The effectiveness of moving trucks often surpasses their attractiveness.
It’s funny how moving trucks can be fascinating and intimidating at the same time. You probably see them on a regular basis, either parked in front of a home where a busy residential move is obviously underway, or rumbling through the city streets, always in a hurry to get somewhere as fast as possible. The thing is, you can rarely spot a moving vehicle wandering around town aimlessly – moving trucks always look as if they were running late for a date, don’t they? And ironically, sometimes that is not far from the truth. Sadly, although some of the moving vehicles do end up being late for their set appointments, 99% of the time they fail to offer carefully wrapped bouquets of beautiful and fragrant flowers with “Sorry I’m late!” notes inside.
From small 10-12 ft rental trucks with sweet and round lines that can almost be characterized as cute, through medium-sized moving vans that are hardly distinguishable from one another and all the way to monstrously huge vehicles that are capable of relocating an entire mansion with ease, moving trucks do come to the rescue when you’re facing an imminent house move.
As your moving day is drawing nearer and nearer, this Moving Trucks Guide will tell you all you ever wanted to know about moving trucks.
Find out some captivatinghistorical facts about the big cargo vehicles,
Discover all the important details of renting a moving truck (types of rental trucks, moving truck sizes, best truck rental companies, truck rental tips),
Get to know how to properly load a moving truck (required moving equipment, proper arrangement and distribution of household goods, safety loading tips), and
Take a look at some randomly selected fascinating pictures of moving trucks.
Brief History Of Moving Trucks
The look and feel of moving trucks may have changed over the years but their lifelong purpose remains unchanged.
If you’re a fan of western movies, then you’ll have no trouble recognizing the prototype of the modern day moving truck. That’s right – the ancestor of the moving van as we know it today used to be the horse-drawn covered wagon from the times when the huge waves of immigrants had arrived to the New World and had set on a large-scale west bound relocation adventure through the unknown continent in pursuit of a better life and more land. Those wagons were painfully slow (the individual power horses had to be regularly maintained) and their storage space was awfully limited (household essentials, personal belongings and settlers were housed under one roof). Plus, the trailblazers’ progress was often slowed down by bad weather, ill-intentioned attacks and fatal diseases.
The start of the 20th century introduced the motorized transportation vehicles which were also used for relocating personal possessions and household goods along the growing road network in the country. Powered by air-cooled engines of only two cylinders, the tiny two-axle motor vans of old were gaining popularity fast and managed to surpass the cost effectiveness of trains when it came to moving household goods across the American continent. A visionary entrepreneur named Ward B. Hiner established the first household goods moving service called Red Ball Transit in 1919, and the rest is just history.
Click here to read more gripping facts about the moving trucks of old and the history of the relocation industry as a whole.
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Sometimes it’s really hard to know for sure which option will turn out to be the cheaper and easier one in your specific relocation case: to move by yourself or to hire the services of a reliable professional moving company. There are a number of key factors to consider (the most important ones being money and time) before you can make the informed decision that will best serve your 1) moving budget, 2) relocation needs and 3) personal requirements. If you still haven’t made up your mind which way to go, our special DIY vs. Movers Guide will enable you understand better what you will win and what you will lose by selecting each of the two options, and will ultimately help you come to the right decision.
Types of moving trucks
Pickup trucks are great for small load jobs. Maybe a friend of yours has a pickup and will save you from troubles of renting one? It’s definitely worth asking your circle of friends for help.
And in case you’ve decided to move your household goods on your own, here’s some useful information about the types of moving trucks usually available for rent.
Pickup truck. Pickup truck rentals are great for moving small loads, performing a partial residential move, completing various home improvement projects or handling local self-deliveries.
Cargo van. Renting a cargo van can be the cheapest solution for moving a studio, moving to/from college or taking care of a partial local move.
10-12 ft. truck. These small moving trucks are perfect for moving studios or small one-bedroom apartments, as well as for college dorm moves. Their average fuel consumption is 10-12 MPG but may go higher depending on the constantly changing road conditions and load weight.
