Working With a Loading Crew on Big Moves: A Driver Guide

Six men are standing at the gate. Two came with the customer, two are the customer's cousins, and two you have never seen before who heard there was work. The house is full, the truck is yours, and in five minutes they will all start carrying at once unless someone takes charge.

That someone is you. On a big move the driver knows the vehicle, its limits and how the load has to sit. A crew without direction loads fast and badly, and you are the one who answers for it at the drop-off.

Agree who loads before you accept

Most crew problems start before the job. Read the request carefully. If it is a full house, an office or a warehouse of stock, there will be heavy carrying, and the real question is who does it.

Before you accept or send a counter-offer, settle these with the customer:

• Is the customer bringing their own loaders, or expecting you to bring help?
• How many people will be at the pickup, and how many at the drop-off?
• Who arranges and pays the loaders?
• Are there stairs, a long carry from the gate, or items that need four people?

If you are bringing your own helpers, put that into your offer. If the customer is bringing a crew, ask how many and make it clear that you will direct the loading on the truck. Our guide to counter-offers that win jobs covers how to price extra work.

Brief the crew before anything moves

Take two minutes at the gate. It saves far more than it costs.

1. Introduce yourself and say you are directing the truck.
2. Point out the heavy items and the fragile ones.
3. Explain the order: what comes out first and what waits.
4. Set one rule. Nothing goes on the truck unless you say where it goes.
5. Agree a signal for stop, a shout or a raised hand.

If one person in the crew is clearly the leader, work through them.

Give everyone a role

On a typical full-house move, a split like this works:

• One or two people on the truck bed, placing and strapping. One of them is you.
• Carriers moving items from the house to the tailgate.
• One person inside the house bringing items to the door in the right order.
• The customer or a family member checking items off and answering questions.

Only you, or someone you trust, stands on the truck bed deciding where things go. Carriers hand items up and step back. They do not climb in and drop things wherever there is space.

On very big jobs, rotate the carriers and the inside person every hour or so. People slow down and get careless when they do the same heavy job for too long.

Keep the crew safe

• Switch off the engine and set the handbrake while loading. Keep the keys in your pocket.
• Keep the space behind the truck clear. Nobody stands between the truck and a wall when the vehicle moves.
• Do not let anyone ride in the cargo area, on the way or between stops.
• Call a break on long jobs, especially in the afternoon heat, and make sure there is drinking water.
• Watch for anyone carrying alone what needs two people, and stop it.
• If someone is not fit to work, whether tired, injured or drunk, keep them off the heavy items.

Lifting technique itself is covered in our guide to lifting heavy items safely. Your part as the driver is making sure the crew has the time and space to use it.

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Keep the truck balanced while people load fast

A fast crew puts whatever is nearest onto the truck. That is how a fridge ends up at the tailgate. Hold the pace to the speed you can place things properly.

Before the crew starts, decide which items go in first and have them brought out first. Ask the inside person to bring the heavy appliances before any cartons. Step down every few minutes and look at the load from the ground. If it looks heavier on one side, stop and fix it before the next layer goes on. The placement method itself is in our guide to loading a van or truck efficiently.

At the drop-off

The crew at the drop-off is often different from the pickup crew. Brief them the same way, even if it is only two people. Release the straps one section at a time so nothing falls when the doors open. Ask the customer to direct each item to its room.

When the crew is the problem

Sometimes a loader will not listen, handles items carelessly or argues with you. Stay calm and speak to the customer, not the loader. It is the customer's move and usually their people.

If the loading becomes unsafe, stop the work until it is sorted. A late finish is better than an injured carrier or a damaged load.

How to do this on Sphere

When a big job comes in on the Sphere driver app, read the load description and settle the loading arrangement before you accept or counter. If the customer wants you to bring help, reflect that in your offer.

Drivers keep 90% of each job on Sphere, and joining is free. Not driving with Sphere yet? Apply on the drive and earn page.