GUIDE TO LOADING YOUR MOVING TRUCK
Whether you are a homeowner making a move across town or a business owner using commercial movers to change locations, you need to know how to load a moving truck properly so that your move goes smoothly. If you donâ™t load your truck up the right way, you could end up breaking items during your move or making life very difficult on your commercial movers serving
Buy the supplies you will need for your move.
Before you put a single item into a moving box to prepare for your move, you need to make sure you have all of the right supplies. From sturdy packing boxes and bubble wrap to labels and tape, you will need quite a few things in order to begin a home or office relocation. The key to a successful move is using quality packing supplies that will protect all of your belongings.
Prepare your belongings to be moved.
Once you have all of the packing supplies you need, you can begin to prepare your items for your move. Start placing items that you are moving into boxes, but donâ™t overfill any of them. Your commercial movers will have a difficult time moving items safely if you provide them with very heavy boxes. As you fill boxes, label them clearly so that your movers will know where to put things once they arrive at your new home or business. It will make the move go much quicker once you have arrived at your destination.
Load your items into your moving truck systematically.
When you are loading your truck, you want to begin placing items near the front of the truck and stack them to the ceiling. If there is anything that is particularly fragile, you should tie it down or keep it lower to the ground, just in case it happens to move around during your move. Get everything into the truck as tight as possible and you will significantly reduce the risk of damage.
PACKING FRAGILE ITEMS WHEN YOU MOVE
Corporate moving companies will do everything in their power to keep your belongings safe when they move them, but there are also steps you can take to ensure that your fragile items wonâ™t get broken. Watch this video to see how you should pack items that are going to be moved by a commercial moving company
Commercial Moving Guide: How to Prepare for Your Big Move
As we discussed in our first post in this Commercial Moving Guide series about planning, moving an office requires a great deal of organization. Failing to plan properly adds unnecessary stress to an already complex process, while strong attention to detail increases a move’s efficiency and creates an easier transition for everyone involved: employees, management and the vendors that will be assisting with the move. Now that you’ve laid out detailed plans for how you’ll communicate with your staff, track your spending, and manage the process, what’s next? In a word: prepping.
The tips listed below offer several suggestions to ensure that your commercial move goes off without a hitch.
Hire vendors – or consider the benefits of hiring just one: While there are a variety of vendors available for each component of your move (boxes, packing, clean up, moving, and delivery/installation) hiring one vendor that can manage everything in one, end-to-end service minimizes stress and maximizes efficiency. Whether you choose one vendor or several, suppliers should be chosen based on their reputation, availability and true capability, as not all have the same reach, expertise or commitment to quality.
recommend obtaining information from any vendor you choose regarding:
Flexibility: Will the vendor work outside of business hours, if needed?
Fee structure: Will you be charged by the job or per hour? Will time worked outside of office hours incur extra fees?
Range of Services: Are clean-up and packing services available?
References: Does the vendor’s reputation match their promises regarding performance?
Conduct several “assessment” rounds: Rather than taking a mental inventory, we recommend that your moving committee take several walks around your current building to assess whether any repairs will need to be made to the structure before you vacate the building, to note whether there are any large pieces of signage or furniture that will require greater labor to remove, and to assess just how many items (large and small) will need to be taken care of before and during the move. Involving several people in these rounds will ensure that nothing gets missed or forgotten.
Downsize: After taking a few walks around the office, you’ll now have a representative list of your company’s inventory – and likely find some items you can dispose of. This would be a great time to take a final lap around your building, tagging these items with stickers. Once that’s done, we recommend purging methodically – one area at a time. This step should never be left until the last minute, when your teams will be tired and efforts to pack will be ramped up considerably. Last minute purging often results in mistakenly discarding items that you should have kept. Taking your time ensures a smoother move.
Compare Removal Quotes
Furniture Removal
Although it seems like furniture removals can be completed by yourself, it is a deceptively difficult task. Moving larger furniture like a corner sofa or a set of dining chairs is time-consuming and tiring, so it is a good idea to hire the services of a professional furniture mover
The price of furniture removal
Before choosing a furniture removal company, it is important to get a general idea of the prices for their services. Factors such as distance, the type and amount of furniture, and additional delivery options affect the price of furniture movers. For example, on average, transporting furniture for a journey less than 50 miles costs $1.78 per mile while for longer hauls, the average cost drops to $0.40 per mile. The table below shows the prices of moving different kinds of furniture varies by distance.
Finding the right company for you
The cost of moving furniture can vary greatly depending on distance, extra delivery requests, and the furniture itself. With many options, you have the opportunity to save on your furniture removal by comparing prices of local companies. To avoid incurring unexpected costs, it is in your best interest to request a quote.
