I was looking at a few relocation scenarios. Some observations:

1. Long-distance moves are helluva expensive. FedEx quoted me $500 to move a 40 lb box of clothes from Chicago to Tokyo. By the pound-mile, that’s around 10x what NASA would pay for a shuttle round-trip to the moon. Also, FedEx insurance is extra, and you’re definitely not getting any moon rocks.
2. Even long-distance moves within the U.S. are fairly expensive. For a small Chicago-DC move, the best quote I got from a Potomac mover was a few thousand dollars (495 Movers). If I drive it in myself, I think there’s a 10%+ chance of a major accident, decapitation, and/or high speed chase*, so hiring a moving company might actually be cheaper in the long run.

*My driving is so bad I once got in a low-speed chase with a deputy by Accident. If you’re comfortable driving 6+ hrs without incident, I’d recommend that instead.