What Not to Pack When Moving: Check This List Before Moving Day

November 4, 2017
Packing
Billy Cole

Movers will not load hazardous materials, perishable food, live plants, pets, or irreplaceable valuables. Federal hazardous materials rules block the first group. Truck conditions and liability rules cover the rest. Everything on that list still has to get to your new home, so plan for it before the crew arrives.

Arguably the most challenging part of any move, packing can send even the most organized control freak into a tailspin. Not only do you have to get every room packed up completely, you have to do it the right way. On top of that, many movers keep a list of prohibited items they won’t handle.

Most professionals won’t move hazardous items, perishable food, plants, pets, and items of high sentimental value. The main reason has a lot to do with safety:

Dangerous items can damage other items in the truck or the truck itself.
Hazardous items can pose a health risk to home owners as well as movers.
Hazardous goods hurt the environment.
Perishable items such as food can spoil on long trips, causing quite a mess, not to mention smell.
Living things like plants and pets may not survive the stress and length of the trip.

Why Federal Law Limits What Movers Can Transport

This is not company policy you can talk your way around. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration sets the rules, and they carry real weight.

Hand hazardous materials to a mover and you become a hazardous materials shipper. That is 49 CFR Parts 171, 172, and 173. You then take on the labeling, marking, shipping paper, and emergency response duties. Your mover carries its own obligations under Part 177.

The FMCSA defines hazardous materials as explosives, compressed gases, flammable liquids and solids, oxidizers, poisons, corrosives, and radioactive materials. Its own examples include nail polish remover, paint thinner, lighter fluid, gasoline, fireworks, oxygen bottles, and propane cylinders.

Two consequences matter to you:

Criminal exposure. Federal law forbids shipping hazardous materials without telling your mover. The FMCSA handbook says a violation can bring up to five years in prison plus penalties.
Lost coverage. Slipping a prohibited item into a box reduces your mover’s liability. If a leaking can ruins the load, your claim can fail. Read our page on moving insurance and valuation coverage so you know what your protection actually covers.

There is no upside to hiding anything. Tell your crew what you have and let them work around it.

What NOT to Pack

Common sense covers most of these. A few will surprise you. This isn’t an all-inclusive list, so ask your mover what they allow. For a deeper breakdown, see our guide to dangerous goods movers can’t transport.

Fuels and flammables

Gas, kerosene, petroleum
Lighter fluid
Motor oil
Anti-freeze
Charcoal and lighter starter
Sterno and camp fuel
Lawn mowers and other yard equipment with fuel inside

Compressed gas and pressurized containers

Propane tanks
Aerosol cans
Fire extinguishers
Oxygen bottles and scuba tanks
Helium cylinders

Corrosives and poisons

Acid and ammonia
Bleach and cleaning supplies
Drain openers and oven cleaner
Disinfectants
Pesticides, herbicides, and fertilizer
Rat poison
Pool chemicals
Muriatic acid

Paint and solvents

Paint and paint thinners
Varnish and stain
Nail polish and nail polish remover
Darkroom and hobby chemicals

Explosives and batteries

Guns and ammo
Fireworks
Matches
Car batteries and other lead-acid batteries
Loose lithium and alkaline batteries

Other

Liquor in bulk quantities

You may ask yourself: how can I possibly get these things out of my old house and into the new one if the movers won’t take them? You have three options. Move them yourself, dispose of them properly, or ship firearms and ammunition through a licensed dealer. Research gun laws in the new state if you’re crossing state lines. Most movers will take yard equipment once the fuel is drained.

Why Texas Heat Makes This Worse

A sealed trailer parked in a DFW summer is not a garage. Interior temperatures climb far above the outside air on a hot afternoon.

Heat changes the risk profile of items that seem stable in your garage in January. Aerosol cans swell. Paint cans bulge and split at the seam. Pressurized cylinders become unpredictable. A can of thinner sat quietly on your shelf for three years. By noon on a July load-out, it is a hazard.

This is why our crews check the garage and the shed first on every local and long distance move. Catching a propane tank at 8 a.m. beats finding it in a box at the destination.

Perishable Foods

Perishable foods should not be included in a long-distance move due to the possibility of spoiling. That means foul odor and a big mess. Mold can develop over several days on the road. Eat, throw out, donate or give away to neighbors any food you have left on moving day.

Open or unsealed packages cause more trouble than people expect. Half-used flour, cereal, rice, and pet food attract pantry pests that then spread through the rest of the load. Seal anything you keep, or leave it behind.

Ask your movers if they will take canned foods on the trip. Some will. Start eating down your freezer about two weeks out so you are not throwing away groceries on moving day.

Plants

Here the common advice gets the law wrong, so it is worth being precise.

There is no federal statute banning movers from carrying houseplants past 150 miles. What exists is a policy convention. Major van lines cap plants around 150 miles or one day in transit. Moving trailers are not climate controlled. Plants die in them.

Separately, the USDA and state agriculture departments regulate live plants crossing state lines. Texas, California, and Florida run the strictest programs. Some plants need an inspection or a phytosanitary certificate before entry. Citrus faces its own quarantine rules.

