How to move in the desert summer heat

Why do desert movers start at 6am?

From late May through September the Coachella Valley regularly passes 110°F by early afternoon, and Indio and Coachella have hit 115°. A truck box parked in the sun runs hotter than the air outside it. Starting at first light means the heavy carrying — beds, dressers, the fridge — happens while it's still in the 80s, and the truck is closed and rolling before the sun is overhead.

It's also why summer bookings fill from the early slots outward. If your building or HOA won't allow a 6am start, ask for the earliest window it does allow and plan for the job to take a little longer.

What should be packed before the crew arrives?

In summer, time is heat. Every hour the crew spends waiting on boxes is an hour later the truck closes. The night before, aim for this:

• Every box taped, labeled by room, and stacked near the door — not in the closet it came from
• Beds stripped and bedding bagged, so frames come down in minutes
• Fridge and freezer emptied and defrosted; a cooler for anything you're keeping
• Loose items (lamps, plants, artwork) grouped in one spot
• A clear path from the front door to the driveway, with the AC set to run all morning

What shouldn't ride in the truck in summer?

The inside of a closed box truck in July can pass 140°F. Some things won't survive the drive, even a short one across the valley. Carry these in your own air-conditioned car:

• Candles, crayons, lipstick and anything else made of wax
• Medication, especially insulin and anything the label says to keep cool
• Laptops, tablets, phones, game consoles and external drives
• Vinyl records, photographs and old documents
• Houseplants, pets and aquariums
• Aerosol cans, propane and lighter fluid — we don't carry these at any temperature
• Wine, chocolate and pantry items that melt

How does the crew stay safe in the heat?

We carry a cooler of water on every summer job and the crew drinks from it constantly — that's not slacking, it's how they keep carrying. Heavy pieces get front-loaded into the first hour. If the day runs past the hottest hours we rotate who's inside the box.

You can help by keeping the AC running at both houses for as long as possible, and by pointing us to the shaded side of the driveway for the truck. Nobody expects you to serve lunch, but a garage fridge with cold water in it is remembered for years.

Does the heat change what a move costs?

The hourly rate doesn't change with the season. What changes is how efficiently the hours get used: a summer move where everything is boxed and the start is early runs the same as a spring move. One with a late start and open boxes runs longer, because everyone slows down at 112°.

There's no heat surcharge, no fuel surcharge in the valley and no stair fee. The clock runs from arrival to done, billed by the half hour after the three-hour minimum.