Supplies for Moving Companies

If you're a moving company, whether large or small, you need the right materials to be competitive and offer your clients the most safe, secure move possible.  Most of that revolves around having the right materials to safeguard your client's belongings.  Following are some of the supplies that moving companies most often use, or could use.

Stretch Wrap

Stretch wrap is a stretchy, clear plastic film that can be used for a variety of applications within the moving industry.  There are two types of stretch wrap that are most common:

• Hand Stretch Wrap - 12", 15" or 18" wide on a standard 3" core, and 20" and 30" on a 1" extended core
• Bundling Stretch Wrap - 2", 3" and 5" widths.  The 2" and 3" films are on a 3" core and the 5" can ship on a 3" core or a 1" extended core.

Typical applications for stretch wrap in the moving industry:

• Protecting furniture from nicks and dings (typically hand wrap)
• Keeping furniture doors and drawers closed (typically bundling film)
• Consolidating items so multiple items can be loaded/transported as one

Stretch wrap is easy to use, will not mar furniture - whether wood, leather or fabric, leaves no adhesive residue like tape can, is clear, and has strong, reliable hold potential to stand up in the many demands that the moving industry places on the items in its care.

Plastic Poly Bags
Plastic poly bags and related products can be used for a variety of purposes and can often be re-used as well (unlike stretch wrap).  Some of the most common poly products used are:

• Furniture Bags - these come in sizes specific for chairs, loveseats, and couches.  Where standard poly bags open on the width, furniture bags will often open on the length, so instead of having to pull a poly bag over the couch from one end to the other and to lift it off the ground to do so, you can simply pull the bag over the top of the couch, allowing both ends to be protected and for it to be relatively easily lifted and moved while covered.
• Garment Bags - these are designed for hanging clothes and are much like what you would get at a dry-cleaners.  These will ensure that your client's hanging clothes are protected as much as possible during the move, even if they are in a garment box.
• Mattress Bags - these are sized for standard and pillow-top mattresses in all the common sizes - twin, full, queen, x-queen, king, and x-king.  These will protect your client's mattresses and/or box springs in transit and, depending upon the thickness you choose, can provide a handhold when carrying.
• Reclosable Bags - these are zip-top bags that come in a wide variety of sizes.  The most common use of these is to store parts for when items have to be disassembled for transport.  Some reclosable bags also come with a white write-on block so they can be easily labelled and read.  These can be put in drawers or cabinets during transport, taped underneath the furniture, or simply carried separately.
• Poly Sheeting - this comes in a wide variety of sizes and are simply long sheets of poly on a roll.  They range in width from 3' up to 20' and typically come in lengths of 100'.  For items too large to bag or to protect floors, for example, poly sheeting can be a useful option.  It can also be used to protect items that need to be set aside in a lawn, for example, or to cover them in the event of inclement weather during the move.
• Poly Tubing - stocked in various thicknesses, it comes in sizes as narrow as 1" and as wide as 60", and in lengths from 300' to 4000', depending upon the width and the thickness of the tubing.  This product is used most frequently for protecting rugs/carpeting that are rolled up for transport, but can be used for many other applications as well.  Since it is a tube, it can be cut to length and taped or tied at each end to protect the item.

Carton Seal Tape
Tape is something every moving company needs.  But there is more to tape than just how wide or how long it is.  For a standard move, the type of tape (acrylic, hot melt, natural rubber) is generally not as important as is the thickness/grade of the tape.  The heavier and larger your boxes are, the thicker your tape should be.  The chart below helps illustrate the differences:

And just to be thorough, the following chart details the differences in the different types of carton seal of tape available:

For most moving applications, hot melt tape will be quite sufficient and it is also the most cost effective of the three carton sealing options.  For extreme cold weather moves or for items going in to long term storage, acrylic tape is recommended.  The most likely moving application for natural rubber tape would be if you're using recycled cardboard boxes, in which case natural rubber would provide the most reliable seal.

How to Select Stretch Wrap - Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between stretch wrap and shrink wrap? 

• Shrink wrap is a poly plastic product that is applied with the use of a heat gun that heat shrinks the film so that it conforms securely around the product to which it is applied.  It's most common application is for storage and protection from the elements.  In short, shrink wrap is used to cover and protect product.
• Stretch wrap is a poly plastic product that is used most commonly to wrap pallets of boxes or other product.  It is stretchy with a strong elastic property and usually has a two-sided cling to is sticks to itself.  It does not need a heat gun or any other special equipment to be successfully applied.  In short, stretch wrap is used to contain product and hold them together.

