Every licensed moving company works from a list of items it cannot legally load. Fuel, aerosols, ammunition, corrosives, pressurized cylinders, and perishable food all stay off the truck, alongside a shorter list of things we recommend you carry yourself. We run local and long-distance moves out of Manchester, NH, and this question comes up on nearly every estimate we give. Knowing the list early saves a scramble on move morning, when a crew is already loading, and a half-full propane tank turns into a problem nobody has time to solve.
Why Some Items Cannot Go on a Moving Truck
The restriction is not a preference we invented. Moving companies operate under federal and state transportation rules that bar certain classes of cargo outright, and cargo insurance is written on the same basis. We carry $1M in liability and cargo coverage, and an item that sits outside those rules sits outside that coverage too. A leaking container in a loaded truck becomes damage with no claim behind it.
There is a practical side as well. A sealed truck parked in a driveway through a July afternoon gets hot enough to turn an aerosol can into a hazard. Pressure builds, a seal fails, and the contents end up across everything packed nearby. Crews find the aftermath most often in a box marked garage that nobody opened before it went on. The garage and shed belong early in the sequence for exactly this reason, which is how a week-by-week packing countdown is structured.
Hazardous and Flammable Items That Stay Off the Truck
This category is the firmest one. Nothing on it travels, whatever the distance, whatever the quantity, however carefully it has been wrapped. Most of it lives in a garage, a basement, or under a kitchen sink, which is why these are the items most often found partway through a load.
- Gasoline, kerosene, lighter fluid, charcoal and propane tanks, including camping canisters that feel empty
- Aerosols of every kind, from spray paint to hairspray and cooking spray
- Ammunition, black powder, flares, fireworks and signal devices
- Pool chemicals, bleach, drain cleaner, fertilizer and weed killer
- Paint, thinner, solvents, nail polish remover and fuel for small engines
- Car batteries, loose lithium batteries and anything visibly corroded or leaking
Most of this can be used up, given away or dropped at a household hazardous waste collection beforehand. Small engine fuel often drains straight into a mower. A gun safe is a separate matter, and specialty item crews move those regularly, though the safe travels with the ammunition removed and carried separately by you.
Food, Plants, and Anything That Spoils
Perishables are the second category, and the reasoning is simpler. Food that sits in a truck for a day loses its argument with temperature, and a long-distance load can sit considerably longer than that. Frozen and refrigerated food should be eaten down, donated or given to a neighbor in the final week. Open dry goods leak and attract pests, so flour, rice, sugar, and pet food travel better if they are sealed or replaced.
Houseplants are the one that catches people out. Several states restrict plant movement across their borders for pest control reasons, and even where they are permitted, a plant boxed in a dark truck rarely survives the trip. Unopened canned goods are fine for a local move, though a full pantry adds real weight to an hourly job.
Items We Could Load but You Should Carry Yourself
A third group is perfectly legal to put on a truck, and we still suggest it rides with you. Passports, birth certificates, deeds, titles, wills, tax records, medication, jewelry, cash, and small electronics all fall here. Nothing about them is restricted. The issue is that they are difficult or impossible to replace, and a sealed truck is the wrong place for anything you might need before it arrives.
The same logic covers laptops, external drives, photo albums, and anything sentimental enough that losing it would matter more than its resale value. Keep one box for this and load it into your own car first. On a long-distance move, add a few days of clothing, chargers, toiletries, and anything a child or pet needs on arrival. A delivery window spans days rather than hours, and that box carries you through it.
Not sure whether something in your garage or pantry can go on the truck? Give us a call at (603) 288-9627, and we’ll sort it out with you two weeks before move day rather than with the truck half loaded.
What to Do When You Are Not Sure About an Item
The rule we give customers is straightforward. If it burns, sprays, freezes, spoils, or cannot be replaced, ask us first. That single sentence covers most of the grey area, and a two minute phone call beforehand is faster than a decision made in a driveway with a crew waiting.
Anything unusual is worth raising at the estimate stage rather than on the day. Large aquariums, hot tub chemicals, antique clocks with mercury components, and partially full fuel tanks in motorized equipment all need a plan, and most of them have one. We would rather build that into the quote than hand it to a crew as a surprise.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can movers take propane tanks?
No. Propane is pressurized and flammable, so it stays off the truck even when the tank reads empty. Grill tanks can usually be exchanged locally before move day.
What happens if a restricted item is found during loading?
The crew sets it aside and lets you know. It stays with you rather than going on the truck, and nothing gets thrown out without your say-so.
Can I pack my own cleaning supplies?
Sealed, non-aerosol products are generally fine. Bleach, drain cleaner, and anything corrosive or pressurized stays off, so those are better used up or donated beforehand.
Do plants count as restricted?
Several states control plant movement across their borders, and plants rarely survive days in a dark truck. For a long-distance move, plan to carry them or rehome them.
Should I empty a gun safe before the move?
Yes. We move safes regularly, and they travel empty of ammunition. Firearms and ammunition stay with you.
Contact Us
Tell us what you are moving and we will tell you what can go on the truck, well before the day arrives.
Phone: 603-288-9627
Email: info@eammoving.com
Hours: Monday through Saturday, 7 AM to 7 PM
Service area: Manchester and communities across New Hampshire, plus long-distance moves throughout the Northeast
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