Complete Guide to Properly Loading Your U-Box Container

Properly loading your U-Box® container is essential to keeping your belongings safe during transit or storage. Today, we’ll guide you through the dos and don’ts when it comes to properly preparing and loading your container for your next move.

What Should I Do to Prepare for a Move?

Properly planning for a move is the key to success. Let’s look at what steps you should take before loading your container.

Declutter Before Packing

Moving is a great opportunity to declutter, especially since you have limited space to work with while packing a U-Box  container. For example, if there’s a piece of furniture that’s on its last legs, take some time to decide if it’s worth coming along to your new home. Consider giving your unwanted items some new life by either donating them or even hosting a garage sale to score some extra cash!

There are some items that U-Haul prohibits from being placed in a container, so now would also be a good time to have an alternate plan for those or safely dispose of them. The following items are prohibited from being placed in a U-Box container:

• Living organisms
• Flammable/combustible liquids (gasoline, alcohol, paint thinner, etc.) 
• Hazardous materials (corrosives, bleach, ammonia, etc.)
• Compressed gases (propane tanks, oxygen/acetylene tanks, scuba diving tanks, etc.)
• Perishables (plants, produce, food, etc.)
• Explosives (ammunition, fireworks, firearms, etc.)

Know How Many Containers You Need

Once you declutter, use the U-Box Container Estimator Tool to determine how many containers you need. One U-Box container can fit about one and a half room’s worth of stuff. If you’re unsure of how many containers to get, opt for more—with U-Haul, you can return any unused containers for a full refund!

Prepare Your Furniture and Pack Your Boxes

To save room in your U-Box container,  disassemble your furniture when possible. Take the legs off tables and chairs, and disassemble vanities, bedframes and sofas. Group the respective furniture parts together and keep all necessary screws sorted for easy reassembly in your new home. Each U-Box container also comes with 24 free rental furniture pads for you to use to keep your items safe from nicks and scratches.

Correctly packing and labeling your boxes is just as important as packing the container itself. U-Haul makes it easy to find the right boxes and moving supplies for any move. Use the My Belongings Organizer in the U-Haul app to keep a record of each box and what is inside, you can even take a picture for visual reference!

 

How to Safely Load a U-Box Container

The three fundamentals of properly loading a U-Box Container are:

1. Load in Tiers
2. Secure as You Go
3. Fill in the Gaps

Load In Tiers

When packing a U-Box container, it’s good to pack in tiers. This means, you’ll fill up the back of the container from floor to ceiling before moving on to the next tier. Every item that you stack should be able to hold the item on top of it, so be mindful of the weight of each item.

Certain items, like dressers, desks, or heavy boxes full of books, should be on the bottom of your U-Box container. This is so none of your lighter items get crushed in the process!

Secure as You Go

Secure your items with zip ties and bungie cords  to protect them from falling or shifting in transit.

Fill in the Gaps

Once loaded, fill in all gaps with rolled up furniture pads, blankets and pillows to further prevent items from shifting or scraping one another. Make sure you fill in any space at the top of your load too.

With each U-Box container coming with 24 rental furniture pads, this is a good use for any extra pads after your furniture is wrapped.

Watch our visual guide for packing tips!

 

Key Takeaways

• Wrap all un-boxed items in furniture pads securely for padding protection.
• Load your container in tiers. Your base layer is always the lowest part of each tier and should be your sturdiest items. Things like dressers, desks, and small boxes of books all make great base layers.
• Stand sofas and mattresses on end and disassemble bed frames to maximize space.
• Take advantage of tops of dressers to stack boxes and other items.
• Tiers can start at the back of the container and move forward
• The heaviest items be placed in the center of the container to keep it balanced, with the remaining items spread around the base of the container to distribute the weight evenly.
• Secure all rows of furniture and boxes with tie downs and rope.
• Fill empty spaces with sofa cushions, bagged pillows or U-Haul furniture pads.
• Load no more than 2,000 into each U-Box container.

These tips should keep your items safe and sound inside your U-Box container  whether it is in transit to your new destination or being securely stored at one of our facilities. Add an extra layer of peace of mind by insuring your items during transit and storage.

Not a fan of the DIY move? Have professional movers pack and load your belongings for you with Moving Help®!