SERVICE GUIDES6 MIN READ
Insurance, health & safety, road transport regulations and simple common sense together produce a fairly long list of items that never travel on a removals lorry. Here it is.
Refused for insurance / safety reasons
- Petrol, diesel, paraffin, lighter fluid
- Gas cylinders (BBQ, camping, patio heater)
- Fireworks, ammunition, explosive materials
- Paint (part-used), thinners, solvents, aerosols
- Bleach and drain-cleaning acids
- Weed killer, pesticides
- Anything under pressure or flammable
These are excluded from goods-in-transit cover and, in most cases, road-transport regulations.
Refused for legal reasons
- Live firearms (unless the crew has been notified in advance and correct paperwork is in place)
- Controlled drugs
- Illegal ivory, endangered-species products
Refused for practical reasons
- Live plants (survive under 4 hours in a lorry; refused for European moves)
- Perishable food (chilled or frozen)
- Open bottles of liquid
- Live animals (crew is not licensed for animal transport)
Strongly discouraged from the lorry
- Cash, jewellery, watches, passports
- Wills, deeds, share certificates
- Prescription medications
- Small irreplaceable items (family photo albums, heirlooms)
These should travel in your car. Goods-in-transit insurance typically excludes cash, jewellery over £1,000, and irreplaceable documents.
What to do with the refused items
- Gas cylinders: return to your supplier or take to a household waste centre
- Paint / solvents: household waste centre only
- Plants: give to a neighbour or transport in your own car
- Freezer contents: run down for two weeks before move day
- Firearms: notify your Firearms Enquiry Officer and follow their process
Ask before you assume
Every crew has a slightly different tolerance. Ask your Apex coordinator before packing anything unusual.
Related reading
Frequently asked questions
- What can't you take in a removal lorry?
- Petrol, diesel, gas cylinders, aerosols, fireworks, ammunition, paint, solvents, bleach, weedkiller, live plants, perishable food, live animals and open liquids are all refused. Cash, jewellery and irreplaceable documents should travel in your car, not the lorry.
- Can removal companies move houseplants?
- Small plants can travel on short UK moves in your own car — the temperature in a lorry over 4 hours kills most species. Plants are always refused on European and international moves due to plant-health regulations.
- Can I move food with a removal company?
- Sealed dry goods (tins, pasta, rice) yes. Chilled and frozen food no — run down the freezer for two weeks before move day. Any food in the lorry longer than 6 hours risks spoilage and pest attraction.
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