 What is “gauge” and how do I know what gauge I need?

• Gauge is the most common measure of the thickness of stretch film (sometimes also measured in microns)
  100 gauge = 25.4 microns = .0254mm = .001in
• The higher the number, the thicker the film (100ga > 80ga > 60ga, etc)
• 80 gauge is the most common film, the “average” or “standard”
• Heavier gauge films are typically required for:

• Heavy loads, such as fasteners, machine parts, bags of mortar or mulch, etc.
• Uneven loads with more corners and angles (also known as B- or C-loads)
• Greater puncture potential
• Lighter gauge films are typically required for:
• Lighter loads, such as foam products, or light food products (snack foods like chips, etc)
• Even, square loads (also known as A-loads)
• Little to no puncture potential
• Film is typically available in gauges ranging from 40ga - 150ga
• Ultimately, the thickness needed is subjective.  Samples film, when available, is ideal to determine what works best for your needs.

What is the difference between bundling film, hand wrap and machine film?

• Bundling film has a smaller width (2”, 3” or 5”) and is hand applied
  
  
• Applications
• Securing long lengths of product, such as extruded metal, wood molding, PVC lengths, pipe, rebar, etc
• Bundling together multiple small boxes so they ship as a single unit
• Advantages
• Small width
• Similar application as tape but with no sticky residue
• Easy to apply and clean to remove
• Means of Application
• Standard Bundler – the most common bundling film, it comes on a 3” core and often ships with one plastic plug-in handle per case
• Extended Core– Comes on a 1” core which extends almost 5” beyond the film, creating a built-in handle for each roll.  Some ship with a rubber grip to fit over the extended core.
• QuikWrap – The most efficient and most ergonomic option, ships on a 1¾” core and with one black plug-in handle per case.  The handle end features a black rubber grip that rotates freely around a core, allowing for easy application and a secure fit into the core of the stretch wrap.

• Hand Wrap comes in 12”, 15”, 18”, 20” and 30” widths and is hand applied
• Applications
• Wrapping small pallets of average weight and evenly stacked product
• Large pallet wrapping, but not in large quantities per day
• Advantages
• Can wrap a full pallet without the large capital investment required by a stretch wrap machine
• Portable and can be used anywhere
• Means of Application
• Standard Hand Wrap – ships on a 3” core and is applied by hand or with hand dispenser such as the Nelson Better Wrapper  (12”, 15” and 18” widths)
• Extended Core Hand Wrap – ships on a 1” extended core (looks like a rolling pin) and is applied by hand (20” and 30” widths)

• Machine Stretch Film or Pallet Wrap most frequently comes in 20” or 30” widths, but is also available in 40”, 50” and 60” widths
• Applications
• Standard size skids but of heavy-weight product which require a high degree of stretch
• Environments that require multiple skids to be wrapped per hour throughout the day
• Semi-automated environments
• Advantages

• Machine wrap can obtain a stretch of over 250%, depending upon the film and the machine
• Saves time
• Greater efficiency and safety
• Saves money on stretch wrap by getting more stretch out of each roll
• Means of Application
• Semi-AutomaticStretch Wrap Machines range in price from $3900 and upward and offer a variety of options to best fit your production and budget needs
• Stretch Wrap Machines are generally not mobile and are restricted to a specific location within your warehouse

What is the difference between cast and blown film?

• Cast Film
• By far, the most commonly used film, particularly with stretch wrap machines and bundling film
• Easy, quiet release
• High Clarity
• Tear resistant
• Limited puncture resistance
• Best for even loads of average, near-average, or below average weight
• Blown Film
• Most often used with hand wraps
• Noisy unwind
• Hazy, low clarity
• High puncture resistance and toughness
• Best used for heavy, uneven loads, or those with high puncture potential

What other options are available with stretch film?
The most common non-stock options are:

• UVI – for long term outdoor storage
• One-Side Cling – Good for loads that deliver on flatbed trucks (such as mulch) so that the skids of product do not stick together and risk being torn
• Color – Stretch film can be made in various primary colors, both in tint and opaque

What is “gauge equivalent” or “replacement gauge” film?

