Is there a cheaper way to move long distance?

Ask for return-trip (backhaul) or shared-load pricing. Most long-distance moves already run this way: the big van lines work through local agents — one packs and loads near you, a long-haul driver carries several households in one truck, and an agent at the other end unloads. A truck that would otherwise drive home part-empty is the cheapest space on the road.

The question to ask an agent near you: "Do you have a truck heading toward [your destination] that week, and what's your shared-load price if I give you a delivery window?"

The price of the saving is time: you get a pickup window and a delivery window rather than set days, and other people's things share the truck. The more days you can give, the better the price.

Get it in writing: the delivery window, the price, whether the estimate is binding, and who is liable if it's late. Containers are the other way to pay only for the space you use.

In The Packed Rabbit, Getting quotes sends every mover the same packet, so their prices can be compared side by side.

Source: FMCSA, Your Rights and Responsibilities When You Move; common practice among interstate van lines · Checked October 2026

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