Movers are our reliable partners when it comes to removing, transporting, and setting up our belongings from our old home to our new one. They are efficient handlers of different household items, and they do so with great care. However, there are certain items that even movers should not handle. For you to be knowledgeable about this and to avoid unnecessary expectations and disappointment in the future, we’ll discuss some of the things that movers should not handle.
1. Firearms and Ammunition
Movers will not handle moving these items for several reasons. The most important among them is due to varying gun regulations and laws from state to state. A piece of great advice from reputablemover.com is to always do thorough research about your candidate moving companies and what items they do and do not handle. There may be some differences in their lists, but all movers have the same policy when handling firearms and ammunition. As the owner of the firearms, what you can do to transport these items is to have a federally licensed firearms dealer to handle the shipping of your gun and ammunition for you. There will be shipping costs involved, but it is worth spending because you are avoiding a more costly violation of another state’s gun laws.
2. Flammable Materials
These items are also a no-no when it comes to moving. Gasoline, kerosene, and other petroleum or petroleum-based products will not be moved by moving companies. Aside from strict federal laws prohibiting their transport, flammable materials pose a real danger to the lives of the movers, the property of the owner, the property of the movers, and the environment. Moving flammable materials can be very difficult, with the Department of Transportation has strict guidelines for transporting flammable materials of 8 gallons and below, which involves Hazmat training certification and proper material safety data sheet documentation. Just to be safe, you might as well not bring flammable materials in your move.
3. Corrosive and Hazardous Materials
This broad category can include many items, depending on any moving company. Movers will definitely not move hazardous and corrosive materials for the same reasons stated above. Other materials that may not be considered flammable, but are still derived from a petroleum fall in this broad category. The list can include (but is not limited to) the following items:
- Car and dry cell batteries
- Nail polish and nail polish remover
- Scuba tanks
- Liquid bleach, cleaning supplies and disinfectants
- Acids and ammonia
- Paint, paint-related materials, and paint thinners
- Propane tanks and aerosol cans
- Charcoal
- Darkroom chemicals
The list could still go on and will vary with each mover. One thing you should keep in mind is that if your household item has hazardous or toxic properties, there is a high chance that movers will not include it. The best thing to do is dispose of these items properly and restock once you have settled in your new home.
4. Plants
You may be surprised as to why movers cannot include plants. Again, there is a strict regulation from state to state when it comes to the transport of local and household plants. Another thing is that the back area of moving trucks can become very hot and will threaten the survival of your plant during the trip. If your move is just a short distance and only within the same state, there may be some moving companies that will allow the inclusion of some plants under a certain condition, but it would be best not to rely on that. Do careful research on how you can safely move your plants yourself inside your car.
5. Important and Irreplaceable Items
Items that are very important to the owner and cannot restore or replaced when lost or damaged during the move will not be included by movers. These include, but are not limited to, the following items
- Important personal documents, birth certificates, social security cards, marriage licenses, passports, wills, insurance documents, tax records, etc.
- Debit cards/credit cards
- Cash
- Photo albums
- Antiques and rare art collections
- Airline tickets
- Stocks and bonds
- Keys (house, car, jewelry box, etc.)
Your best bet would be to move these items yourself and be sure to pack and label these items carefully. Since they are important and irreplaceable, the responsibility of keeping these items safe falls on the owners themselves.
There can be many other items we were not able to discuss, but the best resource you can have is coming directly from your mover. The moving company or its representatives know the full extent of the items that are not allowed to be included in the move. Safety is one of the main concerns and guarantees of every moving company, and they can’t risk your safety or their own personnel’s safety by transporting items that could pose a significant risk when moved. As a homeowner, you also have the responsibility of doing your research and helping out in any way you can to make the transport of your household items safe.