Clear the paths before the crew arrives
Shovel and salt the driveway, front walk, and any path to a shed or garage the day before, not the morning of. Ice under a fresh dusting of snow is the most common reason a carry slows down.
If you live on an acreage with a long lane, check the surface the morning of the move. A gravel driveway that was fine in the fall can turn to a sheet of ice after a freeze thaw cycle.
Plan for the truck warming up
A truck sitting overnight in minus twenty needs time to warm the cab and the box before loading starts. Expect the crew to spend a few extra minutes on this at the start of a cold morning rather than rushing straight into carrying furniture.
Anything electronic that has been sitting cold, a television, a computer tower, should sit at room temperature for a while before it is powered on again at the new place.
Keep cold sensitive items with you
Certain paints, some liquids, house plants, and anything that can crack or shatter in extreme cold are better carried in your own heated vehicle for a short trip rather than riding in the truck box the whole way.
On longer runs these items are loaded last and unloaded first so they spend the least possible time in an unheated trailer.
Dress the part, and expect the crew to as well
A winter move takes slightly longer than the same job in July, partly because of the extra care around ice and cold, and partly because everyone is wearing more layers. Build a little extra time into your own schedule for the day.
Water and warm drinks on hand for the crew go a long way on a cold morning, the same way a cold drink would in July.
Check the highway before a long-distance winter move
If your move heads out of Strathcona County toward Calgary, Red Deer, or Fort McMurray, check road conditions the morning of departure. A storm system on Highway 2 or Highway 63 can change a departure time by hours, and it is better to know before the truck is loaded than after.
We would rather delay a departure by half a day than push a loaded truck through a whiteout, and a flexible booking window makes that easier for everyone.