If you’ve rented a truck for your upcoming move, you’ve undoubtedly saved yourself hundreds of dollars from the usual full-service move. But now that you’ve rented the truck, it’s crucial to know how to pack the truck up correctly; otherwise, you can find yourself with a lot of damage when you open its doors. Here are some tips that can help you pack up your belongings correctly, without causing any damage during the trip.

Load up the appliances and other heavy items

Load up the heavy items into the truck before anything else. This includes such things refrigerators, stoves, washing machines and dryers, as well as sofas and other huge furniture (excluding beds). Once in the truck, these items should be placed closest to the truck’s cab.

Beds and other furniture

Next, load up the mattresses and box springs. Place them alongside the sides of the truck. Also include any bedroom furniture and any other type of furniture. But make sure to place furniture padding around the items to prevent scratches during the move. And with the bed frames, it’s best to dissemble before loading into the truck (saves space). Keep any screws or bolts in a separate bag and label it, so that when you’re ready to assemble, you won’t have to search madly for the missing parts. Again, place padding around the bed frames to prevent scratching.

Boxes

The majority of belongings will be packed in boxes. Place the bigger boxes first into the truck, and then continue loading the truck, from bigger to smaller, with the smaller boxes placed on top of the bigger boxes. But make sure to place the boxes in unused spaces first, such as on top of the appliances and furniture. Just ensure that the boxes are secure and will not fall during the move. If needed, you might have to rope off areas so that the boxes don’t fall down.

Fragile items

To limit any damage to fragile items like collectibles and your fine china, place these items on the truck last. And of course make sure that they are tightly secured.