Cars have a weight limit. Going over this limit may damage your car's suspension system or cause your tires to blow out.. Your car’s insurance will be invalidated as well if you have an accident while your vehicle is above its weight limit.

We understand that moving is a stressful process and putting as many items as you can in your car is a tempting idea to save time and money, however overloading your vehicle is a real risk when you do this.

Here are six steps to prevent your car from overloading when moving.

Be Familiar With Your Car’s Gross Vehicle Weight Rating and Payload Capacity

Your car's Gross Vehicle Weight Rating or GVWR is the maximum weight that it can safely carry. You can find the details about your car's GVWR on a sticker on the driver's side door or in the car's manual. You can also get in touch with your car's manufacturer to find out what your vehicle's GVWR is.

If you're planning to move all your belongings by yourself, it is a good idea to check if your loaded car’s weight is within its GVWR. You can visit a truck weighing station to do this.

The problem with this method is you can only do it a day before or on the day you're moving as you need all the passengers and items to be inside the car to get an accurate idea of its loaded weight. If your vehicle exceeds its GVWR, you may need to hire professional movers .

A more reliable way to avoid overloading your car is to know its payload capacity. This is the amount of additional weight your car can safely handle. Getting this information is a matter of simple math.

First, you'll need to get your car's GVWR and unloaded weight. You'll find your car's unloaded weight on the same sticker where you can check the GVWR. A car's unloaded weight is referred to as its “curb weight” on this sticker.

After obtaining the unloaded weight and GVWR, follow the formula below:

Payload Capacity = GVWR - Unloaded Weight

So for example, if a car has a GVWR of 3,000 kg and an unloaded weight of 2,000 kg, its payload capacity would be 1,000 kg. The extra weight must be kept under or equal to 1,000 kg to prevent the car from being overloaded. 

It is still best to keep the extra weight well under the payload capacity as the method above only provides an estimation. It is also recommended to have your car weighed if you think you're close to exceeding its GVWR.

Know Your Tire’s Load Index 

Aside from GVWR and payload capacity, you should also take note of your tire's load index. 

Load index is the highest amount of weight that a tire can support. While exceeding a vehicle’s GVWR can make it harder to steer, exceeding a tire’s load index can put your tires at risk of blowout .

You can spot the load index in the group of letters and numbers on your tire's sidewall. It is the last two or three digits.

 The numbers you see are not the actual weight a tire can carry, but rather a code for its real weight capacity. You can compare the load index on your tire to Goodyear's Load Index Chart to get the actual weight limit.

You can also check the space between the car frame and the top edge of your tire to see if your car is being overloaded. A 2-inch gap is a good sign that your car is not being overloaded, and a gap that is less than 2 inches means that your car is overloaded and you need to remove some stuff.

Keep Heavy Items Away From The Tires 

You're increasing the chance of blowing out your tires if you put heavy items near them. These items exert more strain on your tires when they are placed close to the wheels.

You can avoid this by putting items that are heavy in the middle of your vehicle. By doing so, you're distributing equal weight across all tires.

Distribute The Weight To Both Sides

Putting heavy items in the middle is not enough. You also need to distribute the weight as equally as you can on either side of the car.

Having one side of the car heavier than the other may result in uneven tire wear and tire blowout. The former will not be a problem on your moving day, but the latter will be a huge cause of stress.

Don’t Carry Unnecessary Items

Lighten your load by not bringing items that you don’t need anymore to your new home.

Make an inventory of your stuff and decide which items you still need and which ones you can leave behind. You can also donate these unnecessary items to charity or hold a garage sale a few days before moving.

Leave The Moving To The Professionals 

Seek the help of local movers instead of shouldering all the stress of moving. 

Moving companies have all the necessary equipment to assist you when relocating so they eliminate some of the stress of moving and the chance of your car getting overloaded.
For more moving tips, please visit: https://www.newviewmoving.com/blog