Driving an unfamiliar vehicle for the very first time should always feel kind of strange – most buttons are not where you’re used to seeing them and the controls may not work exactly as you expect them to.
Sit in the driver’s seat of a moving truck and you may easily feel overwhelmed by the thought of having to navigate that oversized vehicle all the way to the new residence.
After careful assessment of the risks of self-moving, you may have still decided to rent a moving van and move your belongings to the new home without using the services of a professional moving company. And if that is the case, then it won’t be long before you get to be the driving force behind a large rental truck.
Driving a rental moving truck through unfamiliar lands, with your family inside and your prized belongings in the back, is a great responsibility. In reality, the upcoming relocation road trip can easily turn out to be the most demanding task of the entire DIY move.
To help you manage that one-of-a-kind Do-It-Yourself challenge, we’ve compiled the top 15 safety tips for driving a moving truck across the country.
1. Complete an initial moving truck inspection
Driving a rental truck across the country is no joke, so you’ll need to approach the upcoming self-moving relocation trip as seriously as possible.
When renting a moving van from a truck rental company of your choice, you need to make sure the vehicle is in good shape and that you’re familiar with its basic controls.
First, check for any visible damage to the interior or exterior of the truck and report it if you notice something. Then, check its tires, signals, lights, and side-view mirrors. Make sure you know how to operate the turn signals, windshield wipers, and parking brake.
Insist that the truck rental agency give you one of the newest and best trucks they have.
Are you confident you can load the rental truck properly before driving away?
Before you drive off toward your final destination, one thing that will make your trip safer is to know that your belongings have been packed well in the back of the van and will be secure throughout the journey.
Sudden braking and sharp turns may cause some of your loaded household items to shift and get damaged as a result. It is hard to drive a rental truck as it is, so the last thing you’ll ever need is to worry about whether your stuff in the back is safe or not.
If you’re not sure how to load a moving truck properly, then it may be worth it to pay professionals to do it right.
As you’ll soon find out, driving a moving truck is very different from driving a standard car in almost all aspects. Due to the huge size and the enormous weight, your rental truck will need some time to get up to speed.
Compared to the speed and acceleration of your own vehicle, the rental van will most likely feel too slow and sluggish.
If it’s your first time driving a moving truck, remember to build to the desired speed gradually. Avoid accelerating too quickly because that will increase drastically the truck’s fuel consumption and may cause your cargo items in the back to shift.
Moving trucks are the exact opposite of racing cars. Keep in mind that some rental trucks are electronically limited to a fixed safety speed – 75 mph in most cases.
One thing is clear – a super heavy moving vehicle loaded up with a house’s worth of items will not behave like a normal car. And while it’s a bad idea to accelerate the moving van too rapidly (if that’s even possible), you’re strongly advised against braking too suddenly and too hard.
Slamming on the brakes of a moving truck may not only damage your possessions in the back, but it may also throw the entire vehicle off-balance and thus cause you to lose control of it. In bad weather conditions (rain, snow, ice, strong winds), sudden braking can easily lead to a road accident.
So, make sure you slow the moving van gradually when you need to stop. Always go easy onto the brakes and apply them early to give yourself enough time to brake smoothly before turns or when approaching intersections, crossings, or traffic lights.
Driving a rental truck across the country can be a real adventure. It’s up to you to make sure its ending is good.
Having in mind that moving trucks take longer to stop than regular cars, it’s important to keep at least double the distance from the cars in front of you than you would keep if you were driving your own car.
If you have trouble figuring out that safe distance, then use the 4-seconds rule. That rule is simple enough – stay at least 4 seconds behind the vehicle that is in front of you.
To gauge that recommended safety distance, count the seconds from the moment the car ahead of you passes a specific landmark until the instant you pass that same spot on the road.
When driving the moving truck in bad weather, increase that distance even more.
6. Exercise extra caution when changing lanes and merging
Driving a moving truck cross country is anything but easy. It won’t be long before you realize that the moving truck doesn’t have a center rearview mirror inside the cabin. As a result, you’ll have to rely entirely on the side rearview mirrors, and that can be rather tricky at times.
