The main consideration in choosing a moving truck rental from Hertz or Penske is the total cubic feet of the items to be transported. Moving trucks vary in sizes. Their most common sizes are 16 cubic-feet, and 24 cubic feet. There are smaller truck sizes, for smaller needs.
However, even if you have a large truck and you are not knowledgeable in stacking your items in them, you will just waste a lot of space. If you are able to pack them wisely, you will be able to make full use of every available space even in a smaller-sized truck.
So, it is very important for you to know the proper and correct way of stacking up a moving truck rental so that your DIY move will serve its purpose: to do it without spending so much money.
Here are 7 important tips that you can use to achieve that purpose:
1. Make room for every box that you packed
There are two ways you can make room for every box that you packed. One method is by loading the larger items first. In this way, you will ensure that your bigger items will have their required spaces.
The other way is to load your boxes first. This method is particularly effective if you have the same-sized boxes for all your stuff. By loading them first, you can build a wall of boxes from the back of the truck going to the door.
This will also maximize the utilization of available space inside the truck because you can stack up the boxes from the floor of the truck to its roof, and from side to side. Just make sure that the workers will not have any difficulty in unloading them when you get to your destination.
2. Make sure that the total weight is distributed evenly
Equal distribution of weight is very important for a moving truck because it affects its degree of safety while running on the road. The trick here is to load the heaviest items against the walls of the truck. This will keep the middle space open and will allow you to load other boxes or items easily.
3. Loading mirrors and picture frames
Picture frames and mirrors can easily break in transport if not handled carefully. If they are placed in the back of the track, the risks of breakage are higher. You can protect your mirrors and picture frames by covering them with protective wrappers with foam or air bubbles and then sliding them in between mattresses. In this way, you don’t have to provide a special place for them just so they will not be damaged during transport.
4. If possible, disassemble large furniture for packing
Bigger furniture such as cabinets and tables can take up large spaces inside the truck. So, if your furniture can be disassembled, just take them apart so they can be condensed. Once they are disassembled, they will only require a small amount of space.
One other thing you can do is: if a large table cannot be disassembled, just load it in the truck and used the spaces under it and on top of it for smaller boxes that will fit.
5. Use bookshelves
Of course, if you have bookshelves, you won’t be stacking them with books if you are going to transport them. However, instead of leaving them empty, you can use their shelves to place small boxes that you have packed with your stuff.
By doing this, you will be killing two birds with one stone: the small boxes won’t need any additional space, and you have maximized the use of the truck’s cargo space.
6. Set up couches on their ends
In loading couches on the truck, set them up on their ends so that they won’t take up too much space. If you load them horizontally, take will require more cubic feet. It is possible to do this because most moving truck rentals have higher ceilings than ordinary trucks.
If you support the couches’ position with your fully stuffed boxes on all their sides, there will be no danger of them tripping down during transport.
7. Use straps for stability during transport
Even if you have maximized every available space in the truck just like an expert packer will do and you have ensured that every box and every item is tightly compacted inside, this is no guarantee that they will not shift in transport.
Your best move is to use packing straps whenever possible to keep all the items in place even if shifting cannot be avoided while travelling. To provide maximum protection for your stuff, instead of strapping them all at the end, it would be better to strap down separate sections so each section can take care of itself.
