I?m not from the US so can?t give any direct information, but here and here?s a couple of links to previous forum topics about packing and containers which might be of some interest if you?re thinking of doing it yourselves. I guess you?d need to price up a rental container and cost of shipping it etc. and compare it with a few quotes from shipping companies to get a good idea of whether it?s worth the hassle of doing it all yourselves.

I don?t know how you would stand for getting your belongings insured if you packed everything yourself. Some shippers are funny about insuring self-packed boxes and containers, as they can?t guarantee the state of the packing. Perhaps you?d have a better deal through an independent company that deals in marine insurance rather than going through the shippers.

These are some links to US shipping companies, but I have to say I have no personal knowledge as to whether they are any good or not.

www.rainieros.com
www.stevensworldwide.com
www.wemove4u.com

Perhaps Selchie can add some more helpful US-type information when she's next on the forum.

And welcome to the forum, too [smiley=006.gif] . Mustn?t forget that bit. [smiley=icon_biggrin.gif]