Unloading The Moving Truck: Three Tips To Prevent Accidents And Inefficiency

By the time you pull into your new home with all of your possessions in the moving truck, the hard part is over. You successfully packed and loaded the truck, and you made it to your new place without getting in an accident! But there's one more challenge remaining: getting all of your things into your new home. Unpacking the moving truck may not be the hardest part of moving, but it is a chore that deserves your careful attention. Here are four tips to prevent accidents and inefficiency during this last big phase of your move.

Have someone hand boxes out of the truck.

The more times you have to jump up and down from the back of the moving truck, the greater the chances of you injuring yourself while doing so. It's a lot safer to have one person stand in the back of the moving truck and hand boxes down to everyone else who remains standing on the ground. When it comes time to move the furniture, use the ramp -- and make sure you go down the ramp facing forwards, not backwards, as you are less likely to trip this way.

Set everything well inside the door.

If you start stacking boxes and other items close to the door once you get them inside of the home, you'll have to navigate around them as you bring in additional items. It's easier to move items well into the home -- perhaps into a back bedroom or hallway -- and then work your way forward towards the door as you unload additional items. If your boxes are labeled with the rooms they go in, you could also take them directly to those rooms as you unload them, which will simplify things when you unpack later on.

Take breaks. By this phase of the move, you are probably pretty tired. You may be tempted to just power through the unloading process so you can finally be done. But taking breaks is important. You're less likely to drop something heavy on your foot, tumble down the stairs, or get into other accidents when you're giving yourself the rest you deserve. If you plan on drinking a beer or some wine, wait until you're completely done unloading the truck to celebrate. Tired people, alcohol, and heavy furniture don't mix well.

Maintain a clear path from the truck into the home.

Don't let anyone set things down in this path. If it is cold and snowy outside, put down some salt and sand to reduce slipping. It's hard to see what's beneath your feet when you're carrying a big box, so following these precautions helps minimize slipping.