It is just as important to get the best moving truck size as it is to pack your truck properly.
If your moving truck is the wrong size, big or small, everything you pack inside could be jeopardized. Renting a larger truck is also more expensive than renting a small one, so keep that in mind as well.
What you require is a truck that is perfectly suited to your needs. To determine the best truck size, take inventory of everything you’re moving and calculate how much space it will take up (we’ll assist you with this). Next, you’ll need to look for a truck with the appropriate storage capacity (which we can also assist you with).
From our list of the Best Moving Truck Rental Companies, here are our top rental truck picks:
U-Haul: Overall winner
Budget Truck Rental at the Lowest Prices
Penske Truck Rental: The most adaptable
Enterprise Truck rental is ideal for local moves.
Home Depot is the best option for hourly moves.
If you’ve only moved a few times, or if this is your first time, you might not know which truck size is best for your move. It’s even more complicated if the company you’re renting from advertises only small, medium, and large sizes, none of which correspond to your exact load size.
While the moving truck sizes recommended by most companies are useful guidelines, they are not very precise.
Truck sizes recommended by rental companies:
Moving Truck Sizes
How to Choose the Correct Moving Truck Size
The best way to find the right truck is to use an online moving calculator, which will tell you how much cubic space (also known as volume) you’ll need based on how many beds, boxes, or even unicycles you’re transporting.
Then, determine the cubic footage capacity of each truck size you’re considering. Most companies provide the exact cubic footage capacity of each of their trucks, so there is no guesswork or math required.
It’s really that simple.
What to think about when calculating your move with Moving Truck
While using the calculator, it can be beneficial to ask yourself the following questions:
- What is the total number of rooms you are relocating? How many of these have mattresses in them?
- How many boxes are you transporting? (To get an accurate estimate, use Home Depot’s box calculator.)
- What is the size of your furniture? Do you have any items that are oversized, bulky, or fragile that may require special handling?
- How far are you traveling?
Trucks of various types
Once you’ve determined how much stuff you’ll be moving, we recommend two truck types:
Box trucks
Pick-up trucks
Of course, there are other options, such as cargo vans and moving trailers that can be attached to your car or truck. But we’ll concentrate on pickups and box trucks because they’re ideal for most DIY moves.
Box trucks
Box Truck
Box truck are the most common type of moving trucks, and you’ve probably seen one parked in front of your apartment building. They are more expensive than some other truck types, but they are still significantly less expensive than a container-style move or going full service.
If you’re moving more than what a one-bedroom apartment can handle, you’ll probably need a box truck. In our opinion, a box truck isn’t worth the money for smaller loads—you’ll most likely be able to find a smaller cargo van that’s better suited to your move.
Typically, rental truck companies provide at least two box truck sizes (based on the length of the box itself). Here’s a breakdown of which truck sizes are classified as small, medium, and large.
Pick-up truck
A pick-up truck is a cheap and easy alternative to a full-service move or a larger truck rental if you’re moving a single room’s worth of stuff or if you have a few bulky pieces of furniture.
If you’re only moving a couple of chairs and a table, or if you’re moving into a dorm room or a small studio apartment, a pick-up truck makes sense.
Furthermore, if you’re working on home improvement projects, pickups are ideal for transporting tools, yard debris, and anything else that doesn’t belong in your backseat.
We are standing by, ready to make your move a smooth one. Contact us today to see how Your Moving Men goes above and beyond other moving companies.