Interesting as it is, moving is a pain. There's the packaging, the lifting, the unpacking-- and somewhere in there, you really need to move your things from one home to another. You can always work with professionals to do this, but that can include a considerable cost to what is currently a pricey procedure.
And that'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've 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 vehicle, 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 prepared for the difficulty of driving a moving truck, there are a couple of crucial things you need to do to prepare:
Research your rental company options, with particular attention to the features of their moving trucks. Modern trucks have tools like rear-facing video to aid with supporting and blind area sensing units that make it more secure to change lanes. If these features are important to you, they may deserve paying a little additional for.
Estimate how much truck area you'll require for all your things. Most truck rental companies provide guidelines to assist you find out what size truck you require, and it is essential to lease the tiniest truck possible. Smaller sized trucks are not just 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 be available in helpful if you require somebody to direct you in supporting the truck.
Buy a GPS mount. Purchase a quality phone or GPS mount that you can install in the truck if you plan to use GPS on the trip. It threatens to fumble with your device while driving any vehicle, let alone a fully-loaded moving truck.
If this is your first time driving a moving truck, it might be worthwhile to lease a truck for get redirected here 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.
Safety When Driving a Moving Truck
As soon as your journey has actually begun, there are a few additional security ideas to observe:
Attempt the truck out initially. Drive your moving truck around town for several miles before filling. This is an excellent method to ensure 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 frequently rent these accessories, too.
Focus on all road signs that use to trucks, which you have actually most likely learned to ignore. This consists of different speed limitations, lane constraints and overhead clearance limitations.
Stop securely. Always offer yourself additional time and range to stop the truck.
Avoid moving check my site your load by driving slower than the surrounding traffic and utilizing the brakes and accelerator gently.
Check your side-view mirrors typically, due to the fact that there are no rear-view mirrors in moving trucks.
When it comes to stopping at weigh stations, follow the law. These laws vary from one state to another, however ABF U-Pack has compiled a thorough 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 road with no shoulder for emergency stops. Drive as gradually as required to guarantee your security.
Avoid supporting. Try to avoid scenarios where you'll need to back up your truck. When parking in a lot, for example, search for two surrounding empty spots so that you can drive directly through.
Purchase the rental insurance from the truck business. Without it, even slight damage to the truck can be pricey.
Moving Truck Alternatives
Think about the other cost-saving alternatives to full-service movers if you're genuinely nervous about the concept of driving a 16-foot moving truck.
There are a number of 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 rivals 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 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 alternative, you'll probably still require to rent and drive a truck, and you'll need to move whatever twice on each end of the journey instead of simply once. You'll spare yourself the worry 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 walk away with an excellent sense of accomplishment and a little money in your pocket.