14-17ft. truck. The medium sized range of moving trucks available for hire is the preferred option when relocating 1-2 bedroom apartments, small houses and offices. As you can imagine, these are the most demanded moving vehicles for renting as they are capable of transporting the household items found in the most widespread types of homes in the country. And the high demand of these medium size trucks has had a positive influence on their availability and affordability.
20-26 ft. truck. The biggest moving trucks you can rent are ideal for long distance one way moves of larger 3-4 or 4+ bedroom apartments or houses. These large moving vehicles run on diesel fuel so you should take that into account when setting up your relocation budget.
Select the right size of rental truck
Choosing the right size of moving trucks to hire is one of the fundamental requirements for a headache-free self-move. Why?
If you rent a truck and its storage space ends up being insufficient for your needs, then you’ll be forced to:
make several relocation trips – not only a pure waste of precious resources (time, money and nerves), but it might be plainly inapplicable for certain long distance moves;
leave household goods behind – provided that you have already purged your home of all unnecessary stuff, that option is almost never a reasonable solution to the insufficient room problem;
rent a bigger truck – not only is unloading the already loaded vehicle a huge time waster, but hiring a moving van with more storage space could be an impossible task, especially if you’re moving during the busiest season of the relocation industry (May – September).
If you rent a larger moving truck, then you’ll be:
paying up for much more storage space than you will need for your items ;
running a higher risk of damaging your goods unless you take the necessary precautionary measures to immobilize them during the relocation trip.
Therefore, when you’re not sure whether the effective capacity will be enough or not, the rule of thumb when choosing the size of a rental truck is to always select the one with more storage space.
Go with the best truck rental company
Haste makes waste. Observe the speed limit at all times while driving a moving truck.
Where to rent moving trucks? In order to get the expected bang for your bucks and find low cost moving trucks, you need to contact at least several truck rental companies and request detailed offers for your upcoming relocation. Besides the obvious nationwide truck rental choices (Penske, U-Haul, Budget, Ryder and Enterprise), don’t make the rookie mistake of overlooking the local rental companies whose more personalized approach may work better in your case. Before picking up a relocation partner, compare the truck rental rates and options carefully to see whether there will be a significant price difference, and pay special attention to any additional charges and surcharges that may apply. Also, explore your insurance options before agreeing to a truck rental company’s terms and conditions. Remember that cheap moving trucks are only a real bargain if there are no additional and/or hidden charges, or even unfavorable contractual terms that you are not aware of in advance.
Moving truck rental tips
It’s important to observe the following tips when renting a moving truck for a smooth relocation experience.
Perform a detailed visual inspection of the moving van for any noticeable damage before renting it. Report any flaws to the company immediately upon spotting them.
You are expected to return the rented truck with a full gas tank. If you don’t, the truck rental company is entitled to charge you for the missing fuel, usually at a higher price than the current market one.
It’s always a good idea to return the vehicle clean unless you wish to be charged extra.
Be extremely careful with the truck clearance as you drive under bridges and tree branches. Keep an eye out for clearance signs along the road as your truck rental insurance does not usually cover overhead damage.
Some states may require you to stop at weigh stations, so watch out for signs that tell you to do so.
And now that you know the approximate sizes of the branded moving trucks you often see on the streets of your city and how to rent one if needed, maybe your interest in those transportation vehicles have gone up a few points. If that is the case, then you may be willing to go a bit further and learn how to properly load a moving truck should the need to do so arise.
Get the right equipment
All rented moving trucks come pre-equipped with convenient loading ramps for easy loading and unloading operations. In addition to that ramp, one piece of equipment that you can’t do without during your DIY move is an appliance dolly for transporting your super heavy items to and from the moving vehicle. Come moving day, heavyweight kitchen appliances (refrigerators, freezers, washing machines, dishwashers, gas or electric cookers and so on), as well as large and bulky furniture pieces (partially disassembled whenever possible, of course), should only be transported with the help of your irreplaceable wheeled helper. Also known as a furniture dolly or just a moving dolly, you can rent one from your local moving company.
