Room-by-room playbook
How to Pack for a Long-Distance Move
Interstate transit is harder on your stuff than a local move — boxes get loaded twice, ride for days, and pass through more hands. Pack like that’s true and you’ll arrive without breakage.
What you actually need
Boxes
Small for books, medium for kitchen, large for bedding. Wardrobe boxes for hanging clothes. Dish-pack for kitchen breakables.
Tape
2-inch packing tape, minimum 6 rolls per 3-bedroom move. Don’t use masking tape.
Paper & bubble
Unprinted newsprint, bubble wrap for fragile items, foam pouches for glassware.
Markers & labels
Black Sharpies + colored dot stickers (one color per room). Speeds up unloading dramatically.
Kitchen
The hardest room to pack and most likely to take damage in transit.
- Use dish-pack boxes (double-walled, divided)
- Wrap each plate individually, stack vertically
- Glassware: foam pouches, then bubble wrap, then box cells
- Pots and pans: nest with paper between
- Knives: blade-down in cardboard sleeves
- Pantry: discard half-empty oils, sauces — leak risk
- Small appliances: original boxes if you have them
Bedrooms
- Wardrobe boxes for hanging clothes
- Drawer contents: leave clothing in dressers if drawers are taped shut
- Mattresses: mattress bags
- Bedding: large boxes — light and bulky
- Jewelry, watches, passports: travel with you, not on the truck
- Hard drives, documents: travel with you
Living & dining rooms
- TVs: original boxes ideal; otherwise dedicated TV cartons
- Lamps: shades in their own box, bases padded
- Art & mirrors: picture boxes with corner protectors
- Rugs: rolled and tied, never folded
- Books: small boxes only — heavy fast
- Vinyl records: cell-divided cartons, not stacked loose
Bathrooms, garage, and the rest
- Bathrooms: discard partial bottles; wrap cosmetics in plastic bags
- Cleaning supplies: most carriers won’t take liquids/aerosols
- Garage: drain gas/oil from mowers, weed eaters, generators
- Paint, propane, fertilizer, flammables: cannot ship interstate
- Tools: tool boxes are fine; loose tools in small heavy-duty boxes
- Outdoor furniture: cushions in large boxes, frames disassembled
Never goes on the truck
Federally prohibited
Propane, gasoline, charcoal, paint thinner, fireworks, ammunition, fertilizer, pool chemicals, aerosols.
Travel with you
Passports, birth certificates, jewelry, cash, prescriptions, hard drives, irreplaceable photos.
Perishables
Frozen food, refrigerated items, fresh produce, plants.
Pets
Pets travel with you, never on the truck. See our Moving with Pets guide.
A labeling system that works
- Top corner: room name
- Side: brief contents
- FRAGILE in red across the top if applicable
- “THIS SIDE UP” on glass and electronics
- Color dot for room: speeds up unloading
- Number boxes (1 of 60, 2 of 60)
Related guides
Want full-pack service?
Popular long-distance moving routes
Binding quotes on our most-requested cross-country lanes — no surprise fees.