Preparing for Moving Truck Rental
When you bought yourself a new home you will need to move your stuff with a moving truck. When renting a moving truck or a larger moving van, whether you hire the professionals to drive the van or you are driving the truck yourself, there are some things you should do to prepare for the arrival of the truck rental van.
In the case of a professional move, you do not want to spend any more money than necessary. Being prepared will reduce the added costs of the moving team. The key is to spend only what was in the truck rental quote, and not to pay high labor fees for things you should have done yourself. Also, if you are driving the truck rental yourself, being prepared will keep you to your schedule and you will not risk extra fees by returning the rental truck late.
Here are fifteen productive ways that you can prepare for the arrival of the rental truck or moving van.
1. Let your neighbors on either side of your home know that the rental van will be parked on the road. Hopefully, they will not park their vehicles in the area of the van, leaving everyone ample room to navigate.
2. Clear out your driveway so there is a path to the moving van. The area from the house to the truck rental should be free of obstacles. Whichever door of the house is being used to remove items when packing the truck, or conversely placing items when off-loading the moving truck, should be held open with a cord or rope, and the area from the door right to the truck should be free of obstacles.
3. Mark off the moving truck parking area with cones, metal triangles or chairs. A large moving van will park on the road, and you do not want others taking the space so that when the van arrives, there is nowhere for the driver to park it. Also, you do not want to go all around the neighborhood looking for the owner of the car that needs to move. By reserving the truck rental space, you are ready in advance. If using a smaller truck that will park in your driveway, remove other vehicles so the truck can be placed as close to the open door of the house as possible. There is no sense in carrying the load farther than required.
4. In the winter, make sure the area is shoveled. The steps, the driveway, the area around the truck should all be free from snow and ice. Even if you need to shovel an area on the lawn, it will make loading the truck safer than working on snow and ice. Plus, snow and ice hinder your movements. You do not want to constantly watch your footing when loading the moving truck. If the new location is close enough, go by the night before, and shovel it, as well, so the area is ready when the truck arrives.
5. Throw down ice remover or salt if necessary. Sand and kitty litter also work in a pinch if you need something to prevent slipping and falling.
6. If in an apartment or office complex, order the shipping elevator the day of the move at the old location and the day of the arrival of the full truck at the new location.
7. When moving in the winter, order mats if possible. The winter in some regions tends to be slushy. Place long mats on the floor so that people do not slip from their wet boots. Throw down another mat in the back of the truck to absorb the snow and water. If more than one person is helping with loading the moving truck, keep the helpers out of the truck to reduce the amount of water accumulating inside. One or two people in the moving truck as organizers will keep the floor drier. Remember also, to mop up the water on the floor of the cargo area to keep your belongings dry.
8. Be thoroughly packed when the moving truck arrives. The more you have to complete, the longer it will take to pack the truck, and the more it is going to cost you. What seems like insignificant tasks will add up to extra time in the end. For example, unplugging appliances and televisions should be done prior to the moving truck arriving.
9. All boxes should be closed and taped. When professional movers arrive, they take things the way they are, and you will be responsible for the damage. In the case where you are moving yourself, you hold up the helpers by having to stop to close boxes.
10. Do not leave things on the floor for movers and helpers to fall over. Pick up individual items and place inside a plastic crate or cardboard box to prevent serious accidents.
11. Label all your boxes and the wrappings in advance so that when the moving team arrives at the new destination, it is clear where the boxes should go.
12. Store your valuables in a safe place. Do not leave them where they can be stolen, lost or accidentally placed on the moving truck where you will not be able to find them. If the truck is going to be in transit for a week or more, you will have an excruciatingly long wait wondering what happened to your precious items.
13. Make sure items that are not going on the rental vehicle are kept in a separate area, clearly marked, so they do not get loaded onto the truck. Any fragile furniture that is going in the car should be marked as such. Keep all items together that do not belong on the moving truck, and rope the area off, so there is no question about where the items are going.
14. Place your pet in a secure area so that he does not escape through the open house door. Also, putting him somewhere will keep her safe from being stepped on by the moving team and other helpers.
15. Keep children from playing in the contents and getting underfoot when the movers or helpers are loading the truck. In the excitement of the move, make sure that they are not playing near the road or trying to climb into the back of the rental truck.
As with most projects, planning and good organization will help you to save time and money on your move. In the case of fragile items or valuables or important documents, dealing with these items in advance will save you the potential heartache and stress of thinking they are lost. In addition, if you require your paperwork along the way, you should know where it is at all times so you can get your hands on it quickly.