Know which items you will need first - Make sure the items you will need first, such as kids toys, kitchen items, and telephones are packed together and labeled appropriately. Your driver will load these items last when packing the truck, so they will be first off the truck at your new destination.

Plan for your valuables - Valuables such as securities, furs, jewelry, coin or stamp collections, and legal papers should not be packed on the moving truck.

Appliances - Appliances should be clean, dry, and disconnected for moving day. You are responsible for the disconnection and reconnection of all appliances.

Fine silver - It is best to wrap each piece of silver in a soft cloth or special silver paper to avoid discoloration or tarnishing. Make sure your silver is clean before packing and do not secure it with rubber bands.

Properly box large pictures and mirrors - These items need to be packed in special cartons for safety. Wrapping mirrors or pictures in moving pads or blankets, places these items at risk for damage. These boxes are available for purchase prior to your move. Each AAA truck, however, is equipped with a small supply of picture boxes available for purchase on the day of the move.

Storage equipment - Before moving equipment stored in your garage or storage shed, make sure it is clean and in sound condition. Drain garden hoses and clean out flower and plant containers. Gasoline powered equipment, lawn mowers, motorcycles, weed eaters, etc. must be emptied of all fuel and oil. Propane or other equipment must be purged.

Plan ahead - Decide what you will need the first day after your move. Packing a separate bag with your toiletries, a change of clothes, etc. will prevent unnecessary scrambling or a run to the local store.

WHAT NOT TO PACK

At AAA Moving & Storage, we want to make sure that items are safely delivered to your destination. We use a safety first method to assure that our employee’s and your belongings are well taken care of in a professional manner. It is dangerous and illegal to pack and move hazardous materials. Heat from the sun can raise temperatures inside a closed moving van to well over 150 degrees. Any article which may become explosive is prohibited from being placed in your shipment.

The following items should not be packed:

Corrosives - household cleaners, acids, liquid plumber and car or boat batteries.

Explosives - ammunition, bullets, flares, fireworks and detonators.

Flammable Liquids - gasoline, lighter fluid, paint, paint thinner, glue, kerosene, acetone (includes nail polish remover), tar remover, turpentine, lacquer remover, alcohol and lamp oils.

Flammable Solids - matches and fuel tablets.

Gases - either pressured or liquefied, propane tanks, oxygen, helium, household fuel, aerosol cans, paint cleaner and butane lighters.

Liquids - wine, beer and alcohol.

Oxidizers - bleach, disinfectants, organic peroxides, fertilizers, pool chemicals and chlorine in any form.

Poisons - pesticides, herbicides, fumigants and photographic chemicals.

Aerosol cans - any aerosol can including but not limited to hair spray, shaving cream, deodorants, insecticides, cleaning products, spray starch, spray paint

Additional Items - any other items that might be susceptible to combustion, like oily rags and charcoal, should not be packed for shipping.

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