Exciting as it is, moving is a discomfort. There's the packing, the lifting, the unpacking-- and somewhere therein, you actually have to move your things from one home to another. You can constantly work with professionals to do this, but that can include a substantial cost to what is already a pricey procedure.
Which's how some movers suddenly find themselves behind the wheel of a truck that's several feet longer and several thousand pounds heavier than anything they've ever driven in their lives.
Driving a moving truck can be daunting, however it's not difficult. With an understanding of what's different about driving such a large, heavy automobile, any knowledgeable driver can transfer their own valuables without excessive tension. And the cost savings from doing so can be significant.
How to Prepare to Drive a Moving Truck
If you're prepared for the challenge of driving a moving truck, there are a few essential things you need to do to prepare:
Research your rental company options, with particular attention to the features of their moving trucks. Modern trucks have tools like rear-facing video to assist with supporting and blind area sensing units that make it safer to change lanes. If these features are necessary to you, they may deserve paying a little additional for.
Estimate how much truck area you'll need for all your things. Most truck rental companies provide standards to assist you find out what size truck you require, and it is essential to rent the smallest truck possible. Smaller trucks are not only cheaper, they're simpler to drive.
Think about hiring a good friend to join you on your moving journey. You can take turns driving if it's another skilled driver and your truck rental contract allows it. Having a second individual can likewise can be found in handy if you need someone to direct you in backing up the truck.
Buy a GPS mount. If you plan to use GPS on the trip, buy a quality phone or GPS mount that you can install in the truck. It's dangerous to fumble with your device while driving any vehicle, let alone a fully-loaded moving truck.
Get some practice. If this is your very first time driving a moving truck, it might be worthwhile to rent a truck for a day just to practice. For in-town relocations, truck leasings are frequently economical. Practice can assist you with things like getting and turning utilized to the size of the car, but keep in mind that your truck will handle differently when it's loaded with all your things.
Budget for gas. In basic, moving trucks get bad gas mileage, and longer journeys could end up costing you several hundred dollars in gas.
When Driving a Moving Truck, Security
When your journey has begun, there are a few extra security ideas to observe:
Drive your moving truck around town for numerous miles before loading. If you discover a concern, take the truck back to the rental business and exchange it for another one.
Secure your entire load with rope, bungee cables or straps. Truck rental business frequently rent these devices, too.
Take notice of all roadway signs that apply to trucks, which you have actually most likely discovered to ignore. This includes different great post to read speed limits, lane restrictions and overhead clearance limitations.
Stop securely. Always give yourself additional time and range to stop the truck.
Avoid moving your load by driving slower than the surrounding traffic and utilizing the brakes and accelerator gently.
Examine your side-view mirrors typically, since there are no rear-view mirrors in moving trucks.
Follow the law when it comes to stopping at weigh stations. These laws differ from one state to another, but ABF U-Pack has actually put together an extensive list of state weigh station laws for moving trucks.
Use care in mountains. Keep in mind that there will be stretches of road with no shoulder for emergency situation stops if you'll be driving a moving truck through mountains. You'll likewise need to get ready for steep hills and winding turns. Drive as slowly as essential to ensure your safety.
Prevent backing up. Try to prevent scenarios where you'll need to back up your truck. When parking in a lot, for example, search for two surrounding empty spots so that you can drive directly through.
Buy the rental insurance from the truck business. Without it, even slight damage to the truck can be pricey.
Moving Truck Alternatives
Consider the other cost-saving options to full-service movers if you're really nervous about the concept of driving a 16-foot moving truck.
There are several moving business that will do the driving as long as you do the loading and discharging. ABF U-Pack, PODS, 1-800-PACK-RAT and several other rivals offer a range of shipping container types that you can fill over the course of a couple of days. In order to use these services, you'll require a location to drop your containers at both your starting address and your location, so they can be tricky for apartment or condo residents in thick metropolitan locations.
If this is a problem, some of these business will enable you to bring your products to a local shipping depot and load them onto a truck or into shipping containers there. With this alternative, you'll probably still require to drive a truck and lease, and you'll need to move whatever twice on each end of the journey instead of simply when. However you'll spare yourself the worry of a driving a box truck over a cross country.
Driving a moving truck isn't for everyone, however if you observe these additional hints best practices, you'll win a great sense of achievement and a little money in your pocket.