How to Pack a Moving Truck – What Goes Where and How to Secure It

Believe it or not, you must follow certain rules when it comes to packing a moving truck. Not only do some items have to be loaded in a certain way, but if they are loaded wrongly, it can cause more damage than you can think of. Keep reading and find out how to pack a truck like a pro.

How to Pack a Moving Truck – One Person Is in Charge

Knowing how to pack a moving truck properly is one thing in theory, but doing so in real life is entirely different. If you have never done this alone, our advice will be to find someone who has experience because the best way to load a moving truck is to be organized and have a loading plan. You might make some mistakes and put something in the wrong way or order, which can damage your belongings.

The first mistake you have to avoid is not having a person in charge. This is probably the most important thing because this person will be inside of the vehicle and in charge of putting all the pieces in place. If everyone starts coming in and putting stuff wherever they like, something will be overlooked, and some items will probably be broken. You can always hire movers to help you with loading and unloading. But if you decide to do this alone, keep reading and follow these rules for the best way to pack a moving truck.

Load Your Vehicle Like a Pro – Preparations

Packing a van is like playing a large Tetris game. It is fun, but one wrong piece in the wrong place can make your whole construction fall apart, and this mistake can cost you a lot of money – like putting the wrong gas in your car kind of a mistake. So in order to prevent money loss, there are rules you need to follow. But before all of it, you need to prepare everything first so the loading can go smoothly.

Take Your Time and Plan the Whole Process

As we mentioned above, you should put one person in charge of packing stuff inside of a vehicle. This person will protect each item with protective materials and secure them. Once you packed all your belongings, you should make a loading plan. Here is a list of some stuff that should be packed first:

• Refrigerator and other appliances – Put the refrigerator in first, right by the driver’s cabin. Protect it with a blanket and fasten it with rope to a wall. This goes for other heavy appliances as well.
• Couch or sofa – These should go first as well. Put your sofa or couch vertically so that the legs are placed against a side wall while the back of the sofa is leaning against the wall where the driver is. Protect everything with blankets and fasten them to a wall. Fill any space with boxes or some other stuff.
• Boxes – Heavy and oversized boxes should go on the bottom while the lighter ones should go on top. Wherever you see a space, you should fill it with a smaller box or with cushioning.
• Cabinets – Depending on their size, you should put them either vertically or horizontally. They should occupy less space but be stable as well.
• Fragile items – If you own an RV or maybe a car for city driving and you plan to move your car to another state, then the best way to transport fragile stuff is in your vehicle, especially if these things are expensive. Another important tip is to put your fragile items on top of everything. So basically, these boxes should be touching the roof of the vehicle.
• Electronics – Your TV and other electronics should be well protected before you load them. If you have their original boxes, that would be great, but bubble wrap will do just fine if you don’t. This stuff should be placed in the gaps between other boxes or furniture. They shouldn’t be allowed to move at all. If the gap is too wide, put some cardboard to fill it.
• Essentials – You should have a box of essentials ready to use right away upon arrival. Especially if you are relocating to another state alone, you will need a tool kit to reassemble your furniture, and borrowing it from someone will be difficult at this time. Making friends in a new city will have to wait until you are settled. So make sure you put your essentials in the vehicle with you. If you decide to explore some of the most famous routes in the USA and drive to your destination, bring essentials with you as well as your tire repair kit.

Get the Right Moving Supplies

To move efficiently, you will have to get some packing materials for relocation. You will need these materials to pack your belongings, but you will also use some of them to protect stuff once it is loaded. We already mentioned protective blankets, which you will use to protect your belongings and fill any gaps. You should also get some bubble wrap, boxes, duct tape, plastic wrap, and rope or belts for fastening. One professional relocation hack is to use shoulder straps for carrying heavy stuff. Also, the best relocating tip is to use a dolly for everything. If you don’t have a dolly, rent or buy one – it will save your back and a lot of time. One of the things you forget to do when you move is to have a ladder nearby. You will need it for packing inside the vehicle.

Choose the Size of the Truck

There are numerous types of cars, such as cars for off-road driving, hybrid cars, electric cars, big and small cars, family cars, and relocation vehicles for you to choose from. If you don’t have a lot of stuff, you can rent a small van. Just make sure you avoid moving scams along the way. Find a reputable rental company – they have trucks of all kinds of sizes. There are box trucks, cargo vans, and box trailers. If you are relocating your entire home, trucks are the best option. On the other hand, if you are relocating to a new state with a small amount of stuff and your relocation budget is tight, get a box trailer. Either way, calculate your move correctly. If you hire movers, they will tell you which options are better for you.

Measure the Doorways in the Building

Once your friends are there to help you with the move, you will not have time to take measurements. It would be best if you can do this before the big day. This way, you will know if certain items need to be moved differently, maybe through the balcony or window. Also, if you measure on time, you will know which furniture must be disassembled and what kind of supplies you need to buy. As we mentioned before, one of the best tips for loading a moving truck is to plan ahead and to be organized.

How Do You Pack Furniture in a Moving Truck?

We talked about loading your sofa and couch, but what about other stuff? Well, there is a rule for the rest, too. First things first, disassemble everything you can, but be careful if you have some old furniture – disassembling can damage it. If you have space in your front yard, put all your furniture outside. Long items, such as mattresses, mirrors, shelves, and closet doors, should go in first. Put long things against a sidewall and then put your sofa or cabinets next to them. This way, heavier stuff will prevent these items from shuffling around. Make sure you put cushioning or blankets between them. Any item with drawers should be facing the walls to prevent them from opening. Check out this video for more tips on how to ship your furniture via FedEx or, if you prefer it, USPS.

Should You Go With a Rental or Seek Professional Help?

Well, the answer depends on a couple of things. It depends on the size of your move and on your time and readiness to do this alone. If you already know how to pack a moving truck efficiently and you have done this before, then feel free to rent a vehicle. But bear in mind that relocating locally and knowing how to pack smaller amounts of stuff has nothing to do with knowing how to pack a truck for long-distance moving.

If you are relocating to another country, you will have to do many things, for example, find a new home or a new job, and not to mention packing your entire home. On top of all that, you will have to organize your relocation with different companies and coordinate everything by yourself. For instance, if you have more than one car, you will have to hire a company to transport vehicles from state to state, or if you have one of the most expensive cars in the world, you will need to consider exotic auto transport. So maybe it is better to hire one company to do all of this for you. But in the end, it is your choice.

Prepare Your Car for Shipping – Find the Best Auto Transport Options

Now that you know the answer to the question of What is the best way to pack a truck?, it is time to learn to prepare your car for shipping and gather some other car shipping advice. Suppose you decide to ship your vehicle with an open trailer. You will need to remove everything from the car, as well as get gas from your car, find the spare keys, prepare all the documentation, check your vehicle for damage, and in the end, do some car washing before your car shipping company contacts you. The good thing with an open trailer is that it is an affordable and more common option. But if you have a luxurious vehicle, an enclosed trailer will give you more protection from outside factors and possible accidents. Before you choose your car shipping company, make sure to go through all auto transport reviews you can find online.