So two questions decide the answer. First, will your mover carry them under its own tariff? Second, will the destination state let them in? Check the destination state’s Department of Agriculture at least three weeks before a cross country move.

If the answer is no, leave your plants for the new owners. You can also hand them to a neighbor, or donate them to a school, nursing home or hospital.

Pets

This is a no-brainer but it has to be mentioned. Movers won’t take pets in their trucks. Plan to move them in your personal vehicle. You could also fly with your pet on a longer move. A specialty pet mover can handle a dog, cat, bird or other small animal.

Sentimental Items

Anything with high sentimental value should ride in your own car. Movers avoid these items because they can’t replace, fix or restore them. These items include:

Personal documents such as passports, birth certificates and Social Security cards
Deeds, wills, tax records and insurance policies
Money
Credit/debit cards
Keys
Prescription medications
Stamp, coin and baseball card collections
Original artwork
Family heirlooms
Photo albums
Jewelry
Electronics such as phones, laptops, e-book readers and tablets

Keep prescriptions with you rather than in a box. You need daily access during transit. A sealed trailer is also a poor place for temperature-sensitive medication.

High-value pieces differ from high-sentiment ones. A grandfather clock, gun safe, or signed canvas can ride the truck. It just needs the right crew and the right crate. That is the job of a specialty mover. Our antique moving services cover fragile heirloom furniture across Dallas.

Toiletries and Medicine: The 70-Ounce Rule

This is the question we get most often, and almost nobody answers it clearly.

Shampoo, hairspray, rubbing alcohol, and hand sanitizer are regulated products. Federal hazmat rules carry a narrow exception. Small quantities of medicinal and toilet articles can travel with your goods. The cap is 70 ounces total.

Two things to understand about that exception:

It is a ceiling in the federal rules, not a promise from your mover. Each company sets its own policy inside that limit.
Seventy ounces goes fast. Three shampoo bottles, a mouthwash, and a bottle of alcohol will get you close.

For most local moves, pack sealed everyday toiletries in a box you carry yourself. Aerosols and flammables stay off the truck regardless. Ask before moving day rather than at the curb.

Appliances and Grills Need Prep, Not Just Space

Movers take appliances. They do not take unprepared ones. Water and fuel cause the same problems as chemicals.

Refrigerators and freezers. Defrost and dry them at least 24 hours ahead. Residual water leaks into the load and grows mold in transit.
Washing machines. Drain the hoses and install transit bolts if your model uses them. Loose drums break during the drive.
Gas grills. The grill can travel. The propane tank cannot. Disconnect the cylinder and return it to a refill or exchange retailer.
Mowers, trimmers, and generators. Drain the fuel and oil the day before, then disconnect the battery.

Build these into your moving checklist a week out. They take time you will not have on moving day.

Where to Dispose of Hazardous Items in Dallas County

Telling you to “dispose of it properly” is useless without an address. Here is one.

The Dallas County Home Chemical Collection Center sits at 11234 Plano Road, Dallas, TX 75243. That is about a mile north of I-635. The phone number is (214) 553-1765.

What it takes: paint, pesticides and yard chemicals, pool chemicals, motor oil and automotive fluids, cleaners, glues and hobby products, aerosols, fluorescent tubes, and batteries of all kinds.

What it does not take: business waste, regular trash and recyclables, radioactive materials, explosives, ammunition, and medical waste.

Cost: free for residents of cities in the Dallas Area Household Hazardous Waste Network. That covers much of the metro. Bring a driver’s license and a current utility bill. Residents of other cities pay a disposal fee.

Hours: the center opens Tuesday through Thursday and two Saturdays a month. It closes Friday, Sunday, and Monday. Hours and holiday closures change, so call ahead before you drive out.

For ammunition, call your local police department or a licensed dealer. For propane, most exchange retailers take the old tank when you swap it.

Plan this trip for the week before your move, not the morning of.

Common Questions About Prohibited Moving Items

What items will movers not pack?

Hazardous materials, perishable food, live plants, pets, and irreplaceable personal items. Ask your mover for its written non-allowables list when you book.

Will movers take shampoo and conditioner?

Often yes, in small sealed quantities. Federal rules allow a limited exception up to 70 ounces total for toiletries and medicinal articles. Company policy still applies, so confirm first.

Are you supposed to empty dressers for movers?

Empty anything heavy, fragile, liquid, or valuable. Most crews let lightweight clothing and linens stay. Loaded drawers stress furniture joints and make the piece unsafe to carry.

Will movers move things not in boxes?

They can, but loose items slow the load and raise damage risk. Boxed goods are easier to protect and easier to claim on. Our guide to common packing mistakes covers where this goes wrong.

What happens if I pack a prohibited item anyway?

The crew removes it at pickup, which delays your move. Found later, you may be liable for the damage. Your coverage on the rest of the load can also drop.

Contact Around the Clock Moving & Storage

Around the Clock Moving & Storage is a licensed and insured moving company serving Dallas and the surrounding DFW cities. Our crews have over 20 years of experience in the Dallas area. They know what can go on the truck and what needs a different plan.

Walk your garage with us during the estimate. We will flag what cannot travel and tell you where to take it.