The lack of a center rearview mirror will make changing lanes and merging much more challenging, at least at the beginning of your trip. Use the little blindspot mirrors attached to the side rearview mirrors to keep track of what’s happening behind you.
It’s exceedingly important that you keep in the right lane when driving the rental truck on the highway and let faster vehicles go by.
7. Don’t pass other vehicles unless you absolutely must
As a general rule, you should refrain from overtaking other vehicles, especially when you’re driving uphill or on narrow roads. Due to the large size of your truck and the lack of proper acceleration and speed, your rental truck will require much more time and distance to complete the overtaking maneuver successfully.
However, even when you stick to the right lane on the highway, at times you’ll get stuck behind vehicles that go even slower than you. And when that happens, you may not have another choice but to overtake that slower car or truck in front of you.
If you absolutely must overtake a vehicle, do it very carefully: check the mirrors for any cars in the other lane, signal the start of the maneuver, and then step on the gas.
8. Make your turns wider than usual
Moving trucks are not just larger cars.
Our tips on how to drive a large moving truck when moving across the country continue with a very important aspect of your road trip – making safe turns.
Another thing to remember before you sit behind the steering wheel of your truck rental is that moving trucks require a lot more space to turn than standard passenger cars, especially when executing right turns.
Whenever you need to make turns when driving a rental truck, slow down as much as necessary and even consider coming to a complete stop if a turn seems somewhat trickier. Switch on your turn signals and then check the side mirrors to determine whether or not you have enough room for the turn.
Remember to always make your turns wider than what you’re used to in order to avoid hitting a curb or bumping into another vehicle.
Although you won’t need a special license to drive a moving truck (moving trucks are not considered commercial vehicles so your standard driver’s license is enough as long as it is current), managing one of those large vehicles will be 10x tougher than driving your own car and will require your utmost concentration and extra caution.
Remember to set the emergency brake every time you park the rental truck and turn the wheels away from the curb facing uphill and toward the curb when facing downhill. Always park the truck in well-lit areas where you can see it easily.
Also, avoid backing up to minimize stressful situations – either look for drive-through parking lots or ask somebody to guide you at the truck’s rear as you’re going slowly in reverse. Whenever you need to back up, do rely on the rearview mirrors for guidance.
10. Pay special attention to truck-specific road signs
When you drive your own car, you never worry too much about any road signs that are meant for truck drivers, do you? This time, however, things are a bit different and since you’re a truck driver now, you’re going to need to pay special attention to those truck-specific road signs.
The three types of signs you should be especially aware of are the ones about overhead clearance, weigh station stops, and lane restrictions. Also, observe closely the speed limit signs.
As a rule of thumb, when driving a moving van cross country, you should keep your truck speed at about 10 mph below the specified speed limit.
11. Keep an eye out for those overhead clearance signs
A single mistake when driving a moving truck across the country can prove to be costly. Too costly.
To understand how difficult it is to drive a moving truck when you’ve decided not to use the services of a good cross-country moving company, just add the extra pressure of keeping your eyes peeled for signs that specify the permissible overhead clearance.
Moving trucks are tall and some of them come very close to reaching the permitted height clearance on the road, while others may exceed it.
There should be a sticker somewhere inside the truck cabin that specifies the overhead clearance of the vehicle. If you can’t find it, request that information from the van rental company.
So, whenever you’re about to drive under a low-clearance passage like a bridge or a tunnel, compare your rental truck’s clearance with that marked on the road signs.
Important: Never go under an underpass until you’ve made sure the truck can pass through it problem-free.
12. Don’t skip weigh station stops
Driving a moving truck across multiple states may turn out to be tougher than you think. Besides watching out for overhead clearance signs, you’ll also have to keep your eyes open for any weigh stations signs.
Weigh stations are highway checkpoints where large vehicles must stop for weight and safety inspections. In general, commercial vehicles are required by law to stop at those weigh stations, but rental trucks loaded with household goods may also need to go through those highway checkpoints.
