How do I pack a pick up of junk for safe travels on the roadways?
Posted by Andy Greider on Wed, Sep 15, 2010 @ 10:43 AM
We all have junk to remove from our lives. Of course, one way to pack safely is to book online with justTRASHit - but if you have a small load you need or want to take yourself, we'd like you to be as safe as possible.
Driving with a load “not properly secured” is never a good or safe idea, and can cost the driver a large fine at a minimum, or potentially harm others as seen in this photo. 
However, loads are often not secured properly by truck drivers traveling on highways, side roads and city streets every single day. People borrow a pickup truck and load it up with items to be moved across town or taken to the dump only to have pieces (small and large) fly out and end up in the roadway, or cause accidents with other vehicles – so how do you prevent this? Here are a few tips that should help reduce the risk of “overload littering” - which accounts for 40% of highway debris:
- While Packing: Always build “walls” on the sides of your truck with things like box springs, bedframes, wooden slats or other tall, thin items, to help allow you to pack inside this type of area. From there, pack heavy on bottom, lighter materials in middle, medium on top, to keep light items from blowing away. Pack boxes, tv’s and other similar items inside the couch space left over to maximize load potential without increasing risks.
- When Packing: Be sure to assemble load so it won’t shift as you begin to move. One way to check before you get on the road. Accelerate forward and then tap brakes hard and see what comes loose. Do same in reverse. If you have items moving at lower speeds, they will certainly do so at higher speeds.
- When Packing: Always take a second trip rather than overpack the space available. Of all accidents, many happen when people overfill and pile on items that then come loose during transport.
- When Packing: Place papers or other loose items in bags and tie them off so these small, singular type items don’t catch the wind and go flying.
- When Packing: Be SURE to use a tarp at most anytime, but especially when you have anything light or loose that is on top. Another option if there isn’t a tarp is to spread a carpet out over the top of the load and tie it down.
- While Route Planning: Stay away from highways when at all possible if you have a load that is a little shifty or loose. In fact, staying away from highways limits the chances of items coming loose, since speed is almost always lowered. Speaking of which…
- While Driving: Be sure to make slow and easy stops and starts as possible. Avoid fast turns and always turn around rather than taking a corner too fast with a large load.
- While Driving: Be careful of low clearances or low hanging branches that could get caught on your load, if you’ve gone higher than the cab of the truck. While unlikely, these oversights can cause major damage to your truck, your load and the vehicles behind you.
- When Planning: Consider using justTRASHit - we handle all the labor, the loading, the gas, the dump fees, the recycling, the donations, the wear and tear on trucks - EVERYTHING that you would have to worry about yourself - and at reasonable prices that will make you smile. Book today.