Exciting as it is, moving is a discomfort. There's the packaging, the lifting, the unpacking-- and someplace in there, you actually need to move your things from one house to another. You can always hire professionals to do this, but that can add a significant expense to what is currently a costly process.
And that'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, but it's possible. With an understanding of what's different about driving such a large, heavy car, any skilled chauffeur can transfer their own valuables without excessive stress. And the savings from doing so can be considerable.
How to Prepare to Drive a Moving Truck
If you're prepared for the challenge of driving a moving truck, there are a few important things you ought to do to prepare:
Research your rental company options, with specific attention to the functions of their moving trucks. Modern trucks have tools like rear-facing video to assist with supporting and blind area sensing units that make it much safer to alter lanes. If these functions are very important to you, they may be worth paying a little extra for.
Price quote just how much truck space you'll need for all your things. Many truck rental companies offer guidelines to help you figure out what size truck you require, and it is necessary to lease the tiniest truck possible. Smaller sized trucks are not only less costly, they're simpler to drive.
Consider recruiting a good friend to join you on your moving journey. If it's another experienced motorist and your truck rental agreement enables it, you can take turns driving. If you need someone to direct you in backing up the truck, having a 2nd individual can also come in useful.
Buy a GPS mount. Purchase a quality phone or GPS mount that you can set up in the truck if you prepare to use GPS on the trip. It's dangerous to fumble with your gadget while driving any lorry, not to mention a fully-loaded moving truck.
Get some practice. If this is your very first time driving a moving truck, it might be worthwhile to lease a truck for a day simply to practice. For in-town moves, truck rentals are typically economical. Practice can help you with things like turning and getting used to the size of the lorry, however bear in mind that your truck will handle in a different way when it's loaded with all your things.
Spending plan for gas. In basic, moving trucks get poor gas mileage, and longer trips might end up costing you numerous hundred dollars in gas.
Security When Driving a Moving Truck
As soon as your journey has actually begun, there are a couple of extra safety tips to observe:
Drive your moving truck around town for a number of miles before filling. If you discover an issue, take the truck back to the rental business and exchange it for another one.
Secure your whole load with rope, bungee cords or straps. Truck rental business frequently lease these devices.
Pay attention to all roadway signs that use to trucks, which you've probably discovered to ignore. This consists of separate speed limitations, lane limitations and overhead clearance limits.
Stop securely. Always offer yourself extra time and range to stop the truck.
Avoid moving your load by driving slower than the surrounding traffic and using the this contact form brakes and accelerator carefully.
Inspect your side-view mirrors often, since there are no rear-view mirrors in moving trucks.
When it comes to stopping at weigh stations, follow the law. These laws differ from state to state, however ABF U-Pack has assembled a detailed list of state weigh station laws for moving trucks.
Use care in mountains. If you'll be driving a moving truck through mountains, keep in mind that there will be stretches of roadway with no shoulder for emergency situation stops. You'll also require to prepare for high hills and winding turns. Drive as slowly as essential to ensure your security.
Avoid supporting. Attempt to avoid scenarios where you'll need to support your truck. When parking in a lot, for instance, search for two nearby empty areas so that you can drive straight through.
Purchase the rental insurance from the truck business. Without it, even minor damage to the truck can be expensive.
Moving Truck Alternatives
If you're genuinely nervous about the concept of driving a 16-foot moving truck, consider the other cost-saving alternatives to full-service movers.
There are numerous moving companies 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 competitors use a variety of shipping container types that you can fill throughout 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 difficult for house occupants in dense metropolitan locations.
If this is a problem, some of these business will allow you to bring your products to a regional shipping depot and load them onto a truck or into shipping containers there. With this option, you'll probably still require to lease and drive a truck, and you'll require to move whatever twice on each end of the trip rather of just once. However you'll spare yourself the concern of a driving a box truck over a long distance.
Driving a moving truck isn't for everybody, but if you observe these finest practices, you'll stroll away with a great sense of accomplishment and a little additional money in your pocket.