Loading moving trucks, especially small ones, is not something that everyone does unless you work in a moving company as one of the movers.
Packing, in particular, can be a great challenge when you don’t have the right skills on how to load moving trucks and pack the right way.
Many things might go wrong, resulting in damaging the items you want to move. You might not have enough experience like professional movers do, though, with preparation, research, and the following tips, you may pack a small moving truck like an expert:
1. Gather the Necessary Supplies
Before packing a small moving truck, ensure you gather all the necessary supplies. This may include moving blankets, furniture pads, a dolly, packing tape, plastic wrap, and strong boxes.
Since your things can shift while in transit, it is important that you cover every item with the right protection. This can mean including moving blankets and padding so as to fill all the gaps between your things and boxes.
2. Disassemble the Furniture
Consider disassembling your pieces of furniture before you start packing into a small moving truck. This can help maximize the space and distribute the entire weight of your furniture evenly.
For example, by taking the furniture’s legs off the dining table, you can keep the table upright without necessarily having the legs stick out.
This can leave enough space for your things, and you might be able to put the legs of the table in a different place of the truck so as to even the weight out.
3. Start with Bigger Boxes
Begin by loading the heaviest and largest boxes. Put the boxes on the furniture and appliances to fill the gaps under the desk, chair seats, and tables. But ensure the boxes don’t have fragile items.
Afterward, transfer lighter boxes to the moving truck and stack them on heavier boxes, ensuring the biggest ones are on top.
Try to also stack the boxes in rows until they reach the top. If there is any space between the moving truck’s ceiling and top of the boxes, you may fill it with crushable and soft items, like:
- Linens
- Bedding
- A garbage bag full of clothes
4. Wrap Things That Can Get Damaged Easily
Anything which might get damaged during transit, such as artwork, electronic items, fridges, or couches, should be wrapped before loading them on a small moving truck.
A plastic wrap is a perfect way to protect fragile items against scratches, whereas moving blankets provide cushioning against bumps and dints.
Just ensure you don’t pack wrap directly on very sensitive materials, such as canvas, wood, or leather. Instead, wind old sheets around it and apply your plastic wrap.
5. Rent Enough Pads
Ensure you rent enough pads so as to keep your furniture safe during transportation. A perfect way to reduce the risks of damaging your furniture is to use pads before you start moving.
To avoid spending a lot of time pad wrapping in the house, pad every piece of wooden furniture a moving truck during the process of packing.
Final Touches!
Packing a truck is similar to a game of Tetris, and the right strategy is vital. The key to packing is to start with the biggest and heaviest boxes and disassemble your furniture. Consider also protecting your things with filling materials, stretch wrap, and furniture pads.
