I was going to use a POD for storing my extra stuff while in fellowship (I could not afford the 2 bedroom, 1000+ sqft apartment I had in residency while living in a much more expensive state), and even scheduled its delivery, but cancelled at the last minute when I decided that since the nearest POD storage place was over 1.5 hrs away and that it was only $125 to rent a 24' Uhaul (which I needed anyway, to get the rest of my stuff I coulf fit in the new studio apt.) as compared to the $150+ POD, it made more sense to bring everything over and store the excess in a monthly storage.
I know a lot of people recommend Penske - but they are not as ubiquitous as UHaul. I've never had a problem with a truck being ready, or in poor condition. Then again, if you;re renting the 24-27' its not rented very often, so is more liekly to be available and in good shape.
So...
I agree with ocean. Using professional movers can be quite expensive, although if you pack yourself, it does cut down on the price. But if spending $5-$10K (if you have a full house of furniture) to move across country (it will be somewhat less if you are just moving a shorter distance). Bear in mind that although they are "professional", IMHO, they are not as careful with your belongings as you would like. There have been many media scare stories about companies quoting you a low price and then holding your possessions hostage until you come up with several hundred or thousands more dollars. Obviously having a contract, which is read carefully, as well as using a national company with a good rep is key.
I have moved several times - as a child of a military family, as a footloose college and grad student and then as a resident. I've used UHaul trucks many times and I have a lot of stuff -so always get the large truck.
If you really only have a tiny bit of stuff you can rent the Cargo Van, but these are only for in-town moves. You cannot rent one and drop it off and the other end. Always overestimate the amount of moving truck you will need - it takes more room to store your stuff than you really think.
For my money then, packing your own stuff and driving it yourself beats giving it to someone else to move. You can haggle with UHaul or other truck rental companies - they will come down a lot (even hundreds) on their quotes if you say you've gotten a better one elsewhere or you dither. Sort of like haggling in the souks of Morocco.
If you get a really good quote from POD and they deliver right to your new residence, then perhaps that makes sense. I haven't heard of any horror stories with them.
Finally, consider when moving to a new destination - will you have help unloading? If you are moving yourself, you most likely will not, but can "rent" people to help you - UHaul can assist you with this.
So...bottom line:
professional movers to move a 2 bedroom house, probably around $5,000; up to $10K for a larger house, or if you have appliances. Make sure they know this is a personal move - they are known to up their quote if they think you are being reimbursed or have a moving allowance ($10K is a common job relocation allowance).
UHaul truck rental and gas for cross country move: I spent around $900 but that also included hotels for 4 nights and meals. It was a number of years ago, but I think I got the largest truck for a little over $350 rental and the rest was gas (those things are gas hogs!!! - it might be more now, since gas prices are much higher than they were in 2000). Remember they will bargain with you.
POD - well have never investigated cross country, but you should have the price since it sounds like you have.
Hope that helps - good luck!