Nine moving tips for renting trucks

Here are nine moving tips for renting a truck for the big move or mondo DIY project. First one: The last time most people drove a big rental truck loaded with their furniture or a ton of pavers was… never.

If you drive a pick-up truck or van in your daily life, you have a leg up. You’re used to using mirrors and backing up ‘blind.’ If you’re just hopping behind the wheel, driving a mega-mover is a LOT different than driving a car.

-Mirrors When driving a truck, from pick-up, to Lowe’s flatbed, to a 26-foot box truck, Mark’s moving tips # 1: mirrors are your best friend. Take time to adjust them for the best view. I like to see down the side of the truck and fully into the lane on both sides. Check them in a parking lot before you drive into traffic to look for blind spots.

-Backing Up The WRONG time to practice backing up is when you HAVE to. Take a crack at it in a parking lot where the only thing you can hit is paint on the pavement. And if you can, plan ahead so you don’t have to back up at all.

-Helper The bigger the rig, the harder it is to see everything behind you. Even dialed-in mirrors only show so much detail. A helper—or spotter—can see if you’re an inch or a foot away from the fence post or your neighbor’s Beemer. Roll down the window so you can hear them when they scream STOOOOP! And to be all truck-driving official, a raised fist means stop. NOW.

-Turn Radius A moving van doesn’t turn quite as sharply as a smaller vehicle. Even a pick-up truck has a wider turn radius than a car. Keep your eyes front turning out of the driveway, but sneak a look in the mirror on the same side of the vehicle you’re turning towards to make sure your hosta won’t be tattooed with tire tread.

-Drive Slow-er But not so slow you become a hazard. Trucks can take longer to decelerate than cars, especially when loaded with deck boards, pavers or what used to be in your house. And one of my personal moving tips (based on being a Type A driver) is this: DO NOT linger in the passing lane of the highway. And drive predictably. I like to leave 2-car lengths between me and the car in front of me. Use the directional when changing lanes or turning. Give others time to react to your moves. 

-Contents May Shift Use ratchet straps or 1/4-inch nylon line if you know some cool knots like a bowline and truckers’ hitch. Stuff blowing away or getting crushed is just as bad as crashing into stuff.

-Tolls Your E-Z Pass or other electronic toll reader is in your car. Blowing through the toll lane will cost you.

-Enjoy it And last on my list of truck renting and moving tips, try to enjoy it. Moving furniture pretty much universally stinks, but if you’re an overgrown kid, getting behind the wheel of a big rig can be fun. And give your kids a ride. They’ll remember the day their toys became real.

Mark

A licensed contractor, tool expert, wood and outdoor enthusiast, and elite Spartan Race competitor, he writes about home improvement and tools for national magazines and websites, and teaches hands-on clinics for other remodeling professionals. Check out his book, The Carpenter's Notebook.

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