Guide to Rental Truck Sizes

Moving requires a great deal of coordination, from getting everything packed up in time, to making sure your friends can assist on the right day, to getting the right truck size. That last is critical. If you get a truck one size too big, you’ll end up paying more than you need to, and if you get a truck that’s too small, you’ll have a serious problem. What if you load up the truck only to find that not everything will fit? You’ll then have to unload, get a bigger truck, and end up delaying your move by at least half a day.

So, make sure you get the right size truck from the beginning. Here’s how to do that:

Start With Number of Bedrooms

The main method used for choosing a truck size is by the number of bedrooms in your home. In fact, rental truck companies often list trucks by number of bedrooms they’re meant to move. The sizes take into consideration other rooms as well, including the living room, kitchen, dining room, and bathrooms.

Here’s the typical breakdown. Cargo Van - Studio Apartment

Up to two bedrooms - 15 Foot Truck

Two to three bedrooms - 20 Foot Truck

Four or more bedrooms - 26 Foot Truck

Consider Adjustments

Say you have a two bedroom home. According to the above list, you need a 15-foot truck. You’ll want to be sure before you make the reservation. So, go through your house and consider the following.

Do you have more furniture than most people? For a bedroom, one queen sized bed and two dressers worth of furniture is average. If your bedrooms have more, then rent the next higher truck size.

Do you have additional rooms in your home, such as an office or a family room? If so, consider that room a bedroom for the purpose of picking a truck.

What about things outside? Do you have a barbecue grill, lawn furniture, or a table outside? What about bicycles, or gardening equipment? You may need to consider your outdoor area basically another half or full bedroom.

Do you have a self storage unit? Out self storage size guide will help you figure out how many rooms your storage counts as.

Checking With the Rental Company

While choosing a truck size based on the number of bedrooms in your home, plus a few adjustments, should get you the truck you need.

However, keep in mind that when in doubt, you can talk to a truck rental company. In fact, you can create a list of all the furniture in your home, including dressers, beds, couches, chairs, tables, desks, and nightstands. Bring the list to a truck rental company and ask what size they recommend.

Finally, when you know the size you need, reserve the truck a few weeks in advance for the day of your move, gather your helpers, and have an enjoyable, and productive, moving day.