Need Shop Moving Options

[ablebaker]

I am going to be moving from Austin, Texas to McCall, Idaho in the Spring and I’m looking for moving and possibly storage options for all my shop equipment (tools, cabinets, workbenches, stationary saws drill press, scissor lift, and lots of misc. but heavy stuff, etc.). Pods seem extraordinarily expensive, U-Haul type trucks are labor intensive and would require multiple loading and unloading if I have to store things prior to construction completion on the new place. Anyone had experience with leasing or buying a shipping container and having it trucked approximately 1800 miles? Any other options to explore?
Thanks in advance for any advice.

 

[sberry]

Buy a semi trailer or box truck.

 

[A_Pmech]

Several trucking companies like Old Dominion will drop a trailer at your place. You load it up and lock the door. Then they drop it at your new place.

 

[kd3pc]

we ran into this, and the cost of the unknowns forced me to get rid of a ton of stuff - before - the move. It just was not worth moving a LOT of stuff.

for example, a really nice piano, upright - heavy...almost as much to move it as we paid for it.

We "leased" a trucking company short trailer, 30' I think, they dropped it off, I loaded it, and they picked it up and drove it to the new location, 750 miles away. I took a month or two get the house and garage to the point of moving stuff, got rid of some more stuff. And then unloaded the trailer and they picked it up. Old Dominion Freight lines, residential.

Wasn't cheap, but they were really good on letting me "store" it for free a few months.

sberry may be on to buying a short semi trailer and then reselling it later, assuming it would travel 1800 miles.

 

[tjdux]

An advantage of buying a shipping continer would be thr fsct you get to keep it and use it for storage forever...

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk

 

[Kevin54]

An advantage of buying a shipping continer would be thr fsct you get to keep it and use it for storage forever...

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk

This^^^^

Look on Craigslist or even in the Yellow Pages for Shipping Containers. You should be able to find quite a few as they are everywhere anymore.

 

[rockettgpw]

I am going through this at present. I am in Australia so ymmv. I considered buying a truck but found nothing affordable that I would drive that far.I found that buying containers was my best option knowing they would be needed for storage for an unknown time.
I have so far loaded and sent two 20' containers 1800 km each grossing 10 tonnes. The first was loaded with my army jeep project and two army trailers and a lot of workshop extras. The second was filled with my workshop machines- small lathe and mill, RA saw, geared head drill, mig welder benches and all the hardware and consumables and much more.
It has worked out well even with having to lug everything to the storage yard across the road.
If you go with containers try to balance the load inside, I welded extra bars horizontally inside for extra tie points but found with careful tight packing not a lot of ties were needed. If they are to be stored for a while, park them on railway ties or good blocks to let some ventilation under the floor.
A40' container might suit you but here they take longer to sell and are a bit more involved to move.
The container freight system seems to run well over here, I assume in the US it would work well. Just have to find the right shipping agent, who may also find you a container.

 

[engnerdan]

You could also look at buying a used semi reefer (refrigerated) trailer. The insulation is only economical for so many years then its not worth using so they sell them cheap. I think its something like the first two years they are used as deep freeze trailers, then then next 3-4 they use for frozen and refrigerated goods, then they sell them.

Just make sure the trailer is in DOT or will pass an inspection without needing any work.

-Dan

 

[rsanter]

I would buy my own container.
You have to remember that unless you want to hire a crane, they will tilt that container to get it onto the truck. I have seen those tilted to 45 degrees.
By owning your own container you are not free to weld loops tothe walls to strap things securely. You can bolt equipment to the floor so it doesn't move.
When you get it there you can store it as long as you want.
You may even use one as a temporary shop till you get a real shop setup.

When done with them you can keep them for storage or you can sell them and get much of your money back


You could even turn a couple into a small guest house

Bob

 

[Keithinsc]

Several trucking companies like Old Dominion will drop a trailer at your place. You load it up and lock the door. Then they drop it at your new place.

