Blog December 1, 2020

Best Tips on How to Pack a Moving Truck Safely

Posted in How-to
Blake Shaw

Bostonian and residential moving and packing expert. Blake Shaw enjoys bar-hopping, music, and writing insightful content.

Did you know that around 40 million Americans relocate each year? If you are going to be one of them, you should go over some of the best tips on how to pack a moving truck safely and efficiently. Helpful guidelines on how to protect your belongings and which objects go first and which come in last will speed-up the loading process and make the whole relocation stress-free.

Get a Truck of the Right Size and Boxes That Will Fit Different Items

If you want to organize a stress-free move, you need to start planning a month or two in advance. Go through your home and make a list of all of your belongings, small and large. When you know the number of bulky things that need to be transported, you’ll know not only the size of the truck you should rent but also the amount of packing material you need.

Don’t save up on renting a vehicle. Getting a small and cheap one will only prolong your relocation and lead to additional expenses. You will need to go back and forth a couple of times just so you could relocate all of your stuff. Besides, when gathering materials, make sure you buy more than you think is necessary. It’s always better to have one extra box than to leave your things unwrapped and unprotected.

If you’re carrying out a DIY move, you have to think about every little detail. If it seems like more trouble than it is worth, you can quickly call and hire a

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Before You Get to the Packing, Take Apart Bulky Furniture

Do you have large, almost unmovable objects in your home? An important tip when it comes to successful relocation would be to take them apart before putting them in a truck. As long as they are in pieces, they will be easier to lift and load into the carrier. Ensure that you have the right tools to disassemble everything and be careful not to hurt yourself in the process.

packed and wrapped furniture
Don’t forget to get materials that will protect your belongings.

Useful Tip on How to Pack a Moving Truck –  Load Heavy Things First

Even though you disassembled some objects, others have to stay in one piece. Those major appliances that require more than one person to move should be put onto the carrier before anything else. They should be placed against the far wall that is closest to the cabin, and they should be in an upright position.

Don’t forget to obtain all additional equipment that will help you move those bulky things. You will need gloves, dolly, sliders, straps, ropes, and padding that will protect your items. DIY can be an adventure and an accomplishment you can be proud of. Nevertheless, if you are not up for dragging around heavy objects, professionals can provide you with moving services as well as additional assistance like car shipping and storage. While movers are handling your belongings, you can spend time researching a new location or looking for a job if you need one.

A house-shaped box on a dolly
Additional equipment like dolly and ropes are essential when you are handling heavy objects.

Long Items Should Go up Against the Wall

Do you have large and long pieces of furniture like big mirrors, sofas, mattresses, and bed headboards? When you are done wrapping them into protective materials, you should put them against the longer wall of the carrier. That way, they will remain in an upright position and consume less space.

If you have rugs, make sure they are clean before you roll them. This way, rugs won’t spread bad odors. When you are done rolling up all of your rugs, make sure they are tightly wrapped. When you are certain that the rug is ready, load it into the vehicle and place it upright to save space.

vintage mirror
Long objects like mattresses, mirrors, and tables should go upright so that they don’t take too much space.

Remaining Boxes And Odd Shaped Things Go Last

When you are done with large and bulky items, it is time to think about loading the rest of your stuff. Out of remaining boxes, you should load the largest and heaviest ones first. Place them on the top of the bulky furniture and fill the gaps beneath tables, chairs, and desks.

While you are packing, make sure to label every box, especially those with breakable items. This way, you will know not to put those on the bottom of a pile. Be careful and put the lightest boxes on the top.

You should try to stack up containers in rows until they reach the roof. When you reach the top, fill any left space with soft padding materials like bedding, bags of clothing, or linens. Now, all that is left are odd-shaped and fragile objects that need to be loaded properly, without breaking anything.

How to Pack a Moving Truck When You Have Fragile Object to Protect

The two very important things when it comes to protecting fragile and odd-shaped objects during the relocation are packing and positioning.

When you bundle everything, from lamps to sculptures, and label it correctly, you are adding a layer of protection to your stuff. Besides, when positioning them in the carrier, make sure that they are completely immobilized. Odd-shaped things like hangers, shoes, boots, golf clubs, or anything else that can’t break can be placed in empty spaces between the rest of the boxes.

Now you are done but remember: when you are loading the vehicle, don’t rush into it. Take time and plan everything. In the end, you can say you relocated successfully, without losing any of your precious belongings.

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