Moving Yourself to Atlanta

Atlanta: The unofficial capital of the southern states and the very official capital of Georgia. Not too long ago Atlanta was merely another city, struggling to diversify itself from other major urban centers like Charlotte, Savannah, Birmingham and Mobile. Today however, the Atlanta area is "all grown up" and is the ninth largest metropolitan area in the United States with an estimated population of just over 6 million people (2020).

If you are unfamiliar with Atlanta you may be asking, "What's the big deal?" The primary attraction of course is jobs, and lots of them. Atlanta has been described as an "Alpha World City", its economy ranks 15th in the world and 6th in the nation. As you might imagine, an economy of that magnitude must be supported by some major companies. Indeed, the Atlanta area is home to the third largest concentration of Fortune 500 companies and over 75% of Fortune 1000 companies have operations in the Atlanta area. So who are these big companies that draw people to the area? We will bet that most people's first guess will be Coca-Cola, but who else? Atlanta is home to the world headquarters for The Home Depot, AT&T, Turner Broadcasting, UPS, The Weather Channel, Chick-fil-A, Arby's, Suntrust Bank, Delta Airlines, Newell Rubbermaid, Equifax, Georgia-Pacific, RaceTrac Fuel, and FirstData. Long list huh? There are plenty more but we felt we made our point as to why Atlanta is such a draw to new residents. It's important to note that the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport has also been considered the "World's Busiest Airport" since 1998.

DIY Moving to Atlanta

First things first, remember that our blog and moving tips are devoted to self moving and not full service moving. The concept of building your move using separate services (See 'How It Works' for Information) as opposed to traditional van line moving companies is more involved and hands on but the savings can make the extra effort worth it. Moving to Atlanta, like most cities, is pretty simple once you understand how self moving works. We've outlined some of the basics for you below and even provided Atlanta-specific details about parking permits, moving supplies and other tips to help make your move as easy as possible.

Choose A Transportation Provider

As we have outlined many times there are three primary options for transporting household goods outside of a full service mover: Truck Rental, 'You Load, We Drive' Freight and Portable Storage. Each option has its own unique benefits, features and reasons to be utilized; some may work for your situation while others may not. Remember that if you are currently located in Georgia you can automatically rule out freight as you cannot use this option for an in-state move. You can further review our in-depth overview about which options are best suited for which situations in our long distance moving section.

Hire Moving Help

Once you have chosen a transportation method it is time to hire moving help. Our company provides movers without the truck for people who have their own transportation, like a U-Haul or PODS storage container. We come to your home and load or unload your household items in a professional manner. Why hire moving labor to load your moving truck or unload your storage container?

1. We do the heavy lifting and physically move the items so you don't have to
2. We expertly load to maximize space and reduce the potential for damage
3. We pad and wrap furniture with furniture pads
4. We are efficient. Our movers can load a full household in less time than if you were to do it on your own

Do you need a Parking Permit in Atlanta?

Despite our best efforts we were unable to obtain a clear cut list of permit requirements. This is primarily because the Atlanta area is a vast metropolis with many different cities, towns and jurisdictions; each with their own rules and regulations. If you plan to leave your POD container, moving trailer or rental truck in a public right of way for more than a few hours you should contact your local jurisdiction to see if a permit is required. In the City of Atlanta you need to contact the Atlanta Department of Transportation at 404-330-6501.