What are some items you should never load into a moving truck?
Flammable, Corrosive, or Explosive Items
Any food or alcohol items (varies by the destination country, please check with your move coordinator). Oftentimes the cost to move food & spices is greater than the items are worth. Plus, this may attract mice and other pests if your shipment is in a warehouse at any point during transit and storage.
Hazardous materials of any kind (items that are flammable, corrosive, or explosive). Examples include but are not necessarily limited to:
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● Aerosol Cans
● Ammunition
● Batteries
● Charcoal
● Chemical cleaning supplies such as liquid bleach or ammonia
● Magnets
● Motor Oil
● Nail Polish / Nail Polish Remover
● Paints / Paint Thinner
● Pesticides / Poisons / Fertilizers
● Propane Tanks
● Scuba Tanks
Perishables (food, plants, or living things that may die or spoil in transit).
Irreplaceable or sentimental items are difficult to place a value on in case of loss or damage, so we recommend such items be carried with you. Examples include but are not necessarily limited to:
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● Any Personal Important Documents
● Collections (Baseball cards, Coins, Stamps)
● Computer Software
● Currency, Securities
● Jewelry, Precious Metals/ Stones
Perishable Food Items, Living Plants and Animals
When preparing for a move, it’s crucial to be aware of items that should never be loaded into a moving truck. These items may pose safety hazards, risk damage, or violate legal regulations. Here are some key things to avoid loading into a moving truck:
1. Hazardous Materials: Items that are flammable, explosive, corrosive, or pose any other kind of hazard should never be packed and transported in a moving truck. This includes propane tanks, gasoline, paint thinners, cleaning solvents, fireworks, and other similar items. Properly dispose of hazardous materials according to local regulations or consult with specialized professionals for guidance.
2. Perishable Food Items: Transporting perishable food items in a moving truck is generally not recommended. They may spoil quickly, attract pests, and create unpleasant odors. It’s best to consume or donate perishable food items before the move and plan accordingly for restocking after you arrive at your new location.
3. Living Plants and Animals: Moving trucks are not suitable environments for living plants and animals. Extreme temperatures, lack of ventilation, and limited access to water and care can be harmful or even fatal. It’s important to make alternative arrangements for transporting pets and plants, ensuring their safety and well-being during the move.
4. Valuables and Irreplaceable Items: It’s wise to keep valuable items, such as jewelry, important documents, family heirlooms, and sentimental items, with you rather than loading them into a moving truck.. While professional movers are generally trustworthy, keeping these items in your possession gives you greater peace of mind and minimizes the risk of loss or damage.
5. Temperature-Sensitive Items: Some items, such as artwork, electronics, musical instruments, and certain medications, may be sensitive to extreme temperatures. It’s best to transport these items in your own vehicle, where you can control the temperature and protect them from potential damage.
By being aware of these items and taking appropriate precautions, you can ensure a smooth and safe moving process. Consult with your moving company for any specific guidelines or restrictions they may have regarding the items that should not be loaded into their trucks.
Guns, Ammunition, And Explosives
● Flammable and dangerous items. Movers cannot safely transport the following items: aerosol sprays, oxygen tanks, fire extinguishers, weed killers, pesticides and insecticides, cleaning chemicals, and pool chemicals. Many homeowners have some of these products around their home, so it’s better to be safe than sorry. Dangerous gasses and hazardous chemicals pose a serious risk when in transit. Those who are knowledgeable about packing and storing these products may wish to transport them on their own terms, but under no circumstances should they be loaded onto a moving truck..
● Guns, ammunition, and explosives. If you’re a hunter or firearm enthusiast, you need to understand the value along with the potential threat of your guns, ammo, and hunting equipment. It is important to note that you need to take extra precautions while moving these items to ensure their safety as well as the safety of yourself and others. It is of the utmost importance to abide by the state and federal laws that regulate the transportation of firearms and ammunition. This process should not be taken lightly, and these items should not be thrown in carelessly with the rest of the items you are moving.
