Loading & Unloading Help in Sacramento
You've got the truck or the container. You just need the people who know how to pack it so nothing shifts on the freeway — priced by the hour, booked online.
always on time
Renting the truck is the easy part
Loading a truck badly costs more than hiring someone to do it right. Weight goes to the front and low, mattresses and mirrors go on edge against a wall, and every gap gets filled — because anything with room to move will move for the next two hundred miles. Most damage on a DIY move happens in the first mile, not the last.
Not sure how many hours your move will take, or whether your building's rules will slow the day down? Send us the two addresses and roughly what's moving, and we'll tell you straight — no site visit, no sales call.
Labour you'd actually let near your things
Our employees, not a gig app
The crew that arrives is on our payroll — trained, certified and background-checked. Not whoever accepted the job on an app twenty minutes earlier, and not two people meeting each other for the first time in your driveway.
Covered while we're handling it
We’re licensed, insured and bonded: MTR0192675 with the California Bureau of Household Goods and Services, USDOT 3810402 with FMCSA, carrying up to $1,000,000 in general liability cover. Worth checking before you let anyone carry a sofa down your stairs.
What we'll load or unload
Rental trucks. U-Haul, Budget, Penske — you drive, we load.
Moving containers. PODS and similar, loaded to travel rather than just to fit.
Freight trailers. Loaded and secured for long-haul.
Storage units. Into the unit, or out of it and into whatever’s next.
Unload only. You drove it here, and you’d rather not carry it all in yourself.
Get a loading quote
Tell us the size of the truck or container, roughly what’s going in, and the access at your end. You’ll have a price online.
How it's priced
By the hour, on the same rate card as a full move: from $149 an hour for two movers. No truck is involved, so you’re paying for the crew and nothing else.
Stairs, distance from the door to the truck, and whether anything is still being packed when we arrive are what stretch the time. A ground-floor load with everything boxed goes fast.
Related services
Loading into or out of a storage unit is the most common version of this job — see storage, which we can price together with the labour. If you’d rather we handled the transport too, that’s local moving or long-distance moving. Anything over 250 lbs going on or off the truck falls under heavy item moving. If you still need boxes and wrap, we carry packing supplies.
Further reading
How to prepare furniture for movers · Can movers move heavy furniture safely?
Get Instant Quote
Move Your Home
With The Experts
Choose our professional residential movers for your next move
instantly 24/7/365
FAQ
How much does a move cost in Sacramento?
Rates start at $149/hour for two movers and a 16ft truck, $179/hour for three movers and a 26ft truck, $225/hour for four, and $265/hour for five. Add a one-time $99 flat rate for truck and gas, whatever truck size you need. You price the job yourself online — pick your crew, date and addresses and the quote comes back in minutes. No in-home visit, no sales call.
What’s included in the hourly rate?
Labour, a clean fully-equipped truck, and every tool the crew needs — hand trucks, dollies and straps. Furniture disassembly and reassembly. Loading and unloading. Secure wrapping in moving pads, with unlimited stretch wrap and tape. Floor, wall and door-frame protection. TV unmounting and custom packing. Free use of wardrobe boxes. Packing and unpacking service. Removal of packing materials when we’re done. Basic cargo protection for your household goods. Taxes and transaction fees. Stairs and long carries are included as well.
What isn’t included in the hourly rate?
Six things, all of them listed up front: the $99 flat rate for truck and gas; packing supplies such as boxes, paper and bubble wrap; a $200 handling fee for any single item over 250 lbs (piano, gun safe, pool table, treadmill, massage chair); double drive time when your two addresses are more than 10 miles apart; overnight storage; and custom crating or speciality handling for antiques and delicate pieces.
Do you charge extra for stairs or a long carry?
No. Stairs and long carries are part of the hourly rate — there is no stair fee, no elevator fee and no long-carry fee. A third-floor walk-up takes longer than a ground-floor unit, so the clock runs longer, but nothing is added on top of it.
Why is drive time billed at double?
Double drive time is standard for California household goods moves: the travel between your pickup and your delivery is billed at twice the hourly rate, because it also covers getting the truck back. Smoove only applies it when the two addresses are more than 10 miles apart. Closer than that, you aren’t charged for it at all.
Do I need an in-home estimate to get a price?
No. You can price the whole job online in a few minutes. If you’d rather show us what you have, we’ll walk through it with you over video, or come out in person. All three are free, and none of them commit you to booking.
How many movers do I need?
As a rough guide: two movers and a 16ft truck for a room or one-bedroom; three movers and a 26ft truck for a studio or two-bedroom; four for a house or three-bedroom; five for an office or commercial move. A bigger crew costs more per hour but finishes sooner, so the totals are closer than the rates suggest. If you’re between two sizes, size up — a second trip costs more than the extra mover.
How far in advance should I book?
Four to six weeks gives you the widest choice of dates, and it matters most at month-end and over summer weekends, when the calendar fills first. Short notice is still workable — book online and you’ll see live availability rather than waiting for someone to call you back.
Are you licensed and insured?
Yes. Smoove holds MTR0192675 with the California Bureau of Household Goods and Services and USDOT 3810402 with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, and carries up to $1,000,000 in general liability cover. Basic cargo protection for your household goods is included in every move. Both licence numbers are public records — look them up before you book, with us or anyone else.
Who actually shows up on move day?
Our own employees. Every mover is background-checked, trained and certified before they work a job — we don’t hire labour that morning and send it to your house. Smoove is owned by movers, which is why the crew standard is the part we’re strictest about.
What areas do you serve?
The Sacramento region and the Bay Area — more than 70 cities, from Auburn and Elk Grove through to San Jose and Walnut Creek. We also handle long-distance and interstate moves originating in either region.
Learn more before your move
23 September 2026
21 September 2026
19 September 2026



