The short version
U-Pack is the moving arm of ArcBest, the Arkansas freight company, and it moves household goods the way it moves freight: in 28-foot trailers and metal ReloCubes hauled by commercial drivers (NerdWallet). You load, U-Pack drives, you unload. Trailer moves are billed by the linear feet you fill, with a five-foot minimum, and ReloCube moves are billed per cube, so the price adjusts to what you actually ship (U-Pack).
The terms are unusually explicit for the category. There is no deposit, the card is charged once the shipment ships, the cancellation schedule is published, and the liability statement spells out dollar amounts. The constraints are explicit too: three business days to load, three to unload, long-distance only, and storage only at U-Pack service centers with no access. Facts below were verified October 30, 2026 against U-Pack’s own pages and dated third-party sources; U-Pack is a DecideHome partner, which does not change the data or the score.
Plans and pricing (as of October 30, 2026)
U-Pack publishes no rate card, but it quotes online with a firm figure and no sales call, which NerdWallet credits as a reason for its 4.5-of-5 rating. The one published example on its own site: a three-bedroom home from Seattle to Nashville in late July 2026, three ReloCubes, $6,418 including delivery, transport and standard liability coverage (U-Pack).
Third-party figures for smaller moves: HireAHelper’s customer-reported average for a large one-bedroom or typical two-bedroom apartment moved about 1,200 miles was $2,501.73, a three-bedroom apartment or two-bedroom house averaged $2,628.85, and a regional move of about 500 miles averaged $1,549.87 for the two-bedroom row (HireAHelper). This Old House averaged five quotes for a two-bedroom move of 500 to 800 miles at $2,361, the second-lowest of the companies it tested (This Old House). moveBuddha’s range for a two-to-three-bedroom move over 250 miles is $2,450 to $3,900, with a reader example of New York to Florida, two bedrooms, $2,582 (moveBuddha); another moveBuddha reader was quoted $2,601 for a two-bedroom Seattle-to-Chicago move against $3,600 and $5,756 from full-service movers (moveBuddha). ConsumerAffairs’ Dallas-to-Denver estimate for three cubes was $3,052 (ConsumerAffairs).
Two cautions on price. moveBuddha lists “higher prices on some long routes” as a con, and because cubes are billed per unit, a move that spills into a fourth cube costs a fourth cube. The trailer option scales more smoothly: you pay only for the feet used.
Equipment, loading time and transit
The ReloCube measures 6’3” x 7’ x 8’4” outside, holds about 308 cubic feet and up to 2,500 pounds, and is all metal; it is the only cube size (U-Pack). The alternative is space in a 28-foot trailer that HireAHelper puts at roughly 1,944 cubic feet, about six cubes’ worth, separated from other freight by a bulkhead you install.
U-Pack “provides up to 3 business days to load and 3 business days to unload,” with weekend equipment days not counted and longer periods available by arrangement (U-Pack FAQ). Transit typically takes four to six business days with online tracking (U-Pack). The U-Pack Guaranteed option lets you choose a date or window for delivery; This Old House reports that if U-Pack misses a guaranteed date it waives transportation fees up to the full payment.
Storage, fees and cancellation
Every ReloCube move includes 30 days of storage at a U-Pack service center, but only if you ask for it when you reserve; storage starts when the shipment reaches the center, and trailers can be stored up to 120 days where available (U-Pack FAQ). There is no at-home storage and no access to your goods while stored (HireAHelper). Additional storage runs from $150 per cube per month per U-Pack’s comparison article.
The cancellation schedule is on the FAQ: no fee if you cancel more than seven days before the reserved move date, $50 within seven days, and $150 on the move date. No deposit is taken; “your payment method will be charged the full amount of your move once your belongings are shipped.” U-Pack’s equipment page says “No deposits. No hidden fees”; HireAHelper nonetheless lists possible environmental or regulatory fees in some states, delivery, pickup or redelivery charges, parking fines if the equipment is cited on your property, optional locks and cleaning fees if debris is left inside.
What the liability statement covers
This is the part worth reading twice. Every U-Pack move includes two kinds of coverage. Catastrophic coverage pays “$3.00 per pound per piece, subject to a maximum of $60,000 per trailer and $7,500 per ReloCube,” but only for fire, overturn, collision or complete theft of the trailer or cube. Carrier negligence coverage, which is what applies when something arrives broken, pays “10 cents per pound per piece” (U-Pack liability statement). A 50-pound television damaged in transit is therefore worth $5 unless you buy more. The upgrades are priced: $75 for $1.00 per pound (up to $20,000 per trailer, $2,500 per cube), $125 for $2.00 per pound ($40,000 / $5,000) and $175 for $3.00 per pound ($60,000 / $7,500), and they must be requested before the origin delivery date. U-Pack “is only responsible for damage caused by our negligence,” excludes improper packing and loading, and requires claims within nine months of delivery. One reviewer in This Old House’s roundup reported a denied claim.
