Moving Labor and Truck Loading in New Lenox, IL
You rent the truck, pod or trailer and we supply the muscle. Two movers at $120 an hour to load or unload, anywhere in the southwest suburbs.
You already have the truck. Maybe it is a 20 ft U-Haul sitting in the driveway, maybe Penske dropped off a 26 footer, maybe there are two PODS containers on the parkway and the pickup is Thursday morning. What you do not have is two people who load trucks for a living. That is the entire service. We arrive with dollies, straps, blankets and shrink wrap, we load or unload whatever you rented, and we bill hourly with no truck charge, because you brought the truck. It is the least expensive way to use us and it is a big share of what we do every summer.
Serving New Lenox, Frankfort, Mokena, Joliet, Manhattan, Lockport, Homer Glen, Orland Park, Tinley Park, Plainfield, Shorewood, Crest Hill and nearby.
Hourly rates posted, two hour minimum
Blankets, wrap, dollies and runners included
Same crew that quotes the job carries it
Card, cash, Zelle or Venmo when the job is done
What Is Included
How a rental truck gets packed so nothing shifts
A truck loaded loosely will rearrange itself the first time you take the curve where I-355 meets I-80. The fix is not more blankets, it is building the load in tiers that touch wall to wall. Heavy and square goes first against the front wall: dressers, washers, filing cabinets, appliances. Then a tier of boxes across the full width, heaviest on the bottom, so nothing has room to lean.
Mattresses and box springs go on edge along the side walls where they act like padding for everything else. Tabletops, headboards and mirrors ride flat against them, never loose in the middle. Sofas go on end when the ceiling allows it, which frees up a surprising amount of floor. Every three or four feet we run a strap through the tie rail, because that is what actually keeps a tier from walking forward when you brake.
Odd shaped things get filled around, not stacked on. Lamps, bar stools, plant pots and bikes go in the gaps between tiers with soft goods packed in behind them. If you are driving it yourself, the last thing loaded should be whatever you need first at the other end, and we will ask you what that is.
Unloading is faster and cheaper than people expect
Plenty of folks load the truck themselves with friends over a weekend, drive it, and then realize they do not want to carry it all up a flight of stairs alone at the other end. Unload only is the most common labor call we get, and it is usually the shortest job on the schedule. A 16 ft truck packed by amateurs generally comes off in two to three hours with two of us.
The reason it goes quicker is that nothing has to be decided. On a load we are solving a puzzle. On an unload we are just carrying, and the only question is which room. Have a plan for that before we get there, even if it is masking tape on the door frames, and it will save you money.
We put beds back together, set the washer and dryer in place, and stand furniture where you want it rather than lining the garage with it. If you rented the truck for a return by a certain hour, say so up front and we will work to that clock.
Pods, containers, and the timing problem
Containers change the math because the container is not going anywhere for a while. That is good for flexibility and bad for load discipline, since a box that sits in a hot container for three weeks under a stack is going to be crushed when it comes out. We pack containers tighter than trucks for that reason, with less air and more strapping, and we recommend keeping anything with a heat problem out of it entirely.
The other container reality is the driveway. A PODS unit dropped on a slope or on a parkway makes the walk longer and sometimes puts the door facing away from the house. Nothing we can do about it, but it does affect the hour count, so worth mentioning when you call.
Storage units are the same job with a shorter ramp. If you are moving into a unit in Mokena or New Lenox, tell us the unit size and whether you want a walkway left down the middle. Building a path costs you a little space and saves you an entire afternoon the day you need one item out of the back.
What It Costs
Labor only means no truck from us, so the rate drops. You provide the truck, trailer, container or unit, and we provide the movers and the equipment.
| Job | Typical price |
|---|---|
| Two movers, labor only | $120 per hour, two hour minimum |
| 16 ft rental truck, load or unload | $240 to $360 |
| 20 to 26 ft rental truck, load or unload | $360 to $480 |
| Loading a storage unit or portable container | $240 to $480 |
| Two movers with our truck instead of a rental | $150 per hour |
The flat $50 travel fee still applies inside the core area. There is no charge for blankets, straps or shrink wrap, and no stair fee. If you want a third mover on a big truck we will quote it when you call. Call or text (815) 763-8200 with the truck size and whether it is a load, an unload, or both. Card, cash, Zelle or Venmo at the end.
Get a Same-Day Estimate
Call or text with both addresses, the date, and photos of the big pieces. We reply the same day with movers, hours, and a total at the rates on this page.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I really save money doing it this way?
Usually yes, if you are comfortable driving the truck. Labor only is $120 an hour instead of $150, and you skip our travel on a long run. Where it stops making sense is a short local move, since a rental plus fuel plus your own day often costs more than just hiring the truck from us.
How long does it take to load a 26 foot truck?
Four to six hours with two movers if the house is boxed and ready. If there is loose stuff still sitting on shelves and in closets, it can run past that, because loose items are carried one armful at a time.
Will you drive my rental truck?
No. We load and unload it, but you or someone on your rental agreement does the driving. That is an insurance line we do not cross.
Can you do the load here and meet me at the other end?
Inside our service area, yes, and it is billed as one continuous job. If the other end is a few hours away we usually recommend booking labor there instead, since paying us to ride along is not a good use of your money.
What if the truck ends up too small for everything?
It happens more than people think. We will tell you early in the load if the math is not working, so you have time to decide what stays behind rather than finding out with the ramp already up.