I want to bring my hard drive with on a trip across the country, what it the bet way to store it for transportation? It there a guide some that will tell me how?
Put it in a anti-static bag and then it to some soft foam. But that is not really necessary, just don't drop it or bang it around. In an anti-static bag between the clothes in your suit case should be fine.
HDDs aren't that delicate. You could transport them in a cushioned case. Like this one:
...but they can be expensive. I have done it on quite a few occasions without problems.
The only time an HDD should not be transported is when it is in use, ie spinning. When it is turned off the actuator arm is parked to prevent damage to the drive. A hard drive is an extremely strong piece of equipment one can bring it anyplace without worrying about damage as long as it in not dropped.