How to label moving boxes
A good label answers three questions: which box is this, where does it go, and how should it be handled?
- A unique number on every box. Numbers let you check off boxes on the truck and spot a missing one. In Box Roster, numbers are never reused after a deletion, so an old label can't point to the wrong box.
- The destination room in large letters, so helpers can carry boxes without asking.
- A short contents summary. Keep the full list in your inventory, not on the box.
- Fragile and "this side up" where relevant. Moving companies and U-Haul's packing tips recommend marking fragile boxes clearly (U-Haul).
- Labels on the top and at least one side, because stacked boxes hide their tops.
Privacy on the outside of a box
A label is visible to anyone who handles the box. Consider writing "office" rather than "laptop" or "jewellery", and keep valuables with you. The planner's master inventory PDF holds the full detail.
Printing
Box Roster prints labels 2 or 4 per page on A4 or Letter paper, with dashed cut lines. Tape them under clear packing tape so they survive rain and handling.