A loaded filing cabinet is one of the densest items in any home office — paper is heavy, and a tall cabinet is dangerously tippy with the drawers out. Lighten it and secure it.
A small two-drawer cabinet can sometimes move with the files in it if you can lift it safely. A tall vertical or lateral cabinet full of paper is far too heavy and top-heavy — empty the files into small boxes (paper is heavy, so keep boxes small) and move the cabinet empty. Label the file boxes by drawer so refiling is easy.
Lock the cabinet if it has a lock, or tape/strap the drawers shut so they can't slide open and turn the cabinet into a tipping hazard or pinch your fingers in a doorway. An open drawer mid-carry is the classic filing-cabinet accident.
Pad the corners and wrap the cabinet in a blanket to prevent scratches (and protect what it's near), then move it with a dolly and two people. Keep it upright; metal cabinets can rack if carried at an angle.
Sensitive or important documents — IDs, contracts, tax and legal papers — should travel with you, not on the truck. Our crews move office furniture and equipment as part of the move — see our home office packing guide, furniture protection guide, and what to keep with you.
A small two-drawer cabinet can sometimes move loaded if you can lift it safely. A tall vertical or lateral cabinet should be emptied — paper is very heavy and a loaded tall cabinet is dangerously top-heavy.
Lock it if it has a lock, or tape/strap the drawers shut. An open drawer mid-carry is a tipping and finger-pinch hazard, especially in doorways.
Very — a full four-drawer cabinet can weigh several hundred pounds because paper is dense. That's why you empty the files into small boxes and move the cabinet empty.
No — keep IDs, contracts, tax and legal papers with you, not on the truck. Pack the rest of the files in labeled small boxes by drawer.
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