moving personal items from Canada to US

[coldwatersurf 5]

I cant seem to find any info about moving your stuff across the border. I wont have a lot of stuff. I probably need a 1 ton truck or something as small as a Panel Van. But, I'm not sure what I need?

Anyone ever drive their own furniture accross the border? I only have my mattress and frames and a couple of boxes. I am only moving 5 hours away from canada to US.

Edited March 11, 2009 by borderdriver

[wowswift 3]

If that is all you have, do you have a friend with a truck? or a vehicle to tow a uhaul? we uhauled all our stuff down, but, for your sake, i hope you have a friend with a truck since you really don't have much.

[coldwatersurf 5]

lol i take it that the Uhaul experience isnt the best? I do have friends with truck. But they are all americans and they feel that the drive is toooo long to Canada. Both my parents and In laws have vans so i can use the Van (I managed to fit TWO 2 seater couch and a queen size mattress in a mini van. lol. i still cant believe we managed to fit it). But it was pretty nerve racking trying to drive just using the side mirrors.

what I really want to do is rent a panel van so just in case my Canadian family start donating a small dining table & chairs or something, so i can fit it. I was thinking of using budget or getting a uhaul 1 ton truck and returning @ a different location. any info on truck rental companies?

Also if you have info on why I should do this another way, please let me know.

[wowswift 3]

lol oh no our experience with uhaul wasn't too bad but that was because we rented a trailer and not a truck since its way cheaper (and pretty much our only option with two cars to drive down). i guess the other option besides renting is the u-pack thingie, but i know we couldn't even consider that since they don't pick up in nfld.

Edited March 11, 2009 by wowswift

[coldwatersurf 5]

what is U pack? who offers that service?

Also do i need to pay customs fees for newer items i havent owned in less than a year?

[wowswift 3]

upack is when they drop an empty "cube" that you fill and they move it. here is their website http://www.upack.com/

and as far as customs, i know you're supposed to, but they didn't even ask us (we did cross not too long after xmas so we got free junk) and i didn't say anything. they didn't even bother looking in the back of the uhaul. they just asked what we estimated our total value was and took the list we made of the stuff in the uhaul and that was it. i guess its because we crossed on a record cold day in houlton maine. i thought they'd at least ask us to open it up, but nope. thing was packed as much as possible anyways lol

[coldwatersurf 5]

thanks a bunch. I will look into the Upack service.

[Reba 2]

U-Haul is the only truck rental company that allows cross border one-way moves. Nobody else does anymore.

[JillA 2]

I had a good experience with Uhaul.... They have a fairly new policy that states for longer moves, they must give you a truck that has a certain amount of mileage on it, for example not over 60,000 MILES. If the truck has more than that, they retire it to local moves. UHaul has a 10 foot truck which would be good for some furniture and stuff.

[BermyCat 1]

I used U-haul to move myself and my stuff from Kitchener, ON to Atlanta. The Ontario part of the drive during a blizzard wasn't fun, but I didn't have any problems with U-haul or their truck.

There's lots of threads about moving your things from Canada to the US in the Canada forums too. A search there may be helpful to you.

~ Catherine

[JillA 2]

U-Haul is the only truck rental company that allows cross border one-way moves. Nobody else does anymore.

Yes you won't be able to use Budget for a one way move.

[Wis-Can 0]

I was thinking about going uhaul. My move is about 2000 miles. They want $1500+ insurance+ gas to get it there and that's with dropping it off where I am moving to. I went to a couple moving companies, one was $6500 and the other one was almost $5000. And that's not a full house of stuff. I am only taking some furniture, personal stuff and alot of craft stuff! I went to a trucking company that does Canada/US deliveries. It was the cheapest way to go. I am just going to buy 6 pallet spaces and put my stuff on that. I am looking at $250 a pallet space, so for $1500 complete everything will be moved. You might try that. They will tell you everything your going to need as far as paperwork for them. You actually have to enter before your stuff does....this info was given to me by the POE in Calais, Maine. Good luck!

[Reba 2]

If you use a moving company, or family or friends drive your stuff down, you have to enter the country first, and send proof of legal entry and a copy of your I-94 to the moving company to put with your customs documents. Otherwise you'll end up paying tax and duties.

If you're moving it yourself with UHaul, you go at the same time, your stuff clears customs when you do.

[TimandJoyce 1]

If you use a moving company, or family or friends drive your stuff down, you have to enter the country first, and send proof of legal entry and a copy of your I-94 to the moving company to put with your customs documents. Otherwise you'll end up paying tax and duties.

If you're moving it yourself with UHaul, you go at the same time, your stuff clears customs when you do.

I wasn't thinking about using a vehicle myself, but just sending down some items by fed-ex, and flying down. I really don't have much, few personal items and such. No furniture or big items. Tim has a furnished 4 bedroom house. Will I have to be there first, and have someone send it? what would be the suggestions on that?

[coldwatersurf 5]

If you use a moving company, or family or friends drive your stuff down, you have to enter the country first, and send proof of legal entry and a copy of your I-94 to the moving company to put with your customs documents. Otherwise you'll end up paying tax and duties.

If you're moving it yourself with UHaul, you go at the same time, your stuff clears customs when you do.

So let me get this straight, i have to enter first (with my stuff right?)

I probably will have a 2nd vehicle. do i need to be in that vehicle as well? b/c we will probably be all going at the same time. Would that be a problem?