With increasingly high transportation costs, more people are choosing to move themselves when they need to relocate. Moving a home or office requires a lot of planning and one of the most integral components is the moving truck. Getting a good bargain on a moving truck can really help keep costs down. Read the following for some useful advice on how to rent a moving truck.
The cost of a moving truck can be calculated and estimated on a number of factors which includes the size of the vehicle and the distance you will be driving it. Nationwide companies may charge a little more than your local moving truck rental company, but they offer hundreds or thousands of locations, which makes one way rentals possible. All you need to do is to keep the factors of reliability and safety of your goods in mind. Whether you are planning to do a local move or interstate move – the moving truck must perform when you need it to. After all, the prompt delivery and safety of your goods is what you’re striving for. To rent a good moving truck you can always refer to local directories and even browse online sites that detail moving truck rentals. No matter which company you go with, the steps for renting a moving truck will be as follows.
Select a moving truck size. With a variety of sizes and rates offered by moving truck companies, you must first decide what size moving truck you need. After all, the primary factor determining the cost of the rental truck is the size of the truck. Common truck sizes offered by the major moving truck rental companies are x, 16’, and 24’. Of course you want to rent a truck that will hold all of your belongings, but renting a truck that is too large just wastes money. If you are moving locally, keep in mind that you may have to make more than one trip with your moving truck.
Estimate the cost. The cost of renting a moving truck is usually comprised of four factors: truck rental rate, mileage rate, insurance, and fuel. The low rental rates you see advertised are just part of the overall cost you will incur by renting a moving truck. Rental rates are typically quoted on a per day basis. However, you will almost certainly have to pay an additional fee based on how many miles you drive the truck. These rates may seem low, such as 19 cents per mile, but really add up for longer hauls. Of course you must fuel the moving truck, and with most trucks getting around 10 miles per gallon, this component of the total cost will be significant. The final fee you may choose to pay is for insurance. Paying this ensures that you will not be financially liable for the truck or other vehicles in the event of an accident. Remember that weekdays are comparatively cheaper as compared to weekends and similarly summers are more expensive than winters when renting a moving truck.
Make the reservation. Most moving truck reservations are made online these days. The major companies have easy to navigate websites that provide rates for different size trucks and for local and one-way moves. You will be required to leave a deposit in order to confirm the reservation. A word of caution is necessary here - when you do make a reservation for a moving truck, what you are actually reserving is a rate, not a truck. I’ve moved numerous times over the past ten years and several times I have arrived to get the truck only to realize that they didn’t have the truck I reserved. In most cases they had a larger size truck than the one I wanted, but in one case they didn’t have a truck for me at all. As you can imagine this was a major inconvenience for me on the day I was supposed to move out of my apartment. I won’t mention the name of the company, but I will say I had to haul all of my belongings by another method.
Pick up the truck. When you go to pick up the moving truck, you must show your drivers license and sign the rental documentation. Remember that large moving trucks have a larger turning radius than the car you probably drive on a daily basis. So be sure to leave room to keep from plowing into other vehicles, etc. Also remember the truck will be much taller than your car, so don’t visit any drive-through windows with short clearances.
It’s best to do a bit of research first. Get quotes from different companies on the rental rate and mileage cost, and then decide which company is the best for your move. Keep in mind that all moving trucks are not created equal. Some companies maintain fleets much better than others, so look for a company that has newer trucks. This will make your move easier and more comfortable. Finding a good moving truck rental company gives you peace of mind and allows for an easier relocation whether it is an office or home furniture and household items.
Tip 1: Once you have the above information, do some searching with the moving companies’ name online and see if you can find any customer service reviews. Remember the cheapest moving truck may not always be the best way to go. If your truck breaks down during your move, the rental company will bring you a new truck to use, but you must transfer all of your belongings from the old truck to the new. The rental company will not help with moving your belongings at all. Lastly, make sure you have the phone number of the rental truck company should anything go wrong on the moving day.
Tip 2: Renting a hand truck and furniture pads to help with your move are a really good idea. These items can greatly speed the moving of boxes and heavy furniture as well as protect your valuable furniture during transport.