My family has used ABF for this 3 different times. Works great.

 

[kbs2244]

I like the buying of a shipping container idea.
No time pressure at either end.

But you have to find a way to move it.

I just met a guy who solved that by buying a school bus.
FLA to WI, 1600 miles.
Over a month to pack and unpack.
(I don't recommend this, but he never tagged or insured it! He said he thought any fine would be cheaper.)

He had finished moving, had put it on CL for $1500.00, and his phone was always ringing.

 

[Richard Cranium]

A 3 day road permit and he wouldn't of had to worry about tickets either.

 

[James-W]

If you need a storage unit at the new house to keep your stuff locked up until you are ready to unpack, then I would think a shipping container is just what you need. You should be able to get one for around $1,500, possible less, if you shop around. In some respects shipping containers are really cool because they are so versatile. They come in several sizes and are very well made. In fact, I have heard that some people are using shipping containers as a house.

 

[matt_i]

Depending on if/what kind of truck you own, I'd look at getting an enclosed car hauler, gooseneck or 5th wheel style, used. Do the move, and sell it later. I like the idea that it has tie-downs in the floor already (or should!). Plus likely ramps to assist moving heavy stuff in and out.

I would try to tally up weight for everything, I think you'd probably max out around 10k of payload before you'd have to go up to another solution.

When I moved I used crates built on pallets. Probably you won't. But: I wrote down careful inventory of exactly what was where and kept it in a notebook. This way when I had to have my "Forstner Bits" i knew exactly where to search. I would definitely put roll arounds of hand tools nearest the back door, I would think they would be the most commonly needed things.

Anything where you can tie down to the floors and or walls is going to be a plus for any stationary machines, I wouldn't move them any other way. You can of course pack them tightly in a bank of boxes but eventually somethings going to get looser as the load settles and sways and it could go bad from there.

 

[rburke65]

Yes they gave been converting shipping containers into houses for years.

 

[ablebaker]

Great suggestions, I appreciate all your input. I'll probably look into renting a semi trailer or buying a shipping container. I'll talk to my builder about putting an exterior on a shipping container that will meet HOA approval (wood siding and a roof of some sort) then I'll have my out building for fire wood and machine storage.

 

[-Brent-]

Just be careful with how you pack a shipping container. I have an acquaintance who bought one for the exact same reason. He loaded it up, not realizing containers are picked up and dropped off much differently than other options. Due to how he packed the container and how it was picked up and dropped off and whatever happened in-between, a lot of his equipment was damaged beyond repair and it was a pretty big loss for him.

 

[BoostedOne]

You have to remember that unless you want to hire a crane, they will tilt that container to get it onto the truck. I have seen those tilted to 45 degrees.

THIS.
They dont unload containers like the PODS system.
When shipping containers are delivering freight, they are loaded at the port with a crane. Then the trailers are unloaded like any other trailer, using a fork lift.

The type of setup that will be delivering and transporting your container is basically a truck for roll off dumpters. The container is on rollers, and they tilt it and slide it off. So anything not bolted and braced is going to tumble over.

 

[hchinaski]

We shipped an entire house worth of furniture, electronics etc.. from LA to Hawaii using Upack (similar to Pods), and while expensive, NOTHING was broken or damaged in any way. That's from my driveway onto a truck, off of that truck onto another one, moved around a port, loaded on a ship, loaded off of a ship, moved around another port, onto another truck, and dropped off on a rock driveway at the end of a long unpaved road.

 

[nickelmore]

A local towing company may be able to help with Loading a LOADED container onto an over the road step deck trailer. Keep in mind you will need to be on both ends to make sure it happens. Freight cost to Idaho is not cheap as there is not much coming back for the truck driver.

From experience finding a "power only" company to deliver your personal "owned" trailer would be much harder to the pacific NW.

I would also look into rail. and a 40 foot container owned or rented.