Starting Before the Heat Builds
We push start times earlier on hot days, often before the sun clears the ridgeline, so the bulk of the loading happens while the truck box is still cool and the crew is fresh. A late morning start on a hundred degree day means the last hour of loading happens inside a metal box that has been baking since nine, and that is hard on both the crew and anything wrapped in plastic.
What Rides in the Cab, Not the Box
Anything that reacts badly to heat rides with the driver instead of in the trailer. Candles, vinyl records, electronics, and anything sealed in a plastic tub go in the cab or in an air conditioned vehicle rather than the back of the truck, because a closed trailer parked at a curb for two hours can climb well past the outside temperature. Wine and anything with a battery pack get the same treatment, and we flag this during the walk through so nothing turns up warped at the other end.
Protecting Furniture and Boxes From the Sun
Wood furniture left in direct sun for too long can crack or the finish can bubble, so we keep pieces shaded with moving blankets whenever they sit outside the truck for more than a few minutes. Cardboard left stacked on a driveway in full sun softens faster than most people expect, and a soft bottom box is exactly how a stack tips over. We stage boxes in the shade of the truck or the house whenever the driveway itself offers no cover.
Water and Pace for the Crew
Every truck carries water and the crew takes short breaks on a schedule rather than waiting until someone feels it. A crew rushing to beat the heat makes more mistakes on stairs and door frames than one that paces the job and takes five minutes in the shade every so often. We would rather the move run slightly longer than have someone push through heat exhaustion to hit a number that matters less than getting your things there in one piece.
What We Ask You To Do Before We Arrive
Turn the air conditioning down the night before if the new place has been sitting closed up, and defrost the freezer a day ahead rather than the morning of, since a half thawed freezer is heavier and messier to move on a hot day than a properly defrosted one. If pets are in the house, keep them in a cool room away from the doors we will be using all day, because an open door on a hundred degree afternoon is an invitation for an anxious dog to bolt.