6 tips to get your Christmas tree home safely without damaging your ride

Victoria E. Freile, Rochester Democrat and Chronicle
Updated ·2 min read

Your Christmas tree was carefully selected, whether you cut it at a tree farm or pick your favorite pre-cut tree at a lot. But now you need to transport your tree home.

While finding the perfect tree may be tricky, transporting the tree home can also pose a challenge.

According to AAA, 44% of Americans planning to purchase a real Christmas tree transport the tree using unsafe methods, such as tying the tree to the roof of their vehicle without using a roof rack or placing the tree in the bed of a pickup.

If not properly secured, a tree can cause vehicle damage including scratched paint, torn door seals or distorted window frames. Or the tree could fly off or out of the vehicle and become a danger to other drivers.

According to AAA, 16% of Americans who plan to buy and transport a Christmas tree have previously experienced a tree falling off or out of their vehicle while transporting the tree.

6 tips when transporting your Christmas tree

Make sure to properly secure your newly purchased tree before driving home.
Make sure to properly secure your newly purchased tree before driving home.

AAA offered the following transport tips:

  • Plan ahead – Before leaving to buy a tree, make sure to bring strong rope or ratchet straps, an old blanket, gloves and the right vehicle. One with a roof rack is ideal, but a pickup truck, SUV, van or minivan would also work.

  • Wrap and cover the tree – Ask employees at the tree lot or farm to wrap your newly purchased tree in netting before loading it.

  • Trunk first – Place the tree on the roof rack or in the bed of the truck with the trunk facing the front of the car. If your vehicle does not have a roof rack and is large enough – place the tree inside.

  • Secure the tree – Tie down the tree at its bottom, center and top using strong rope or nylon ratchet straps. Use fixed vehicle tie-down points and loop the rope or strap around the tree trunk above a branch to prevent any side-to-side or front-to-rear movement. Tie down any loose branches.

  • Tug test – Once secured, give the tree several strong tugs from various angles to make sure it will not come loose.

  • Drive slowly – Drive slowly and take back roads if possible. Higher speeds can create significant airflow that can damage your tree or challenge even the best tie-down method.

This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: How to get your Christmas tree home safely without damaging your ride