Coverage area
Long-distance only. This Old House lists all 50 states with a 100-mile minimum; ConsumerAffairs cites a 150-mile minimum. The FAQ cites more than 240 service centers across the U.S., Canada and Puerto Rico, with a customs fee for Canada and offshore taxes for Hawaii and Puerto Rico; Alaska is not mentioned (U-Pack FAQ). moveBuddha notes U-Pack reaches remote towns that driveway-container companies skip.
Reputation and complaints
U-Pack’s review profile is the strongest in our six-company set. Its claimed Trustpilot page shows a 4.9 TrustScore from 1,443 reviews, 85 percent five-star and 8 percent one-star (Trustpilot). HireAHelper customers rate it 4.6 from 739 reviews. The BBB rates it A+, accredited since February 13, 2001, with 29 years in business (BBB). NerdWallet calls its BBB and Department of Transportation complaint record “better than most.” The outlier is ConsumerAffairs, where U-Pack shows 1.6 from 33 reviews, with reviewers citing damage and the lack of locks on cubes (ConsumerAffairs); we do not blend that score because of the small sample, but it is the place to read the unhappy cases. This Old House rates U-Pack 3.7 of 5, marking it down for the loading window and the absence of local service.
How it compares
Against PODS, U-Pack charges nothing until pickup and publishes its cancellation and liability terms, while PODS offers open-ended loading, at-home storage, three container sizes and local moves; on HireAHelper’s averages the two are about $90 apart for a two-bedroom apartment at 1,200 miles. Against 1-800-PACK-RAT, U-Pack is faster (four to six days versus up to ten business days) and takes no deposit, but PACK-RAT includes $10,000 of contents protection and 30-day loading windows. Against U-Haul U-Box, U-Pack’s cube is larger (308 versus 257 cubic feet) and steel, and it includes catastrophic coverage U-Box lacks, while U-Box has no cancellation fee at all and unlimited loading time. Our ranking page scores all six on the same published criteria.
Who should pick it
- Long-distance movers who can load in three days and want a firm quote, tracking and a short transit.
- Anyone who dislikes deposits and sales calls; the quote is online and nothing is charged until the shipment ships.
- Households comfortable packing well and buying the $75-to-$175 liability upgrade, because base negligence coverage is nominal.
- Not the pick for local moves, slow packers, or anyone who needs to reach stored belongings before delivery.
Sources
- https://www.upack.com/moving-equipment — linear-foot pricing with 5-ft minimum; per-cube pricing; 3 business days to load/unload; 4-6 business day transit; “No deposits. No hidden fees.” (observed 2026-10-30)
- https://upack.com/customer-service/faq — 30 days ReloCube storage if added at reservation; trailers up to 120 days; cancellation $0 / $50 / $150; no deposit, charged once shipped; 240+ service centers in U.S., Canada and Puerto Rico; offshore fees; U-Pack Guaranteed (observed 2026-10-30)
- https://www.upack.com/about-upack/liability-statement — catastrophic $3/lb up to $60,000 per trailer and $7,500 per ReloCube; negligence 10 cents/lb; $75/$125/$175 upgrades; nine-month claim window (observed 2026-10-30)
- https://www.upack.com/articles/compare-u-box-to-u-pack — ReloCube dimensions, 308 cu ft, 2,500 lb; Seattle-Nashville example $6,418; storage from $150/cube/month (Jun 5, 2026)
- https://www.bbb.org/us/ar/fort-smith/profile/moving-companies/u-pack-0935-14198 — A+, accredited since 2/13/2001, 29 years in business (observed 2026-10-30)
- https://www.trustpilot.com/review/upack.com — TrustScore 4.9 from 1,443 (observed 2026-10-30)
- https://www.hireahelper.com/advice/moving-storage-containers/abf-relocubes/ — customer-reported averages; 4.6 from 739; trailer capacity; no access in storage; fee list; no local moves (Aug 14, 2026)
- https://www.movebuddha.com/blog/cheapest-moving-containers — $2,450-$3,900 range; NY-FL $2,582; cons (Oct 14, 2026)
- https://movebuddha.com/blog/smartbox-company-review — Seattle-Chicago U-Pack quote $2,601 vs full-service $3,600 and $5,756 (Mar 14, 2026)
- https://www.thisoldhouse.com/moving/best-moving-container-companies — $2,361 two-bedroom average; 50 states, 100-mile minimum; guaranteed delivery; denied-claim report; 3.7/5 (Jun 18, 2026)
- https://www.consumeraffairs.com/movers/moving-containers/ — 1.6 from 33 reviews; $3,052 Dallas-Denver; 150-mile minimum (Sep 22, 2026)
- https://www.nerdwallet.com/home-ownership/moving/best/container-moving-companies — ArcBest ownership; 4.5/5; firm online quote; tracking; day-certain delivery extra; complaint record “better than most” (Jul 16, 2025)