Moving Tips, Information
& Links
Here is some
helpful information to help make your relocation experience less
stressful.
- How To Pack For Your
Move
- Specialized Packing
Tips
- How To Hold A Moving
Sale
- Storage In Transit
- Check
out the Atlas Van Lines Interchange.
- ABC is a member of The
American Moving & Storage Association
- Contacts at ABC
How To Pack For Your Move
Selecting Your Packing Material
When selecting packing material for your goods, use only
strong, corrugated cartons with covers. Boxes, wrapping
paper and
tissue paper available from different sources. For
a nominal fee,
ABC can supply the best quality materials and specially
made cartons
for
all household goods including mattresses, clothing
and mirrors. The added protection for mover-provided
cartons may help
avoid damage
that results from use of poorer quality materials.
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The Work Area and More
After you collect your materials, select a work area of sufficient
space to handle various size cartons. A strong table
with a protective cover will save you time
and frustration during the packing process. (We suggest you not use
your good dining room table.) Keep your marking pens, tape,
scissors and twine conveniently
nearby. Spread a neatly stacked, generous amount of packing paper
flat on your table.
-Pack one room at a
time. It will help when time to unpack arrives.
-Pack a couple
of cartons a day. Starting well ahead of the move, and watch
how easy packing becomes.
-Mark all boxes, designation
room and box number. Your cart identification log should show
the
number of
boxes packed
per room, and the total number
of cartons
packed. You may want to leave space in your log for a “special
comments” section
to note carton conditions or location of high value goods.
-Be
sure to have plenty of “filling” material available.
When in doubt, use more rather than less.
-Take extra care
to make sure the bottoms of all cartons are secured and
will hold the weight of the contents. Packing
tape
or gummed
tape is better
than masking
tape.
Always pack heavier
items toward the bottom of the box and lighter items
toward the top. Try to maintain a per-box
weight
of 50
pounds or less.
A general rule
on carton size – the heavier the item,
the smaller the carton.
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Packing
Methods
Dish ware
1. Select a
medium sized carton and line the bottom with crumpled packing
paper
2. With packing paper stacked neatly in place on
the work table, center plate on paper
3. Grasp a corner of several sheets of packing
paper and pull the paper over the plate until
the sheets
completely cover
the plate.
Stack second
plate
on first and, moving clockwise, grasp a second
corner and
pull sheets over the second
plate.
4. Stack third plate. Grasp remaining tow corners,
folding two sheets of each corner (one at a time)
over the plate.
5. Turn your wrapped stack of plates upside down
onto your packing paper.
6. Re-wrap entire bundle: start with one corner
of packing paper and pull two sheets
over the bundle; cover bundle
with next
corner, then
the third
corner;
and finally the fourth.
7. Seal the bundle with packing tape.
8. Place the bundle of dishware in a medium sized
box (or dishpack) so that the plates
are standing on edge.
Use this technique
on all saucers, bread and
butter dishes and other dishware. When
packing smaller
dishes, you
choose to stack
in greater
quantity.
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Cups
1. With packing
paper in place on the work table, position one cup six to eight
inches from one
of the corners.
2. Now pull the near corner of the paper up and
over the cup.
3. Then nest a second cup directly on top,
with handle to left (second cup should “nest” itself
in packing paper folded over the
bottom cups.)
4. Pull your two side corners up and over
one at a time and tuck corners inside the
top cup.
5. Hold bottom and top cups in position and
roll cups to the remaining corner. Fragile
mixing
bowls may be
rolled
in the
same manner.
6. Store cups in the upright position, near
the top of your box. Do not stack
heavy items on
top of the
cups.
More delicate cups, like china, should be
wrapped on at a time. Antique glass
or china should
be stuffed with crumpled
tissue
and wrapped
one at a time.
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Glassware
and Stemware
1. Glass and stemware
should be stuffed with crumpled tissue or packing paper before
wrapping.
2. Lay glass or stemware on the corner
of the packing paper and roll it one
or two
full rotations
(depending
on size);
pull sides
of packing
paper
up
and over
the glass/stemware and continue rolling
to the far corner. Corrugated paper
rolls or
cellular boxes
may be used
for added protection.
