Moving to Alaska is way harder than any other interstate moving. Because of its far location and sometimes unpredictable weather, standard logistics don’t apply here. A Plus Moving Group will tell you more about how this type of moving works and what to expect in terms of prices.
Why Alaska Moves Require Different Planning
Most long-distance moves in the Lower 48 come down to hiring a truck and driving. Alaska changes that equation entirely. It’s roughly 2,200 miles from Washington State to Alaska – and about double that if you’re coming from the East Coast. There’s no direct road from the contiguous US into Alaska without crossing Canada, and not every moving company even offers service to the state. Due to its distance from the continental United States, not every moving company provides services to Alaska.
That’s the first thing to check is whether the company actually makes Alaska routes.
Your Main Shipping Options
You broadly have three routes to get your belongings there.
Full-service movers. These guys do everything: handle packing, loading, transport, and delivery. This is more suitable for bigger households. The trade-off is cost. Long-distance movers often charge a flat fee, averaging $5,000 to $10,000, for moves over 1,000 miles.
Moving containers. This is somewhere near the golden mean. You do some work yourself and the moving company is doing the other part, for example, you load the containers, and movers do the transportation. This tends to work well if you’re moving a one- or two-bedroom apartment and want to reduce cost without doing a full DIY move. Note that door-to-door delivery isn’t always available for rural locations.
Self-drive truck rental. In this case, you are the one who is handing practically everything. You will not only need to pack and loas everything, you’ll need to factor in fuel, lodging for the multi-day drive,. Plus, the fact that you’ll be passing through Canada (which requires a valid passport).
Important
If you drive a rental truck to Alaska, you’ll cross into Canada twice. Bring your passport and check current Canadian border entry requirements before you leave.
How Much Should You Budget?
It is very complicated to predict the cost. It depends on many factors, like where the origin city is, how large you are moving, and what type of shipping options you choose.
What Drives the Cost Up
There are a few things that make moving to Alaska more expensive than moving to other places in the United States.
- The weight of the things you are moving. Professional carriers charge by the pound so it is an idea to get rid of some of your things before you move
- Where you are moving to in Alaska. If you are moving to Fairbanks it is going to be more expensive because it is really far from the coast and the moving company has to use more than one way to get your stuff there
- Moving in the summer may be more expensive firstly, because more people are moving at that time of the year. But if you decide to move in the winter, you may stumble upon delays because of the weather.
- Add-on services like packing, storage, or inside delivery
Timing and Seasonal Considerations
Speaking of seasons, summer probably is the easiest time to move. The weather is more or less stable, ports aren’t frozen. But the disadvantage is that costs can be higher, because many people want to move in the summer.
In the fall and early winter it might be cheaper to move. There is a good chance that your move will be delayed because of the weather. It can get really cold in Alaska, even as cold as -60°F. There can be big snowstorms that make it hard for the moving company to get to your stuff. If you do not have to move at a time it is probably a good idea to move in the late spring. This is because the weather is usually pretty good and it is not as expensive as moving in the summer.
Steps to Plan Your Alaska Move
- First you need to confirm your destination address in Alaska, and figure out if you can get there by road, or if you have to take a barge or a plane.
- You have to decide how you want to ship your stuff to Alaska, and this depends on how much money you want to spend, how many people are in your household, and how much work you want to do yourself.
- Get quotes from at least three companies that ship things to Alaska. And verify whether they are legit (they need to be either registered with the FMSCA or with the Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities, if it only works inside Alaska.
- It is an idea to get rid of some of your stuff before you pack big furniture pieces. You can sell them. Give them away and this will make your move to Alaska cheaper.
- You should book your move early because there are no companies that ship to Alaska and the summer months are really busy.
One More Thing Worth Knowing
A lot of people, who are moving to Alaska,find it practical to sell their big furniture pieces before they leave instead of shipping them to Alaska. You can buy furniture, beds, tables and chairs when you get to Alaska and you can use the money you made from selling your old stuff to pay for it. This is something to think about especially if you are moving from an apartment or house.
