After weeks of planning your move, the big day has finally arrived. You’ve double-checked your moving checklist to make sure that you haven’t missed anything important. If you have made the decision to move yourself rather than hiring a professional moving company like Jay’s Small Moves, then you need to make sure that you get the most out of the moving truck that you’ve rented.

The last thing you want to happen is not having enough room for all of your personal belongings. While most truck rental companies can estimate the size truck that you need based on the size of your home explains the experts at Moving.com, if you don’t pack it properly, it can lead to more money out of your pocket and a lot of frustration. To save yourself from unnecessary stress, here is a step-by-step guide on how to load a truck to make sure all of your personal belongings make it to your new home in one trip.

If you have more than two people helping you move, you should designate two people as “loaders”, and they should remain inside the truck in order to pack the items as they are brought out . The rest of the people that are helping with your move will be in charge of bringing out all of the furniture, appliances, and boxes and handing the lighter items directly to the loaders.

How to Load a Moving Truck

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1. Load a Truck With the Heaviest Items First

The heaviest of your items need to be the first to be packed. This will help to maximize the space and keep the rear of the truck from dragging if it becomes too heavy. The items that you want to load first are:

  • Appliances: keep these items upright and distribute them along the back wall of the truck. If you are loading a washer and dryer, you should put them on the opposite side of the refrigerator.
  • Furniture: large pieces of furniture should be loaded next. This includes sofas, chairs, and entertainment units.

These items will be packed from floor to ceiling and the heaviest items should be loaded on the bottom. You should be packing 2-3 foot tiers with these items and wrapping a strap around each tier to keep the items secure.

2. Move Longer Items Into The Truck

The next items you want to load a truck with are your sofa, headboards, tabletops, box spring and mattress. They should be placed along the longest wall of the truck to keep them upright and to save space. Secure these items with ties. Load a truck with your dressers and desks against your mattress to protect the drawers in case they decide to open, and make sure any item that has drawers is placed with them facing the wall, so they don’t have as much room to open during the move.

3. Pack Your Boxes

As you begin loading your boxes into the truck you want to keep things organized. You want to keep boxes that are of the same size and strength together so you can pack them on top of one another. Make sure you place the largest, and heaviest boxes on the bottom of the pile, with the medium boxes in the middle, leaving the lighter, smaller boxes for the top. Try and create even surfaces and move from the back of the truck forward.

4. Put In Remaining Items

You want to have the truck packed as tightly as possible. Place any unwieldy and fragile items on the top to avoid them getting crushed.

Packing a moving truck is like putting together a jigsaw puzzle. You have to be able to find a place to put all of your personal belongings without having to make more than one trip. Most companies that rent out moving trucks are able to help you choose the right sized truck for your needs, but you have to load the truck correctly in order for it to work. To help make your move as seamless and stress free, visit the How Stuff Works website.

If you are ready to move, contact Jay’s Small Moves to get an estimate on moving services today.