Tips For a Stress Free Moving Day

Your Moving Day Check List

Moving day can be a stressful time.  Follow this check list to help make moving day as smooth and stress free as possible.

✔ Sort your home.  Start early.  Don't pack things you don't want just because it's easier.  Go through each room individually throwing away the trash and filtering things that may be good for a charity like the Salvation Army or Goodwill.  You can even have a garage sale to try and make some extra cash for the  moving process.

✔ Create a moving folder or list.  Use this folder to keep track of all your paperwork with the moving company and the list of things that you'll be packing and labeling.


✔ Choose your trucking facility, movers or packaging company.  There are several different options when moving your home.  Aside from the traditional moving companies large items can be moved via freight.  You can receive quotes for this at www.FreightCenter.com.  Additionally, FreigthCenter get you grate rates with companies like YouCrate.  They drop off crates, you fill and they pick up.  This can be an easy alternative to moving the items yourself or paying for expensive movers.

✔ Schedule a service transfer.  Schedule the transfer of your cable, internet, home phone, lawn or pool service or any other services you may have attached to your home.  Also make sure to contact your children's school and fill out the necessary transfer paperwork.  And of course don't forget to transfer your mail.  This can be done online in a few easy steps on the USPS Website.

✔ Take measurements.  Nothing is worse than trying to fit a king sized bed up a narrow staircase or dragging a refrigerator around back just to get it through the door.  Measure the doorways of your new home and be prepared for the large items in your home.

✔ Purchase moving supplies.  Purchase boxes, tape, bubble wrap, moving straps, permanent markets, foam padding and of course a dolly!

✔ Separate valuable items.  Seperate personal items such as pass ports, birth certificiates, deeds, jewlrey and paperwork.  Put these items in a special box and transport them in your personal vehicle.

✔ Start packing! Be specific with your labeling and label everything that is fragile.  Also make sure you separate a few  boxes that will have the necessities the day you move.  Children's items, toiletries, clothes and  a few kitchen items for a start. Click here to view great tips on moving heavy furniture safely.

✔Clear a path.  Make it safe and easy for you or your movers to walk in and out of your home.  Remove rugs or items near the doorways.

✔ Double check every room.  Make a clean sweep of the house make sure to double check your yard, the attic, underneath the stairs, or any other crevice that may be hiding things after years of living.

Happy Moving!

What to Pack for your College Dorm and How to Move it!

Packing for College? Moving Dorm to Dorm?
Check out this list of things to bring and easy ways to get you there.

If you haven't visited your room check with the housing department and determine the exact dimensions of your room.  Also, before you pack double check with your school's dorm policies.  Find out which appliances are allowed and how much you'll be able to decorate your own room.  

You may want to contact your new roommates and find out what they'll be bringing. You may not need two mini fridges if there's only room for one! 

Make your Checklist!
Here are a few of the things we think you may need. Remember to consolidate though, you'll have much less space here than you did at home!

Bedroom Supplies

• Alarm clock
• Lamps
• Blankets
• Comforter
• Hangers
• Iron and ironing board
• Laundry bag/basket
• Laundry detergent 
• Pillows
• Sheets and pillow cases
• Towels

Desk and School Supplies

This list could go on for quite some time.  Bring the necessities and learn what else you need during your first week of classes.

• Desk lamp
• Dictionary and thesaurus
• Flash drive or USB drive
• Highlighters
• Notebooks 
• Pens and pencils
• Planner/assignment book
• Post-it notes
• Printer paper and toner
• Trash can

Electronics

• CDs and  DVDs
• Computer/laptop
• DVD player
• iPod or mp3 player
• Printer
• Surge protector and extension cords
• TV

Toiletries

You know your basics, but also don't forget things like bandades and Tylenol.

Move Your Stuff!

The actual  dorm or apartment move can be done very easily using a a service called You Crate.  Depending on the size of your dorm space or apartment your moving You Crate offers two different sized crates to fit your needs.  Click Here to get a free You Crate Quote!

HOW You Crate Works?

1. They drops off an empty crate & you fill it up.


2. They pick it up, store it if you’d like.


3. They drop it where you’d like & you empty it.


4. They pick it back up and take it away.


1. The Cube
   Space:45" x 45" x 46"
   Capacity:53.9 cubic feet
   
   
   What will it fit?
   Smaller boxes of bedroom items
   Dorm room or small apartment move
   Washer or dryer
   Kitchenware-plates/pots/pans
   Dishwasher
   Scooter or bicycle
   
   
   The Tower
   Space:45" x 45" x 74
   Capacity:85.7 cubic feet
   
   
   What will it fit?
   Wardrobe closet or chest of drawers
   Refrigerator or oven/stove
   Entertainment/media center
   Outdoor equipment
   Bookshelf
   
   
   Click Here to get a free You Crate Quote!
   
   Good Luck with your move!
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Packaging A Shipment For Shipping Standard Freight

Have you ever called up a shipping company an asked for a freight shipping quote? Were you excited to get your shipment going until you were asked how the freight is packaged?  Alll freight on an LTL truck needs to be packaged in one of three ways.

When getting ready to make a puchase of something that needs to be shipped on a standard freight truck, make sure you have a packaging plan.  This guide will explain how items need to be prepared for shipping, along with the pros and cons of each method of packaging.

One of the most common forms of packaging is palletizing. A pallet is a platform that something can be strapped to and moved with a fork-lift or pallet jack. The most common size pallet is 48(L) x 40(W), but there are plenty of different size pallets to use. The idea is to make sure the item is not hanging over the sides of the pallet, and not higher than 8 feet. Also, the freight needs to be fastened to the pallet without blocking the area where the forklift enters the pallet. With more delicate items, it is a good idea to wrap the pallet with cardboard for added protection.

Another  method of preparing a freight shipment would be crating. A crate could be made of wood, metal, or plastic, and has sides and a top. Many crates are built by using a pallet as the base for the crate. This is probably the easiest way to make a crate. The most important thing to remember when making your own crate is to make sure the crate can be moved by fork-lift or pallet jack. Crates can also be purchased or made by a crating service. Shipping a crated item is the safest method by far.

The least protective method for shipping would be putting something in a cardboard box. Although this way of packaging is acceptable for shipping, it is not very safe. This would be considered the minimal amount of protection given. The entire item needs to be enclosed in heavy duty cardboard or the freight carriers will not even pick it up.

Remember, the purpose of packaging freight correctly is to help eliminate damage, not to make it harder for you to ship. Shipping freight on an LTL (less than a load) truck is not like putting something on a moving truck, it does not remain on one truck the whole way. From the time your freight is picked up it will be moved onto a minimum of two trailers, with a potential of being on as many as six or seven throughout transit. With all this loading and unloading, there are many opportunities for incurring damage. Good luck and happy shipping!