3. Glasses and stemware should be placed
toward the top of your box.
Heavier items ( dishware,
pitchers,
etc.)
should
be placed
toward
the bottom of
the box. Very delicate glassware
and stemware should be placed in an upright
position,
not on their sides.
As you pack
each layer of a box, use crumpled packing paper to assure
a
snug fit wherever
there’s a gap. All boxes
that contain “fragile” items
should be so marked.
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Specialized Packing
Tips
Appliances
and Utensils:
Wrap and place small appliances and utensils in
sturdy cartons
with heavier items
on the bottom.
Have an authorized
serviceman
prepare
all larger appliances (refrigerator,
stove, freezer, washer, dryer,
etc.) for moving.
Be sure to defrost,
clean and
dry applicable appliances before
movers
arrive.
Barbeque
Grills and Propane Tanks: Wrap grates and briquettes separately
in newspaper
(or
place briquettes
in a grocery
bag) and place parts
in carton. Pad carton
with paper to reduce movement
of contents. Propane tanks must be
purged and tagged
before the move.
Consult your
local gas
grill
distributor for the
safest method.
Bedding: Fold and
pack all pillowcases, sheets, and blankets in a clean,
medium-sized, 3
cu. Ft. carton
and large
pillows in a
large,
4 cu.
Ft. carton. Beds will be
dismantled by ABC and set up
in your new home. Mattresses,
when
requested,
will
be placed
in special cartons
by the mover. You
can help protect
mattresses by
covering them with old sheets
or mattress covers.
Books: Pack
in small cartons on edge. Alternate bindings.
Don’t
overload cartons. (A good
general rule of thumb is
to limit individual
carton weight
to 50 pounds.)
Bureau Drawers: Don’t overload. Too
heavy a load in drawers
can cause damage or bureau
to
move. Remove firearms and
any items
that might break or
leak. Firearms,
along with serial numbers,
must be registered with
ABC before the move.
Cars
and Motorcycles: Cars
and motorcycles shipped
on the moving
van should
be drained nearly empty
of fuel.
Motorcycle
batteries
should
be disconnected.
Automobile
anti-freeze should be
ample to protect against severe
cold weather.
Flammables
and Combustibles: Flammable
liquids and aerosols
must not be packed. Changes
in temperature
and
pressure can cause
them to leak, or
even explode. For
your own protection,
you should know that if you
pack these
items and
they cause
damage to your
shipment or others,
you, not
your mover,
may be held liable.
Medicines: Seal caps with masking tape.
Wrap and
pack upright
in small cartons.
Some prescription
drugs,
such as insulin,
lose their
potency
if exposed to
heat. Check with
your pharmacist before transporting
with
your shipment. ABC
recommends that you
carry all medications
with
you.
Mirror,
Paintings and Pictures: Tell
your
representative
about valuable
paintings for special
care.
Wrap small mirrors,
pictures, paintings
and frames in unprinted newspaper or paper
pads
(available from
ABC) and place on edge
in cartons or
mirror
cartons.
Never
place printed newspaper
directly against
paintings. Large
wall or dresser
mirrors will be taken down
by the movers
and placed in special
cartons.
Personal
Computers and Diskettes: Pack computer
equipment in
its original
cartons when available.
Otherwise, use
strong, corrugated
cartons and
place protective
padding on the
bottom
of
the carton. Be
sure your hard
drive
is “parked” and
ready for transport
(newer models
may not require “parking”).
Wrap an old blanket
or protective
pad around the
item
and place it
in its carton.
Place additional
padding between
the carton and
the computer.
Wrap
cords separately;
label to identify
usage and place
in a plastic
bag away from
delicate
surfaces.
Non-detachable
cords should
also be wrapped.
Place
cords between
the padded computer
and the carton.
Computer
diskettes
can be wrapped
in tissue paper
and
placed
in a small
carton. Do
not pack any
magnetized
items such as radios,
batteries,
computer equipment,
etc. with your
diskettes.
It could erase your
data.
