The Moving Planner Blog

When you’re moving an office or switching houses it can be very tempting to take the do-it-yourself approach. After all, the packers and movers do a relatively straightforward job, right? All you need to do is rent a truck, put all your stuff in it, and drive it to the new location. In theory the truck rental method is simple. However, nothing as complex as moving is ever all that straightforward. There are some pretty compelling reasons not to hire a truck yourself:

1. Professional movers have professional drivers. The handling on a big truck full of heavy goods is very different to what most car drivers will be used to. Visibility is dramatically reduced and you’ll take up a lot more space, both when moving on the road and when parking. Trucks need to allow far more braking time and they find it harder to overtake slow vehicles.

2. Not all roads are suitable for trucks. Do you know where the low bridges are? We’ve all shaken our heads at the YouTube videos of amateur truck drivers misjudging bridge height but the sheer number of those videos just shows how frequently this kind of accident happens. A moving company will (or at least, they really should) know where low bridges are and the best routes to avoid them. They also know when to follow the GPS navigation system and when to ignore it- turn a truck down a narrow lane and you could easily get stuck.

3. Trucks break down. If you hire a moving company it’s their truck and their responsibility. Just rent a truck and it’s your problem. You might also be liable for the expenses incurred to get it to a garage and fix it- ouch! Always check the fine print on the rental contract if you do decide to hire.

4. When you’re comparing costs between renting a truck and getting professional movers to ship your goods across town or interstate, remember that gas prices are very high right now. That’s going to add a significant amount to your rental bill, especially on longer trips.

5. Movers do much more than just drive your stuff to a new office or a new house. They’ll also lift and carry heavy furniture and big boxes for you. What’s more, they know how to do that safely, without straining their backs. Shifting all the boxes down to the truck and back out into their new locations can be a huge job and having professional help reduces the possibility of accident or injury. If you’re moving interstate you will almost certainly be tired when you get to your new home. The last thing you want is a couple of hours of heavy lifting.

6. Professionals also understand how to pack a truck. They’ll make sure nothing will fall over or shift in transit. In most cases, breakages will be covered by an insurance policy. If you rent your own truck, there won’t be an insurance policy to fall back on if something does get damaged along the way.