• Up until a decade or two ago, the only real measure for stretch film was its gauge, or thickness.  As a result, certain gauges became associated with certain strengths and performance characteristics
• More recently, with the advances in technology, we are able to make thinner films that have the equivalent strength of thicker (higher gauge) films.  This enables us to provide you with a high quality film at a lower price because less material is used in the production of the film.  Our Extreme films are an example of this type of film.
• Gauge equivalent or replacement gauge films are best suited for even loads of average or below average weight.
• Despite the advances in production technology, the most common way of referring to film strength and performance is still the gauge.  80ga, however, now, may not necessarily refer to the actual thickness of the film, but to the relative performance – it will perform comparably to an actual 80ga film.

Stretch Wrap and Firewood Bundling

Whether you bundle firewood for sale for for your own personal use, stretch wrap is the most preferred way to bundle your material.  Choosing the right wrap is very subjective and there are many options, but the information below should help you determine what will work best for you.

w/1 band of bundling wrap

w/2 bands of bundling wrap

with 12" hand wrap

What size stretch wrap do I need?

• Bundling Film
  This is narrow width stretch wrap that comes in widths of 2" bundling stretch wrap , 3" bundling stretch wrap , and 5" bundling stretch wrap.  Bundling film is a good choice when you want to keep your firewood vented.  It allows you to wrap just the ends, or both ends and the middle, and reduce the possibility of moisture becoming trapped in the wrap.
• Hand Wrap
  This is a wider wrap that comes in stock widths of 12", 15" and 18".  With the extra width, this can allow for a quicker wrap time and will fit many firewood bundling machines and devices.  All of our hand wrap comes on a standard 3" core.

 What gauge stretch wrap should I use?

Ultimately, this is a very subjective question, but there are some guidelines that can be used.  The typical application for stretch film is holding together boxes of product on a skid weighing typically over 1000lbs, so the wrap has to be able to stretch tightly to hold the load together during the shipping and handling processes.  That is not the case with firewood bundling, where the bundles are small, typically moved by hand, and weigh only a few dozen pounds at most.

For these reasons, we recommend our Hand Wrap.  This hand wrap is thinner and less expensive than a traditional 80-90ga film, but has comparable strength when it comes to holding your bundles together.  It has the cling you expect with a standard gauge stretch wrap and will resist the minimal puncture potential presented by firewood.

What are the best tools to use to wrap the firewood?

For bundling film we have three handle options:

• Handy Bundler
  This is the most common type.  The film comes on a 3" core and each case has one plastic plug-in handle.  This is a good choice if you have one person doing the wrapping, and they do it sporadically.
• Best Bundler/Extended Core
  

  

  Handy Bundler, Best Bundler and QuikWrap (left-to-right)

  This film comes on a 1" extended core and is available only in 5" widths.  The 5" of film is wound on a 10" long core, leaving a 5" long handle built-in to each roll.  Our Best Bundler 5" Bundling Stretch Wrap  ships with one red rubber grip per case, which you can use to slip over the core and reduce any wear on unprotected hands.  This is a good choice if you have multiple people doing the wrapping and the wrapping is done fairly often throughout the day.
• QuikWrap
  For heavy use, applications, where more than one person is doing the wrapping and they are doing it for the majority of the day, our patented QuikWrap system is the perfect choice.  It is available in all widths (2", 3" and 5") and comes on a 1-3/4" core.  Each case comes with one QuikWrap handle.  The handle

  

  Eliminator

  

  Little Nelson

  
  

  plugs in to the core and has a built-in black, rubber grip that rotates around a fixed core, allowing you to use the wrap without the need to wear gloves or worry about the handle popping out of the core.  It also give you the ability to apply tension to the wrap by tightening your grip on the handle.

With hand wrap, there are a couple of options.  One is our Highlight Hand Held Stretch Wrapper.  The Eliminator allows you to easily wrap bundles as large as 24" x 24" x 24" and up to 70lbs and it supports stretch wrap between 10-15" wide.

Another option is the Little Nelson Bundling Film Dispenser, which works on 3" core bundling film between 2" and 6" wide.  It is a heavy-duty, ergonomic alternative to the plug-in handles that come with most bundling film.  It features a built-in braking mechanism which allows you greater control over how much stretch you want to apply and where.