Picking up Your Van on Moving Day

If you aren't ready, moving can be an extraordinarily stressful experience. You can reduce the amount of stress you feel on moving day by taking extra steps to choose just the right moving van and be sure it's safe to drive.
One of the first things you should be sure to do is get to the moving van rental yard early. You want to beat all the competition - especially if you are planning to move on the weekend. Get there when the place opens so that you won't have to wait around to fill out your paperwork. Remember to take your driver's license and any other documents you need with you to the moving van rental office. You don't want to show up bright and early only to have to turn around and go back home to get your documentation.
If you don't feel comfortable driving a moving van yourself, be sure to have your driver with you. Naturally, you will want to make certain the driver you choose is reliable, sober and insured. Make sure s/he is also carrying documentation in the form of a driver's license and proof of insurance.
Once you have taken care of filling out the paperwork, take a few minutes to check out the moving van. Be sure it's gassed up and safe to operate. Ideally, a good rental company will have a checklist for you to use to be certain everything is in order. You'll want to walk all the way around the vehicle, check the tires and look underneath to make sure nothing is leaking. Check out the lights, signal and the horn. If it is a very big van, make sure the backup alarm is working.
Don't take the vehicle off the lot until you are certain that it's roadworthy. Before you take the vehicle out on the highway, drive it around on the surface streets just a bit to listen for any suspicious rattles or other problems. Make sure the brakes work properly before you are tooling down the freeway at 70 mph! If you feel anything is wrong, go right back to the lot to have it attended to.
At the end of moving day, go back over the checklist to make sure everything is as it was when you picked the vehicle up. Check through the vehicle to make sure you haven't left anything inside. Be sure to look under the visors in case you or your driver left your driver's license or other important papers there. Once everything checks out, take your van back to the rental lot and return to your new home!