4 Types of Hazardous Materials Moving Companies Will Not Move

Moving companies will not move hazardous materials that are flammable or explosive. They don’t want to risk a fire or explosion during transit. This protects their movers, their assets (the moving truck and equipment), other people’s property (when the truck is moving multiple households) and your property. Federal laws prohibit them from moving hazardous materials for those very reasons, as well as to protect the public at large. If you’re wondering what you can or can’t pack, consider these 4 types of prohibited items:

1. Gasoline

What do you do with all the gasoline you’ve stored, either for a generator or to use for small devices, such as chain saws or lawn mowers? One thing you can’t do is load it on a moving truck, because it’s considered a hazardous material. The implications of shipping gasoline on a moving truck are obvious. If there’s an accident, the truck can blow up and cause death and injury on a wide scale. No one wants that risk, and neither should you. Find ways to use up or get rid of your gasoline prior to the move.

2. Motor Oil

If you’ve been diligent about storing supplies to care for and maintain your car, it can be frustrating to think about getting rid of certain supplies for your move. However, motor oil is flammable and cannot go on the moving truck. It’s considered a hazardous material that could ignite a fire during transit. Like the gasoline, try to use it up or sell it. The moving company you’ve hired will refuse to load it on the truck.

3. Cleaning Supplies

Cleaning supplies, aerosol cans and sprays and other household bottled supplies are not harmless kitchen items to be backed among your other kitchen tools. They are hazardous materials because they’re flammable and in some cases explosive. The best thing to do is try to use the supplies to clean your apartment with it prior to and after moving everything out, so that you can “hand over” a clean apartment to your landlord or a clean house to the new owner. You can also donate remaining supplies to your work place’s cleaning closet, or to your favorite group or organization that could use them. Throw them out if giving them away is not an option.

4. Paints and Paint Thinners

Some individuals want to pack their own paints and paint thinners, because it’s hard to find a particular color scheme, or it’s cheaper than buying paint again in their new location. However, moving it with your moving company is not an option. Paints and paint thinners are hazardous materials because they are flammable and can be explosive. The risk of causing death and injury to innocent drivers and your movers far outweighs the money you’ll have to spend to replace your paints.

Ask your moving company for a complete list of hazardous materials that they will not move. Each company has its own policies and may list other items due to past experiences with different customers.