Most movers, including our crew, can’t legally or safely transport certain items: hazardous chemicals, perishable food, live plants on interstate moves, and anything irreplaceable like cash or family photos.
Most people find out about this on move day, when a crew member is standing in the driveway, and something just has to stay behind. Knowing the list before that morning gives you time to deal with it properly, without the scramble.
None of these restrictions are random. They come down to the safety of our crew, the safety of everything else on the truck, and in some cases, laws that apply no matter how carefully something is packed. A reliable moving company will always walk you through this ahead of time, so nothing catches you off guard.
Hazardous Materials and Common Household Chemicals
Household chemicals catch people off guard more than anything else on this list. Most people don’t think of what’s under the kitchen sink or out in the garage as hazardous, but a long list of common products fall into that category.
Common household products that can’t go on the truck include:
- Flammable liquids: gasoline, lighter fluid, paint thinner, acetone
- Propane tanks, including small camping and grill canisters
- Motor oil, bleach in large quantities, pool chemicals
- Fertilizers, pesticides, and herbicides
- Aerosol cans with flammable propellants, nail polish remover, most cleaning solvents
In an enclosed truck, especially during a Utah summer, these are fire and explosion risks. That holds true for a short move across Utah County and a long-distance move out of state alike. If you’re comparing quotes while hiring movers, ask upfront how they handle hazardous items so there are no surprises later.
Your options: use these items up before the move, pass them along to a neighbor, or check with Utah County or your city for a household hazardous waste drop-off program.
Many communities run free collection days for exactly this kind of item, so it’s worth a quick search before you assume you’re stuck with it. Don’t pack restricted chemicals into a plain box and hope no one notices. It’s not worth the risk.
Perishable Food and Open Pantry Items
Perishable food shouldn’t go on the truck, and for any long-distance move, nothing that needs refrigeration can be transported. A full freezer of meat won’t survive a multi-day drive, and you don’t want to find out what that smells like inside a sealed truck next to your furniture.
For local moving within Utah County, sealed dry goods like flour, rice, pasta, and canned items typically travel fine. Open containers, partially used jars, and liquids are a different story. They spill, they make a mess in the box, and they attract pests in storage or transit.
The cleaner approach for most moves is to use up or donate what you can in the two to three weeks before moving. It cuts your box count, removes the spill risk, and gives you a fresh start in the new kitchen instead of hauling over things you were going to replace anyway.
Live Plants
On out-of-state moves, we can’t transport live plants. Agricultural regulations on crossing state lines vary by state and by plant type, and a commercial moving truck can’t resolve that compliance question for you. Live plants are one of several categories packers will not pack when a move crosses state lines.
For local moves within Utah, plants can sometimes travel depending on distance and conditions, but they’re fragile in a different way than most items. They tip over, spill soil, lose branches, and struggle with the heat and darkness inside a truck.
If a plant matters to you, the most reliable option is to drive it yourself, where you control the temperature and keep it upright the whole way. For the ones you can’t take, finding them a home with a friend or neighbor before the move usually beats leaving them behind. Most people are glad to take a healthy, established plant off your hands.
Not sure if something on your list falls into one of these categories? Call us at (385) 380-5600 before you pack it, and we’ll tell you straight whether it can go on the truck.
High-Value Items and Irreplaceable Personal Property
Some things can physically ride on the truck. They shouldn’t. Jewelry, cash, financial and legal documents, passports, Social Security cards, family photos, and anything irreplaceable or high in value belong in that group.
Our crews are careful and trustworthy, but even on a move that goes smoothly from start to finish, small high-value items can get separated from other boxes in a big load or end up somewhere on the truck that takes time to track down at the other end.
Standard moving valuation also has coverage limits that don’t reflect what these items are actually worth, so it helps to know your protection and valuation options before move day. Your grandmother’s ring or the deed to your property shouldn’t go on a truck if you can avoid it.
Keep high-value items in a bag or lockbox in your own vehicle for the whole move. It’s the most reliable way to make sure they end up exactly where you need them.
Medications and Personal Medical Equipment
Prescription medications travel with you, not on the truck, for any move, at any distance. You might need a medication during the move or in the first day or two after arriving, and having it sealed in a box somewhere on the truck creates a risk for no reason.
Portable medical devices, including CPAP machines and blood pressure monitors, should stay with you too. For larger or stationary medical equipment, mention it at the time of your quote so we can confirm whether it fits our standard service or needs extra planning.
If you take daily medications, pack two to three extra days’ worth in your personal bag. Moves occasionally run long, and that small buffer takes one more thing off your list.
Planning Around These Restrictions Before Move Day
The simplest way to handle restricted items is to deal with them weeks before the move, not the morning the crew shows up. Walk through your home room by room and flag anything from the categories above.
Start using up chemicals or arrange disposal early. Plan meals around the food you already have. Decide early which plants are coming with you and which are finding a new home.
If you’re moving from American Fork or anywhere in Utah County and you’re not sure whether a specific item can go on the truck, call and ask before move day. It’s a much easier conversation to have in advance than once everything’s already in motion.
We handle long-distance moving out of Utah as well as local moves, and you can see our full range of moving services in American Fork for the details.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Can I pack hazardous items in a sealed container?
A: No. Even in a heavy-duty sealed container, flammable liquids, propane, and pressurized aerosols aren’t permitted on the truck. Use them up, give them away, or drop them at a household hazardous waste program before move day.
Q: Will movers transport my houseplants?
A: On out-of-state moves, no, because agricultural regulations vary by state. On local moves within Utah, it depends on the distance and conditions, so ask when you book.
Q: Where should I keep my medications during the move?
A: In your personal vehicle, not on the truck, for any move at any distance. Pack two to three extra days’ worth in case the move runs longer than planned.
Ready to book your move in American Fork? Best of Utah Moving & Storage gives you a guaranteed price in writing and walks you through every restricted item before move day. Call (385) 380-5600 or get a free, guaranteed quote today.