How furniture removal companies handle your needs
Furniture movers specialize in packing, loading and unloading, and assembly of furniture articles. The company handles the packing of furniture, which involves disassembly, protective wrapping, and boxing up of articles. The movers oversee the loading and transporting of your furniture, using blankets, furniture pads, straps, and other moving equipment to ensure your furniture survive the journey in perfect condition. Additionally, removal companies offer storage services, which is useful If you are unable to move into your new home immediately.
Furniture removal options
Furniture removal companies offer different kinds of service that vary according to the level of assistance provided.
Room to room removals – This is transport that comes with full-service assistance. The movers pack up your belongings, carry them through your hallways to load into the van, and place the furniture in their designated room. This option takes all the hassle away from your move.
Courier or door-to-door – In this service, the movers load your furniture onto the van once the items have been made available at your front door then move it to your new property.
Rental services – This involves renting a truck and hiring movers to help with loading and transport, which incurs additional costs since you must purchase packing supplies and complete the packing yourself. To be successful, read our removal van page to learn about the different type of vehicles and their respective advantages.
Part Load – Movers will combine multiple customers’ loads on one shipment. This allows alleviates time and cost savings; savings that are passed onto you, so it is perfect for when you want to move a few furniture pieces and are not pressed for time.
Moving Guide
PREPARATION
The first member you will meet from your professional moving team is your Personal Relocation Consultant. This person is responsible for:
Advising you and your family on every aspect of your move.
Explaining the many services and service options available.
Performing a survey of everything in your home that will be moved.
Pointing out items that can’t be moved or will require special attention.
Providing an estimate of costs.
Determining the best moving date for your schedule.
Coordinating your professional packing team (if requested).
Answering any questions or concerns you may have.
PACKING AND LOADING
Pack-and-Load Technicians are key members of your moving team, responsible for:
Taking special precautions to protect your home and its contents on moving day
Preparing a detailed inventory of items to be moved
Tagging each carton/item with numbered and color-coded labels
Loading your goods onto the truck
Providing a Bill of Lading (a shipping contract) authorizing transport of your possessions
Delivering your belongings to your new home safe and sound
If your move is to another state, a local Destination Agent will handle the following:
Completion of all final paperwork
Arrangements for unpacking and removal of the empty cartons and packing materials (if ordered)
INVENTORY/PAPERWORK
Your driver will prepare a detailed Inventory & Condition Report of the items to be moved. In addition to tagging every individual carton or piece of furniture with numbered and color-coded labels, they will record each item- and a description of any existing damage-on the inventory form. You should accompany the driver as they prepare the inventory, pointing out any special concerns or handling considerations along the way.
Read answers to some of our most frequently asked questions.
has helped families and individuals through relocations. It can be daunting and stressful, but over the years we’ve noticed a few of the same questions seem to keep coming up. To make things a little easier, we’ve compiled some of the most frequently asked questions that we receive to provide our customers with a resource they can refer to any time they need. You can also refer to our glossary to clear up confusing terminology
What is an interstate agent?
are individually owned and operated businesses located throughout the country. When a customer moves from one state to another, agents are authorized to act on behalf of the van line
When is the best time to move?
The best time to move is when it’s right for you. However, there are some times of the year that are busier for the moving industry than others. The summer months (May – September) and the end of each month are periods of heavier demand.
When should I begin to contact companies about estimates for my upcoming move?
It is a good idea to contact the moving companies you are considering for your move with as much notice as possible. It is ideal to have companies provide an estimate five to six weeks prior to your desired move date. Try to select the moving company four weeks before your moving date. Be sure to sign the Estimate/Order for Service and confirm your packing, pick-up, and delivery dates.
What types of estimates are available?
There are three types of estimates: non-binding, firm binding, and option binding.
A non-binding estimate is the carrier’s approximation of the cost, based on the estimated weight of the shipment and the accessorial services requested. The final cost will be based upon the actual weight of your shipment, the services provided, and the tariff provisions in effect.
A firm binding estimate is an agreement between the agent and the customer that the cost of the move will be a specific dollar amount based on the estimated weight of the shipment and the specific services requested. If the actual weight of the shipment is different than the agent anticipated, the price of the move would not change.
An option binding estimate (also known as a not-to-exceed estimate) is an agreement between the agent and the customer that the cost of the move will be no more than a specific dollar amount based on the estimated weight of the shipment and the specific services requested. If the anticipated weight of the shipment is less than estimated, then the customer’s bill is reduced by the amount of the cost associated with the weight difference between the estimated and actual weight.