- October 10, 2020
It is always better to be safe than sorry when packing your personal valuables before moving to a new house. Such items that require additional security or special access are better kept in your personal vehicle during a move.
If you are planning your next move or having a professional moving company such as Earthrelo to transport your belongings, it should provide you with a list of “non-allowable”. In other words, restricted items. Non-allowable is an industry term for items professional movers will not transport.
Moving companies usually do not accept the transportation of the items that pose a risk of damaging or contaminating other customers’ properties, even the carrier’s property. Each moving company has its own list of prohibited items that should be requested by home movers before they start packing their belongings for shipment.
Hazardous material – Non-Allowable
Earthrelo will not transport hazardous items, including explosives, flammable gases and toxic substances. Keep in mind that these hazardous items must be disposed of properly to comply with federal, state and local laws and to protect the environment.
Many of these items can be given to friends and family. Unwanted items will have to be disposed of properly. Contact your city or county for where to dispose of these items. Hazardous items are generally those considered explosive, flammable or corrosive.
Here’s a list of everyday items that moving companies consider non-allowable:
- Acids
- Aerosols
- Ammonia
- Ammunition
- batteries
- Car batteries
- Charcoal
- Charcoal lighter fluid
- Chemistry sets
- Cleaning solvents
- Darkroom chemicals
- Fertilizer
- Fire extinguisher
- Fireworks
- Gasoline
- Household
- Kerosene
- Lamp oil
- Liquid bleach
- Loaded guns
- Matches
- Motor oil Sterno
- Nail polish
- Nail polish remover
- Paint thinner
- Paints
- Pesticides
- Poisons
- Pool chemicals
- Propane tanks
- Reloading supplies
- SCUBA tanks
- Weedkiller
Non-allowable Perishable Food
With long-distance moving, food items will not be allowed by most of the movers. This is because the food will not keep and could attract rats and other pests that might damage your property. Anything that can soil in transit should definitely not be shipped.
In some cases, if your move will be picked up and delivered within 24 hours, the moving company may allow perishables to be transported as long as they are properly packed.
Here are the perishable items include those listed below.
- Frozen food
- Opened food products
- Plants, including indoor
- Produce
- Refrigerated food
Personal or sentimental items
Professional movers don’t like to transport these items because of the inherent risk of loss or damage. Basically, movers want to limit their liability in case these items are lost or damaged. As a consumer, you likely want to have these items under your control anyway.
The loss of medical records, financial documents or school records could be difficult to replace. Sensitive electronics, such as laptops, might be damaged by the extreme temperatures in a moving van. Jewelry, cash, collections and personal videotapes or CDs could not be replaced if lost.
Here’s a look at what moving companies consider personal or sentimental.
- Address book
- Computer discs
- Personal videotapes, DVDs
- Airline tickets
- Financial documents
- Photographs, photo albums
- Car key
- Insurance policies
- Professional files
- Car titles
- IRAs, deeds, tax records
- Research projects
- Cash
- Jewelry
- School records
- CDs
- Keys to furn., safe, home
- Sterling silver
- Cell phones
- Laptop computers
- Stocks or bonds
- Certificates of Deposit
- Medical, dental records
- Wedding albums
- Checkbooks
- Medicine
- Collections (coin, etc.)
- Pagers
Pets
Even if your pets are very well-behaved or well caged, the moving experts won’t move them through moving trucks. Moving trucks can get extremely hot or cold inside depending upon the weather, which is definitely not healthy for our furry friends.
Plants
Yes! There are actually laws against moving certain plants certain distances. This is because some states are free of insects and diseases that torment other states. Moving plants across states may mean introducing such invaders to your new state. Because of laws like these, moving companies generally won’t move your plants across state lines.
List of Non-Allowable Items – Restricted Items:
- Prescription medications, including dental & veterinary
- Prescription medical devices
- Medical devices not FDA-approved
- Prohormones, Human Growth Hormones, stem cell treatments, steroids or synthetic versions
- The following items that are not labeled in English, or without FDA-approved labeling requirements:
- Non-prescription medications
- Dietary supplements
- Cosmetics
- Food
- Any food, supplement, drug or cosmetic that has been issued a Consumer Safety Advisory Warning
- Perishable products of any kind
- Lab reagents, biologics, cultures, medical specimens
- Poisonous substances
- Toxic substances, including inhalation hazards
- Infectious substances
- Explosives, fireworks, gun powder, flares or matches
- Gasoline, diesel or other fuels
- Lighters containing fuel
- Meals Ready to Eat (MRE)
- Pesticides, herbicides, fungicides
- Radioactive elements or products
- Self-balancing boards (hoverboards)
- Damaged batteries
- Any dual-use or commercial article controlled under the Commerce Control List (CCL) as defined under the Export Administration Regulations, where the control status requires a Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) approved export license
- Counterfeit products
- Contraband or illegal substances
- Lottery tickets
- Gambling devices & accessories
- Lock picking devices
- Rough diamonds
- Live or dead animals or insects
- Human remains
- Coral
- Brazilian rosewood
- Skin or leather of snakes, alligators, crocodiles, stingrays, and other reptiles or amphibians
- Skin, fur or leather of nearly all animals, but especially wolves, bears, elephants, rhinos and certain deer and foxes
- Sturgeon or Beluga caviar
- Agricultural products, including certain seeds, live or dead plants, unfinished or untreated wood & soil
- Items containing animal products controlled under the Endangered Species Act, Marine Mammal Protection Act, or requiring a permit under CITES
- Any unidentifiable material, substance or chemical
- Oxidizing agents
- Fire extinguishers
- Firearms, guns & accessories, including replicas
- BB/pellet/airsoft/paintball guns, parts and projectiles
- Ammunition, magazines & bayonets
- Stun guns & tasers
- Tear gas, mace & pepper spray
- Gas masks & gas mask filters
- Law enforcement striking weapons, including saps, batons & billy clubs
- Handcuffs of any material, including plastic zip tie restraints & straitjackets
- Body armor, helmets or personal protection articles with kevlar or ballistic ratings
- Military/tactical/police shields
- Government, police or military uniforms, IDs and Badges (real or replica)
- Military training equipment
- Military and/or dual-use flight helmets and flight jumpsuits
- Military and law enforcement equipment
- Thermal imaging, Infrared or other night vision devices
- Rifle scopes, laser pointing & aiming devices for firearms
- Defense articles controlled under the US Munitions List as defined under the International Traffic in Arms Regulations
- Self-propelled vehicles
Even if a moving company is allowed to move your plants to the destination, there is still a high risk of plants being soiled or dying during the transit. If you’re ever unsure of what can and cannot be moved, don’t hesitate to consult Earthrelo moving experts. It’s better to be safe than sorry!
