Are You New to Driving a U-Haul Truck?

Driving a U-Haul Truck

Now that we’re well into 2023, are you making plans to upgrade your home or relocate your business? If so, it’s a good idea to keep the cost of moving in mind. Like everything else in the past year, it has been impacted by inflation.

In fact, move.org reveals that the increased cost of moving is a standout in this year’s inflation trends. Professional moving costs jumped by nearly 12% in the past year. In line with this increase, you might want to explore the cost of a DIY move.

Depending on the magnitude of your move, a professional company might be your only option. On the other hand, if you have friends or family who can help, consider using a U-Haul truck. This might be the least expensive option for your needs.

If you’re concerned because you are a U-Haul truck newbie, the friendly, professional staff at one of our Trusted Self Storage locations can fill you in on the details. In the meantime, check out the following tips and tricks to help you get started with your first U-Haul driving experience.

U-Haul

U-Haul Trucks Are Designed For You

U-Haul is unique because they work with manufacturers to design a truck specifically for household or small business moving. You’ll find more safety features on U-Haul than any other rental truck. Gentle ride suspension and high visibility mirrors help an inexperienced driver to navigate the roads with ease.

A few benefits of driving a U-Haul truck are:

  • It’s 50% easier to load. A stable EZ Load Ramp makes loading your large, heavy items a breeze.
  • Your furniture will stay safe and secure. Gentle ride suspension and aerodynamic styling keep your furniture stable.
  • Three people can ride comfortably in a quiet cab. Drivers and passengers enjoy a peaceful, comfortable driving experience.
  • You’ll save money. This is important with current inflation and gasoline prices. While many trucks use expensive diesel fuel, these trucks use cleaner, cheaper, and use more convenient unleaded fuel.

It’s great to have a truck at your disposal, but If you have no previous truck-driving experience, you’re going to need a little help. We want to share the following tips to get you started on your journey and keep you safe.

First Time Driving a U-Haul

If you’re driving a U-Haul for the first time, it can be daunting. Make sure you pick the perfect size vehicle, and don’t hesitate to ask the office staff any questions you may have. They have a lot of expertise and will be delighted to help.

  • We have a wide selection of the newest trucks to fit your moving and storage needs.
  • U-Haul trucks are hefty, particularly when filled to the brim. Stopping takes longer than with a car, so make sure you give at least four seconds of space between you and the car in front of you (five seconds in unfavorable weather).
  • Since a truck is longer than your regular car, you’ll need additional time and space to overtake traffic. Don’t move ahead on hills or turns.
  • Go into lower gears while driving up a slope to stop jerking caused by the engine lugging.
    Before going downhill, slow down and shift into a lower gear to let the engine take control of your speed. Don’t continually press the brakes on a drop.
  • If your vehicle veers off the main road, don’t panic! Don’t make a sharp turn and don’t apply the brakes. Slow down to a speed lower than 25 mph and make your way back to the pavement gradually.
  • When going around a sharp turn, drive slightly past the turn or make a wider turn than you would if you were in a car. Try to avoid parking on steep slopes. The parking brake might not hold, and the bumper might drag or get stuck.
Using a Truck Ramp for the First Time

Using a truck ramp for the first time isn’t difficult, but like any first-time experience it can be confusing. The following tips will help you through the process.

  • Start off by opening the back of the truck.
  • Use the straps on the end of the ramp to slowly and carefully pull the ramp out until it is completely extended.
  • Set the ramp on the ground gently.
  • Grab both sides of the ramp near the back of the truck and lift it up. You will see two hooks.
  • Put the hooks over the back of the truck, and you’re good to go.

If you’re thinking about towing your car or a trailer. U-Haul has an easily understandable series of videos to help with that.

Whether you’re moving to a three-bedroom home or a medium-sized business, U-Haul is your solution. Don’t be afraid to ask questions. We’d love to help you have a safe and successful trip!

Why College Students Need Self Storage

Students Need Self Storage

While starting a new chapter of your life at college might be thrilling, the act of packing and moving your stuff can be a major cause of stress. It’s not unusual for college students to feel stressed out by the amount of work they have to do and the number of things they need to buy to support themselves while they’re in school. Preparing for this major shift in a students life is critical to adapting to college life, in this blog you’ll find 6 reasons why college students need self storage.

