A truck should never be loaded with a concentration of weight in any one small area off center. This could cause the truck to veer out of control when making a turn or even a quick lane change or a fast stop. It could even cause it to slip. If you do have some large, heavy items, start on the center of one side and alternate sides with each item. Try to achieve a rough balance to reduce the possibility of losing control of your vehicle when turning or stopping.

All things such as mattresses and pianos, etc., need to be strapped to the rails that run along the sides of the cargo area. And they should be strapped with ratchet straps, not merely lashed with ropes or twine. Ropes or twine will begin to sag over a few miles journey regardless of how tightly you tie them, and this will allow your goods to slide and smash against other items. Also, unstable loads contribute to unsafe driving, so be certain to use the right equipment for the job.

You should load the heavy and large items against the walls of the cargo bay first. Then you can begin loading boxes.

One thing to avoid when loading boxes is “columns”. A column is an unstable stack of boxes that is likely to topple due to stacking the same size box three or more high. This leads to damaged goods and can even cause serious injury when loading or unloading. So be careful and make good, solid walls when loading boxes. You do this by starting from the floor and working left to right, then going back from right to left, using different size boxes and spanning across seams of the boxes you’re stacking on top of to avoid columns. This “ties” the boxes underneath together, increasing the overall stability of the load.

If you have long, skinny things such as bed rails, you can lay them along one or both sides of the cargo bay and stack over them. Or, if your truck has a “Mother’s Attic,” you can set them in there along with other goods.

It’s good not to leave gaps between boxes, so before you start loading, set some small, slender packages nearby to slip in the gaps between boxes. This will greatly increase the stability of your load.

Of course, the heavier, larger items should go on the floor to avoid crushing of the lighter ones. Some things might even have to go on top (top stock), so you should have enough of these on hand as you’re loading so you can put them on top as you go.

Just keep making walls and loading to the top as you go. When you’ve finished loading all your boxes, put up load locks (telescoping aluminum rods with a locking mechanism) or cargo nets. These should be spanned snugly against the last wall of boxes and across the width of the cargo bay to ensure that the load doesn’t shift or topple.

You cannot transport hazardous materials (hazmats) of any kind, and this includes any kinds of flammables in any kind of container. Empty (or otherwise safely and legally dispose of) your lawn mowers, weed whackers, etc., by running them until they’re dry. Paints and paint thinners are also forbidden for transport, so you must dispose of them before moving. Even detergents are considered hazmats. Of course, gun powder and black powder are hazmats. Do a web search on how to dispose of various hazardous materials in your jurisdiction.

When driving a truck or even a cargo van packed with your goods, your rented vehicle will handle differently than your personal car. It will take significantly longer to stop, and special care must be used when turning, too.

In addition, you have a much higher overhead above your cab and this must be taken into account when approaching overpasses or low hanging limbs, etc. And the insurance that you purchase for your rental truck probably doesn’t cover damage to anything above the cab, and that’s because this is such a common accident. So always be conscious of the fact that your vehicle is about six or eight feet higher than the cab over your head. And never try to enter a parking garage or any other kind of garage, even with a small cargo van. They’re taller than you think.