Moving Trucks vs. Moving Containers

The biggest difference between moving trucks and portable storage containers is that with a rental truck, you drive the truck yourself, and with a portable storage container, you don’t. With a portable storage container, you load your belongings into the container, and they are then shipped to your new home.

However, there is more to these moving solutions than you might think. In this guide, we’ll take you through situations where a rental truck or a portable storage container is best for your move.

Key Takeaways Moving trucks and moving containers are great DIY ways to move and are more cost-effective than a full-service move. Moving trucks and moving containers come in all shapes and sizes, allowing for a more personal loading/unloading experience. There are several situations where a moving truck will work best instead of a moving container and vice versa. There are situations where both are great as well!

When to go with a Moving Truck or Moving Container

When choosing your moving method, consider how far you’re moving, your budget, whether you need storage, whether you want to drive your belongings yourself, and how soon you need to move.

Moving Scenarios
Moving Truck	Moving Container
Moving to another neighborhood in the same town Need to move immediately Need the cheapest option	Need more time to plan the move ahead Need potential storage with your move Need to be able to spend days or weeks packing and loading Don't want to have to drive a moving truck
Moving Truck and Moving Container
Cross-country move Moving across the state

Moving Truck Vs. Moving Container Costs

When it comes to these moving methods, their prices differ for good reasons. When driving a moving truck, you are paying for the use of the truck and the miles that are being put on it while all your belongings are inside. It is also cheaper than a portable storage container because you are doing most of the work yourself.

Portable storage containers cost more than a moving truck because of the cost and logistics of shipping and storing your belongings. When using a moving container, you are paying to rent the container for 30 days, and the storage and shipping costs that it takes to move your belongings for you. However, this higher cost does allow for much more flexibility and the potential storage of your belongings.

Some companies allow you to access your belongings in storage (U-Box by U-Haul®, PODS®, 1-800-PACK-RAT®) while some don’t (U-Pack®).

Here are the costs for a cross-country move from Denver, Colorado, to Portland, Oregon, in a 26-foot moving truck.

Brands	U-Haul	Penske	Budget Truck
Price	$3,110.90	$3,405.32	$3,136.79

Pickup location zip code 80017, Denver, CO, Dropoff location zip code 97210. Price includes truck only, no moving insurance. Quote prices were made for January 2026 and are subject to change.

Here are the costs for using portable storage containers equivalent to the space of a 26-foot moving truck.

Brands	U-Box® by U-Haul	PODS®	U-Pack®
Price	$3,988.65	$6,370.58	$4,969.00

Pickup location zip code 80017, Denver, CO, Dropoff location zip code 97210. Price includes delivery and portable storage container only, no moving insurance. Quote prices were made for January 2026 and are subject to change.

Rental trucks and portable storage containers have their own pros and cons, depending on where you go and what your needs are. Most of the cons you’ll find with a rental truck are often a pro with a portable storage container, and vice versa.

Moving Truck and Moving Container Pros and Cons

Moving Trucks
Pros:	Cons:
Quicker transportation of your belongings Ability to tow your vehicle or extra cargo Always street legal Different sizes of trucks and trailers	Need to drive Need to pay for gas, tolls, and mileage
Moving Containers
Pros:	Cons:
Don’t have to drive your belongings Only one step away from a full-service move with Moving Help® Easier for apartment moves Multiple size options Lower to the ground and easier to load	Slower transportation of your belongings Still must drive to your new home Only street legal when on top of a trailer

Where Both Options Win

Both options are far and away much more affordable and flexible than a full-service mover. For a full-service move, you will typically pay for the same people to unload and load your belongings, which costs you more. And you have to shoulder the expense of transportation of your belongings without being updated on where those items are.

If you want to keep an eye on your belongings, the best part about a moving truck is always having everything with you. With a portable storage container, only some brands (like U-Box by U-Haul) notify you when your container reaches your local U-Haul center, when it lands in your new city, and give you a complete moving timeline of how your items are transported.

When thinking about loading, some portable storage containers (like U-Box by U-Haul) come with 24 rental furniture pads so your belongings stay protected and even some rental trucks come with a lower loading deck and a more stable loading ramp.

Final Takeaways

Both rental trucks and portable storage containers are great ways to move, and they have their own pros and cons in individual situations. Whichever you choose, U-Haul provides the best benefits with both. By having more than 25,000 truck rental locations and more than 1,400 U-Box container accessible locations, you’ll always get the best price with both.