Welcome to Cross Country Vanlines LLC

Careful packing is one of the most important aspects of your move. Well-packed household goods stand little chance of being damaged. Also, packing room by room can help to make the unpacking and storage much less of a chore. Whether you have Cross Country Vanlines do the packing or you do it yourself depends on your circumstances. Some people do not have the time to devote to what can be an intimidating task. In such cases, Cross Country Vanlines provides the finest in safe and professional packing services. For families on a budget, self-packing can mean considerable savings.

Even if you choose to do the packing yourself, you might still consider having Cross Country Vanlines pack the more delicate or fragile items, such as dishes, crystal, lamps, etc. It is the best of both worlds: you’ll enjoy the security of having these more costly items professionally packed while reducing your costs by doing the bulk of the job yourself.

You can buy boxes directly from us online and we will drop ship overnight

Tips on Self Packing-Cushioning

Many people use newspapers to pack their belongings, but keep in mind that newspaper ink has a tendency to rub off on everything it touches and can be almost impossible to remove from items like fine china. Tahoma Professional packers use “newsprint” (unprinted newspaper) as cushioning material. You can get newsprint from us or from your local material supplier. The amount of newsprint you use depends on the items being packed. Obviously, towels or sheets in a carton require no packing material at all. For dishes or fragile items, a layer of crumpled paper should be used to line the bottom of the carton to a depth of approximately four inches. Each item should be individually wrapped with crushed paper between items as needed.

Packing Specific Items

Plates, Saucers, Flat China: Wrap individually and then bundle three or four together. Stand on end in carton. Never lay flat. Use the larger items as the bottom layer and place crumpled paper as a cushioning between each layer.

Bowls, Odd-Shaped Items and Bowls: Should be individually wrapped and should constitute the upper layer. Place on edge in carton with bottom facing up.

Cups and Glasses: Like bowls, cups and glasses should go on top, rim down and individually wrapped.

Glassware and Crystal: Always individually wrap as top layer. Never put one piece inside another. If items are particularly fragile, pack first in smaller carton, then in large one with cushioning all around for extra protection.

Books: Pack upright with open edges and bound ends alternating. If any have fragile covers, wrap in paper.

Clothing: Hanging items should go into wardrobe cartons. Clothing my not be left in dressers. All other folded clothing should be packed in medium (3.0 cu. ft.) cartons.

Food: Boxed dry food should be packed in medium (3.0 cu. ft.) cartons with openings taped shut to prevent spillage. Jars or canned goods should be packed in book (1.5 cu. ft.) cartons with all jars wrapped and cushioned. Never pack or move perishable or frozen food.

Hats: If in a hat box, pack in larger carton. If not, loosely stuff with crushed paper and pack in smallest carton, either alone or with other hats.

Lamps: Lamp bases should be wrapped, cushioned and packed in dish-pack cartons. Lampshades should be packed singly in appropriate sized carton. Be careful not to put too much paper in lampshade carton as they dent easily. Cushion loosely.

Flowers: Dry flowers should be packed alone in appropriate sized carton loosely cushioned with paper. Live plants will probably not survive a long-distance move and movers cannot accept responsibility.

Stereo, DVD, VCR, etc.: Components and small electronics should be well-wrapped and cushioned in either electronic (3.5 cu. ft.) cartons or medium (3.0 cu. ft.) cartons. Large console stereo and televisions should not be packed by shipper. They will be packed by driver.

Mirrors, Marble Tops, Glass Tops, Pictures: All mirrors, marble tops, glass tops, and pictures should be packed in picture-mirror cartons, unless they are very small. The small items may be wrapped and packed in dish-pack cartons on edge. Very large marble or glass tops should be crated by professional packers. Their weight makes them impractical to be moved by carton.

Restricted Shipping Items

Remember that all of your possessions are being loaded into the van and, by law, movers may not accept hazardous materials for shipment. Restricted items include:

All stocks, bonds, currency, jewelry, furs, stamps, coins, securities, negotiable, insurance polices and valuable papers should not be packed for transit in the van. Either transport these items yourself or make other arrangements to transport them.

Use a heavy marking pen for easy reading. On carton top, list major items such as “GOOD CHINA” or “CRYSTAL.” On carton side near the top, mark which room cartons goes into. If carton contains fragile items, mark “FRAGILE” on all four sides. On cartons containing fragile items or liquids, mark “THIS END UP” on carton top and put arrows pointing up on all four sides.