The tricky part is that each state has its own regulations concerning weigh stations. So, before you set off on your cross-country relocation trip with a rental truck, follow this link to learn whether or not you’ll have to stop at weigh stations when crossing different states.
Keep in mind that when renting and driving a moving truck across the states, one of the biggest expenses will be the cost of fuel.
When renting the moving van, request more information from the truck rental company about the vehicle’s gas mileage. Use that information to calculate roughly how much fuel you will need for the journey.
For instance, if your truck consumes an average of 10 miles per gallon and the move distance is 500 miles, then you’re going to need approximately 50 gallons of fuel.
Here are the top 3 fuel-saving tips that will help you save money when driving a moving truck through the country:
Do not accelerate abruptly – instead, reach your desired speed gradually.
Refrain from driving at the truck’s maximum speed.
Ease off the gas pedal early when you’re approaching a stop.
Avoid paying an extra refueling fee by returning the moving van with the same amount of gas that it had when you rented it.
Plan your moving truck trip in advance to avoid a number of possible problems on the road.
One great piece of advice on how to drive a moving truck cross country is to study your route in advance so that you get a good idea of what to expect during the journey.
First of all, install the best GPS app on your smartphone or use a dedicated GPS device to map out your route. Also, it’s a good idea to have a detailed paper map, just in case.
If possible, avoid driving through any mountainous regions or through large cities during rush hours. In case you’ll have to stop overnight, find affordable hotels along the route that provide enough parking spaces for rental trucks.
Speaking of good tips when driving a moving van across the country, your trip will be much safer, and much more pleasant as well, if you can take turns driving the moving vehicle with a friend. After all, you’re not allowed to drive more than 10 hours per shift when moving long distance with a rental truck.
Now that you know what to expect from your rental truck drive across the country, it’s really important that you take your time and look at your viable options one more time.
And now that you’re familiar with the multiple risks of driving a large and heavy moving truck across several state lines, do you still feel confident you can manage that unique DIY home moving challenge?
Get accurate quotes from the best cross-country movers in your area and compare their costs with the ones in your preliminary self-moving budget. What you’ll find out from the comparative analysis may genuinely surprise you.
I've been trying to figure out the best way to move. I don't know weather to rent a trailer or a moving van. Maybe I'll ask my husband what he prefers!
This is awesome information for anyone looking into renting a moving truck. Thanks for sharing that list of requirements! I bet a lot of people probably don’t realize that you’re sometimes not allowed to talk on the phone when you rent a truck, depending on the company you go with. I loved bonus tip 2. Hiring a one way rental definitely might be looking into!
Lisa
I won't be driving the truck that far, but I'm still worried about driving it. Thankfully, I'm moving at the end of Summer, so there won't be any snow, and hopefully no rain. If there is any rain, I'll just take it nice and slow on the freeway. Also, keeping the truck packed well so there there isn't more weight on one side is a good idea.
Definitely paying attention to clearance is a must. My grandpa was following a truck and could see that it was going to be a lot taller than the clearance of the bridge. Long story short, they had to get the tow company out to tow the truck from underneath the bridge. If you have not drove a truck before, paying attention to the small things is essential.
I'm renting a truck in two weeks to move my stuff, and your tips are very helpful for me. I will make sure I don't get distracted by anything and pay attention to details. I like your comment about looking at the map beforehand and know what kind of trip it is going to be.
Thanks for pointing out that when you’re driving a truck, you should be aware of the clearance for bridges, balconies, and electrical wires. You also said that if you’re not sure about the truck’s clearance, stop the vehicle and check yourself if you will be able to pass safely. I think it’s important to choose a truck rental that keeps log of the maintenance done on the truck so that you feel comfortable and confident.
We are looking at renting a commercial vehicle for our move. I did not realize that there were so many different requirements. These requirements are definitely to help with safety, though, and it’s important to follow them. I hadn’t thought about a one-way rental as you mentioned, but we’ll have to look into that!