Also, you’re going to need strong straps or sturdy rope to first secure your household items onto the dolly and then to tie them safely inside the van to minimize any movements during the long haul.
What items to load first?
One of the best truck loading advice that you can EVER get is to view and treat the storage space of your rented vehicle as a giant moving box that can be accessed from one of its sides. After all, isn’t a moving truck just a supersized moving box with big rubber wheels underneath?
You need to know how to utilize the available storage space to the maximum or else, you might not fit all your belongings inside the rented van even though you opted for one with more capacity. Depending on the specific number, dimensions and shapes of your belongings, loading your rented truck could prove to be a real challenge. So, in order to avoid being forced to solve last minute puzzles and to guarantee accident-free loading operations, observe our step-by-step guide to loading a moving truck just like a professional mover would.
Step 1: What you should load first into the rented truck are the safely packed and properly labeled boxes you had prepared before moving day. Place the heaviest containers at the bottom (no easily breakable items should be present inside) and stack the lighter boxes on top against the very back of the cargo interior. Go higher and lighter in a vertical direction until you reach the roof, then repeat the loading process until all the boxes are stacked neatly and safely inside.
THIS is the right way to load a moving truck.
Step 2: Your larger disassembled furniture should come next. Protect your property by laying a few moving blankets on the floor and place the furniture pieces vertically right next to the loaded boxes. Don’t rush the entire loading procedure but take your time and figure out the best position for each item so that the entire storage space is maximized. Each furniture piece should be well isolated from the rest. Use as much bubble wrap, blankets or even old clothes as you deem necessary to avoid exposed surfaces of heavy items from rubbing against each other – the most frequent damage during a self-move. Use plenty of rope to secure your furniture to the side wall.
Step 3: All heavyweight kitchen appliances you have decided to take with you should be loaded next. They should also be secured well to the side walls of the truck.
Step 4: Load inside the vehicle any fragile or oddly shaped possessions such as bicycles, garden equipment and so on. The safest spots for your delicate items are underneath tables, desks and chairs.
Step 5: Anything that won’t break during the relocation and can be used to fill out the remaining empty holes should be loaded last – bags of clothes, blankets, shoes and other items that can serve as excellent filling materials.
Step 6: When every household item is safely loaded and immobilized, disengage the loading ramp and close securely the back of the truck. Well done!
Safety should be your top priority when loading your rented truck for a self-move across the country.
• Always take advantage of the moving truck’s loading ramp and make sure it’s clean and clear of dangerous obstacles.
Your appliance dolly should be your trusted sidekick during the entire loading operations;
Use any means you can think of to minimize involuntary movements of your household items while on the road – ropes, straps, bubble wrap, moving blankets or just any type of improvised filling materials;
Don’t forget to protect yourself against injuries either. Wear suitable personal protection gear – work gloves, enclosed shoes with anti-slip soles, flexible and breathable clothes that provide a high level of comfort and protection.
You could even have fun and prove your tile-matching skills while loading your rented moving truck. Any bonus points you get will contribute towards a safe and problem-free relocation.
Is the information above all you want to know about moving trucks?
We’re ending our Moving Trucks Guide with some interesting pictures of moving trucks caught in a totally random relocation action.
But before that, we are positive that you will greatly enjoy our 3 unique moving truck collections:
Timeline of moving trucks from around the world (access it here);
One-of-a-kind postcard collection of vintage moving trucks (access it here);
Hilarious moving photo collection featuring plenty of moving trucks (access it here).