Denver Self Storage
Seattle Self Storage
Houston Self Storage
Las Vegas Self Storage
New York Self Storage
Wednesday, July 2, 2008
How to Pack for a Move
Even if you’re just moving down the street, the prospect of packing up your entire household can be daunting. It’s so stressful that many people put it off until the last possible minute, which is a recipe for disaster. Instead of letting anxiety and dread take over, make this move the best one yet by taking an organized approach to your packing. While not an easy task, it’s much more bearable when you break it down into three stages.
Stage 1: The Seldom-Used Stuff
Whether you’re packing up over a period of hours or weeks, this category includes everything that you won’t need any time soon—and probably haven’t used in months. In fact, some of it may still be in boxes from your last move! This includes off-season clothing, seasonal decorations, old photo albums, financial records from the past decade, that fondue set that’s been sitting there since your wedding…you get the picture. Anything that you haven’t touched in at least two months—and that you won’t need within the next couple of weeks—makes it into this category.
Stage 2: The Need-It-Soon Stuff
You can pack these things a day or two in advance to make moving day easier and less chaotic. Need-it-soon stuff includes all of the items that you generally need on a daily basis but can live without for a day or two. For example: your clothes. Pack everything up except one or two changes of clothes. Kitchen items tend to fall into this category as well. When you’re in the midst of organizing yourself for a move, you probably won’t be doing much cooking—delivery, please!—so pack up your pots and pans, silverwear, plates, glasses, etc. For the day or two when you’re in between houses, use paper plates and disposable utensils.
Stage 3: The Need-It-Now Stuff
You shouldn’t pack items in this category until the day of your move.
Some need-it-now may stuff may include hygiene items, pet supplies, a change of clothes, daily prescription medication—and don’t forget to leave a roll of toilet paper. It’s always a necessity. Also, remember to leave a vacuum and other cleaning supplies so you can do a once-over before turning your house over to its next occupants.
Your boxes should be loaded into your moving van in the above order as well, with seldom-used stuff in back and need-it-now stuff in front. This way, you won’t have to dig around for immediate necessities in a hot (or cold) moving van.
More tips for a stress-free move:
• If you have time—and you should, unless your boss told you to report for duty in another state tomorrow—weed out your possessions either before or as you pack. In addition to the moving boxes you’ve got set up, make two additional piles: toss and donate. Haven’t used that camping gear in…well…ever? Donate that and any other usable items to a charitable organization. Some stuff is beyond redemption, however, and there’s no use dragging it to your next house. Just dump it.
• Not having enough boxes on hand leads to delays and promotes frustration. Double whatever number of boxes you think you’ll need, and about a week before your move (or earlier if you can motivate yourself to get started), designate one room to store boxes and other packing material.
• You can buy boxes, of course, but if you want to save a few bucks, hit up area grocery stores and ask if you can have their empty boxes. They may be flattened already, but that actually makes them easier to transport. And it takes just seconds to reassemble them at home.
• In a pinch, you can use kitchen linens to cushion breakables. Place pot holders between layers of glasses and wrap fragile items in hand towels and cloth napkins. Bonus: you won’t have to wash newsprint off of everything when you reach your destination.
• Mark every box carefully—on top and on at least two sides—using a two-step approach. First, identify the room or area where the box should be delivered (“kitchen,” for example). Then, indicate what the box actually contains (“pots and pans”). This way it’s easy for the movers to quickly determine where to dump the box, but it also lets you know whether you need to open it right away or sometime next week.
• Make a concerted effort to either eat or toss the majority of items in your fridge and freezer. Depending on how far you’ll be moving, it can be tough to keep cold things cold on a moving truck.
Denver Self Storage
Seattle Self Storage
Houston Self Storage
Las Vegas Self Storage
New York Self Storage
Stage 1: The Seldom-Used Stuff
Whether you’re packing up over a period of hours or weeks, this category includes everything that you won’t need any time soon—and probably haven’t used in months. In fact, some of it may still be in boxes from your last move! This includes off-season clothing, seasonal decorations, old photo albums, financial records from the past decade, that fondue set that’s been sitting there since your wedding…you get the picture. Anything that you haven’t touched in at least two months—and that you won’t need within the next couple of weeks—makes it into this category.
