Carts/movable furniture (they're the same thing, really) have been discussed to death, it's a feature I'd like to have and may include some day, but it's a big task.
I can see a couple reasons why it would be challenging, but I think it's somewhat important. You've gone with a somewhat realistic approach when it comes to carrying capacity (in that people can't really carry much on their person at a time, especially without storage like a backpack), and I like that a lot, but without things like carts (or even the ability to, say, lug things around by carrying them in a box), scavenging for resources can get kind of painful, which is neither fun nor realistic. Even playing a relatively strong character with Packmule, being able to carry the six 2x4's necessary to board up a door frame
at all was pretty arduous.
Also: Is there a hard limit on the number of items you can carry? I've gotten a "you're carrying too many items" type message before, and I was curious why there would be a limit on item count when the game already tracks item bulk/volume.
A single point of torso encumbrance is not a big hit for melee fighters, actually. Three points is enough that it'll strongly affect your odds in melee, and shouldn't be done without careful consideration; more than that is making melee unrealistic or in the realm of the expert.
Like many elements in the game, it may seem a bit harsh at first; but keep playing, you'll get the hang of things and find it to be quite easy and forgiving.
Yeah, I'm probably overestimating the effects of that. I think this is partly because I'm not sure what an action point is really worth. The game is very transparent about action points in some respects (effects of certain traits or status effects, etc.) but very opaque in other respects (some running speed effects not being tallied into the move speed display, speed of attacks and other actions, etc.).
If you're deadset on optimal melee fighting, well, learn to live with fewer items. If carrying tons of gear is a crucial part of your playing style, pick up a gun and use that.
To be fair here, it's not just items; it's also armor. Of course, I'm not experienced enough with the game to say for sure how difficult it is; maybe a kevlar vest plus a utility vest isn't too encumbering after all. One thing I really don't get is why it's faster to run with a skirt on than with no pants on at all.
I don't necessarily care about having a ton of gear on hand at once. When I get bugged by carry capacity, it's when I'm trying to gather crafting parts or useful supplies. One thing I have found, however, is that with the right clothing (even without a backpack) and the Packmule trait, it's really not so bad at all except in certain cases.
In other news, the town generation could probably use some more intelligent placement of buildings. I managed to start in a town without a single grocery store, which was pretty bad since I was a vegetarian! I think guaranteeing certain building types and maybe spreading them out more on average (if it's not done like that already) would be a good idea. Obviously, the same could be said of building layouts and features, but I assume that'll see work in the future.