Shipping household goods
Researched and written by Ashley Davis · Reviewed by Emily Johnson · Last reviewed August 2026
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Four ways to move a household, and they differ in who does the work and who carries the risk. A full-service mover packs, loads, drives and unloads. A container service delivers a container you load and then transports it. Freight shipping moves a palletised or crated shipment. A rental truck means you do all of it and no carrier is involved in the move at all.
What does full service actually cover?
Loading, transport and unloading as standard, with packing available separately. The company holds motor carrier authority, carries the federal liability for the shipment, and is the party a claim is made against. It is the most expensive option and the only one where a professional crew handles your belongings at both ends. The company profiles record what authority each company holds.
How does a container service work?
The company delivers a container to your address, you pack and load it, and the company transports it. The carriage is theirs and the loading is yours, which splits responsibility in a way worth understanding: how the load was packed and secured sits with you, while the transport sits with whoever is carrying it. Confirm which entity performs the transport, since it is not always the brand on the container.
When is freight shipping the right answer?
For a small shipment travelling a long way, where the volume does not justify a truck. The shipment is crated or palletised, weighed, and moves as freight rather than as a household goods move. It is usually cheaper for a partial household and usually worse for a full one, and the packing standard is higher because freight is handled by machinery rather than by people.
What does a rental truck really cost?
More than the daily rate. Fuel for a vehicle that does a fraction of a car's mileage, insurance, equipment hire, and the labour of everyone you persuade to help. It is genuinely cheaper for a small local move and the saving narrows quickly with distance and volume. No carrier is involved, so no federal liability applies: damage is yours.
How do you compare quotes across these?
By what is included rather than by the total. A full-service quote and a container quote are not the same product, and comparing headline figures compares nothing. Ask each for the same list: transport, loading, unloading, packing, materials, storage, valuation and any charge for stairs, long carries or a shuttle. Then the numbers mean something. The federal moving rules page sets out what the carrier owes you whichever you choose.