At American Moving & Storage we use only industry specific equipment to move pianos. Pianos are too heavy and to valuable to take chances with inferior equipment. For example we use the two-piece leg and lyre pod kit shown on the right. Made of the toughest fabric on the planet, self-repairing ballistic nylon. The legs go in one pod with padded interior dividers, and the lyre, rods and hardware go in the other. Two adjustable nylon straps, secured by Velcro, and final top flap that buckles tight with a heavy duty side-release acetal buckle, assure all legs and lyres cinch up snug, and will not move up, down, or side to side inside the Pods during transport.
Similarly, the Pedal Pod also adjusts to fit even extra wide pedal lyres up to 24" wide and include interior sleeves for pedal and support rods as shown. Pods fold flat for compact storage and include built-in heavy-duty luggage handles. Pod kits fit French, Queen Ann and most Victorian styles up to 6" wide.
Grand pianos, uprights and spinets are all heavily padded and placed on
the appropriate dolly or skid-board. Lids, benches and music stands are 
all pad wrapped individually before transport.
We then use a specific grand cover which is fully adjustable and two-piece. A double thickness, 22" Skid Pad goes onto the board, then simply position the grand and slip on the Jacket. The skid pad and jacket clip together at both ends using nylon straps and buckles. We then strap the piano to the skid-board. Using this equipment we achieve 100% coverage of the finished surfaces and belly rim every time, including all those extra-wide grands.
Using this gear and other techniques significantly reduces the risk of any damage. At American Moving & Storage we have the necessary equipment and expertise to move your piano safely.
Our licensing information:
http://www.oregon.gov/ODOT/MCT/MOVERS.shtml#Registered_Pack___Loaders
Call anytime with any other questions you may have.
