Long-Distance Moving and Storage

Due to my recent decision to heed The Call of The Valley, I need to move my collection (about 6000 pounds of equipment) from Chicago to San Jose by the end of next month. I need to thin the herd some before the trip, so I will be posting a message listing available equipment in the near future. Other than the obvious suggestion of moving less gear, does anyone have advice for undertaking such a move? We're thinking of using a professional mover or a "you fill the container, we transport it" type of service if possible, since driving 2200 miles (and over the continental divide) with a 10-month old in a rented truck of questionable mechanical condition seems like a bad idea. The moving companies that I have contacted to obtain estimates have said that the computer equipment is no problem - "just box it up". It sounds easy enough, but I don't know what the reaction will be to 150-pound boxes (or crates) that contain a single item. I'm planning to remove the front panels from the lights-and-switches equipped minis for transport and may remove boards and/or PSUs to lighten individual machines if necessary. Does anyone have other suggestions for dealing with unwieldy items such as rack-mountable equipment and workstation monitors in a long-distance move? -- Scott Ware ware(a)xtal.pharm.nwu.edu