Safes, hot tubs, billiard tables, antiques and gym equipment call for rigging tools, trained hands and a truck matched to the load. Moon Movers runs these jobs across Chicago.
Almost every household owns something ordinary movers would rather not touch — a floor-bolted safe, a hot tub weighing several hundred pounds empty, or an antique cabinet four times heavier than its modern equivalent. One wrong angle during loading can crack a stone surface or damage built-in electronics, so these items travel with their own crew and their own gear.
Why Special Cargo Requires Its Own Crew
Rigging GearHydraulic jacks, reinforced dollies and steel cables for loads that hand-carrying cannot handle.
Item-Specific PackingSlate tops, electronic panels and decorative carvings each get their own wrapping method — foam, bubble wrap or rigid shells.
Weight-Rated TrucksEach vehicle is matched to the cargo weight and dimensions — no undersized van, no second trip.
Safes, hot tubs, billiard tables, antique furniture, gym machines, framed artwork and medical equipment all fall under special cargo. The common thread is unusual weight, fragile components or a shape that rules out standard loading methods. If the item cannot ride on a dolly or fit through a doorway without preparation, it qualifies for a dedicated crew and rigging gear. Upright and grand pianos follow their own piano moving routine.
The crew removes the anchor bolts that fix the safe to the wall and floor, working carefully so the fasteners come out without deforming the mounting points. A hydraulic jack lifts it onto a reinforced dolly, and ratchet straps hold it upright inside the truck. At the new location the same mounting hardware is reinstalled in reverse order.
Yes. Once the tub is disconnected from water and power, it is wrapped in several layers of stretch film and foam, and loaded horizontally onto a truck with a lift gate. A small hot tub takes two movers; a full-size one needs four or more.
Antique pieces are often solid construction that cannot be disassembled like modern furniture. Each surface is wrapped in soft padding first, then rigid cardboard or plywood shells go over corners and decorative carvings. Inside the truck the item is fixed with straps at several points so it stays motionless even on rough stretches of road.
Always. The legs, frame and slate bed are separated and each part is wrapped individually in bubble film and foam. Heavier components load first for even weight distribution. At the destination the table is reassembled, leveled and the playing surface is checked before the crew leaves.
Each machine is disassembled with proper tools, and every bolt and cable is labeled. Frames go in stretch film; electronic panels get extra bubble-wrap padding. The same technicians reassemble and test the equipment at the new address.
Past Special Cargo Moves
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How Special Cargo Moves
Step 1 of 4
Survey & Plan
The dispatcher reviews the items over video or on site — weight, dimensions, mounting method, and the doorways or stairways along the path. From this survey the crew size, truck type and rigging gear are chosen, and you receive a written scope before any date is set.
Video or on-site survey of every item
Crew size and truck matched to the cargo list
Written scope with the full equipment list
15–30 minDispatcher
Each item's path from room to truck is mapped in advance
Disassembly & Wrap
Whatever can be taken apart is separated — slate tops off billiard frames, gym machines unbolted piece by piece, hot tubs drained once they are disconnected from water and power. Each component is labeled, wrapped in stretch film or foam, and crated or strapped to a pallet.
Components labeled and tracked by room
Electronics shielded with foam padding
Rigid shells over stone and decorative surfaces
Mounting hardware bagged and tagged per item
Rigging & Load
Hydraulic jacks, reinforced dollies and steel cables move loads that hand-carrying cannot handle. Items enter the truck heavy end first and are strapped in tiers so nothing shifts on the road. The crew lead confirms the load before the doors close.
Truck bed lined and loaded heavy components first
Ratchet straps at every tier inside the truck
Crew lead checks load before departure
Hot tubs travel flat; safes stay upright; artwork rides on edge pads
Install & Test
At the destination the process reverses. Billiard tables are reassembled and leveled, gym machines are bolted together and tested, hot tubs set in place for reconnection, safes anchored to the new wall and floor. The crew stays until you confirm everything is in place.
Moon Movers handles safes, hot tubs, billiard tables, antiques, gym equipment and other heavy or fragile items across Chicago and the surrounding Illinois communities. Every job starts with a survey of each item and ends with the crew reassembling and testing whatever was taken apart.
