Movers won’t move four things. Anything that can catch fire or explode, anything alive or that spoils, anything you can’t replace, and anything the law says a carrier can’t haul. The BBQ propane tank is the one that stops moves in Surrey, and it isn’t company policy. Transport Canada’s personal-use exemption lets you drive your own tank over in your own car. We’re a carrier, not the user or the retailer, so the same tank can’t ride on our truck.
Most moving lists stop at the no. This one tells you where to take it in Surrey.
Most of the no list lives here. Propane cylinders, BBQ and camping. Gasoline and jerry cans. Diesel, kerosene, camp fuel, lighter fluid, charcoal starter. Acetone, paint thinner, mineral spirits, nail polish remover. Aerosol cans. Pool chlorine and pool chemicals. Fertilizer. Ammunition. Fireworks. Fire extinguishers. Car batteries. Oxygen and acetylene cylinders.
Here’s the part almost every moving page skips. These count as dangerous goods, and the federal Transportation of Dangerous Goods Regulations set out a personal-use exemption at section 1.15. It covers goods carried by a user or purchaser, or by a retailer to or from a user or purchaser. Containers other than gases cap at 30 kg each, 150 kg total on the vehicle.
Read who that covers again. A user. A purchaser. A retailer. Transport Canada’s own plain-language guidance puts the rest flat out: carriers, who are not the retailer, cannot use this exemption.
We’re a carrier. The rule isn’t that your tank is illegal, it’s about who carries it. You can drive your own BBQ tank across town in your own car, legally. We can’t put that same tank on our truck. Same tank, different rule.
“But it’s empty” doesn’t get you there. A cylinder that’s been in service still holds vapour, so it’s still a pressurized container. Transport Canada sizes it for you: flammable gases under the exemption cap at 46 L of cylinder capacity, and a typical BBQ cylinder runs about 21 litres. Take the tank off yourself and leave it behind. Worth knowing too, per Transport Canada, only cylinders within their requalification period and service life can be filled. An old tank nobody can legally refill is an easy drop-off.
Open food, fridge and freezer contents, produce, anything refrigerated. Frozen food doesn’t survive a loading dock. Empty both appliances out, then defrost and dry them about 24 hours before move day so nothing drips in the truck.
Houseplants ride with you, in your car. A cargo box has no climate control. It bakes in July and chills in January. Pets ride with you too, and aquariums come drained. That’s a condition problem, not a legal one.
These aren’t banned. They’re the keep-it-in-your-own-car list.
Passports, PR cards, birth certificates, SIN documents, wills, property and sale documents, insurance papers. Cash, jewellery, prescription medication, house and car keys, laptops and external drives, and the photos nobody has a second copy of.
If something is truly irreplaceable, no coverage anywhere actually replaces it. Pack that bag last and keep it in your front seat.
Plenty of the no list turns into a yes with ten minutes of prep.
The BBQ rides once the tank is disconnected and left behind. Lawn mowers, pressure washers, snow blowers and generators ride once the tank is drained and the engine run dry. Gas cans work when they’re empty, aired out and dry. Fumey counts as full. Sealed, factory-packed cleaning products are case by case, so ask us first. Batteries come out of devices and toys. Firearms have to be legally stored, unloaded and handled under your own transport obligations, so talk to us on those first.
Tell us when you book, not when we’re at your door with the ramp down.
Metro Vancouver runs two recycling and waste centres inside Surrey, and they don’t take the same things. Getting that wrong costs you a Saturday.
Propane goes to either one, free. North Surrey Recycling and Waste Centre at 9770 192 Street and Central Surrey Recycling and Waste Centre at 6711 154 Street both accept propane tanks used with household barbeques plus small camping tanks, up to a 100 pound maximum tank volume. Neither takes vehicle tanks.
Fuel and oil are where the two split. Paint, thinners, solvents, gasoline, pesticides, used oil and antifreeze all go to Central Surrey, free. Metro Vancouver’s limits there: household paint in containers up to 23 L, flammable liquids at 10 L per container, gasoline at 25 L per container. Bring used oil in its original container so that gets recycled too. North Surrey takes no used oil, antifreeze, fuel cans, oil barrels, grease, brake fluid or rags. Show up on 192 Street with a jerry can and you’re driving twice.
Product Care runs the provincial household hazardous waste program for pesticides and flammable liquids, and wants gasoline only in a ULC-approved can, 25 L max. It won’t take refillable propane cylinders, diesel, butane, or pool and hot tub chemicals, which is why the Metro Vancouver centres are the propane answer. For pool chlorine, call the Recycling Council of BC at 604-732-9253 or 1-800-667-4321, Monday to Friday, 9 am to 4 pm. Centre hours shift by season, so check before you drive out.
One, it’s federal law. We’re a carrier, so the personal-use exemption doesn’t cover us. That isn’t a policy we wrote.
Two, one leaking cylinder or one tipped gas can puts the whole load and the crew at risk. Our crews are our own people, not subcontractors. That risk isn’t ours to take.
Flag the propane, the fuel cans and the fridge when you book. Our Surrey local moving crews plan the load around what’s actually coming, so nothing gets found at the door.
The honest consequence: a full propane tank at the door doesn’t ride, and sorting it out eats time. You pay for the hours the move takes, broken down before we start. Never a flat-rate guess. You’re billed on the actual hours worked, in 30-minute increments after the minimum charge. The full breakdown is on your quote before you book.
No. A cylinder that’s been in service still holds vapour, so it’s still a pressurized container. Transport Canada’s personal-use exemption covers the user or the retailer, not a carrier. Drive it over yourself, or drop it free at either Surrey recycling and waste centre.
Propane goes free to the North Surrey centre at 9770 192 Street or the Central Surrey centre at 6711 154 Street, household BBQ and camping tanks up to 100 pounds. Paint, thinners, gasoline and used oil go to Central Surrey only. North Surrey takes no fuel or oil.
A cargo box isn’t climate controlled. It bakes in July and chills in January, so plants ride with you in your car. Same for pets. If you’ve got an aquarium, drain it before move day and carry the fish yourself.
No. Empty both out, then defrost and dry them about 24 hours before we arrive so nothing leaks in the truck. Frozen food doesn’t survive a loading dock. Keep what you’re saving in a cooler in your own car.
Yes, once they’re prepped. Disconnect the BBQ tank and leave it behind. Drain the mower, pressure washer, snow blower and generator, then run the engine dry. Gas cans ride when they’re empty and dry. Central Surrey takes leftover gasoline free.
Yes, tell us when you book. If a full propane tank or a jug of gas turns up at the door it doesn’t ride, and working it out on the spot burns time you’re paying for by the hour.
Six years moving Surrey homes and offices, our own crews, no subcontractors, 5.0 stars across 395 Google reviews. Based at 8567 164 St, phones answered 24/7.
Local Movers Ltd · 8567 164 St, Surrey, BC V4N 3K4 · (778) 242-2877 · Open Mon-Sun
