in Melbourne, Florida called MI BOX, offering mobile storage with a more “mom and pop” feel to a local business. 

They all are offering mobile storage solutions and doing their best to sell clients on their “full service” moving option. But nothing compares to the convenience and ease of actually hiring a full service moving company. 

Hiring a Full Service Moving Company

Full-service moving is the highest level of moving help available and is designed for families who are looking for the easiest, most hands-off moving solution. Each year we see more and more families choosing a professional full-service moving company to reduce stress, save time, and avoid the risks that can come with “DIY” options or rental companies offering their version of “full-service” moving that just doesn’t quite stack up . 

Top services included with a full service move are: 

A true full service moving company can truly handle whatever your moving needs are including, packing, storage specialty item moving like pianos or pool tables and everything in between. All “movers” are not the same and its important to be sure you’re comparing apples to apples when shopping around. There is a huge difference between “chuck and a truck” and a professional full service moving company. Especially in Florida, where there is not a huge barrier to being able to offer moving services, in addition to some smaller companies operating without proper business licensing already. Some other items that separate us are proper insurances, high quality equipment/trucks as well trained and uniformed moving crews. Usually smaller companies are the ones who are racing to the bottom on who can do your move for the cheapest price and sacrificing quality moving service on the way with many lumping them in with real full service companies. At Torpic Moving we don’t sell the cheapest services, we sell the most complete moving experience to make your life easy during a stressful time.  

After a decade of operating Tropic Moving and completing both large and small relocations, we’ve found that moves tend to go the smoothest when customers trust us to handle more of the process, especially packing, specialty items, and logistical coordination.  These full service moves including full packing and specialty item handling allow us to prep and pack everything professionally and ensure 100% of the move is completed properly. Compared to moves where clients handle packing and 3rd parties to complete specialty items.This can sometimes create additional complexity and slow the process down, especially when items need extra preparation or repacking to ensure they’re properly protected for the move.

Who Full Service Moving is best for 

Time and time again we come across families trying to save money on moving but after they piece it together, they end up spending the same amount of money and actually doing more work in organizing the whole thing. At Tropic Moving we focus on our ability to quickly and efficiently handle your move so you can take your time back to focus on everything else you need to be focusing on when it comes time to move. Unload the stress of it all in one easy call 321-604-0555 and make life easy for you and your family.  

Know who you’re calling when shopping for movers

When calling around it is easy to get confused between the following when shopping, especially online. Here is a brief breakdown on the different types of companies advertising to you and what to look out for. An easy search is always a license look up on the FDACS.GOV website.

Typical price ranges on local moves

1 Bedroom Apartment: $477 – $795

2 Bedroom Home/Apartment: $795 – $1,115

3 Bedroom Home: $1,200 – $2,500+

Our base 2 man rate is at the time of this post $159 per hour and three man rate is $219 per hour. Major factors that can influence pricing are if you need packing help and how much, if the move can be completed in one day, how much you can have prepped for the move vs what you need from the crew like taking apart beds, packing the fragile items like TVs and lamps etc. 

Other factors that can have a major influence on price are things like stairs, elevators and long carries at apartments and condo buildings. 

A “standard” 2-bedroom apartment move in Melbourne, Florida with a 2-man crew and moving truck, typically takes about 4–6 hours to complete, putting most of those moves in the $795–$1,115 range. If that move needs full packing the price can move into the $1,500- $2,250 range. If that move with full packing is an apartment on the third floor with stairs, costs could increase into the $2,250-$3,000 range for the same inventory. No two moves are the same but this gives you a real idea on how certain factors can impact the total cost of your move. 

We can work up over the phone hourly quotes for some moves but always recommend an on site estimate for 3 bedroom and up residences as well as commercial moves. 

Final

There are options for everyone when it comes to moving with a DIY option all the way to a full service pack and move. Most folks usually start with a DIY option when they are young and starting out. They are of able body and have not acquired too much personal belongings yet. As we get older we get married then kids and all of a sudden you have much more STUFF and way less time. Usually this is where you start to move towards the full service options to save time and speed up the process in just a day or so to get moved in. One thing that is for certain is that everyone will need help in some capacity and we are here to help no matter how much or as little help as is needed. 

The rental options are great options for a DIY long distance option especially if you bundle with professional loading to maximize the space in the truck and have your furniture professionally protected. Just be careful when booking labor through third parties and make sure you avoid brokers and hire a local moving company crew directly. If you ever have any questions don’t hesitate to call our office. We are always happy to review options and make recommendations based on your needs.  

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