Best Ways to Pack a Moving Truck

Packing a moving truck with all your belongings can seem like a monumental task. You need to protect your items in transit, maximize the space in the truck to allow for fewer trips, and efficiently unload everything when you reach your new space. Keep reading for tips on how to pack a moving truck properly!

Choose the Right Moving Truck Size

To successfully pack a moving truck, it needs to be the perfect fit—literally and figuratively. While your moving truck needs to be large enough to fit all your belongings, a truck that’s too big may cause your load to shift during transport, risking damage to your items. If you’re between sizes, check out a moving truck size calculator to make the best decision! Another option, which works best if you’re moving short distances, is to rent a smaller moving vehicle that you use for multiple loads.

Craft a Plan for Packing a Moving Truck

Planning out the best way to pack a moving truck ahead of time can make the process more efficient. Start by creating a moving packing list by room and doing a home inventory of everything you have—from large furniture and appliances to small valuables—and estimate the size and amount of moving boxes that will best work with your truck’s dimensions. Once you have an approximate home inventory, create a general plan to help things go more smoothly while packing your moving truck. You can also determine at this point which items you can declutter before moving and which of your things you'll need in your new home. Determine if you’ll finish any packing the morning of and how that will work with your moving vehicle pick-up time and breakfast. Estimate how you’ll organize various furniture pieces in the truck, and identify where you can securely stack boxes.

Get Your Moving Boxes & Packing Supplies Ready

Calculate how many moving boxes you'll need based on the size of your home and number of belongings. For fragile, oversized, or uniquely shaped items that need extra support or can’t fit in moving boxes, use protective packing supplies and block out a secure spot in your moving van for them. Prepare packed belongings for the load by grouping them near the entryway. Be sure to clear a path that extends from the front door for a safe move out of the home. You’ll also need to collect the following packing supplies before loading your moving truck:

• Moving boxes

• Mattress bags

• Furniture wrap

• Moving pads and moving blankets

• Bubble wrap

• Packing paper

• Packing tape

• Moving straps

Some moving truck rentals may provide moving blankets and dollies to assist with your packing process, so check with the company when you make your moving truck reservation or pick up the vehicle.

Disassemble Furniture

Large, bulky furniture like headboards, couches, and bed frames are usually fairly easy to disassemble before packing your moving truck—helping to save space and making them a lot easier to carry. Furniture legs on pieces like dressers, tables, and sofas should be removed if possible, as they could snap in transit if they aren’t sturdy enough. Be sure to label each furniture piece’s hardware in their own resealable bags, and tape them to the piece of furniture they belong to for easy re-assembly at your new home.

Recruit Some Help

Moving is hard work—especially if you’re moving by yourself—but getting some assistance loading your moving truck will help reduce moving stress, make the process safer and quicker! Check with friends and family to see how many helpers you can find, offering incentives like a free meal or promise to return the favor when they move. Two people will probably be able to pack your moving truck in a few hours—and at least two people will probably be needed for moving large, heavy furniture and appliances. Finding at least three or four people may help you get the job done in half the time! You can also ask your local community if they’ll help you for cheap, or you can spend a little more to hire local movers for added convenience, efficiency, and peace of mind.

Pack the Heaviest Items First

When you start packing your moving truck, begin by loading your heaviest items in the back of the trailer, closest to the driver. The best way to pack a moving truck is to load large furniture and appliances—like dressers, bed frames, dining tables, couches, refrigerators, and treadmills—into your moving truck first. As you load your furniture, make sure to keep it upright and stable, and secure it in place with moving straps as an extra precaution. You can protect these items further with specialty chair leg protectors, chair pads, furniture pads, and table pads. Packing your heaviest items first can distribute the weight of the moving truck more evenly, helping to avoid shifting during your drive due to top-heaviness.

Pack Moving Boxes Next

Next, pack your moving boxes and large wardrobe boxes in layers on top of your furniture, with the heaviest boxes on bottom to avoid crushing lighter, smaller packing boxes. As you stack, try to avoid leaving any empty space between boxes to keep everything snug, and use moving straps on stacks of boxes where they’re needed. This is also a good time to load your rolled-up rugs—especially if you have small, narrow, vertical spaces to fill—as they’re great for creating a snug fit and provide some extra padding between boxes and furniture items.

Load the Lightest Items & Necessities Last

Last, load your smallest and lightest items in the remaining spaces in your moving truck. Normally, this means placing lighter boxes on top of heavier ones, or placing them just inside the door. After you load your last items, make sure the weight of your truck or moving van is still evenly distributed across the vehicle’s width so turning won’t be difficult. This is also the perfect time to load your small bag or suitcase of necessities like toiletries, a change of clothes, and some kitchenware, so you don’t have to dig through all your boxes to find these items your first night in your new home—if there isn’t room, you can always take your essentials bag with you in the front seat of your moving truck or in a separate vehicle.

Secure With Moving Straps

Once you’re finished loading, do one last check to make sure you’ve packed everything and that the load seems stable. You should be using moving straps to tie down furniture pieces and stacks of moving boxes as you pack them—as a final step, check that the straps are secure, and add more where they might be needed. If you find you need to repack some items differently to get a snug fit, do it! Your ultimate goal is to restrict load shifts as much as possible for a smooth and stress-free drive to your new home.

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