Tolstoy said that “music is the shorthand of emotion.” With that in mind, one could argue that unsavory music (or lack thereof) could be the shorthand of correlating emotions.
Whether it’s across town or across the country, listening to music on your drive can help to relieve the stress built up from moving day. It doesn’t help, though, when in your cross-country move, you want to listen to Top 40 but all the radio’s giving you is “Texarkana’s Top 10 Romantic Country Ballads.” Luckily in this day and age, an increasing number of moving trucks are equipped with audio enabled auxiliary ports making it possible for movers to listen to what they want, when they want. The following steps should lead you in the right direction:
Steps to Connect Your MP3
1. Be sure that your moving truck is equipped with a standard 3.5mm auxiliary port (usually labeled “AUX”).
2. Change your moving truck’s audio input function to auxiliary. This process may vary by vehicle:
- If your moving truck has a button labeled “AUX,” push this button to change the audio input to auxiliary. The truck‘s radio display should read either “AUX” or “AUXILIARY.”
- If your moving truck does not have a button labeled “AUX,” look for a button or dial labeled “input” or “function.” These buttons or dials may have to be pushed or turned more than once to reach the appropriate auxiliary function. The truck‘s radio display should read either “AUX” or “AUXILIARY.”
- If your moving truck does not have the buttons or dials mentioned above, see the user’s manual in your truck‘s glove box for further instruction.
3. Plug one end of your 3.5mm auxiliary audio cable into your moving truck‘s corresponding port.
4. Plug the other end of your audio cable into your personal music device (iPhone, Android, iPod, Zune, iPad, MP3 player).
Note: Playing music may vary by device. Device must have 3.5mm auxiliary port as well or proper adapter. Volume can be controlled from both the vehicle’s radio and the mobile device; this may resolve some issues regarding volume levels. Be responsible when operating a mobile device on the road; a passenger makes a great DJ!
Don’t Have an Auxiliary Port?
Not every moving truck on the road comes equipped with an auxiliary port. This does not mean that it is impossible to play your music through the moving truck’s radio. There are many third-party adapters that connect your mobile device to the vehicle’s radio through the 12-volt (cigarette lighter) receptacle commonly found in a majority of vehicles.
What do you like to listen to when moving? Tell us in the comments section below.