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Moving Truck Driving Tips
If you have a smaller move or don’t want to spend the money to hire movers, you might be better off moving yourself. One obstacle in moving yourself is actually driving the moving truck from your old apartment to your new residence. Here are some tips for getting you, the moving truck, and all your worldly possessions from Point A to Point B safely.
Try to get the smallest moving truck you need
Not only will you save money on the rental, you’ll have less trouble calculating how much more space you need around the truck, as compared to the car you’re used to.
Get comfortable with the controls before you drive
Take a few minutes before you hit the road to locate and get familiar with all the moving truck’s controls. Make sure to adjust the mirrors to compensate for the lack of a rear-view mirror. (And while manual-transmission moving trucks are rare, if you’ve never driven stick-shift before, your moving day is not the day to learn.)
Pack for security
Load heavier boxes first, towards the front of the truck, so they have less room to move if you have to hit the brakes suddenly. Pack the truck as full as you can, and strap or tie down items that might shift around. This is to both minimize the possibility that the weight of your goods could shift from one side to the other, and to keep the sounds of your stuff falling from distracting you as you’re driving.
Keep your height in mind
Most highway bridges are built to allow 18-wheelers to pass underneath safely. However, especially if you’re driving in older or more rural areas, keep an eye out for low-hanging bridges that might pose a problem for your truck.
Drive very, very conservatively
Slow and steady wins the race. Be sure when driving your moving truck to practice safe driving techniques.
- Always use your turn signals.
- Leave plenty of room between you and the car in front of you. Tailgating is a bad idea when you’re driving a much bulkier vehicle than usual.
- Do not pass on hills, on curves, on two-lane roads, or going more than 40 miles per hour.
- If you don’t think you can keep up with traffic, it’s better to put on your hazard lights than to speed up.
Don’t back up if you don’t have to
If you park in a parking lot, find a space where you can drive through to the adjacent space and thus exit facing forward.
Turn the wheels while parking
When parking, turn your wheels away from the curb if the truck is parked uphill, towards the curb if the truck is parked downhill. And don’t forget the emergency brake!
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