Interesting as it is, moving is a pain. There's the packaging, the lifting, the unpacking-- and someplace in there, you really need to move your things from one house to another. You can always employ specialists to do this, however that can add a significant expense to what is currently an expensive process.
And that's how some movers all of a sudden discover themselves behind the wheel of a truck that's numerous feet longer and numerous 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 large, heavy car, any skilled motorist 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 all set for the obstacle of driving a moving truck, there are a couple of crucial things you should do to prepare:
Research your rental company choices, with specific 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 more secure to change lanes. They may be worth paying a little additional for if these functions are crucial to you.
Price quote how much truck area you'll require for all your things. Most truck rental companies offer guidelines to help you determine what size truck you require, and it is essential to lease the tiniest truck possible. Smaller trucks are not only more economical, they're easier to drive.
Consider recruiting a friend to join you on your moving journey. You can take turns driving if it's another experienced driver and your truck rental contract allows it. Having a second individual can likewise can be found in convenient if you require somebody to direct you in supporting the truck.
Purchase 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 threatens to fumble with your device while driving any lorry, let alone a fully-loaded moving truck.
If this is your very first time driving a moving truck, it may be rewarding to lease a truck More Bonuses for a day simply to practice. For in-town moves, truck rentals are often inexpensive.
Budget for gas. In general, 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
As soon as your journey has actually begun, there are a few additional safety tips to observe:
Attempt the truck out initially. Drive your moving truck around town for a number of miles before loading. This is a good method to make certain the truck is running smoothly and that there are no mechanical issues. If you find a problem, take the truck back to the rental company and exchange it for another one.
Secure your entire load with rope, bungee cables or straps. Truck rental business often rent these devices, too.
Focus on all road signs that use to trucks, which you have actually probably learned to overlook. This consists of separate speed limits, find this lane constraints and overhead clearance limitations.
Stop safely. Always offer yourself additional time and distance to stop the truck.
Prevent moving your load by driving slower than the surrounding traffic and using the brakes and accelerator carefully.
Examine your side-view mirrors frequently, because 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, but ABF U-Pack has actually put together an extensive list of state weigh station laws for moving trucks.
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 stops. Drive as slowly as essential to ensure your safety.
Prevent backing up. Attempt to prevent situations where you'll require to back up your truck. When parking in a lot, for example, search for two surrounding empty spots so that you can drive straight through.
Purchase 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 worried about the idea 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 unloading. ABF U-Pack, PODS, 1-800-PACK-RAT and numerous other competitors use a variety of shipping container types that you can fill throughout a few days. In order to use these services, you'll require a place to drop your containers at both your beginning address and your destination, so they can be challenging for apartment occupants in dense city areas.
If this is an issue, some of these business will allow you to bring your products to a local shipping depot and load them onto a truck or into shipping containers there. With this choice, you'll probably still require to drive a truck and rent, and you'll require to move everything two times on each end of the trip rather of just as soon as. 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 best practices, you'll win a great sense of achievement and a little money in your pocket.