When you’re moving, it’s important to choose a moving contractor that’s trustworthy and reliable. The right company will care about your belongings and ensure they arrive at your new home in one piece. Choosing the right mover starts with an in-person survey of your home and its contents. Ask a few companies to come out for an estimate and then compare them to find the best fit.
Moving has special packing techniques to ensure that your belongings arrive at your new home in perfect condition. These include a series of layers loaded in the truck to maximize space and protect the contents. Larger items, like couches, mattresses, and box springs, are stacked on top of boxes to maximize space and prevent them from moving around during transport. Pictures, mirrors, and other flat fragile items are placed between the larger pieces to help ensure they remain intact.
The packing process is a key step of any moving job. The mover must be able to pack the boxes properly to ensure that the goods are not damaged during transit. The packing process should start a few days before the actual move date. This gives the team time to prepare the boxes, label them, and pack them properly.
A household survey is also a good idea to identify any items needing special care during the moving process. The team will review valuable items like artwork, electronics and paperwork to determine how these objects should be handled during the packing phase.
Typically, you can expect your moving contractor to provide you with the packing materials you’ll need for the move, including boxes, paper, tape and air-filled plastic cushioning. The company’s packers will go room by room to pack up your belongings, wrapping up items for protection when warranted.
To help keep the packing process organized, setting up a staging area in your home is a good idea. This will help you stay focused and motivated as you pack and prepare for the move.
Load the truck with the largest and heaviest items first, such as a refrigerator, washer and dryer, dining table, bed frames and couches. This will help to evenly distribute the weight of these items throughout the truck and prevent them from crushing other lighter, less-heavy items.
Once the larger items are loaded, you can begin to load medium-sized items and boxes into the truck. It’s also a good idea to keep items that belong in specific rooms together inside the truck so that they can be easily located once they are unloaded.
Depending on the size of your move, it can take up to a day or more to have your things packed and loaded into the truck. Your moving contractor will be able to tell you how long it’ll take them to pack up your items and how much it will cost.
A moving contractor can load your cargo in a variety of ways. One of the more popular ways is with a dedicated truck that has an area designated for loading your goods. This way, your belongings are not crammed into the back of a moving van or haphazardly loaded onto a crowded trailer.
The best way to get your shipment loaded is to call the movers as early in the day as possible. This will ensure that your items are timely through the process and will prevent you from receiving an inaccurately priced quote. A moving company should be able to provide you with an accurate cost estimate and an itemized list of your belongings, including all items not included in the original estimate.
It would be best to ask for a copy of your bill of lading, as this will be handy in a pinch on delivery day. This is especially true if you have any heirlooms or precious antiques that may need to be protected or safeguarded during the loading and unloading.
Lastly, it would be best if you also considered the cost of your shipment. This can vary depending on the type of items you are shipping and their respective weights. A good moving company will provide an itemized quote and allow you to pay for your move using cash, certified check or money order.
Lastly, desks and similar pieces are positioned upright in the truck to maximize space and help keep them in place while moving. Furniture should be packed with moving blankets or another protective padding to avoid damage. Be sure to label all of your boxes, especially the fragile ones. This way, the movers know where to put your belongings when they reach your new house. If you have any pets, packing their bowls and pet food in a separate container is also a good idea.
