Advantage Makes Renting A Moving Van Easy

Summer has finally arrived Moving season is here, we have reached the precious few months in southern Ontario where you can move your belonging to a new home without having to worry about blizzards or a downfall of rain. While moving can be a fun and exciting time it is always important to take the right precautions while loading and driving your rented moving van from Advantage!

Below is a list of a few tips to get your treasured belongings onto the road and into your new house.

Keep Your Belongings Safe And Organised

Before you even start loading the truck you should make sure that everything is packed in sealed boxes and not in open containers or just thrown around inside the truck. Using old newspaper is a great way pack fragile items but for your truly important items, it is worth it to buy a roll of bubble wrap.

Old blankets and towels are great for covering furniture so nothing rubs against anything else, leaving marks. Any furniture that can be disassembled should be and then stored together with the smaller parts in bags so they do not get lost.

Something most of us have learned the hard way is that labels are your best friend while moving. There is nothing worse than trying to find the plates so everyone can have some lunch only to have to dig through every box until you finally reach the kitchenware.

Properly Loading The Truck

This is by far the most important part of renting a moving truck. Not only is it incredibly dangerous to have unsecured boxes and furniture in the back of a truck or van but it can also make a mess and potentially damage items if you have to make a quick stop. Tie-down straps can be purchased at any hardware store and are relatively cheap for the amount of hassle they save.

At Advantage Car and Truck Rentals all of our moving trucks and vans have slots and tie-down hoops along the sides and on the floor and it is certainly in your best interest to use them, the little extra effort can save your belongings from unwanted damage.

When loading the truck, try to load the truck room by room and put the things you will need while moving in last so they are accessible as soon as you reach your new home.

Driving The Truck

Preparing to drive a rental moving van or truck can seem intimidating but it is really quite easy as long as you a vigilant. All of our Trucks and Vans are brand new 2017 models, as such, the trucks drive like a regular pickup truck. The steering is more responsive than the vans of even five years ago, the acceleration is smooth and not at all jumpy and the brakes are tight.

Just remember these vehicles are heavy, especially when they are full so always put extra space between you and the car in front of you in case you need to come to a sudden stop. When approaching stop signs, start breaking a little before you need to so you ensure a smooth stop that doesn’t knock your belongings around in the back.

Our Moving Vans come with backup cameras with a display that pops up in the rearview mirror that has little guidelines to show you where you will go as you turn the wheel in addition to backup alarms that beep if you are getting close to backing into something. While these are great parking assist features nothing beats using your own eyes and the best way to backup a large vehicle is to have someone help guide you from outside the vehicle.

Returning the Truck

You’re going to want to make sure you have taken everything out of the van and not forgotten anything, always make sure to check under the seats and in the overhead storage of the cab section for misplaced items.

When you drop off the van, make sure the gas tank is full to avoid having to pay a refilling fee. A rental associate will go over the van with you to look for any damages incurred during your rental.

Advantage Car and Truck Rentals makes moving easy, remember to book early as the beginning and end of each month is the busiest time for Van and Moving Truck Rentals.