Fascinating Photos Of Moving Trucks
The calm before the storm. The moving truck has just parked outside.The moving truck loading operation has been completed successfully. It’s time to head home. The new home.Correct. The large furniture pieces should be one of first items to load into the moving truck.Loading a rented moving truck with so many helping hands should be simply a piece of cake.Moving house is tough, but moving during the winter is even tougher. The good news? The prices for renting a moving truck must be lower.“I did it!”Unfortunately, the tranquility of this relocation scene won’t last for long.Teamwork is crucial for the success of a local or long distance DIY move.Have you ever considered moving house a romantic experience?* No comment *
Is allied Van lines/United Van lines/and national Van lines all under one umbrella these days. Kind Of hard to have a choice in choosing a company if this is in fact a reality. Hell what is a consumer to do? I can tell you from experience that national Van lines is not reputable.they say what they think you want to bear but then do nothing to help or alleviate your pain and financial due. Shame on them, the motto seems to be “TAKE the money” and run! Hell with the customer.
My husband and I are moving to a bigger apartment across town and we are thinking about hiring a moving truck so that we can take all of our belongings in one trip. You make a great point that we should take the time to compare the prices and services of different companies so that we can find something affordable that is also high-quality. Also, in my opinion, it will be important for us to look at customer reviews and see if there are any complaints about the trucks or the professionalism of the companies before choosing one.
Moving on my own is my best solution so I will perform a visual inspection before I rent a U-Haul truck. Since I am expected to return the truck with full gas, I’ll remind myself to gas up before I bring the truck back. I’ll also try to clean the truck so that I won’t be charged for it as you said.
You made a great point when you said that you should stack heavier boxes on the bottom and lighter ones on top when filling a moving truck. My brother received a promotion that is going to require him to relocate to a different city. It might be a good idea for him to rent a U-haul so that he can move more stuff per trip.
I am moving in a few months and I need to rent a truck to drive all of my belongings across the country. You make a great point that I need to think about how I load the truck and get the right equipment including an appliance dolly. This will make it so much easier and less stressful to load the truck so I appreciate your advice.
It was helpful when you said that you should do an inspection of the truck. My husband and I are planning on moving soon. Thank you for the tips about renting a moving truck.
I like how you mentioned to always select a truck with more storage space. My wife and I are considering looking into renting a moving vehicle because we’re thinking about relocating our family to a city with more job opportunities. I think it’s a good investment to consider renting a truck with a lot of space if we decide to relocate.
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Is allied Van lines/United Van lines/and national Van lines all under one umbrella these days. Kind Of hard to have a choice in choosing a company if this is in fact a reality. Hell what is a consumer to do? I can tell you from experience that national Van lines is not reputable.they say what they think you want to bear but then do nothing to help or alleviate your pain and financial due. Shame on them, the motto seems to be “TAKE the money” and run! Hell with the customer.
People out there. Had a similar experience with this company? There is strength in numbers. Contact me, maybe we can help each other?
My husband and I are moving to a bigger apartment across town and we are thinking about hiring a moving truck so that we can take all of our belongings in one trip. You make a great point that we should take the time to compare the prices and services of different companies so that we can find something affordable that is also high-quality. Also, in my opinion, it will be important for us to look at customer reviews and see if there are any complaints about the trucks or the professionalism of the companies before choosing one.
Moving on my own is my best solution so I will perform a visual inspection before I rent a U-Haul truck. Since I am expected to return the truck with full gas, I’ll remind myself to gas up before I bring the truck back. I’ll also try to clean the truck so that I won’t be charged for it as you said.
You made a great point when you said that you should stack heavier boxes on the bottom and lighter ones on top when filling a moving truck. My brother received a promotion that is going to require him to relocate to a different city. It might be a good idea for him to rent a U-haul so that he can move more stuff per trip.
I am moving in a few months and I need to rent a truck to drive all of my belongings across the country. You make a great point that I need to think about how I load the truck and get the right equipment including an appliance dolly. This will make it so much easier and less stressful to load the truck so I appreciate your advice.
It was helpful when you said that you should do an inspection of the truck. My husband and I are planning on moving soon. Thank you for the tips about renting a moving truck.
I like how you mentioned to always select a truck with more storage space. My wife and I are considering looking into renting a moving vehicle because we’re thinking about relocating our family to a city with more job opportunities. I think it’s a good investment to consider renting a truck with a lot of space if we decide to relocate.