If you pack yourself, it is always best to pack the day before if possible. When loading a truck, it is very hard to load your household goods efficiently if the foreman has to wait for all the cartons to be packed. Packing by the hour is a good choice if you have hired experienced, fast packers. You can obtain these packers the same way you obtained your movers. Make them part of your contract for packing day.
Most local companies have certain movers who are very good packers.
The larger moving companies may employ a professional packing contractor who specializes only in packing and crating up household goods. Ask your estimator about this. A unit or carton pack is a very profitable way of packing for a local moving company if the packers are fast. You will be charged a different rate depending on the type of carton being packed. A book carton will be very inexpensive to pack because it takes little time to put books into a carton.