Helpful Tips, Hints and Secrets From a Real Life Mover!
Nov 05 '00
As a former packer, mover, loader, customer service representative, dispatcher and now salesperson for a major van line, I have seen my share of good and bad pack jobs alike. In this review, I will try to point out some industry secrets and standards for packing household goods primarily for long distance relocations. Hopefully some of these hints and secrets will be of some benefit to the “do it yourself” packer!
General Notes: Assuming you are moving and taking advantage of a moving and storage company to transport your goods across the state or across the country there are a couple of things you need to know before you get started. First, if you are doing the packing yourself, keep in mind that EVERYTHING MUST be packed and in boxes BEFORE the mover arrive at your home. This means that when the movers arrive they expect to see furniture and cartons in your home. Pack lamps, lampshades, stereo components, computer equipment, obviously all glassware and books, everything! By packing everything into boxes you are helping insure that your goods are well protected and stand a better chance to resist damage.
Cartons: If you get anything out of this review, PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE remember this! DO NOT USE any other type of carton other than a standard moving carton! Do not use liquor store boxes, produce boxes, bags or who knows what else! Boxes that moving companies use are made specially for moving household goods, they can withhold pressures that other cartons cannot. The other types of boxes are made and constructed to transport hard solid bottles of Captain Morgan, Absolute or Bacardi, NOT YOUR CHINA!!! If you are moving with a van line, most all companies have used cartons on hand that they will and can sell to you, ask them, go pick them up yourself and use the standard moving company. Our company for example sells used cartons for $1.00 each, of course every company will be happy to sell you new cartons as well. Any type of paper for packing is fine, newspaper, newsprint, tissue paper, etc.
Packing: One of the most important things to remember about packing is to make sure that items that you pack out of a particular room stay in boxes from that room. In other words, DO NOT MIX ROOMS! Mixing rooms makes unpacking a sheer nightmare! If you are packing a room and the box is not quite full, fill the rest of it up with paper. Don’t run to another room to fill the box up.
When packing books, phonographs (records), papers etc. try to pack these items standing up as if they are on a shelf. Try not to lay these items down, they will move better standing up and reduce stress to the items if they are standing up rather than lying down. When packing glassware, dishes, china, etc., first off make sure you only pack these items in a dish barrel container! Make sure you use plenty of paper and if available use cell pack, which is cardboard cut, that fits together to make individual slots or areas for dishes or glasses. When packing a dish barrel make sure it is packed to the top, solid, make sure NOTHING moves or shakes in the box when you are done packing! By keeping these boxes packed tight, damage is less likely to occur. A well-packed dish barrel should weigh 60-75 pounds! As I mentioned above, pack all lamps, lampshades, loose items, artificial flower arrangements, etc. The rule of thumb here is, if you question it, pack it!
Make sure all pictures and prints are packed in picture or mirror cartons, wrapped in paper, and packed tight! All glass tops, should also be packed in these containers as well. If you have the original boxes for items that you have purchased, by all means use those boxed and the original packing to pack those items as well. This will save you time and money!
Labeling: It is very important that you label each and every carton for the room or area where you want it to go at destination. General brief descriptions of the rooms are fine, Master, Kitchen, Garage, Bedroom 1, etc. Also mark the contents on the box as well, pots, pans, pillows, games, books, lamp shade, this will help in the unpacking as well as the loading of the boxes in the truck. Hopefully your movers won’t pack a carton that is labeled “Lamp Shade” underneath 6 other boxes that are marked “Tools”! There is no need to do a detailed inventory on what is in each box, unless you really want to and have a TON of time on your hands! Keep in easy; keep it simple for you on the unpacking and easy for the movers to understand where you want the items placed at your destination.
What NOT to Pack: These are suggestions, tips and ideas that we tell our customers. Please DO NOT PACK ANYTHING FLAMABLE OR COMBUSTIBLE! Aerosol cans, any thing under pressure, matches, lighters, etc, should definitely NOT be packed. This is especially true if you are moving during the summer months, the temperatures in the moving vans reaches between 150-200 degrees, the last thing you want is lighter fluid in a 200 degree oven rolling down the interstate!! I advise my customers on bottles that have liquid that can spill (laundry detergent, cleaning supplies, etc.), liquor, etc. If these items are packed in a box and in the truck the movers turn the box on its side or even upside down the liquid could spill and leak onto furniture. I have seen a lot of claims on couches and stained wood, where a bottle opened up spilled and caused a spot or removed the finish off a piece of furniture. Be very careful packing these items!
***Caution***: Just a note of warning here, most if not all moving companies will not take responsibility for items packed in cartons that you yourself packed. If there is obvious damage to a box that you packed and it was clear negligence on the part of the mover, they should honor your claim. But if there is no damage to the box and a glass is broken in a box that you packed, you are on your own, period. Even if you purchase the Replacement Value Insurance from the mover, they will still deny these packing claims. If you see any paperwork an it is marked with a “PBO” designation, that stands for “Packed By Owner”, “CP” stands for “Carrier Packed” this is industry standard, no need to worry.
I am by no means an expert packer; this review was intended to give an overall general idea of what is expected from you, as the shipper from the moving company as far as packing is concerned. I hope this will help folks prepare for the move before the movers arrive, which in turn will really make the move a lot smoother overall, believe me!
If you found this review helpful check out my other review on Moving Tips in the Home and Garden section, here on Epinions! Best of luck!
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Epinions.com ID:
Techsan
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Member: Todd
Location: Tulsa, OK
Reviews written: 44
Trusted by: 17 members
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