Can You Put a Car Seat in a Moving Truck?

Of all the important items and valuables you intend to carry in the truck, your child is the most precious of all – by far. So it is important to find out how best you can safeguard them during your move.

Can you put a car seat in a moving truck?

The answer is not as simple or as direct as you may wish it to be. However, we have tried to explain everything you need to know about this subject. Read on below to find out.

What do moving truck companies say about using car seats?

First off, let’s consider what the providers of rental moving trucks in America say about this subject.

Most moving truck companies will only explain the obvious. And that is that their trucks are designed for use by adults – usually one, two, three of them. Moving truck companies do not provide car seats to clients either, for the very same reason. If you ask most of them if it is okay for you to put a car seat inside their trucks, they will advise you to look up the laws so that you make the right decisions.

The discretion is yours on whether to put a car seat in a moving truck

So with moving truck companies not giving you the clear concise answers you are looking for, you will soon find that the discretion is yours. In the end, it is up to you to decide whether or not to put that car seat in the moving truck.

And just like the rental truck companies usually advise, we too have to remind you to read up on road regulations and to consider your child’s safety when deciding what to do.

How can you safely put a car seat in a moving truck?

What type of car seat is ideal for my child?

The first step to making sure your child is safe in a moving truck, or in any type of vehicle whatsoever, is to ensure that you secure them in the right car seat. And there are three main types of car seats used:

• Rear-facing car seat: A rear-facing car seat is recommended for children aged between infants and three years. These rear-facing seats are safer than the forward-facing ones because they offer the child more protection in case of an impact.
• Forward-facing car seat: A forward-facing car seat is recommended for children between the ages of approximately 4 to 7 years. When using these seats, your child should be fastened using a harness and a tether. This car seat gives them extra protection and limits their movement while on the road.
• Booster car seat: A booster car seat is recommended for children between the ages of approximately 7 to 12 years. There are several types of booster seats but they all function to position the child better while using the standard adult seat belt.

How to keep your child safer in a rental moving truck when using a car seat

Apart from fastening your child using the correct type of car seat, take the following precautions to further keep them safe while in the moving truck.

• Be extra careful while driving: Study your travel route well and drive carefully while observing all the road signs and the correct speed limit.
• Disable the passenger-side airbags: Most moving trucks have airbags. And although that is a good thing for adult passengers, it isn’t for kids. The force from a deploying airbag can be very harmful to a kid seated in the front seat of the truck. So if you have to carry your child in the moving truck, see if you can get the passenger-side airbags disabled. Ask the moving truck company about this and see if they have a unit that has this option.
• Push the passenger seat as far back as possible: Adjust the passenger seat of the truck (on which you are going to fasten the car seat) as far back as possible. This should further protect the child from airbags and any possible front collision impact.

Is it safe to have children in a moving truck?

The short answer here is no. If you can, use an alternative way to transport your child during your move.

We think the moving truck is not the safest way to ferry your child because of:

• No back seat: The car seat should be fastened to the back seat of the vehicle – not the front. Moving trucks do not have a back seat.
• Hazardous airbags: In case of a collision impact, the deployed airbags in a moving truck could cause serious damage to the child – even if they are fastened inside a car seat.
• Concentration concerns: When hauling a big truck across several states, you need all the focus you can muster to arrive there safely and on time. This will not be easy with a child that needs constant attention being next to you.

Safer alternatives than traveling with your kid in the moving truck

There are several moving alternatives that guarantee better safety for your child, yourself, and your furniture while moving. We think they are less stressful and worth paying a little more for.

Check them out below:

• Tow your goods in a trailer instead and still keep your move cheap and DIY. You can then carry your child safely in the back seat of the tow vehicle.
• Use a moving container company, a freight mover, or a professional moving company and travel separately with your child, either via road or air.
• Hire a reliable moving truck but have a separate passenger car through which you (or your partner) will ferry the kid(s) in.

Is it legal to put a car seat in a moving truck?

This is quite an ambiguous area legally. And here is why:

One, there are no direct laws on the use of car seats inside moving trucks. As we stated earlier, it falls on you to refer to the laws. See what the NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) has to say about the use of car seats and booster seats.

Two, the laws vary from state to state when it comes to the application of car seats on vehicles. See what the Governors Highway Safety Association says about child passenger safety in each state.

Please Note: Despite the ambiguity of the law on this matter, should traffic officers or any other officers of the law advise you against using a car seat in a moving truck, we highly suggest that you take their direction.

Final Thoughts

Hiring a truck to relocate is one of the cheapest ways to move. However, remember not to compromise the safety of your child, your safety, or that of other road users by carrying your child in the truck. Make sure you fully evaluate your ability to undertake the move, as well as the laws in each state you’re driving through.

See everything you need to know about rental moving trucks here and enjoy a successful relocation.