Using your personal vehicle for work or other projects can come with various challenges. Essentially, you don’t want to damage the family vehicle or the wheels you use on dates. The vehicle accessories you’ll need will depend on what you’re driving and the type of cargo you need to haul.
Having the right car or truck is only part of it. Get familiar with these tried-and-true tips for moving items with your personal vehicle, or else you could break something or loose objects from your truck altogether. Keep safety and security in mind when packing your car up for any trip.
Pack Your Vehicle Efficiently
The main thing you want to remember when packing is to put the heavy items on the bottom and in the back. When loading a truck bed, this means that you will place the tallest and heaviest boxes or other objects near the cab. Evenly distribute the weight from left to right and keep lightweight items on top so you don’t crush anything. When you must pack your vehicle to the brim, install custom seat covers to protect the interior.
Install Tie-Down Anchors
You may need to prepare your vehicle with attachments before you can securely tie down your cargo. Some trucks come with built-in systems for anchoring—something you should keep in mind when buying a pickup truck. You can install bed rails and side rails to protect from scrapes and increase your truck‘s capacity. Further, install liners and additional anchors on the floor of the bed to prevent objects from shifting.
Use Cargo Netting
While you can use straps, cargo netting provides a security web for items that you need to tie down. You must tightly secure objects in your truck bed to help prevent accidents with other vehicles on the road. Lightweight and made from materials like nylon or polyester, cargo nets come with hooks and are typically customized to fit different truck bed sizes.
Cover Your Truck Bed with a Tarp
To protect from weather and add some security to your open truck bed, you can cover it with a tarp. A tarp is a durable canvas made from vinyl, polyester, or plastic. You can find different sizes to fit the amount of cargo you are hauling and your vehicle’s size. The best way to secure a tarp is with its snaps or extra bungee cords.
Get Spare Pallets
If you’re loading extra heavy objects into the back of your pickup truck, you may want to use pallets. A forklift can move just about anything that you place on a pallet. You can strap pallets to your truck bed and cover them with tarps for added security. Find pallets at building supply stores and salvage yards.
Whether you need to bring in some extra income, help a friend, or start up a new business, you can use your truck, van, or SUV to get the job done. With common sense and these tips for moving items with your personal vehicle, you will be a master at loading trucks and delivering anything.
Van Rundell is a writer and author who specializes in transportation, travel, guidance, health & fitness. With over 10 years of experience in the industry as a driver and an entrepreneur, he has seen it all. His tone is professional but friendly with a dash of humor thrown in for good measure. In past, he has been advising, educating and writing about transport for the public and professionals alike.
A qualified fitness instructor with over 5 years’ experience as a personal trainer and group fitness instructor, Van brings his deep knowledge of health and exercise science to his articles on health & fitness.
