Specialty Movers in Durham: Pianos, Fine Art, Safes, and Heavy Items
Local piano moves in Durham cost $400 to $800. Gun safe moves run $300 to $600. Fine art crating and shipping is quoted per piece. Truckin' Movers has been handling specialty items since 1976, including a 14,000-pound commercial blade sharpening machine (our heaviest single item) and museum collections shipped internationally.
Last year we moved a Steinway grand piano down a spiral staircase in a Watts-Hillandale Tudor. Three floors, original 1930s banister, no scratches. The year before that, we shipped a private art collection from a Durham estate to a gallery in London. Custom crates, climate monitoring, door-to-door chain of custody.
What Counts as a Specialty Move
Pianos. Uprights, baby grands, concert grands. We partially disassemble grand pianos, removing legs and the pedal assembly, then blanket-wrap and strap the body to a piano board. Our crews bring the right dollies and know how to navigate stairs, tight doorways, and uneven surfaces.
Fine art and oil paintings. We float oil paintings so nothing contacts the painted surface. Frames get corner protectors and full wrapping. Large pieces go into custom crates. We've packed and shipped individual pieces worth six figures and entire gallery collections.
Antiques and heirlooms. Grandfather clocks, marble-top furniture, century-old dressers, estate collections. Each piece gets acid-free tissue, custom padding, and careful handling by crew members who understand what they're carrying.
Lab and medical equipment. Centrifuges, fume hoods, imaging machines, and sensitive instruments. We coordinate with your facility manager on disconnection, packing, transport, and reconnection requirements.
Industrial machinery. Rigging, flatbed transport, and crane work for items that don't fit on a standard truck. We've moved manufacturing equipment, printing presses, and commercial kitchen buildouts.
Hot tubs, gun safes, and heavy furniture. Items that are too heavy or awkward for standard crews. We bring the right equipment and the right number of people.
Emergency pack-outs. Water damage, fire damage, storm damage. We also handle emergency pack-out and storage when your home needs restoration work. We respond fast, document everything for insurance, and store your belongings until you're ready.
How a Specialty Move Works
Step 1: Assessment. We look at the item in person or via video. Dimensions, weight, access points, stairs, and any special requirements. We've seen enough unusual items to know what questions to ask.
Step 2: Planning. We determine what equipment is needed, how many crew members, and what kind of packing or crating the item requires. For fine art, we spec out the exact materials. For heavy equipment, we plan the rigging.
Step 3: Packing and crating. Our crew builds custom crates on-site when needed. Artwork gets museum-quality wrapping. Pianos are partially disassembled and board-wrapped. Everything is done at your location before it goes on the truck.
Step 4: Transport. Specialty items travel in dedicated containers or on flatbed trailers, depending on size and weight. Nothing gets stacked on top of your piano. Nothing leans against your painting. Each item is secured for the road.
Step 5: Delivery and placement. We deliver on an exact date, unload carefully, and place the item where you want it. Pianos get reassembled. Artwork gets hung if you want. Equipment gets placed per your floor plan.
No Minimum Shipment Size
This matters more than people realize. Most long-distance movers won't take a single item cross-country. It doesn't fill a truck, so they don't want the job.
Our containerized system makes small shipments practical. We can move one painting, one piano, or one piece of equipment from Durham to anywhere in the 48 states on an exact schedule. You get the same service whether you're moving one item or a full household.
Call (919) 682-2300 to tell us what you need moved. We've probably moved one before.