My whole family decided to go on a road trip and wanted to make sure that everyone can tag along. It was suggested here that we should complete the inspection of the van. Furthermore, it’s recommended to consult professionals when considering a passenger van rental.
I definitely agree that one should check the truck van first before starting to load household items on it when moving from one house to another. Speaking of moving, is it a better idea to hire a driver that can inspect a rental truck for you? My mother borrowed his neighbor’s truck for her big move and she needs help making sure that it can carry all her furniture.
I really appreciate your tip to make sure that you are familiar with the basic controls of a moving truck before you rent it. My wife and I have been thinking of getting a new house, and we want to make sure that we are moving everything over on the first day so we can get it all unpacked quickly. If we rent a moving truck to make that happen, I will be sure to learn all of the basic controls!
I may be moving this summer and might be using a moving truck to move all my stuff. It was helpful when you said that a moving truck is much heavier than a normal vehicle, so it takes more time to speed up and slow down. These tips could really help me move, so thank you for sharing them.
I like how you mentioned that parking the rental truck with care is one way to avoid getting into accidents of the unexpected kind, as moving rental trucks is much tougher than driving your own smaller vehicle. Avoid backing up a driveway to reduce the stress–it’s best to ask someone else to guide you at the back especially when you put the truck in reverse. If I had the chance to drive a rental truck I would definitely need some help maneuvering into a parking slot.
Thanks for pointing out that we should take turns as slowly as possible and make them wider than usual, especially right turns. My husband and I need to rent a moving truck soon since we will be moving to a larger home. My husband usually drives a small car, so I’ll be sure to advise him about the turning tips you shared.
I am moving cross country and will need to take a moving truck rental with me. I think it is good to drive defensively when doing a trip like that. This would help prevent things from breaking in the travels also.
It’s great how you touched on the different things to watch out for when you drive out a moving truck rental like U-Haul since there are a whole lot of regulations to watch out for. One of those is making sure that the truck can clear those overhead clearance signs–they were put there for a specific reason, and driving a truck through them would only spell disaster. If I had the chance to make sure that the rental truck my brother rented out a few days ago fit those tunnels then I would’ve stopped him from driving through them unless we were absolutely certain that the truck would fit!
Thanks for advising us to be aware of weight stations when long-distance moving. One of my friends is moving to another state due to his job. I’ll talk to him so he can be aware of the loads so he can follow the regulations in weight stations.
Your blog is very informative & this gives good insights about driving truck cross country. Best thing about your blog is that it gives good tips about cross country moving.Keep going & best of luck for new year!!!
Its helpful when you said to check for any visible damage to the interior or exterior of the truck and report it if you notice something. I want to move houses next month and I want to hire a truck moving service to help me move my items. Thanks for the tips on truck moving and I hope that I can find a good service for myself soon.
Hello! My nephew just started his new job as a truck driver for this one company recently. Hence, you explanation regarding minding the gap between us and other drivers is highly appreciated. I’ll make sure he follows this tip so he can perform his daily tasks safely.
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I've been trying to figure out the best way to move. I don't know weather to rent a trailer or a moving van. Maybe I'll ask my husband what he prefers!
I used this site and it made my move so much easier. They drive the truck!
New York to Phoenix in 3 days I had all my stuff and knew where it was the whole time which was nice
This is awesome information for anyone looking into renting a moving truck. Thanks for sharing that list of requirements! I bet a lot of people probably don’t realize that you’re sometimes not allowed to talk on the phone when you rent a truck, depending on the company you go with. I loved bonus tip 2. Hiring a one way rental definitely might be looking into!
Lisa
I won't be driving the truck that far, but I'm still worried about driving it. Thankfully, I'm moving at the end of Summer, so there won't be any snow, and hopefully no rain. If there is any rain, I'll just take it nice and slow on the freeway. Also, keeping the truck packed well so there there isn't more weight on one side is a good idea.
Definitely paying attention to clearance is a must. My grandpa was following a truck and could see that it was going to be a lot taller than the clearance of the bridge. Long story short, they had to get the tow company out to tow the truck from underneath the bridge. If you have not drove a truck before, paying attention to the small things is essential.
