<p>Daughter was accepted into Teach From America and needs to move from Seattle to MS Delta. I am helping her with move due to graduation dates/a final exam and starting dates. She does not yet have a car and anyways does not have the time to drive out. We are a 24 to 26 hour drive from Washington state so it is not practical for me to drive out there and move her. Furniture should be sold but will have clothes, kitchen items, sheets, towels, small TV she would like to take and can not fit into her luggage for plane. Hoping to contact a moving company that could load her things on the back of a truck and deliver to her either in MS or our home state. Or would it be cheaper to UPS it? Or is there a better way. She has asked another individual also going to MS but that person doesn’t have finals and is leaving much earlier in order to drive. Any suggestions? Thank you</p>
<p>Having shipped large boxes from coast to coast for both kids’ schools, we found FedEx Ground to be cheaper than UPS and the USPS. You can do calculations on-line.</p>
<p>Another thing to do is to find out if anyone needs their car moved from WA to the south.</p>
<p>Good luck!</p>
<p>Be very wary of low cost movers you find on the internet. I’ve read some horror stories. In any case I think UPS is going to be your best bet. If she packs her own things, can ship to a business address and everything goes to one address, it can be very reasonable. UPS stores are franchises and if you talk to a manager or owner they can be very helpful. I ship all the time to my d in college and my local UPS store owner is very helpful.</p>
<p>I too have found FedEx ground to be cheaper than UPS or USPS when shipping from Seattle to the South. I remember hearing about a site that gives discounts for FedEx shipping if you put an ad with the shipping label, but I forget the name. IMHO, shipping the items would be easier than hiring a moving company if there isn’t that much stuff.</p>
<p>Also, remember that if she has lots of books, DVDs, CDs, and other media, she can ship that very very cheaply at the media mail rate through the post office. It takes a long time (6 weeks minimum I think) and shouldn’t be used for anything fragile (media only, otherwise it’s mail fraud), but she probably won’t need her books on the very first day anyway. </p>
<p>Tell her to go to REI and stock up on their very strongest bug repellent. They used to sell this stuff called Jungle Juice 100 that’s extremely effective. It has a lot of deet in it but it’s better than getting tons of mosquito bites.</p>
<p>Media mail is supposed to take 5 business days give or take to cross the country, but it is low priority. I got one media mail package from FL to AL in 2 days, which is the same as regular mail. Priority mail has been taking only 2 days Seattle-Alabama, and I’d expect it to be similar to Mississippi, maybe 3 days.</p>
<p>I’ve heard that Greyhound package express is still a pretty good deal for heavy boxes. UPS adds up if her stuff is heavy. </p>
<p>I’ve also run across a site called U-Ship or something like that - it’s a bidding site where you post your item that needs transport, and people with partial loads will make an offer. The problem is you need to know exactly what size, weight, etc., and it sounds like that might be a hassle to figure out from afar.</p>
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<p>I was going to suggest that she just sell everything on Craigslist and buy again from Craigslist or thrift stores when she gets there… then realized that life in a small town in down on the Delta isn’t exactly like life in Seattle.<br>
Good for her for doing this, and for getting a TforA job. I have heard that they were incredibly selective this year!
When she gets a car, suggest she find a used model with <em>good</em> air-conditioning. Maybe look around at what’s common in her town so it doesn’t cost a huge amount for repairs.
And if she gets a pick-up truck, she can haul her stuff out after her committment ends.</p>
<p>She might ask the person leaving early to take things she can do without for a while, like extra kitchen things & the TV. She can live with less during finals and the week or so before so that there will be less to ship. That’s what I’d do in similar circumstances. In fact, I’d ask her to pare things down so she’s only KEEPING essentials she needs for the last 2 weeks & ask the person driving to take everything else (that she has packed). See how that would fly with your D. This would allow her to bring the rest on the plane and obviate the need for shipping much if anything.</p>