When using a moving company, are you penalized by distance?

Question:My company is moving me, but will only pay up to $7500 for the move. The moving company estimates it will cost $7300 to move 5500 lbs. We are moving coast-to-coast. Our friends are being charged $2600 for 7500 pounds for a 700 mile move. We are both using relocation packages offered by our companies. Are we being penalized for the extra distance? Or could it be something else?

If anyone has a sense of whether this is a fair price for a move... I'd be curious to know too. We're being charged $1900+ for an extra months storage too!!

Answers:
You might want to join Angie's List (angieslist.com) in your area to learn about movers in your area who have had positive reviews by people who have used them. This really helps to weed out the bad ones. You can then call the companies to have them look at your belongings and give you an estimate. I paid $15 for my membership last summer, and I easily saved $200 by locating highly recommended movers for a 100 mile move. I moved the contents of a 3 bedroom home for about $900.

It does make sense that your move will be more costly than your friend's. It's not really a penalty, but rather the cost of your move. They will have employees working on your move for several days... They need to be compensated the entire time that they're away. Also, the use of their trucks is an expense, as well as the gas and wear and tear incurred in a large, cross-coutry move.

Best of luck in your new destination!