[Narz]

I'm moving back East from California. Is there any good way to get a hold of truckers who may have extra cargo room and be able to carry me and my stuff with them (say from LA to NY) for a fee?

I know of Craigslist, just wondering if there's a better site to connect with regards to stuff like this.

I don't have that much stuff. I try not to accumulate too much but I do have a fair amount (maybe an SUV full of stuff between my girlfriend and I + two cats & two bikes).

After this I don't want to move again unless A : my folks die and leave me their home or B : I find some ecovillage somewhere that I dub as acceptable (and vice versa).

Oh, also, I want to stop in Las Vegas on the way there (maybe I should rent a vehicle to drive there and then hitch a ride from there to NY). I'm entering a chess tournament in June where I could win $5,000 (in my division) which will ease my financial concerns slightly.

Any tips welcome. Any joke tips welcome too if they're funny enough.

[Ferretlover]

Rent a van, a trailer, ship it by rail...
I would be concerned that your stuff would be sold to pay for bootleg diesel, or worse.
Recently, there was a murder here in MN-a young woman, applying for a babysitting job posted on Craigslist. The poster killed her. (There was no job).
Check college bulletin boards for kids driving east? At least you'd stand a better chance of checking them out...

[drayor]

East would be the last place I would be when it comes down. Utah would be better.

[Daculling]

Anybody tried these guys?

Pods

[jboogy]

PODS is the way to go, cheap, keep for as long as you want, secure and waterproof.......or........

magic carpet ( tell me if this isn't funny enough and I'll delete the text through the edit function)

[Pops]

ABF

You can get as little as 4' of a pup trailer LTL I think. we did it and saved thousands - I have lots of tools and Susan does too!

Or ride your thumb!

[Narz]

Thanks jboogy and Pops. I will look into those two options.

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('drayor', 'E')ast would be the last place I would be when it comes down. Utah would be better.

[Hawkcreek]

--

[steam_cannon]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Narz', 'A')ny tips welcome. Any joke tips welcome too if they're funny enough.

[steam_cannon]

Seriously though:

* Ask yourself what you would take on vacation, then add to that a
box of critical documents and photos.

* I often would make a list of books on paper and if I really missed
a book I would buy it again.

* Taking pictures of things helps with parting with stuff. Most things
can be bought or remade. If it's a cool project, like a solar cooker or
lantern, you will find that you can make it again, often better from a
picture because you can improve it in remaking it.

* Games, videos, even music, these are all things that exist in other
places and can be lived without.

* You can live on paper plates for a month, you can buy new cups
or even used cups of every kind at thrift shops. You don't have to
use the same cup or spoon for 50 years, not in the present market anyway.

* Don't bring heavy stuff. If your girl is sick and it can't be carried by
one person, then it's too heavy. They make electric piano's these days, don't ship pianos.

* Beds can be inflatable (or a cat safe foam/cloth futon), desks can be
folding and bought anywhere...

* Personal items can often be shipped by mail. 5 large bins will cost
a few bucks to ship, but bins make great temporary furniture and
storage space.

* Get rid of clothing that no longer looks good. Don't worry, with a
little use that new coat will look just as worn in as your collection of
five old worn out coats, ditch the worn out coats. Take a picture if
you like the style.

In summary, take your cats or whatever is most important. But
don't ship furniture. Or other heavy things. Using these principles,
my wife and I moved from Arkansas with one car. Yes, I had to toss
my beautiful collection of huge handmade solar cookers. But hey, I
made them and I can make them again now that I refined the
designs. I tossed out forge blowers, motor parts, grills, parts from a
computer repair business. A whole barn full of things that I made.

But one thing that I can tell you, none of those things would have,
been around 100 years from now. Pictures might be around for
some of the designs, but I don't expect very much of any of that
stuff would be useful or around in a recognizable form in 100 years.
People in the future are going to let your old computer monitors go,
so you might as well beat them to the punch.

Try it on one move in your life, you'll find letting stuff go doesn't kill ya.

[steam_cannon]

By the way, I gave my bikes away in Arkansas. On coming to
Massachusetts I told different people I was into bikes. In six months
I was given four bikes and I bought another for 40 bucks.
Sure they needed some work; but I'm just saying, many things
can be replaced...

[steam_cannon]

Also, if you don't have a car and buying new bikes in town isn't your thing...

* You may be able to take a bus trip and bring the bikes along. You'd
have to ask but I think some bus lines accommodate bicycles.
Like what Shanny is saying...

* Some rental car/van agencies are ok with one way trips.

* You might consider mailing the bikes, wrapped in cardboard and
taken apart a little, it might cost you $60 bucks per bike.

* Large walmart bins wrapped in tape cost $30 - $50 to ship
depending on the shipping method and weight. If you have the
money for that and really very little, you could ship most of your
stuff and take a bus, or wrap the bins and ship them by bus...

And if you will have a car avaliable, these are still good ways to make room.

[hornofhubris]

Rental, leasing, and used auto brokers transport cars by
having people drive them from A to B. In every major
city is an auto auction place that is frequented by the
dealers and brokers. If you have a license and clean
credential show up there and bro down and fish for
a pickup or SUV going your way. Good Luck.

Also if you are going to use dead head truckers you
need to put your stuff in huge boxes called Gaylords
and put the boxes on pallets. They probably can't
carry you and your squeeze because of insurance
and licensing but you might get lucky there.

[lawnchair]

I've done the math before. Particularly if there is more than one person involved, nothing is going to be cheaper than driving. Unfortunately, it does require some capital. Around here, functional work vans can be had for about $1500. If you're lucky and no breakdowns, you can re-sell it for nearly that where you're going. So, a couple hundred net cost there. At today's prices, you're talking $500 to $600 for gas for a cross-country trip in a cargo van. At the cheapest (Greyhound or insanely cheap air travel) you're spending $150 a piece to transport the people. So, there's simply no way you're going to get much stuff moved for under $400 or $500. With free places to pitch a tent and a Coleman stove for making rice or pasta, it is the cheapest option.

The only question is: can you handle being in a van with cats for much of a week?

[frankthetank]

Buy a vehicle, drive it there, then sell it. Get something that you know will sell (gas mileage/import). If you have to strap the shit to the roof, so be it. If cars are cheap in the west, then you could maybe make money or driving expenses.

Throw everything and start over?

Take just the important things (gold bars/sex tapes/lubricants/leaf blower).

Make an ad, then put it in a truck stop (male&female looking for cheap transport/willing to "work" for transport/open to just about anything)?

Ride the rails

Take a ship (this one is cool). Get on one of those big ships that go down to Panama, then go through the canal and back up the east coast. Thats how they use to do it in the old days, except in reverse.

Amtrak?

[steam_cannon]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('frankthetank', 'T')ake just the important things (gold bars/sex tapes/lubricants/leaf blower).