Packing a moving truck isn’t rocket science, but you will need to take some thought about how you are going to place your things before you start. Planning and organizing, putting things in their right place and securing them will help insure your things make it to your new home without damage.
Plan First, Attack Second
“Organizing is what you do before you do something, so that when you do it, it is not all mixed up.”
A. A. Milne – creator of Winnie the Pooh
Try to plan carefully before you start, you really don’t want to take everything out because you forgot to put something in early. That’s why I recommend you use a good checklist and inventory everything before doing any packing.
Once you have sorted everything out and determined what you are going to move and what you are going to sell or give away, you need to plan how you will pack the truck. You may want to ask the truck rental company for a guide on how to pack a moving truck diagram. They may have them for the specific type of truck you are renting. Nevertheless, you will have to customize the plan for you needs.
When packing the truck, you will want to think about the overall weight of your load. All trucks have a load rating and you need to make sure you do not exceed that rating. You also need to think about the distribution of the load. The truck should be able to handle the load however you divide it up, but it will make driving, and more importantly, control, far better if you make sure you distribute the weight as evenly as possible in the truck. In most cases, this will happen naturally by following the guidelines set above, but give it a little thought to be sure.
If your truck has a mom’s attic, you may want to put fragile items in it. Pad it with cushions or other soft things and make sure everything is secure before loading the big stuff.
Put larger items in first. Make sure you wrap anything that can be scratched or broken. Moving blankets are a necessity for larger items that may shift. It is probable best to start with your washer, dryer and refrigerator. Then load heavier furniture. Put your mattresses and table against the side walls of the truck standing on their sides Create rows, filling the gaps between furniture with boxes, cushions, and odd shaped items. Use straps and nets to hold furniture and rows together. Try to finish one row before you start another one. The thing you are really going for here is to not have your things move all over the place and break.