if moving across the country, how do things like your bed and dresser transfer to new home?

Some people get rid of their furniture (unless it's valuable) because it costs more to move it than it does to buy new stuff.

Yes you can move yourself by renting a U-Haul, packing it yourself and then driving it yourself.   If you have a car, do you have someone to drive it or will you have to tow it?    Driving a U-Haul and towing a car behind it is not for the inexperienced. 

You can also hire movers who will load your stuff and get it from A to B.   There are also those POD things. 

Amtrak ships freight for the general public, but you have to get it to the train station and also pick it up at the train station at the other end. 

If you're moving to a college or university, the school usually has some kind of ride share resource available so you may be able to find another person to share a U-Haul with.

 If it's just a bed and dresser and nothing special, might make more sense to get rid of it and buy something else when you get there.

Sell or get rid of anything and everything that you don't need and can easily replace at the destination.


And, you do know that there are moving companies you can hire to move large cargo across country, right ?

You can rent a U-Haul and drive it yourself or pull it behind you depending on the size.   There are PODS .   U-Haul has them. You take them to your home and you load it, they deliver it to your new location and you unpack it. There are independent companies you can hire men to unpack for you, U-Haul usually has contact numbers.
Or you hire a moving company to move your stuff.