Stage 2: The Need-It-Soon Stuff
You can pack these things a day or two in advance to make moving day easier and less chaotic. Need-it-soon stuff includes all of the items that you generally need on a daily basis but can live without for a day or two. For example: your clothes. Pack everything up except one or two changes of clothes. Kitchen items tend to fall into this category as well. When you’re in the midst of organizing yourself for a move, you probably won’t be doing much cooking—delivery, please!—so pack up your pots and pans, silverwear, plates, glasses, etc. For the day or two when you’re in between houses, use paper plates and disposable utensils.
Stage 3: The Need-It-Now Stuff
You shouldn’t pack items in this category until the day of your move.
Some need-it-now may stuff may include hygiene items, pet supplies, a change of clothes, daily prescription medication—and don’t forget to leave a roll of toilet paper. It’s always a necessity. Also, remember to leave a vacuum and other cleaning supplies so you can do a once-over before turning your house over to its next occupants.
Your boxes should be loaded into your moving van in the above order as well, with seldom-used stuff in back and need-it-now stuff in front. This way, you won’t have to dig around for immediate necessities in a hot (or cold) moving van.
More tips for a stress-free move:
• If you have time—and you should, unless your boss told you to report for duty in another state tomorrow—weed out your possessions either before or as you pack. In addition to the moving boxes you’ve got set up, make two additional piles: toss and donate. Haven’t used that camping gear in…well…ever? Donate that and any other usable items to a charitable organization. Some stuff is beyond redemption, however, and there’s no use dragging it to your next house. Just dump it.
• Not having enough boxes on hand leads to delays and promotes frustration. Double whatever number of boxes you think you’ll need, and about a week before your move (or earlier if you can motivate yourself to get started), designate one room to store boxes and other packing material.
• You can buy boxes, of course, but if you want to save a few bucks, hit up area grocery stores and ask if you can have their empty boxes. They may be flattened already, but that actually makes them easier to transport. And it takes just seconds to reassemble them at home.
• In a pinch, you can use kitchen linens to cushion breakables. Place pot holders between layers of glasses and wrap fragile items in hand towels and cloth napkins. Bonus: you won’t have to wash newsprint off of everything when you reach your destination.
• Mark every box carefully—on top and on at least two sides—using a two-step approach. First, identify the room or area where the box should be delivered (“kitchen,” for example). Then, indicate what the box actually contains (“pots and pans”). This way it’s easy for the movers to quickly determine where to dump the box, but it also lets you know whether you need to open it right away or sometime next week.
• Make a concerted effort to either eat or toss the majority of items in your fridge and freezer. Depending on how far you’ll be moving, it can be tough to keep cold things cold on a moving truck.
Denver Self Storage
Seattle Self Storage
Houston Self Storage
Las Vegas Self Storage
New York Self Storage
Moving overseas? Tips for a successful move abroad
Whether you’re moving overseas permanently or for a temporary period of time one of the biggest headaches is organizing your belongings. Naturally, you would like the furniture or personal effects you own to arrive at your destination in one piece. There are a few simple rules you can follow that can help to do this.
Step One: What’s being moved and what is being left behind
Whether you’re moving overseas permanently or short-term, the first step you need to take is to go through everything you own and decide what to keep and what to get rid of. It is important that you do this before you arrange for the moving company to come in and make a quote. If there are items you will use up to the last minute but will not take with you, mark them clearly, so your moving consultant knows not to include them in the space requirements or quotation.
The next stage depends on whether you are moving permanently or on a temporary basis. Temporary moves may mean that you can leave items behind in self storage facilities. However, it is always important to consider what items are time-relevant i.e. if you’re storing your children’s toys and they will be three years older when you return, it’s not really worth the expense of storing these items.
Permanent moves will require a good hard look at what you own, love and don’t really need anymore. You can save yourself hundreds if not thousands of dollars by taking a realistic approach when sorting through your belongings. After a few overseas moves and quite some domestic I take the approach that if it’s not sentimental and I haven’t used it for more than two years – it’s time to say goodbye.
