How to Load a Moving Truck

How to Load a Moving Truck

Moving can be a stressful time and often we chose to do it the fastest way possible, without thinking how our ‘fast route’ will affect us once we arrive at our final destination.  For anyone who has moved, experience always tells us to promise ourselves to do it better next time.

For first time movers, however, learning by mistake is not necessary.  Take these words of wisdom when loading the moving truck or make sure that the movers you hire offer these services, which will set them apart in terms of quality of moving companies.

1. A moving truck needs balance.  Make sure that when you place items in, you’re not just throwing in whatever’s in front of you first.  Think strategically about how you can load heavy items such as your dishwasher, dryer, stove, and so on in without creating a lopsided look on the mover’s truck, which can also be dangerous on some routes.

2. Making room for the larger things in life means you’ll be able to fit in the little things.  The same is true of loading a moving a truck.  Whether your crew is hired or not, make life easy for the movers by organizing your stuff heavy and big to light and small.  When the larger items are in first, you’ll also be able to find nooks and crannies where small items can go, like a perfect puzzle piece.

3. Drawers are useful, so keep them fully packed and in tact, however, make sure you take them out of their frames while they are being loaded into the moving truck.  The last thing you want is your underwear drawer to go flying when a little accidental tilt happens!

4. Protect your furniture and belongings with padding and covers.  Use plastic covers to keep mattresses and couches clean.  Cover tables and chairs as well to avoid having lots to clean when you arrive at your new home, since the moving process can attract a lot of dust and dirt.  Using your couch cushions as padding in between harder items that are likely to scratch is a good idea.  If you’d rather not sacrifice your clean cushions, use packing paper or bubble plastic.  Any mover will be able to sell you these.

5. Using sturdy boxes and taping them closed will make life a lot easier on the movers.  A good moving company will be able to sell you good quality, standard-sized moving boxes and material at an inexpensive rate which will make packing the truck a lot easier.  When you go on a treasure hunt to local stores trying to find boxes you not only waste time, you also find yourself trying to solve a complicated puzzle when packing the moving truck efficiently.

6. Stay safe!  Back injuries can be all too common, and not properly transporting heavy items can be dangerous for more than your toes.  Always lift with your legs, not your back, and when using a dolly (make sure your mover has one if you’re hiring!), use straps to tie down furniture.  Also, packing lots of smaller, lighter boxes instead of fewer large ones will make it easier for everyone to participate in the move, like the ladies, and even the kids (since they always want to help).

The rule of thumb when packing and loading a moving truck is to be organized, and plan out the move in advance.  The little extra effort put into the planning phase will make your move-in at the new home much faster and less stressful.  Imagine a world where everything is labeled, no one is arguing about where to put things, and boxes aren’t sitting on the sofa for weeks after the move.

If you require movers or storage, call your Ferguson Moving & Storage.