Moving Containers in Durango: PODS vs. U-Box vs. a Steel Shipping Container

“Moving containers” covers two different products. PODS and U-Box are portable moving-and-storage boxes. A company drops one at your driveway, you load it, and they move or store it for you. A steel container from Hercules is different. It's a storage or workspace unit you rent, buy, or rent-to-own, and it stays put. Hercules also moves an empty container you already own for $200 an hour. Here's how the three actually compare for a Durango project.

What Each Option Actually Is

• • PODS — a portable steel container with an aluminum skin. PODS delivers it, you load it, PODS moves or stores it.
• • U-Box — a smaller portable container (5' x 8' x 7.5', 257 cu ft) delivered by a local U-Haul dealer, loaded by you, then moved or stored.
• • Hercules steel container — a 10-ft to 40-ft container you rent, buy, or rent-to-own; it's delivered to your site and stays there. Hercules separately moves an already-owned, empty container for $200/hour — a relocation service, not a household move.

Size, Construction, and Local Presence Compared

• • Sizes — PODS: 8', 12', or 16' (8' x 7' x 8' up to 16' x 8' x 8'). U-Box: one size, 5' x 8' x 7.5' (257 cu ft, up to 2,000 lbs). Hercules: 10 ft to 40 ft, with High Cube, Double Door, Office, and On-Trailer configurations.
• • Construction — PODS: steel frame, aluminum skin panels (PODS' own spec). U-Box: steel-framed with composite panels, or plywood under a weather-resistant vinyl cover, depending on the model your dealer stocks. Hercules: full corrugated steel.
• • Published wind rating — PODS: up to 110 mph when fully loaded (PODS' own spec). U-Box: no separate rating published; called “weather-resistant.” Hercules: no separate rating published, standard steel shipping-container spec.
• • Nearest local presence to Durango — PODS: no storage facility in southwest Colorado; nearest are Denver, Boulder, Colorado Springs, Littleton. U-Box: nearest dealers are ~40 miles out, in Cortez, Pagosa Springs, and Farmington, NM. Hercules: based in Durango.
• • Who keeps it — PODS and U-Box: the company owns the container; you rent it for the move or storage window and it goes back. Hercules: rent, buy outright, or rent-to-own toward ownership.

How Much Actually Fits

A single U-Box container holds about 257 cubic feet — roughly a room to a room and a half of household goods, per U-Haul's own sizing guide. A Hercules 20-ft standard holds about 1,170 cubic feet. That's close to four and a half U-Box containers, in one delivery. PODS' largest size, the 16-footer, comes in around 1,024 cubic feet — close to a 20-ft Hercules container, though PODS doesn't sell that unit outright. None of this makes one option better on its own. It just means a multi-U-Box order for a full house adds up to more deliveries than a single larger container would.

If You're Moving a Household

PODS and U-Box are built for exactly this. Pack once, and they handle the move or the storage in between. Neither has a facility right in Durango, so ask about delivery timing and any mileage charge for a Durango address before you book. Is the move local — Durango to Durango, or close by? Sometimes the simpler option is renting a steel container from Hercules for the moving window and having it picked up when you're done. There's no cross-country shipping logistics to plan around, since it isn't going anywhere.

If You Need a Container to Stay Put

This is where a steel container wins outright. PODS and U-Box are moving products, built to be picked up again — not permanent structures. Neither company sells or modifies its containers into a workspace the way Hercules does. Does the container need to stay at a job site or on a property for good? Want roll-up doors, shelving, or an office built in? That's the steel-container side of the market — see our full container lineup or the custom modification options.

Already Own a Container and Just Need It Moved?

That's Hercules' container move service. It's $200 an hour, from when the driver leaves the yard until he's back, with a 2-hour minimum ($400). The container has to be fully empty before the move — no exceptions. A signed move contract is required. This isn't a household-moving service; it's for moving a steel container you already own from one spot to another.

Don't own a container yet but want the option to keep it long-term instead of sending it back? Renting from Hercules works the same way month to month, and our rent-or-buy guide walks through when buying outright makes more sense than an ongoing rental.

Are Moving Containers Cheaper Than Full-Service Movers?

Generally, yes, if you do your own loading. Portable moving containers typically cost less than a full-service crew, because you're not paying for labor, according to moving-industry cost comparisons. The gap narrows once you add hidden costs like street permits or packing supplies. A full-service mover still wins on convenience if you can't or don't want to load it yourself.

Which One Should You Book?

• • Moving a household long-distance, or want packing handled — PODS or U-Box.
• • A short local move, want to skip a national mover's logistics — rent a Hercules container for the window.
• • Storage that stays for months or years — Hercules rental or purchase.
• • Already own a container, just need it moved — Hercules' move service.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are moving containers cheaper than movers?

Usually, if you load it yourself — you skip the labor cost a full-service crew charges for. The savings shrink once permits, packing supplies, and your own time are factored in, and a full crew still wins if you need the whole job done for you.

What company moves conex containers?

Hercules moves privately owned, empty steel containers. $200 an hour, 2-hour minimum. That's different from PODS or U-Box, which move a loaded container as part of a household move. Hercules moves the empty box itself, not what's inside it.

Does PODS or U-Box serve Durango?

Neither has a facility right in Durango. PODS' nearest Colorado spots are Denver, Boulder, Colorado Springs, and Littleton. The nearest U-Box dealers sit roughly 40 miles out — Cortez, Pagosa Springs, and Farmington, NM. Ask either company about delivery timing and mileage fees for a Durango address.

How much does it cost to move a shipping container?

$200 an hour — the clock starts when the driver pulls out of the yard and doesn't stop until he's back. A 2-hour minimum means $400 covers even the shortest job. One catch: the container has to be completely empty before anyone touches it.

Can Hercules move a loaded container?

No. The container has to be completely empty before the move, no exceptions — that's what keeps the move safe for a steel box that wasn't built as a moving product in the way PODS or U-Box containers are.

How many U-Box containers equal one shipping container?

About four and a half. A U-Box holds roughly 257 cubic feet; a 20-ft Hercules container holds roughly 1,170 cubic feet. That's why a full-house move often means multiple U-Box deliveries where a single 20-ft or 40-ft container covers it in one trip.