These checklists summarize points covered in more detail elsewhere on the site — follow the links for the full explanation of anything unfamiliar. Print this page (your browser's print dialog will drop the navigation and keep the lists together) to take with you where you might not have reception.
Before booking
- Contacted your transportation office and gotten counseling/authorization
- Have a written estimate and know your assumed shipment weight/method
- Compared at least three quotes for your chosen option
- Built a real itemized cost estimate, not a guess
- Checked valuation/insurance coverage and asked the specific questions in protecting your belongings
- Verified vehicle/trailer/truck capacity if towing or driving a rental (see rental trailers and rental trucks)
- Screened any unusual items against the restricted items questions
Loading day
- Confirmed your weight-ticket requirements and scale plan
- Have rated tie-down straps, not just rope/bungees, for securing the load itself
- Assigned one adult explicit responsibility for children/pets, separate from anyone lifting (see family & kids)
- Staged boxes with what you need last at your destination loaded first (deepest in the truck)
- Have gloves, a sturdy ladder or step stool, and enough packing blankets
- Know your stop-work rule: if a door or bulkhead is under pressure from shifted cargo, stop and get help rather than working through it alone
Arrival and unloading
- Reviewed the unloading guide's safety points before you start
- Have help lined up in advance, matched to your actual load and access (stairs, long carries)
- Inspect and photograph the equipment's condition and your goods before/as you unload
- Keep a written note of any damage as you find it, with photos
Closeout
- Photographed the returned truck/trailer's condition before drop-off
- Kept every weight ticket, receipt, settlement record, and advance document together
- Know your service's current submission process for reimbursement
- Set aside documented operating expenses separately from total spending for tax purposes
- Know where to go if something's missing or wrong — see problems and claims