The Two Boot Rules

Two rules cover most private loading, and both come straight from Securing a Load:

One — load hard against the seat-back, with no gap. Anything with room to move has room to accelerate before it hits something. A bag that starts 30 cm from the seat-back arrives at the seat-back with speed it didn't have when it started; the same bag pressed against the seat-back can only push. Fill the gap — with soft items if necessary — so nothing has a run-up.

A gap is a run-up. Loaded hard against the seat-back and heaviest at the bottom, a boot load can only push — not arrive.

Two — heaviest items at the bottom, against the seat-back. The lowest, most forward position in the boot keeps the centre of gravity low (roll resistance) and puts the heaviest mass where it has the least distance to travel. Light items go on top of heavy ones, never the reverse.

The mental image to carry: everything in your boot is a passenger without a seat belt, and the only thing between it and the people in front is the seat-back — which brings us to the next sub-topic.

Key takeaways

No gap: load hard against the seat-back so nothing gets a run-up — a bag with 30 cm of space arrives with speed a pressed bag never has
Heaviest low and forward, light on top — lowest centre of gravity, shortest distance to travel

Quick check

Why does the rule say to load hard against the seat-back rather than simply putting things in the boot?

A) Because anything with a gap has room to accelerate before it strikes, so it arrives with speed it wouldn't otherwise have — pressed against the seat-back it can only push

B) Because it distributes weight more evenly across the axles

C) Because it stops items rattling on rough roads

D) Because the boot lid closes more securely that way