How to Load That Moving Truck
You got all the boxes packed up and ready to go to your new home. Now all you need to do is put them on the truck, or in the van. Along with the couch, and the love seat, and the dining room table and the…well you get the idea.
Your dad would tell you packing up the truck is an art known only by a few select journeymen. While it isn’t quite that complex, here are some tips so you can make sure everything fits and makes it to your new place in one piece.
Know Your Moving Truck Load Distribution
Large trucks need to have the proper weight distribution. The larger the trailer of the moving truck, the more critical it is to get this distribution correct. Typically you want to have about 60% of the weight of the load towards the front end of the truck, with the remaining 40% towards the rear. While this will vary from truck to truck, using this as a guideline is a good start. The company you rented the vehicle from can provide you with more details to the specific equipment.
Plan Your Load
Keep this mantra in your head: “First in, last out.” When packing your truck, remember that the items that you place in the truck first will be the last items you take out of the truck at your destination. Make sure not to pack anything that is critical to the move into the truck first, as you will not be seeing it for a while.
Once you know when something is going in the truck, you can plan what. Remember to stack your items with the heaviest on the bottom, decreasing the weight as you stack up to the top. Strong items should also go on the bottom, to make sure they can handle the load of things being placed on tip of them. If a box on the bottom collapses, this can cause damage and shift the load in transit.
Secure the Load Inside the Truck
Resist the urge to assume everything is okay because the trailer has a door. You need to make sure that the load cannot shift as you are driving the truck to your new destination. Shifting can not only damage your items, but it can also cause the truck to behave badly at high speeds. Tie you boxes and furniture down to tie points in the moving van, truck or trailer.
Also remember to secure any items that might swing open during transit. Empty drawers of items, and secure them so they do not open during the drive. Do the same to any doors your furniture might have.
Hire Professional Movers
When you add up all your time, effort and potential damage to items that might occur during a move, you might find professional movers cost less. Kootenai Moving are local Creston movers that have years of experience. Call us today for a quote!