What Items Should Never Be Packed in a Moving Truck?

Almost everything in a home can be packed and moved safely by a professional crew. The exceptions fall into two groups. Some items are hazardous: they can leak, catch fire or react in a closed vehicle on a hot day. Others are irreplaceable or needed on the way, and you should never let them out of your sight. Here is what belongs in each group and what to do with it.

Group 1: Hazardous items. Do not load these at all

A loaded truck is a closed metal box that can get very hot in a Dehradun summer or on the plains. Anything flammable, pressurised or corrosive is a risk to your goods, the crew and the vehicle. Most movers will refuse these, and transit insurance normally excludes damage they cause.

LPG cylinders and gas canisters

Domestic LPG cylinders, camping gas and portable butane canisters should not travel with household goods. For a cylinder:

• Moving within the same city: ask your distributor about shifting the connection to the new address. In many cases the connection simply moves with you and the distributor handles the refill.
• Moving to another city: surrender the connection at your current distributor and collect a Termination Voucher. Use it at a distributor in the new city to get a new connection without starting from scratch.

Disconnect the regulator, keep it with your belongings and check with your distributor about returning or moving the cylinder.

Fuel and flammable liquids

• Petrol, diesel and kerosene, including in generators, lawn mowers and stoves
• Paint, varnish, thinners and turpentine
• Lighter fluid and spirit
• Aerosol cans in bulk (deodorants, sprays)

Use them up or give them away before the move. Drain fuel from equipment. For vehicles being transported, keep only a small amount of fuel in the tank, as your mover advises.

Fireworks, crackers and ammunition

Leftover Diwali crackers, signal flares and any ammunition must never go in the truck. Licensed firearms and ammunition have their own legal rules for transport, so check them separately and do not hand them to a mover.

Chemicals

• Strong acids, toilet cleaners and bleach in bulk
• Pesticides and garden chemicals
• Pool and photographic chemicals

Small sealed household bottles you use every day can usually travel upright and taped. Dispose of large or half-used quantities properly before the move.

Loose batteries and power banks

Lithium batteries and power banks can short-circuit if their terminals touch metal. Carry power banks and spare batteries with you. Inverter batteries contain acid, so tell the surveyor about them so they can be packed upright and secured, or disconnected and handled separately.

Group 2: Things that should stay with you

Documents

Aadhaar, PAN, passports, property papers, bank and insurance documents, certificates and medical records go in one folder that travels with you. Our moving documents checklist lists them all.

Cash, jewellery and valuables

Gold and silver, watches, precious stones, cash and small heirlooms are easy to lose in a load of 80 cartons and hard to claim for. Carry them yourself, or keep them in a bank locker over the moving period.

Medicines and medical equipment

Prescription medicines, inhalers, glucometers, BP monitors and first-aid supplies should be within reach for the whole journey, especially if delivery is the next day.

Laptops, phones and data

Work laptops, external drives and cameras carry data that matters more than the hardware. Back them up and carry them.

Confidential papers

If you run a business from home, carry client files, contracts, financial records and cheque books yourself.

Sentimental items

Family albums, letters, a child's first drawings. If it can't be replaced, carry it, or at least pack it in a clearly marked carton that travels in your car.

Group 3: Things that don't travel well in a truck

Perishable food

Milk, curd, cooked food, meat, fish, fresh fruit and vegetables will spoil and can damage other goods. Use them up in the last few days. Sealed dry goods like rice, dal and spices are fine if packed tightly.

Plants

Plants suffer in a closed truck: heat, no light, and cartons stacked against them. Carry small plants in your own vehicle where you can. Our guide to moving indoor plants covers larger pots.

Pets

Pets never travel in a household goods vehicle. Move them in your own car with water and a carrier, or use a dedicated pet transport service.

What you can safely pack

Almost everything else: furniture, clothes, kitchenware, crockery, appliances, mattresses, books, toys and décor. Good packing material and correct loading are what keep them safe.

Frequently asked questions

Can packers and movers transport my LPG cylinder?

Most will not carry it with household goods, for safety reasons. Within a city, ask your distributor to shift the connection. For a move to another city, surrender it for a Termination Voucher and use that to get a new connection there.

Can I pack aerosol sprays and nail polish?

A few sealed everyday items packed upright in a plastic bag are generally fine. Large quantities of aerosols or flammable cosmetics are best used up or left behind.

Should jewellery go in the truck if it's locked in a suitcase?

No. Carry jewellery and cash yourself or use a bank locker for the moving period.

What happens if I pack something hazardous by mistake?

Tell the crew as soon as you remember so it can be taken out before loading. Damage caused by undeclared hazardous items is usually excluded from transit insurance.

If you're unsure about a specific item, ask during your free survey with our packers and movers in Dehradun team and we'll tell you how to handle it.