Moving across the nation is a significant task. And if you have to drive a moving truck, it’s an even bigger one. There’s something especially frightening about staring at a 12 foot (or larger!) moving truck and trying to figure out how you’re going to get you, the truck, and everything inside of it from point A to point B in one piece. The cheapest moving truck rental associated with Moving Feedback explain that this is especially true if you’ve never driven a huge truck before.

The first thing to understand is that driving a moving truck isn’t dissimilar to driving an automobile. The scale is different, and there will be a learning curve as far as finding out where all of your blinkers, buttons, and blind spots are. Still, if you’re comfortable driving a normal car, you’ll likely be perfectly fine driving cross country in a moving truck as well.

Of course, when you’re gazing down a semi-sequel moving truck and ready to step into the driver’s seat, none of the common sense “it’s just a vehicle like any other” rhetoric counts. To make the process easier, we’ve put together this guide that breaks down everything you would want to know about driving a moving truck across the nation securely. We’ll go through a variety of key subjects, such as:

• Driving over the mountains in a moving truck
• At night, driving a moving truck
• How to park a moving truck?
• What to do if your truck breaks down?
• Driving a moving truck in bad weather, such as rain or snow
• What you need to know about truck brakes

Practical driving advice

1. You must acquaint yourself with the mirror position before you start driving. Recognize that turning a huge vehicle, especially a right turn, needs significantly greater clearance.
2. Before you start the vehicle, make sure you’re acquainted with the truck’s controls. Having good control over the heavy vehicle has utmost importance.
3. Remember that you are going to drive a truck and not a small vehicle. Therefore, here in this scenario, you can face a lot of difficulties. Even the braking system will take longer to work than your car.
4. Always maintain adequate distance from other vehicles while driving. This will eliminate the risk of collision for sure.
5. Always check for the signals and obey them while driving. Make sure to change the lane only when there is plenty of room on the road.
6. If you need to stop your vehicle during the move, place the vehicle in parking zone securely and press the hand break to avoid backing up.
7. If possible, fill up the oil tanker of the truck at the very beginning of your journey.

How to Select the Appropriate Truck Size for Your Move

A successful cross-country move begins with selecting the appropriate size truck. Choosing a truck that is too big or too small is both inconvenient and dangerous. If you have a too large truck, your belongings may shift around in transit, causing damage to your belongings and posing a safety hazard when you go to unload.

The size of the truck you should be is determined by how much cargo you intend to transport. For example, moving a one-bed studio apartment will most likely require a cargo van, whereas moving homes with three or more bedrooms will necessitate the use of the largest moving trucks. Here are the most common moving truck sizes and some information about each so you can make an informed decision.

Who Should Drive the Moving Truck?

Anyone can drive a moving truck as long as they have everything they need (details in the following section) and are at ease behind the wheel.

A moving truck, unlike standard vehicles, require a driver’s license. However, for operating a vehicle, the driver has to be at least 18 years old.

However, if you choose to hire a professional driver instead, go with the one who appears to be the most capable. You can also change drivers while travelling, as long as the person taking over the wheel has the necessary insurance and a valid license. If you believe you will need to change drivers at any point, you can check with your truck company to ensure that you can add another driver if needed.

Conclusion

That’s all there is to it. We hope you’ve learned a lot from this guide and that the next time (and possibly the first time) you need to drive a truck cross country, you’ll be better prepared!

Finally, keep in mind that, aside from size, there is very little difference between a moving truck and a standard vehicle. Of course, it will feel strange being up so high and driving such a long and heavy vehicle, but you should get the hang of it pretty quickly.