How do removals work when moving area?

When I moved from Staffordshire to Torquay, our removal firm packed boxes on Day 1, packed the lorry and drove down on Day 2, slept in the cab on our drive (despite me offering them a room in our house) then finished unloading on Day 3 and drove back the following day.

Our last move was less than two hours drive but we had so much stuff they took a day to load and they delivered the next day. We stayed overnight with my daughter four miles from our new home. I have no idea where the men slept but they were there before us, before 8am.

Franbern "What I did find annoying is disposing of the packing cases. When I moved just a mile, back in 2003, when I had unpacked the removal company collected all the packing boxes for them to re-use. This time I was told I should just dispose of them, no collection service available. Seems an incredible waste"

That must be the reason I frequently see packing cases advertised free for the taking on a local social media site. Better than just throwing them out.