If you choose
to include
them with
you shipment,
ABC recommends
that
you make
a back
up copy of the diskettes
containing
important
information and
hand-carry
to your
destination. The inside
of the
trailer gets
very warm,
especially
in the
summer. Since
diskettes
are
heat sensitive,
shipping
them
is at your
own risk.
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How To Hold
A Moving
Sale
Why
Hold A Moving
Sale?
You’re
about
to
relocate.
Now’s
a
good
time
to
sort
through
the
items
in
your
home
to
determine
what
will
or
will
not
be
going
with
you.
Look
for
goods
you
no
loner
use,
have
outgrown
or
could
easily
replace
at
you
new
home.
Remember,
what
may
seem
worthless
to
you
is
another
person’s
treasure.
Ask
each
family
member
to
list
eligible
items,
and
then
compile
a “master” list.
If
there
aren’t
many
items,
you
may
want
to
ask
some
friends
or
relatives
to
participate
in
your
moving
sale
with
you.
You’ll
reduce
the
weight
of
your
shipment
and
provide
yourself
with
some
additional
funds,
as
well.
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When
to Have
a Moving
Sale?
Set
a time,
date and
place as
soon as
you can.
There’s
little time
left between
now and when
you move. Saturdays
are usually preferred
days for moving
sales. (Be sure
to avoid holiday
weekends.) Also
establish a rain
date at this
time if necessary.
Determine the hours
for the sale.
For example, 9:00am
to 4:00pm or
10:00am to 5:00pm.
Or, choose an earlier
starting time.
Many shoppers
like to come
early.
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Where To Hold The Moving
Sale
Select the location
(address) for the sale. Check with local authorities about restrictions
for garage sales in the neighborhood
you choose. Decide if the
sale will be in the garage, yard or basement. Be sure there is ample space
for both parking and people movement when making these decisions.
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Top
Publicizing The Sale
Contact
your local paper – Classified Ads. Find out:
1. Cost of
one column ad for “x” inches. (State if you prefer
that the ad run Friday and Saturday or Saturday only.)
2. How may words will that space permit?
3. What is the additional cost for a bold heading?
4. How soon should you send or call in the ad?
A suggested one-inch
ad might be: MOVING SALE TODAY! Queen size sofa/sleeper, children’s
toys & clothing, dishes, and more. May 3, 7:00am to 5:00pm,
1250 Morgan Ave.
Another publicity technique
is to display signs in neighborhood stores, noting in large letters
type of sale,
time, date and place.
Finally, you’ll
want to place signs in high-traffic spots on the day
of the sale with the
general information above and arrows giving directions
to the sale.
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Set Up For The Sale
1. Look at your
list of items for sale. Determine prices and place tags
in easy-to-see
locations. Remember to use
identification
codes if more
than
one family is
involved. Keep in mind that some items may not
sell at your asking
price, so be prepared to negotiate.
2. Start saving shopping bags and cartons to make it convenient
for customers to buy in quantities.
3. Bundle or package all sets so that the customer can
easily see what he is getting.
4. Set up the yard, garage or basement so that all “for sale” items
will be separate from items not for sale.
5. Display items in groups according to kind.
6. Prepare a cashier’s desk with a cash box, change and calculator.
7. Assign everyone a responsibility for the day: cashier,
clerk, sacker and carry-out.
Now you’re
ready for your sale!
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Storage in
Transit
Secure, temporary warehousing
lets you schedule delivery at your convenience.
If you need to
delay delivery of your interstate shipment temporarily, you
can take advantage of
the Storage-In-Transit
(S.I.T) service.
When you request that
your shipment be placed in S.I.T., the benefits of moving with
ABC are
extended
to storage.
S.I. T.
offers you
transit storage
for up
to 180 days (that’s a full six months) – ample
time for locating or taking possession of your
new residence. Your goods can be stored safely
at either the origin warehouse or destination
warehouse. Talk with your move
coordinator about your storage needs. With
a thorough understanding of your storage needs,
your move coordinator can assess options available
and recommend
the best to suit your needs.
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Contacts
at ABC:
Customer
Service
National
Account Coordinator
Claims
Department
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