● Valuables. When packing for your move, it is important that you keep your most valuable items separate from the items being placed in the moving truck. Items such as jewelry, rare collectibles, and precious metals are not only expensive to replace but can also be easily lost in the process of an interstate move. You never know when an item may arrive at your destination damaged, or not arrive at all. It is best to pack these items yourself and keep them with you so they are never out of sight.
● Food. Prior to moving day, it is important to take as many steps as possible to consume or donate food items. Unfortunately, movers usually object to loading packages that require additional attention, especially when it comes to perishable items. Items that you wish to bring with you, such as unopened non-perishable food, should be sealed and stored in zip-lock bags in order to prevent any spills or leaks. It is best to move these items yourself rather than have them placed in the moving truck.
Fragile And Expensive Items
● Generally speaking, flammable or hazardous materials such as paint, gasoline, kerosene, fireworks, and propane tanks, should not be loaded into a moving truck, as these items can be dangerous and create safety risks for your move. Valuables and anything of high sentimental value will also need to be transported separately from the rest of your belongings in order to ensure their security. You’re likely to also want to carry important documents with you instead of packing them onto the moving truck, as they are irreplaceable.
● Perishable food items are not advised when packing for a move- they can spoil along the way and cause damage. Some perishable items may also require refrigeration, making it unsafe to transport in warmer weather due to potential health hazards. These items often include fresh produce, dairy products, and frozen food. Prior to your move, you can either consume or donate any perishable items so you don’t end up throwing them away.
● Some furniture, like grand pianos, will also need extra care when it comes to packing and transportation. You may want to consider hiring a moving service with specialized equipment and expertise in order to safely transport your large and delicate items. This will help protect them from potential damages during transit. The same applies for fragile and expensive items, such as electronics, artworks, antiques, and jewelry.
Important Personal Documents And Medication
1. People
This might seem obvious, but no one should ever ride in the bed of the truck. This is both illegal and a huge safety issue.
2. Animals, pets, and/or livestock
Similarly, we will never move other living beings like animals, pets, and livestock. Our movers have gotten this request before, but we don’t move animals due to a host of reasons, first of which is that it just isn’t safe for them.
3. Perishable goods / food
Most movers also won’t transport perishable goods and foods. These items should be eaten or disposed of prior to a move. To limit any food waste, we recommend our clients stop purchasing perishable food at least 1 week prior to their move date. Non-perishable food items like canned goods, spices, and the like are fine to transport, as long as they’re properly packed.
4. Weapons
Piece of Cake will also not transport weapons and other dangerous items. These should be personally transported by the individual owner, and in the case of firearms, be properly unloaded, stored, and locked away.
5. Dangerous chemicals, gas, or bio-hazardous materials
You should never transport dangerous chemicals or bio hazardous materials (beyond everyday household cleaning supplies) in a moving truck. This includes things like propane tanks.
6. Valuables, expensive art, and jewelry
Valuables and expensive items like art and jewelry should either be transported by specialty movers or (for non breakable items) [with the owner of items].
7. Important personal documents and medication
Important personal documents and daily medication should be transported [by yourself]. In case there is a delay or issue with your move, you want to ensure you have access to these at any given time.
Irreplaceable Items
You should never load anything onto a truck that’s irreplaceable. Most people imagine that delicate items like china or glassware are a no-go, or high-value items like jewelry or antiques. For the most part, movers do a pretty decent job of moving delicate items, and you’re just as likely to break them as they are.
If you have something irreplacement-like love letters, or printed pictures of your grandparents, or family heirlooms–those are the items you should transport yourself. The concern is not that they’ll be broken–the concern is that they’ll be lost.
Michael Morris
This is a crowdsourced article. Contributors’ statements do not necessarily reflect the opinion of this website, other people, businesses, or other contributors.