How to Pack Your Moving Truck Like the Pros

Moving house is a big job. If you’ve decided to hire a moving truck and do it yourself, it might seem even more overwhelming. This pressure can make it tempting to just get everything in the truck and start moving as quickly as possible. This is a mistake.

Taking the time to properly plan how you’re going to pack the moving truck will help you avoid broken items and a difficult unloading process. It’ll also reduce the chance of injury to you and your family.

Here’s how to pack your rented moving trucklike the pros:

What You'll Need

You’ll need a few things to make sure you pack the truck safely for both you and your property:

●       A dolly to help you move your heaviest furniture and boxes

●       Furniture pads or plastic stretch wrap to keep your furniture free from damage

●       Packing tape for sealing boxes, securing furniture pads, and holding disassembled furniture together

●       Straps to hold items together and keep the load from shifting

●       A large tarp or plastic wrap to cover the floor of the truck before you start loading

●       An estimate of how much you need to move – this will help you choose between a smaller truck like our 11 cubic metre trucksor our larger 17 cubic metre models

Take Your Furniture Apart

Disassemble as much furniture as possible before loading it. This will make it easier to fit and ensure it’s less awkward to load into the truck. You can’t take everything apart, but here are some essentials:

●       Take apart your bed frames and tape the parts together

●       Remove bulbs from lamps and store them securely

●       Take the drawers out of dressers and filing cabinets so you can load them and the frames individually. Then put the drawers back in and tape them shut

●       Be careful with screws and other hardware removed from furniture. Put them securely in sealed bags and either tape them to the furniture or clearly mark them

Start with the Heaviest Items

Always start by loading your heaviest items into the truck first, being careful to weigh down the left and right sides of the truck evenly. Putting heavy items towards the front of the truck is important. Too much weight at the back can cause drag, leading to dangerous driving situations.

You’ll need at least two people – one in the truck and one on the ground – although, ideally, you want four people. Start with items like the fridge, washing machine, and dishwasher. Pack these standing upright against the wall. Next, load large pieces of furniture like couches, living room chairs, and dressers.

Don't Damage Your Furniture!

Be careful to stack items with the heaviest at the bottom to avoid crushing. Use straps to secure everything as you go and make sure you have furniture padding to protect items once the truck is moving.

Long Items Next

Pack longer items now, including long mirrors, mattresses, headboards, and so on. Put these items upright, lengthways against the walls, and secure them to the walls if possible. Mattresses are often best to put in first because they will provide a soft barrier between other items and the truck walls.

Now the Boxes

The trick to packing boxes is to choose boxes of a similar size so you can stack them easily. Use your dolly to move multiple boxes at once and always stack them with the heaviest at the bottom. To save space when packing books, find boxes that fit on the shelves of your bookcases. That way, you can pack the bookshelves and books all in the same space.

Filling in the Cracks

Now it’s time for Truck Tetris. Your goal should be to pack the truck as tightly as possible without squeezing the items together too tightly. Squeeze in any unwieldy items where you can and place fragile items on top so they don't get crushed.

Looking for furniture and moving trucks for hire around the Tauranga and Bay of Plenty areas? Talk to Pacific Auto Rentals for guidance and a great deal.