Interesting as it is, moving is a pain. There's the packaging, the lifting, the unpacking-- and someplace in there, 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 considerable cost to what is already a costly procedure.
Which's how some movers unexpectedly find themselves behind the wheel of a truck that's a number of feet longer and a number of thousand pounds much heavier than anything they have actually ever driven in their lives.
Driving a moving truck can be intimidating, but it's not difficult. With an understanding of what's various about driving such a big, heavy vehicle, any skilled chauffeur can carry their own belongings without too much stress. And the savings from doing so can be considerable.
How to Prepare to Drive a Moving Truck
If you're prepared for the difficulty of driving a moving truck, there are a couple of crucial things you should do to prepare:
Research your rental company choices, with particular attention to the functions of their moving trucks. Modern trucks have tools like rear-facing video to assist with supporting and blind spot sensors that make it safer to change lanes. If these functions are necessary to you, they might be worth paying a little additional for.
Quote just how much truck area you'll require for all your things. The majority of truck rental companies offer guidelines to help you determine what size truck you require, and it's crucial to lease the tiniest truck possible. Smaller sized trucks are not only cheaper, they're easier to drive.
Consider recruiting a buddy to join you on your moving journey. You can take turns driving if it's another skilled motorist and your truck rental agreement permits it. If you need someone to direct you in backing up the truck, having a second person can also come in handy.
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 harmful to fumble with your device while driving any car, let alone a fully-loaded moving truck.
If this is your first time driving a moving truck, it might be rewarding to lease a truck for a day simply to practice. For in-town relocations, truck leasings are frequently affordable.
Budget for gas. In general, moving trucks get poor gas mileage, and longer journeys might end up costing you several hundred dollars in gas.
When Driving a Moving Truck, Safety
As soon as your journey has actually started, there are a couple of additional safety tips to observe:
Attempt the truck out. Drive your moving truck around town for a number of miles before packing. This is an excellent way to make sure the truck is running efficiently which there are no mechanical problems. Take the truck back to the rental company and exchange it for another one if you discover a concern.
Secure your whole load with rope, bungee cables or straps. Truck rental companies often lease these devices.
Focus on all road indications that use to trucks, which you have actually probably found out to overlook. This includes separate speed limitations, lane limitations and overhead clearance limits.
Stop safely. Constantly provide yourself extra time and distance to stop the truck.
Prevent shifting your load by driving slower than the surrounding traffic and using the brakes and accelerator carefully.
Inspect your side-view mirrors often, because there are no rear-view mirrors in moving trucks.
Follow the law when it pertains to stopping at weigh stations. These laws differ from state to state, but ABF U-Pack has actually put together a comprehensive list of state weigh station laws for moving trucks.
Usage care in mountains. If you'll be driving a moving truck through mountains, bear in mind that there will be stretches of road without any shoulder for emergency situation stops. You'll likewise need to get ready for steep hills and winding turns. Drive as slowly as essential to guarantee your safety.
Prevent supporting. Try to prevent circumstances where you'll need to support your truck. When parking in a lot, for instance, try to find 2 adjacent empty areas so that you can drive straight through.
Purchase the rental insurance from the truck company. Without it, even minor damage to the truck can be costly.
Moving Truck Alternatives
Think about the other cost-saving alternatives to full-service movers if you're truly anxious about the idea of her latest blog driving a 16-foot moving truck.
There are numerous moving companies that will do the driving as long as you do the loading and dumping. ABF U-Pack, PODS, 1-800-PACK-RAT and a number of other competitors provide a variety of shipping container types that you can fill throughout a few days. In order to utilize these services, you'll need a location to drop your containers at both your starting address and your location, so they can be challenging for apartment residents in dense metropolitan areas.
If this is an issue, some of these business will permit you to bring your items to a regional shipping depot and load them onto a truck or into shipping containers there. With this choice, you'll most likely still need to lease and drive a truck, and you'll require to move everything two times on each end of the trip rather of just when. You'll spare yourself the worry of a driving a box truck over a long range.
Driving a moving truck isn't for everyone, however if you observe these finest useful reference practices, you'll leave with an excellent sense of accomplishment and a little additional money in your pocket.