Interesting as it is, moving is a pain. There's the packing, the lifting, the unpacking-- and someplace therein, you in fact have to move your things from one home to another. You can always employ experts to do this, however that can include a considerable cost to what is already a costly process.
And that's how some movers suddenly 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 frightening, but it's possible. With an understanding of what's different about driving such a large, heavy car, any skilled chauffeur can carry their own personal belongings without excessive stress. And the cost savings from doing so can be substantial.
How to Prepare to Drive a Moving Truck
If you're ready for the obstacle of driving a moving truck, there are a couple of crucial things you need to do to prepare:
Research study your rental business alternatives, with specific attention to the functions of their moving trucks. Modern trucks have tools like rear-facing video to help with backing up and blind area sensing units that make it much safer to alter lanes. They might be worth paying a little additional for if these functions are crucial to you.
Price quote just how much truck area you'll require for all your things. A lot of truck rental companies provide guidelines to help you determine what size truck you need, and it is necessary to rent the smallest truck possible. Smaller trucks are not only less expensive, they're easier to drive.
Consider hiring a good friend to join you on your moving journey. If it's another knowledgeable motorist and your truck rental agreement enables it, you can take turns driving. If you need somebody to direct you in backing up the truck, having a 2nd person can also come in handy.
Buy a GPS mount. Purchase a quality phone or GPS mount that you can install in the truck if you plan to utilize GPS on the journey. It's hazardous to fumble with your device while driving any car, let alone a fully-loaded moving truck.
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 low-cost.
Budget plan for gas. In general, moving trucks get bad gas mileage, and longer journeys could wind up costing you a number of hundred dollars in gas.
When Driving a Moving Truck, Safety
As soon as your journey has begun, there are a couple of extra safety tips to observe:
Try the truck out. Drive your moving truck around town for numerous miles prior to loading. This is a great way to ensure the truck is running smoothly which there are no mechanical problems. Take the truck back to the rental business and exchange it for another one if you discover an issue.
Secure your whole load with rope, bungee cables or straps. Truck rental business often lease these accessories.
Pay attention to all roadway signs that use to trucks, which you have actually probably found out to disregard. This includes different speed limits, lane constraints and overhead clearance limits.
Stop safely. Constantly give yourself additional time and distance to stop the truck.
Prevent shifting your load by driving slower than the surrounding traffic and utilizing the brakes and accelerator carefully.
Check your side-view mirrors typically, since there are no rear-view mirrors in moving trucks.
Follow the law when it comes to stopping at weigh stations. These laws differ from state to state, however ABF U-Pack has assembled 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 gradually as required to guarantee your safety.
Prevent backing up. Attempt to avoid scenarios where you'll need to support your truck. When parking in a lot, for instance, search website for two nearby 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
If you're truly anxious about the idea of driving a 16-foot moving truck, think about the other cost-saving options to full-service movers.
There are a number of 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 provide a range of shipping container types that you can fill over the course of a couple of days. In order to use these services, you'll need 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, a few 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 rent and drive a truck, and you'll require to move everything twice on each end of the journey instead of just as soon as. You'll spare yourself the worry of a driving a box truck over a long distance.
Driving a moving truck isn't for everybody, however if you observe these best practices, you'll leave with an excellent sense of accomplishment and a little additional money in your pocket.