Navigating Belmont in a Truck

Here's another helpful truck driving post from our owner Ezekiel. 

image courtesy of leftbankofthecharles.com

There's a bridge in Belmont Center, it's an old railroad bridge and it's pretty low. The clearance posting on it is 10'9" I believe. This bridge causes a lot of problems for a lot of truck drivers. On one hand, you can get a 12'6" straight truck through the very center of it, but even if you fit, it's still illegal to pass through it in an inappropriately marked truck. The problem is that getting from Fresh Pond to the other side of that bridge in a truck legally is a pain. It may look like you can take Blanchard St. to Brighton St. and then cut back to Belmont Center, but that involves no truck routes (they're rather loosely enforced, however). The only official way is to take Rte. 16 (Fresh Pond Parkway) to Rte. 2 to Rte. 60 and then go into Belmont. Belmont is bisected by those train tracks and getting from one side of them to the other requires going around, especially in a truck due to that low-clearance bridge. Options for turning a rig around if you head down Concord to that bridge are slim at best as well.

So, if you're planning to move yourself in or out of Belmont be very careful not only of the no truck routes but also that low bridge in Belmont Center. If you're hiring movers keep this information in mind as well. We may quote you a travel time that seems inappropriate to you, but remember that the way you drive in your car is not the same way we would go about things in a truck, so it may take longer. 

The Busy Season Approaches

image is our own!

Moving in the Boston-area (and perhaps everywhere else) is a very seasonal business. Winters are slow and summers its hard to keep up with demand. Part of this has to do with the leasing/university schedule in Boston and part of it is just that its not that pleasant to move when its very cold and possibly snowy out.

Every year, sometime in April, is when we start to get busy. We have hit that point this year. The phones are ringing more, the inbox has a lot more e-mails and we're filling up the calendar.

If you are looking to use a moving company sometime this summer or to move yourself with a rental truck we have some recommendations:

1. When you know you are going to move start planning. Call truck rental places to book a truck if that is your plan. If you're using a moving company call around to get estimates as soon as you know you're moving.
2. Think about moving van permits. On very busy days during the summer moving van permits can become unavailable due to someone else requesting a permit for the same address.
3. Know what days are busiest and if you have any flexibility with your move date. Traditionally, the first and last days of the month are the busiest. The 15th is also usually fairly busy. Weekends are also very popular. If you have a specific day in mind and you know that the landlord's or your schedule doesn't allow for any wiggle room about that make sure you call to make reservations as soon as you are able.
3. The above applies particularly for September 1st. Everyone in the greater Boston-area knows that is the hardest day of the year to try and move, whether you're doing it yourself or using a moving company. That day books up FAST, so keep that in mind when planning.
4. Last minute moves are hard to pull off in the summer, at least for us and most likely for any truck rental places. While during the winter we can often schedule you within a day or two, during the summer we tend to book up at least a week or two in advance, sometimes more. It never hurts to try, though, so if you do have a last minute move or change of plans definitely give us a call or shoot us an e-mail.

Being prepared is the key to any low-stress, happy moving experience of any kind and even more so in the summer. If you have any questions about moving this summer please give us a call (617.864.0620) or e-mail us (help@intelligentlabor.com). You can also check out our excellent, revamped website for tips and information. We'd love to help you move!

Navigating Cambridge and Somerville in a Truck

Here's another helpful post from our owner, Ezekiel. If you're planning on renting your own truck for a move in Cambridge or Somerville this information will be a huge help!

image courtesy of dreamstime.com

Getting from North Cambridge to Somerville in a truck can be tricky. Almost all the roads that go from Massachusetts Ave. towards Somerville west of Porter Square are one-ways or no truck routes. This even applies once you get into Arlington all the way to the intersection of Massachusetts Ave. and Rt. 60. The best route to know is Davenport St. in Porter Square. It's a short street that runs from Massachusetts Ave. in Cambridge behind the Porter Square shopping plaza back to Elm St. Somerville. Located on that street are the loading docks and commercial parking for the shopping plaza so it can also be a handy place to turn around if you've missed a turn.