How to Pack a Moving Truck for Kamloops Storage or Moving – Use Plenty of Packing Supplies and These 10 Tips

How to Pack a Moving Truck for Kamloops Storage or Moving – Use Plenty of Packing Supplies and These 10 Tips

If you’ve rented a moving truck, or are packing your own truck or van, to move things to our Kamloops storage facility, you’ll need some packing supplies, moving boxes and a little know-how. The art of truck packing is simple to learn if you follow a few basic rules. Foremost in your mind should be the safety of your belongings. Packing a truck properly also maximizes space, so you’ll make fewer trips and spend less on the truck rental time and fuel costs.

Packing and Moving Supplies for Truck Loading

  • Moving boxes
  • Packing tape
  • Bubble wrap and packing paper
  • Tie-down straps or rope
  • Moving blankets or other padding
  • Poly sheets (painting poly drop cloths work nicely)

Most rental trucks will supply moving blankets and tie-down straps. Visit our Valleyview Mini Storage office for packing supplies in Kamloops, We stock many sizes of boxes, packing tape, bubble wrap and packing paper.

Basics of Packing for Moving to Storage or Moving to a New Location

  1. Pack moving boxes snugly
    This first step requires plenty of packing supplies. Before you begin loading the truck, ensure you’ve packed moving boxes properly, wrapping fragile items in bubble wrap or packing paper, filling voids with packing paper, and labelling boxes with contents and room name. Read “Tips for Packing Boxes for Your Kamloops Move”.
  2. Disassemble large furniture when possible
    Disassembling furniture will save your back and space in the truck – particularly for cumbersome items such as bed frames and large tables with legs. Keep the small parts of disassembled items (screws, nuts, bolts etc.) together in a bag and tape them to the furniture to which they belong. Label the bag just in case it becomes separated from the furniture.
  3. Protect textiles such as couch seats, backs and pillows with poly sheets or cling wrap.
    Moving trucks, particularly the floors, can be dirty! Lay tarp or plastic sheets on the floor and wrap items in poly (or plastic cling wrap) to prevent dirt or oil from damaging belongings.
  4. Cover your assets!
    Stop by Valleyview Mini Storage and gather enough packing supplies to protect your belongings. Protect furniture and appliances with truck blankets; protect pictures and artwork with bubble wrap or thick layers of packing paper; and, wrap pointed or sharp objects (such as bed frame parts) in blankets or bubble wrap.
  5. Load heavy items toward the front of the truck.
    Load heavy items at the front of the truck (nearest the cab) to avoid a back-heavy load, which makes the vehicle unstable and harder to steer when driving. Load appliances first, then furniture. Drape or wrap and tape moving blankets around furniture and appliances to avoid scratches and dents. Tie down the load using truck straps. Most moving trucks have strap slots at each side.
  6. Fill voids above the heavier items
    Once you’ve loaded heavy items, look at spaces left above furniture and appliances. Fill these spaces with items that won’t topple. You can pack moving boxes on top of appliances or furniture that have a flat surface (remember to use padding when necessary!). Fill oddly shaped spaces with smaller boxes or softer items (provided you wrap them in plastic) such as couch seats and pillows.The first “row” of heavy items at the front of the truck may seem unstable, but if you tightly pack and then strap each successive row, leaving no large voids between rows, the load will be secure.
  7. Load rows with heavy moving boxes on the bottom
    Load rows from floor to ceiling with the heaviest, strongest boxes on the bottom. If you are stacking three rows high, secure the second and top row with straps. Always keep an eye out for sharp objects (bed frames and curtain rods, for example) that may mark or damage adjacent items.
  8. Tightly pack and stack!
    Continue moving boxes into the truck and stacking them in rows and columns (as best you can).
  9. Fill empty spaces with smaller or soft items
    Fill spaces beneath tables, chairs and other furniture with smaller boxes, soft items such as pillows, blankets, rolled rugs and throw rugs.
  10. Strap the last row
    The last row is the key to stabilizing the load. If strapped securely, all successive rows behind it will be more stable and the load won’t shift or be jostled when driving. You can never use enough straps – more is better for that last row!

Get Packing Supplies and Moving Boxes from Kamloops’ #1 Storage Company!

Valleyview Mini Storage in Kamloops carries packing and moving supplies – whether you are moving your belongings  into storage or to a new location. Contact us if you have any questions.