Whether you need to move cars, large objects, animals, or a piano, uShip offers reasonable rates, especially if you have the flexibility to work around a driver's schedule. That said, you may end up out of luck if you're looking for last-minute moving help, or you need to relocate a whole household.
Of course, moving comes with many variables. They include everything from the distance traveled to how many boxes you must pack at home. Pricing will also be impacted by the weight of your belongings and any added services that you need.
How do uShip relocation services measure up to the competition when it comes to fulfilling short- and long-distance moving needs? Here's what you need to know.
What to Know About uShip
No matter how you cut it, relocation is an expensive endeavor, both from a monetary and time standpoint. It also comes with plenty of stress. One survey of 2,000 individuals demonstrated that moving ranks as more stressful than a break-up or even a divorce!
In other words, relocation is one of the most stressful life events you can go through. But it can also be one of the most exciting. Check out these tips to make moving less traumatic.
How can you optimize success and streamline your experience? By planning ahead and avoiding procrastination. Planning in advance permits you to be more flexible, leading to better deals with brands such as uShip.
How can uShip help you save money on your next move? It allows customers to rent unused space in moving trucks at discounted rates. This space would otherwise go to waste.
But with uShip, you can avoid breaking the budget while allowing a professional moving truck driver to make some extra cash.
Who Should Use uShip?
UShip represents an excellent way to save money while shipping individual or small groups of items a long distance, and it provides chances to get a fantastic deal.
But uShip is not for consumers in need of help with a large move, requiring an entire truck. In this case, uShip usually proves incapable of accommodating all of their belongings.
You must work with a driver's existing schedule, which requires significant flexibility. If you've got a strict timeline to uphold, look for another service. But if you have a handful of items to move and time isn't of the essence, uShip is an excellent company to keep on speed dial.
For example, they do an exemplary job of moving pianos cross-country. So long as you don't mind playing delivery by ear.
Budget-Friendly Moving
What's one of the most compelling benefits of working with uShip? The savings you could see.
For example, the average cost of moving from coast-to-coast comes in at $4,700 with most moving companies. But you could score a much better deal with uShip.
That said, uShip isn't a moving company per se. Instead, it's a marketplace connecting consumers to truck drivers who have extra space in their rigs. When you find a reputable driver, there's the potential for steep savings.
Instead of receiving quotes based on what you'd like to have shipped, you must make an offer. This offer represents how much you're willing to pay to have your belongings relocated. If the driver accepts, you've got a ride for your things.
The marketplace also permits you to accept bids from drivers who have extra space for stuff. If you don't mind a few additional steps, you could enjoy significant savings. How much are we talking about?
You'll need to check out the site to get a better idea of the savings possible. But we've seen listings similar to the following. One move of 20 boxes from Idaho to California (a more than 800-mile distance) had bids for $275 and $563.
When you compare this to what professional movers typically charge, $1,200, that's significant savings! If you find a truck driver that can furnish your move, you can really economize with uShip. If your moving needs are small-scale and flexible.
Moving on Another's Terms
Of course, the obvious downside to uShip is having another individual dictate your moving terms. Since your belongings hitch a ride along existing routes, you have little say over the timeframe. What's more, your belongings must squeeze into the space available, or you're out of luck.
You must hope that a driver can fit you into their schedule, and you must also hope they have enough room for all of the items you'd like moved. We suggest posting well in advance for the best results. If you scroll through the site, you'll notice that many offers go days or even weeks without one bid.
What's more, there's always the chance no driver will be able to accommodate your relocation needs. So, don't put all of your relocation "eggs" in one basket.
What else should you bear in mind about uShip? Since the company functions as a network connecting customers and drivers, there are no guarantees. All uShip does is connect you with potential truck drivers. But it's up to you to do your research and investigate the driver before entering into an agreement.
Unlike professional moving companies, drivers don't have to go through background checks. While you'll find many reputable truckers on the site, you'll also see complaints about lack of professionalism and reliability.
A small fraction of customers have even reported downright shady situations. For these reasons, we recommend proceeding with caution.
uShip Review: The Pros and Cons
What else should you know before using uShip? The company comes with many pros if you fit their ideal customer profile. But the cons may outweigh the advantages if you're not careful.
The Pros
What do customers love about uShip? They can't stop raving about:
- The convenience of shipping single furniture items, pianos, boxes, oversized items, or equipment
- The smoking hot deals as compared to booking directly with moving companies
- The ability to organize multiple parts of a complicated move
- The platform's secure way to pay your driver
While uShip doesn't provide solutions for an entire household's move, it does fill a much-needed niche when it comes to arranging the relocation of single items.
The Cons
What are some of the red flags associated with uShip? They include:
- Having to work within the space and timeframe a truck driver has available
- Not knowing what prices you stand to get until you've made an offer or received an offer from a driver
- Less professional and reputable drivers
- No background checks for drivers
- The potential of not finding a driver and route that fits your moving needs
- Variable availability in different parts of the country
If you don't mind steering around these issues, then working with uShip could save you lots of money. But you'll need to focus on finding a reputable driver that has received excellent customer reviews.
uShip Availability
Although there's always the potential of not finding a driver to work with when it comes to uShip, uShip's network proves surprisingly large. That's because the trucking industry in the US is massive. In fact, uShip boasts more than 788,000 moving companies, truck drivers, and shipping providers in its network.
While uShip isn't the best option for handling your entire move, it provides fantastic opportunities if you're navigating the complexities of an intricate relocation with many moving parts. Check out our moving checklist filled with tips and tricks to facilitate your upcoming relocation.
The network can even place you in contact with truckers that handle livestock relocation. And the network can make moving one random piece, such as a piano or antique table, a cinch. Just make sure you carefully vet the driver.
Because uShip's network extends to the auto transportation business, you can sometimes find great deals there, too. Yet, more affordable and professional options exist.
Before you settle for uShip auto transport, consider other alternatives. See what we mean with a free, no-obligation auto shipping quote.
uShip Review: The Takeaway
As you can see, you've got plenty of options when it comes to your next move. Because moves can prove complicated, you may find the network at uShip helpful. But you must be prepared to make offers, do research on each driver, and then work with the trucker directly to ensure you get the savings promised to you.
What's more, uShip doesn't prove a suitable service for moving an entire household or a large quantity of stuff. Before making any decision on a moving company, you owe it to yourself to compare quotes.
This recommendation proves especially true with vehicles, as a wide disparity exists concerning auto shipping pricing. Here's what you need to know about finding the most reliable and affordable car transport services on the market.