When deciding on what to take with you, you will need to get a good idea of the type of accommodation that will be available to you in your destination country. You may be leaving a house with good square footage to move into a much smaller apartment. In Europe, Japan, Hong Kong, Singapore and parts of the Middle East accommodation rates are at a premium and you may not have the budget to acquire the same space you have now.
If you need to leave some of your furniture and belongings behind, or want to store your belongings while you work out the logistics in your new country – try self storage units and facilities. Your moving company may have this service available or you may find a reasonably priced local self storage company who can help you with your requirements.
Lastly, take the time to research the customs website of your destination country. Some may have restrictions or warnings about the types of goods that will require inspection (adding costs) and possibly fumigation. For example, if you are taking plastic containers overseas and also have a large amount of wooden furnishings you may be subject to fumigation at the receiving port. Plastic absorbs the chemicals from the fumigation and will not be suitable to hold any future food products.
Step Two: Logistics of your move overseas
You will need to engage a moving company; your best option is to work with one that can also arrange for customs clearance and delivery at your destination. Many companies have overseas affiliates or subsidiaries making the transition of your belongings less impeded.
Work with a company who has experience with your destination country, each country has their own customs regulations and you need someone who can advise you from experience. Also ask if they can arrange the insurance for your belongings.
The next stage will be to have an agent from the moving company come in and assess the space you will require i.e. part of, full use of either a 20ft or 40ft container. For smaller loads, usually the moving company can arrange for your goods to share a container with someone else who has space – saving you money.
For both insurance and documentary purposes you will need to prepare a full inventory of all the belongings you are moving. This comes down to counting how many CD’s, DVD’s, books etc you own. Along with the quantities you will also need to assess the value of each of these items so that you can ensure the insurance will cover the worst case scenario.
Note that fridges and freezes are not recommended to be moved overseas. Electrical items may not be insured, especially the more fragile items such as TV’s and stereo systems. Check with your insurer and your moving company.
During your inventory process, it is a good time to decide whether you need to airfreight any items for immediate use, pack certain more valuable and fragile items in your suitcases or take another serious look at just how much stuff you’re keeping. Remember also that you can use the option to use a self storage unit or keep belongings with family and friends (who don’t mind looking after them).
Step Three: Moving day
Warning never take logic for granted! You will not be able to move food overseas so ensure that you have already removed all of these types of items before the packers arrive. Secondly, check your house and ensure that all teapots, coffeepots, jugs, plant pots etc are all empty of their contents. It has been known for packers to pack these items complete with liquid and contents inside.
Mark clearly any items that you do not want to be packed or even better move them all to one room, garage or location with a sign saying that they are not to be packed.
If you are allowed to pack your belongings you will need to ensure that the packing meets shipping standards. A handy tip is to mark the boxes with the type of destination room you want them to go in, i.e. study, “tommys room”, storage etc. When you’re ready to receive your belongings at the other end post signs on the doors of the receiving rooms i.e. study, “tommy’s room”, storage.
Items such as towels, blankets and sheets make great padding and protection for more fragile belongings. If you are doing the packing you can follow a simple rule – heaviest items on the bottom, most fragile on the top with a good thickness of padding between the sides, bottom and top of the boxes. Lastly, remember that a person at some stage is going to carry the boxes – 40kg of books in one box is not advisable!
With some planning, logical and preparation your move overseas can be made a lot simpler. There will be so many logistical items you will be working on to make the move, so it’s important you contract a moving company that can remove as many headaches as possible.
Denver Self Storage
Los Angeles Self Storage
San Francisco Self Storage
Seattle Self Storage
Houston Self Storage
Phoenix Self Storage
Las Vegas Self Storage
Chicago Self Storage
New York Self Storage
Step One: What’s being moved and what is being left behind
Whether you’re moving overseas permanently or short-term, the first step you need to take is to go through everything you own and decide what to keep and what to get rid of. It is important that you do this before you arrange for the moving company to come in and make a quote. If there are items you will use up to the last minute but will not take with you, mark them clearly, so your moving consultant knows not to include them in the space requirements or quotation.
The next stage depends on whether you are moving permanently or on a temporary basis. Temporary moves may mean that you can leave items behind in self storage facilities. However, it is always important to consider what items are time-relevant i.e. if you’re storing your children’s toys and they will be three years older when you return, it’s not really worth the expense of storing these items.
