Truck Rental - Packing & Loading

Packing and Loading

Efficiently Packing and Loading the Truck Rental

So you’ve completed your packing... Most of your work is done, right? WRONG! The bigger the home you own and the more furniture and belongings you have, the bigger the moving truck rental you require and ultimately, the more difficult the task of loading the truck rental. Your worst nightmare has begun. Where to start and how to ensure everything gets onboard the moving truck rental? It is not bad enough to spend hours packing but then to find out that there is not enough room in the truck rental is the last insult.

Accordingly, we have compiled a list of tips to help you get your moving truck rental packed more efficiently. The key is to try to think in advance and plan out the positioning of items in the truck rental.

	Pack tightly but not cramped against one another The idea is to pack everything as tight as possible in the truck rental so the items stay in place and not shift but not to pack too tight that the items are crushed and the contents broken. It is important not to jam everything together to make it fit. Packing the moving truck rental is like a puzzle. Things need to fit naturally and not forcefully. Of course, if there are gaps and spaces between the items, use pads and blankets to stop the items and boxes from moving around in the truck rental.

	Put the biggest and heaviest things in first The heaviest items and the biggest items should be loaded on the moving truck rental after the appliances and mattresses. By placing the biggest items on the truck rental first, you are more likely to fit all your belongings. Waiting until the end to fit bigger items will result in the items being too long or too wide to load on the truck rental. You will end up with most of your big belongings outside the moving truck rental. The other reason for packing the heaviest items as close to the front of the truck rental as possible is so that the weight at the back does not cause the truck rental to drag. The back end will be over-weight, hanging low and to close to the ground causing it to hit the road on uneven surfaces.

	Rent the proper size truck If you accidentally rent a truck that is too big, be sure not to pile your boxes to the roof leaving a lot of room at the back of the moving truck rental. Without anything to brace or support the height, the boxes will just topple to the floor of the truck rental in the open area smashing the contents of the boxes. In the event that too much space will be left at the back of the moving truck rental, keep the height of the load as even and as low as possible.

	Cover furniture with moving pads or blankets Cover all furniture with some sort of protection. Whether it is your own sheets and blankets or moving pads from the truck rental company. Renting moving pads is a good investment against scratches and marks on the wood and other finishes. In addition, when loading boxes on top of items that are upholstered such as the sofa and chairs, it would be wise to cover the fabric in order to protect it from stains and also to absorb the weight of the boxes. Be careful not to load boxes that are too heavy as the corners of the boxes will poke through the fabric damaging the upholstery.

	When packing the contents of the house, remember to pack a box or suitcase of necessities Before closing and locking up the moving truck rental, remember three vital items – a tool kit, a bag of personals and a box of cleaning supplies. Carry the tool case at the back of the moving truck rental ready to retrieve when the door is opened so that you can assemble things as they are moved into the house. Also, keep an overnight bag or suitcase near the truck rental door so that you do not have to search for necessities when you require a change of clothes or a shower. In the event that the truck rental drive is more than one day, you will want your personal items handy. Lastly, keep a box with the cleaning supplies at the back of the truck rental so that you can wipe the belongings down as they go into the house and to clean the rooms themselves before setting up your new home.

	Stacked boxes should be similar size and weight Hopefully when you collected empty boxes and cartons to pack the contents of your home, you found boxes that are the same or similar in size and construction. This will come in handy when loading the moving truck rental. Pack all boxes of similar size and weight together in the truck rental. It may seem like common sense but loading heavy boxes on top of lighter boxes will only result in a box of smashed contents. Likewise, do not load heavy boxes high up in the truck rental. This is a strain on the body hoisting the weight above your head. When it is time to unload the truck rental, bringing down heavy items will strain the neck and back and most likely the heavy boxes will fall. It is just plain dangerous to pack heavy boxes above your head in a moving truck rental without a tow motor or pump truck rental that can lift to that height.

	Dressers and desks can be loaded against a wall to prevent the drawers from opening Any pieces of furniture with drawers such as dresses, desks and microwave cabinets, can be placed against the mattresses on the side of the truck rental. Face the drawers toward the mattress so that if the drawers try to slide out, the mattress can protect them from scratches and other damage while the truck rental is in motion. Be sure to wrap the legs of desks, dressers, chairs and tables to avoid scratching while in the moving truck rental.

	Use the space above the cab for fragile items If the moving truck rental has a little cubby space above the truck rental cab, use it for fragile items and things such as computers, stereo components and small portable TVs. Once the rest of the truck rental is loaded, the items will stay safely placed.

	Position the washer and dryer on the opposite side of the refrigerator The fridge, washer and dyer will most likely be the heaviest items in the moving truck rental. These appliances should be placed in the truck rental first and moved all the way to the front of the moving truck rental closest to the cab. Place the fridge on the opposite side to the washer and dryer. This will keep the weight more evenly distributed in the moving truck rental. Also, since the appliances are placed in first, they are less likely to shift because everything else will hold them in place. Before placing boxes and other items on top of the appliances and along side them, use moving pads from the truck rental company to protect the exteriors from scratches and dents.

	Use mattresses against the walls to absorb and protect dresses and other furniture Place mattresses against the wall to absorb and protect other furniture. Also, mattresses are cumbersome so getting them into the truck rental long-ways and standing on side will be much easier to load. They will act as buffers between the moving truck rental wall and your belongings. Use the tie-downs to hold the mattresses in place. Before taking the truck rental from the rental lot, ask the truck rental attendant if there are any ties in the truck and also how to use them. Most truck rentals have spots on which to tie items to hold them in place.

These ten points should help you pack your moving truck rental in a more efficient manner resulting in less damage and less stress for you. If your home is particularly large, you may want to draw a schematic beforehand of the inside of the truck rental so that you have an idea of where to pack all your belongings.