Moving all of this stuff out of your college dorm or student apartment during the summer and winter holidays might be a hassle. The good news is that self-storage facilities in your area provide a quick and easy answer to the issues of summer travel, studying abroad, and having too many belongings.

Take a look at these top five benefits of utilizing self storage units to simplify your college life.

College students walking in a group.

 

Makes your room spacious.

Dorms and shared apartments are common forms of housing for college students. In any case, you’ll have less space than when you were living with your parents. It’s not necessary to bring all you have, but you could wind up having to bring more than you can comfortably fit into your new place. The majority of people can store the overflow from their apartment or dorm in a storage unit.

Easy access to your stuff.

When the school year ends, it might be inconvenient to have to transport all of your belongings home, especially if you live in a remote place, across state lines, or even internationally. Traveling with a full vehicle or bag may be a great way to practice tetris, but it’s usually a stressful affair that you’d rather avoid. By renting a self-storage unit, you can focus on studying for your finals without stressing about how to get your possessions home.

You avoid destroying your stuff.

Damage to your belongings is an additional risk while making numerous trips back and forth between home and university. If you put your items in a basement, for example, they may be exposed to mold or mildew.. On the other hand,if you keep them in a storage unit, you can be certain that they will be in the same condition when you retrieve them as they were when you stored them..

Keeps your belongings organized and safe.

It’s normal to be apprehensive about trusting a stranger with your most prized possessions, but you have nothing to worry about. Your stored items will be protected by a range of cutting-edge safety measures, depending on the self-storage facility you choose. Storage facilities are using newer and more secure ways to safeguard your belongings, such as recorded video monitoring that runs 24/7, walled perimeters, electronic gates with keypad access , and more. Some facilities offer remote entry that can be accessed from any mobile device. Get in touch with the building’s management to inquire about the safety measures they’ve put in place.

The hot summer or freezing winter could ruin your stored items. So it is best to get a climate-controlled storage unit. With climate-controlled storage, your electronics, furniture, syllabi, textbooks, and pictures won’t warp or deteriorate as they might during the summer and winter when they are stored with friends and family.

Reduced stress.

The conclusion of the school year doesn’t have to be as stressful if you rent a storage unit for your belongings. You won’t have time to pack up your books and textbooks and transport them home before the end of the semester since you’ll be too busy studying and getting ready for the next break. Having a storage facility near your school makes moving between semesters much simpler. If you live too far away from campus and don’t have a reliable way to transport your stuff, you may have to leave it there until you move closer to campus before returning to college.

Conclusion

It’s true that college life may become stressful, but it’s also very rewarding. Self-storage units are a great way to alleviate stress and gain convenience throughout the college years. This enables you to optimize your time between the academic year and the summer break. Self-storage units are a great option for college students who need more space in their dorm rooms, need a place to keep their sports gear, or need someplace to keep their belongings between terms. Self storage keeps your stuff out of the way and close to your school, allowing you to focus on your studies.

Navigate Your Out-of-State Move with a Plan and a Self Storage Unit

Relocating across town is far more complicated than an out-of-state move or relocating across the country. These types of moves are stressful, tedious, and overwhelming. You have to prepare for hard work, delays, and crazy situations that pop up out of nowhere.

One of the first things you’ll need to do is lease a self storage unit at your new location. Even if you’re fairly certain that all of your belongings will work in your new space, you won’t know until they arrive.

For example, you can diligently measure a room for your sofa. You are expecting a perfect fit, only to discover that the movers can’t maneuver it around a tight corner to place it in the chosen room. Nothing works, and you don’t have another space for it. Don’t worry, self storage is your lifesaver. Here at Trusted Self Storage, we have the perfect sizes and types of units to keep that sofa safe and secure. You can focus on your new home and worry about the sofa later.

Now that you have your self storage unit in place to help you navigate the problems of moving, you can work out your schedule. Happily, we’ve done some of the work for you. The following suggestions will help you make a plan that will get you to your new home with the least possible stress.