I'm renting a truck in two weeks to move my stuff, and your tips are very helpful for me. I will make sure I don't get distracted by anything and pay attention to details. I like your comment about looking at the map beforehand and know what kind of trip it is going to be.
Thanks for pointing out that when you’re driving a truck, you should be aware of the clearance for bridges, balconies, and electrical wires. You also said that if you’re not sure about the truck’s clearance, stop the vehicle and check yourself if you will be able to pass safely. I think it’s important to choose a truck rental that keeps log of the maintenance done on the truck so that you feel comfortable and confident.
We are looking at renting a commercial vehicle for our move. I did not realize that there were so many different requirements. These requirements are definitely to help with safety, though, and it’s important to follow them. I hadn’t thought about a one-way rental as you mentioned, but we’ll have to look into that!
My whole family decided to go on a road trip and wanted to make sure that everyone can tag along. It was suggested here that we should complete the inspection of the van. Furthermore, it’s recommended to consult professionals when considering a passenger van rental.
I definitely agree that one should check the truck van first before starting to load household items on it when moving from one house to another. Speaking of moving, is it a better idea to hire a driver that can inspect a rental truck for you? My mother borrowed his neighbor’s truck for her big move and she needs help making sure that it can carry all her furniture.
I like how you said to make sure you load your moving truck properly. I am moving this next year. Thanks for the tips on moving truck rental.
I really appreciate your tip to make sure that you are familiar with the basic controls of a moving truck before you rent it. My wife and I have been thinking of getting a new house, and we want to make sure that we are moving everything over on the first day so we can get it all unpacked quickly. If we rent a moving truck to make that happen, I will be sure to learn all of the basic controls!
I may be moving this summer and might be using a moving truck to move all my stuff. It was helpful when you said that a moving truck is much heavier than a normal vehicle, so it takes more time to speed up and slow down. These tips could really help me move, so thank you for sharing them.
I like how you mentioned that parking the rental truck with care is one way to avoid getting into accidents of the unexpected kind, as moving rental trucks is much tougher than driving your own smaller vehicle. Avoid backing up a driveway to reduce the stress–it’s best to ask someone else to guide you at the back especially when you put the truck in reverse. If I had the chance to drive a rental truck I would definitely need some help maneuvering into a parking slot.
Thanks for pointing out that we should take turns as slowly as possible and make them wider than usual, especially right turns. My husband and I need to rent a moving truck soon since we will be moving to a larger home. My husband usually drives a small car, so I’ll be sure to advise him about the turning tips you shared.
I am moving cross country and will need to take a moving truck rental with me. I think it is good to drive defensively when doing a trip like that. This would help prevent things from breaking in the travels also.
It’s great how you touched on the different things to watch out for when you drive out a moving truck rental like U-Haul since there are a whole lot of regulations to watch out for. One of those is making sure that the truck can clear those overhead clearance signs–they were put there for a specific reason, and driving a truck through them would only spell disaster. If I had the chance to make sure that the rental truck my brother rented out a few days ago fit those tunnels then I would’ve stopped him from driving through them unless we were absolutely certain that the truck would fit!
Thanks for advising us to be aware of weight stations when long-distance moving. One of my friends is moving to another state due to his job. I’ll talk to him so he can be aware of the loads so he can follow the regulations in weight stations.
Your blog is very informative & this gives good insights about driving truck cross country. Best thing about your blog is that it gives good tips about cross country moving.Keep going & best of luck for new year!!!
Its helpful when you said to check for any visible damage to the interior or exterior of the truck and report it if you notice something. I want to move houses next month and I want to hire a truck moving service to help me move my items. Thanks for the tips on truck moving and I hope that I can find a good service for myself soon.
Hello! My nephew just started his new job as a truck driver for this one company recently. Hence, you explanation regarding minding the gap between us and other drivers is highly appreciated. I’ll make sure he follows this tip so he can perform his daily tasks safely.
Thank you for sharing This is a very informative blog.