You’ve sorted through every closet, packed dozens of boxes, and you’re finally ready to hand everything over to your moving crew. Then someone on the team points at a few items in your garage and says, “We can’t take those.”
It catches most people off guard. You’d think that hiring professional long distance movers means everything in your home gets loaded onto the truck. But the reality is, there’s a surprisingly long list of items that moving companies either can’t or won’t transport, and the reasons are more practical than you might expect.
Knowing what’s on that list before moving day saves you from last-minute scrambling, unexpected fees, and the awkward realization that your propane tank is still sitting in the driveway as the truck pulls away.
Hazardous Materials: The Biggest Category by Far
This is where the bulk of the restrictions live. Anything classified as hazardous under Canadian transportation regulations is off-limits for moving trucks, and the list is longer than most people realize.
We’re talking about propane tanks (full or partially full), gasoline, kerosene, lighter fluid, motor oil, paint thinner, turpentine, pool chemicals, pesticides, herbicides, fertilizers, and aerosol cans. Nail polish remover, certain cleaning products, car batteries, and even some types of fire extinguishers also fall into this category.
The reason is straightforward: a moving truck is a closed metal box traveling hundreds of kilometers in varying temperatures. Anything flammable, corrosive, or pressurized becomes a genuine safety risk inside that environment. It’s not a policy companies invented to inconvenience you — it’s a legal requirement under Transport Canada’s Transportation of Dangerous Goods Act.
The safest approach is to use up or properly dispose of these items before moving day. Most municipalities in Alberta have household hazardous waste drop-off programs that accept everything from old paint cans to expired chemicals.
Perishable Food
That chest freezer full of elk meat you’ve been stockpiling since fall? It’s not making the trip.
Perishable food is a no-go for long distance moves, and the logic is simple. There’s no temperature control inside a standard moving truck, and depending on the distance and time of year, your food could be sitting in conditions that range from freezing to sweltering. Spoiled food leaking onto your furniture or clothing isn’t just unpleasant. It can cause the kind of damage that’s expensive and sometimes impossible to fix.
Canned goods and sealed, non-perishable items are generally fine. But anything that needs refrigeration should either be consumed before the move, given away, or transported in a cooler in your own vehicle.
Plants
This one surprises a lot of people. Your houseplants, the ones you’ve nursed through five Edmonton winters, typically can’t ride in the moving truck.
Part of the issue is practical. Plants don’t survive well in a dark, unventilated truck for extended periods. They can also attract pests, leak water onto other items, and shift during transit in ways that create a mess.
But there’s also a regulatory layer. Moving plants across provincial borders in Canada can run into issues with the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, depending on the species and the destination province. Certain provinces have restrictions designed to prevent the spread of invasive species and plant diseases.
If you’re moving within Alberta, some long distance movers may be willing to transport a few small plants at your own risk. But for interprovincial moves, plan to drive them yourself or gift them to someone who’ll appreciate them.
Firearms and Ammunition
Canada has strict regulations around the transportation of firearms, and moving companies aren’t licensed to transport them. This applies to rifles, shotguns, handguns, crossbows, and ammunition of any kind.
If you’re a firearms owner, you’re responsible for transporting your guns yourself in compliance with the Firearms Act. That means proper cases, trigger locks, and, for restricted firearms, an Authorization to Transport from your provincial Chief Firearms Officer. Ammunition needs to be transported separately from firearms in its original packaging or a secure container.
This isn’t something to leave until the last minute. Getting the right paperwork sorted, especially for restricted firearms, can take time.
Pets (Obviously, but Worth Saying)
No reputable moving company will transport your animals. It’s unsafe, inhumane, and illegal. Your pets travel with you, period.
For long distance moves within Alberta or across provinces, plan your pet’s journey in advance. Book pet-friendly hotels along the route if needed, make sure vaccinations and paperwork are current, and bring enough food, water, and medication to cover the trip plus a buffer.
How to Handle the Items You Can’t Move
Start early. Go through your home room by room at least a few weeks before moving day and pull out anything on the restricted list. For hazardous materials, check your local municipality’s disposal schedule. For perishables, start eating down your freezer well before the move. For firearms, begin the transport authorization process early.
If you’re unsure whether a specific item can go on the truck, ask your moving company during the quoting process, not on moving day. A good company will give you a clear answer and might even suggest alternatives you hadn’t considered.
Why Action Moving and Storage Is the Right Choice for Your Long Distance Move
At Action Moving and Storage, we’ve been helping families and businesses navigate long distance movers since 1988, and that includes walking our customers through exactly what can and can’t go on the truck, long before moving day arrives. We’re a family-owned Edmonton company with over 35 years of experience handling moves across Alberta, into British Columbia, Saskatchewan, and beyond.
Every move gets a dedicated coordinator, a full inventory process, and a crew that stays with your belongings from pickup to delivery — we never subcontract your move to a third party. We use high-grade packing materials built for long-haul durability, and we offer flexible storage solutions in our secure Edmonton facility for those times when move-in and move-out dates don’t quite line up. If you’re planning a long distance move and want a team that’s upfront, experienced, and genuinely cares about getting it right, give us a call at (780) 474-2861 for a free, no-obligation quote.