 

Navigate Your Out-of-State Move with a Storage Unit and a Plan

Eight Weeks Before the Moving Day

Your new home is waiting for you and you’ve selected your kids’ new schools. Sorting and packing have begun, and it’s time to get serious.

Locate a moving company that is an interstate moving expert. This won’t be hard. Once you make your first online inquiry, you’ll be swamped with moving advertisements and emails. Narrow your choice to three, and then get estimates. Meeting with the moving reps will give you a good feel as to whether this company will be the best fit for your needs. You need a company that understands the regulations involved in moving from state to state. The company you choose should understand not only the monetary but the emotional value of your belongings. Check reviews, compare prices, and be sure that there is a reliable contact available to answer questions and keep you updated. When you make your decision, keep in mind that the lowest price isn’t always the best choice.

Create a budget and stick to it. This will be hard. Moving is expensive, especially a long-distance move. Many companies will “overestimate” so that you have a nice surprise when it’s time to pay the bill. But, there are no guarantees, and there are extra expenses not directly related to the moving company costs. It’s best to know how much you can spend and budget accordingly. Good luck with that. If you’re not good with this sort of budgeting, use a moving budget planner or spreadsheet to help you stay organized.

Notify your children’s current school.
Inform your children’s current school that they will be moving on. The school administrators will contact the new school for enrollment protocol and record-transfer procedures.

Make a plan for packing and storing.
Prior to packing, read Prepping for the Big Move and Self Storage Tips. You’ll find some good information that will help you get your move off to a good start and decide what you want to place in self storage. You can pack the items you want to store in separate boxes and containers and have the movers take them directly to your carefully chosen self-storage facility.

Man taking a break after packing boxes.

Four Weeks Before Moving Day

Change your mailing address.
Unless you’d rather not hear from them, give your friends and family your new address. Keep important documents coming by changing your address with the USPS. You can do this online or at the post office. Remember to inform your financial institutions and accountants. If you can’t move into your new home immediately, you can rent a PO box temporarily.

Update medical and vet records.
Advanced technology makes it easy for your new physician to access your records. If there is a problem, or your doctors use incompatible software, your new physician will guide you through the steps to complete this process. Don’t forget about Rover and FiFi. Pet laws vary from state to state so it’s a good idea to keep your pet’s registration and vaccination information with you throughout your move. In some states, you can be fined for not having this information.

Contact your new utility companies and cancel your current services.
Contact your new service providers early so that you can have your utilities activated a day or two prior before you move. You don’t want to be living by candlelight or without TV and the internet. Don’t forget to schedule the cancellation of your current services, but wait until the day after your move. You will need water and electricity. Your realtor should be able to provide you with utility phone numbers and information.

Two Weeks Before Moving Day

It’s a good idea to confirm moving services, not only to verify information but to refresh your memory.

Confirm your moving services. Call your moving company contact to confirm pick-up time, moving services, and costs. This information should be on your contract.

Moving Day

This is not an easy day, but preparation and organization will see you through.

Be ready to go. Get up as early as necessary, get dressed, and be ready to go. Have cash to tip your movers, and have those moving essentials packed.

When you’ve arrived at your new location, check that all your belongings have also arrived. The movers should review the moving inventory with you, checking for lost or damaged items. If everything is in order, both you and the moving company rep should sign the sheet and you will be given a copy. If you notice that an item is missing or damaged after the movers have left, take pictures and file a claim as soon as possible. Your original contact at the moving company can guide you through this process.

Post Moving Day

Establish legal residency and update driver’s licenses and vehicle registrations. Check with your state agencies to establish legal residency for tax and voting purposes. To apply for a new driver’s license most states have online appointment scheduling. You’ll typically need your current license, proof of residence and your social security card to get a new license. Don’t forget to register your vehicle and transfer your car insurance.

Summary
Moving is never easy and you’ll probably have the occasional minor setback, but it makes sense to have a plan. If you use these suggestions, with modifications for your personal situation, this adventure will go as smoothly as possible. Before you know it, the move will be a distant memory and you’ll be enjoying your new home.

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