Sometimes, when moving, you will want to try and do it by yourself. And even though you can easily plan for the move and find a suitable moving location, there are some things you cannot do with ease. For example, once you pack everything up into the moving boxes, you might not know how to transport everything. This process requires you to rent a moving truck, but this comes with a problem of its own. You might start wondering how to actually pack a moving truck right. Are there certain things you can do to ensure your items don’t get broken during the travel? Is there a particular order to how you put your items in? If these questions are plaguing you, do not fret! We are here to offer the best packing expertise NYC has to offer! Find out how to pack your truck in this article!
Pack a moving truck with a lot of planning!
One of the first things you need to understand is that packing a truck will not be an easy task. Not only does it require physical strength, but also careful planning. You should be well aware of what items you are taking with you. Know their size and their weight. Imagine trying to pack a moving truck like solving a puzzle. Every piece needs to fit in. A difficulty here is that every piece also needs to be safe and secure.
You need to think about how fragile the items are, whether they can damage each other or even fall out of the truck. A good idea would be making a list of items you have and dividing them by weight and size. Creating these categories will help you when deciding which items should go first, and which will follow them. So, before you start packing, take note of any and all boxes as well as bigger items. Then, following our other tips, start planning the truck layout.
Pack the heaviest items first
The first category you will want to work with when you pack a moving truck is the heaviest items. These are the ones you will want more than one person to carry around. Things are stoves and fridges, for example, are quite delicate and fall here. You should put these against the wall closest to the cab. This is because this part of the truck is the most stable one. Also, that way, these items will not be putting pressure on the truck doors.
However, one of the biggest packing mistakes people make is placing these on one pile. You should never do that because then your trip can get dangerous. Instead, when you pack a moving truck, make sure you balance it by placing heavy items on both sides of it. They should be in an upright position and leaning against the walls for stability. You can also use padding to protect the edges of these items. This padding also protects wooden surfaces and makes items easier to slide. Since they can get pretty heavy, investing in some padding can be quite useful.
Pack the longer items next
The things you pack after the heaviest stuff are the long items. These are things such as sofas and headboards, table parts, mattresses, and box springs, or long mirrors. Really, anything that’s significantly longer than your other items and boxes (or has longer parts), you should place in this category.
This is because the next free thing in the moving truck is the longest walls of it. Place these items along these walls, and they will offer support. Also, this way, you are saving room in the middle for your boxes and other items that can stand on their own. However, do remember to protect these items too. You can use mattress covers to save sofas from tearing, and there are a lot of ways in which you can protect glassware as well!
Of course, when you are disassembling furniture, remember to keep the parts close. You can even put some of your items on the carpet rolls, like skis or lamp parts. Then, you can tape the roll together, and use the linens to fill up the holes so these items don’t fall out during the move. Using spaces like this when you pack a moving truck will save you both space and money.
Pack up your boxes last
After you are done with the items that couldn’t fit inside the box, you can move on to the boxes! These interstate movers NYC recommend you pack the heaviest boxes first. You should try and fill all the empty spaces remaining. Place them on top of other items, under the tables, on the chair seats – anywhere you can really. However, try to make sure that there are no fragile items inside the heavy boxes. They can jump around during the move, and these items can break easily inside the box itself.
Then, you should stack the lighter boxes on top of the heavier ones. Otherwise, the heavy boxes can push the light ones down and bend or break the items inside. You should stack them until they reach the roof of the truck. The final thing to do when you pack a moving truck is to fill up the wholes. First, fill up the space between the boxes and the roof with soft cushiony items, like bags of clothes or linens. Then, you can use smaller, unbreakable items (like boots or coat hangers) to fill up the smallest places.
If at any time during the process you feel like it is too much for you to handle, remember that it’s okay to ask for help. Professional movers have been doing this for years, and they have experience with packing. While they pack a moving truck, you can also do other work – like filling up the paper of shutting down utilities. This way, you will save time and you can move with less stress.
