What No One Tells You About:
How To Pack & Transport Liquor During Your Move

1. Transportation of Liquor is More Serious Than People Think
   
2. Ask Your Movers if they Move Alcohol 
3. Using the Right Packing Materials
4. Make Space a Priority

1. Transportation of Liquor is More Complicated Than People Think

When you are moving, it is very important that you give special attention to the transportation of liquor. It is difficult to move alcoholic beverages because of all the regulations that moving companies are placed under by the FMCSA. Not only this, but the fragile bottles may break when you are trying to move them, which is definitely not good. If you are moving a rare bottle of alcohol, or if it is part of a vintage collection, then it may be a better idea to move it by yourself, such as inside your motor vehicle. If you are going to transport the alcohol safely and without damaging the bottles, then there are a few things that you can do to ensure the safety of your alcohol. The items must be properly packed, and you also must make sure that you are following any applicable regulations for moving alcohol across state lines if your move requires it. You may also want to focus on preserving the taste of the drinks as they are trucked to their new location. This is especially relevant for wine, which can easily lose its flavor with mistreatment. 

2. Ask Your Movers If They Move Alcohol

Many moving companies have policies that forbid them to transport alcohol during a residential move. Local laws can also have an effect on your ability to transport alcohol with a moving company. If you are moving long distance, then you should also check and see if the local laws in your destination state have anything against the transportation of alcohol. You may be better off just packing the alcohol in your own vehicle and transporting it to the new location that way. It is the safest option, but may not be the most logistically sensible. If the liquor bottles are opened, then this could cause trouble should you get pulled over by authorities. If your movers prohibit the transport of alcohol on their truck, then you are better off abiding by the rules. If the alcohol ignites, then you will be held responsible for the damages. Again, they may also report it to authorities, which could lead to legal troubles. 

3. Using the Right Packing Materials 

The only way to prevent damage to your alcohol is to use the appropriate packing materials. If everything is good on the legal end, then you should begin to the think about the way you will pack the liquor. Most alcohol stores have specialty boxes that can be used for moving the drinks. It is important to verify that these boxes offer a good amount of protection for the glass bottles. When looking for the right boxes, it is smart to look for ones that have additional layers of padding on the inside. Thicker cardboard is also better for the protection of the bottles. Styrofoam dividers are also a good investment to protect the bottles when you are moving them. These keep the bottles from knocking against each other when they are in transport. You could even use pads or blankets between them to keep them from clinking together and prevent them from breaking against each other. 

If you are moving a wine collection that is worth a lot of money, then you should lay the bottles down on their side or turn them upside down when moving them. This will ensure that the corks are protected from moisture. Any box that has alcohol bottles in it should be specified as fragile. You can add a layer of bubble wrap to the bottles to protect them further during the move. 

4. Make Space a Priority

When you are moving the liquor, you should place an emphasis on cushioning and spacing. Allowing enough space for each bottle will prevent them from getting damaged. A little space should be given between each bottle so that they have room to move around without knocking into each other. You can tape down loose caps and corks to allow for enough space in the boxes. 

Packing bottles side by side is also a good idea. If you are going to layer bottles within the box, then you should add extra layers of cushion between the bottles. Only layer the bottles if the boxes are extra durable. If you are moving the bottles inside of a moving truck, then be sure that the boxes with the alcohol in them are placed far away from anything that could fall on them and cause them to shatter. If you have hired a packing service it may be best to ask them for any suggestions they may have on how to pack your liquor. 

5. Keep Your Move Safe and Legal 

In the end, the most important thing to remember when moving any alcohol bottles is to ensure that you are doing everything within legal limits. The highly regulated moving industry make it difficult to move risky items such as alcohol. It may be annoying, but it is in the interest of safety. Proper packing of the alcohol is also critical. Preventing breakage by taking proper steps to pack will ensure that all of the alcohol arrives at the location without damage.