Permanent moves will require a good hard look at what you own, love and don’t really need anymore. You can save yourself hundreds if not thousands of dollars by taking a realistic approach when sorting through your belongings. After a few overseas moves and quite some domestic I take the approach that if it’s not sentimental and I haven’t used it for more than two years – it’s time to say goodbye.
When deciding on what to take with you, you will need to get a good idea of the type of accommodation that will be available to you in your destination country. You may be leaving a house with good square footage to move into a much smaller apartment. In Europe, Japan, Hong Kong, Singapore and parts of the Middle East accommodation rates are at a premium and you may not have the budget to acquire the same space you have now.
If you need to leave some of your furniture and belongings behind, or want to store your belongings while you work out the logistics in your new country – try self storage units and facilities. Your moving company may have this service available or you may find a reasonably priced local self storage company who can help you with your requirements.
Lastly, take the time to research the customs website of your destination country. Some may have restrictions or warnings about the types of goods that will require inspection (adding costs) and possibly fumigation. For example, if you are taking plastic containers overseas and also have a large amount of wooden furnishings you may be subject to fumigation at the receiving port. Plastic absorbs the chemicals from the fumigation and will not be suitable to hold any future food products.
Step Two: Logistics of your move overseas
You will need to engage a moving company; your best option is to work with one that can also arrange for customs clearance and delivery at your destination. Many companies have overseas affiliates or subsidiaries making the transition of your belongings less impeded.
Work with a company who has experience with your destination country, each country has their own customs regulations and you need someone who can advise you from experience. Also ask if they can arrange the insurance for your belongings.
The next stage will be to have an agent from the moving company come in and assess the space you will require i.e. part of, full use of either a 20ft or 40ft container. For smaller loads, usually the moving company can arrange for your goods to share a container with someone else who has space – saving you money.
For both insurance and documentary purposes you will need to prepare a full inventory of all the belongings you are moving. This comes down to counting how many CD’s, DVD’s, books etc you own. Along with the quantities you will also need to assess the value of each of these items so that you can ensure the insurance will cover the worst case scenario.
Note that fridges and freezes are not recommended to be moved overseas. Electrical items may not be insured, especially the more fragile items such as TV’s and stereo systems. Check with your insurer and your moving company.
During your inventory process, it is a good time to decide whether you need to airfreight any items for immediate use, pack certain more valuable and fragile items in your suitcases or take another serious look at just how much stuff you’re keeping. Remember also that you can use the option to use a self storage unit or keep belongings with family and friends (who don’t mind looking after them).
Step Three: Moving day
Warning never take logic for granted! You will not be able to move food overseas so ensure that you have already removed all of these types of items before the packers arrive. Secondly, check your house and ensure that all teapots, coffeepots, jugs, plant pots etc are all empty of their contents. It has been known for packers to pack these items complete with liquid and contents inside.
Mark clearly any items that you do not want to be packed or even better move them all to one room, garage or location with a sign saying that they are not to be packed.
If you are allowed to pack your belongings you will need to ensure that the packing meets shipping standards. A handy tip is to mark the boxes with the type of destination room you want them to go in, i.e. study, “tommys room”, storage etc. When you’re ready to receive your belongings at the other end post signs on the doors of the receiving rooms i.e. study, “tommy’s room”, storage.
Items such as towels, blankets and sheets make great padding and protection for more fragile belongings. If you are doing the packing you can follow a simple rule – heaviest items on the bottom, most fragile on the top with a good thickness of padding between the sides, bottom and top of the boxes. Lastly, remember that a person at some stage is going to carry the boxes – 40kg of books in one box is not advisable!
With some planning, logical and preparation your move overseas can be made a lot simpler. There will be so many logistical items you will be working on to make the move, so it’s important you contract a moving company that can remove as many headaches as possible.
Denver Self Storage
Los Angeles Self Storage
San Francisco Self Storage
Seattle Self Storage
Houston Self Storage
Phoenix Self Storage
Las Vegas Self Storage
Chicago Self Storage
New York Self Storage
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