If you are going to move home by yourself then deciding what size rental truck to get is crucial, the last thing you need on moving day is to find all your stuff won’t fit in the truck.
So in this blog post, we will learn more about rental truck sizes, how their storage space is calculated, how to choose the right size of rental truck, and which truck rental company to use for your DIY relocation.
You may also like to read: Rental Truck Insurance. One of the most common mistakes people make when moving home is being underinsured. In this guide, we explain all you need to know about truck rental insurance.
Small Size Rental Trucks
Small trucks are ideal for college moves, studios, and moves of only a few things
If you’re moving locally to a tiny one-bedroom apartment with a few large furniture pieces or a studio, then renting a small size truck (10 ft.-12 ft.) is a reasonable choice.
Small moving trucks are also suitable for college dorm moves.
The fact that renting a small rental truck costs the same (or sometimes even more) than booking a medium-sized vehicle may come as a surprise to some people.
However, that phenomenon comes directly from the rules of demand and supply – because the demand for medium-sized rental trucks is the highest, truck rental companies tend to have a large inventory of 14 ft.-17 ft. trucks, which will usually bring their rental prices down.
The fuel consumption of small-size rental trucks is up to 10-12 MPG, but the actual value will depend on driving conditions and load weight.
You may also like to read: How to Move to College. Many small moves will be people moving away to college. In this guide, we share some tips to make your college move easier and cheaper.
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Medium-sized trucks are often the cheapest size to rent
Moving trucks of sizes between 14 ft. and 17 ft. are the most commonly rented ones not only because they can fit the most popular types of homes, but also because usually, they are the least expensive rental trucks available.
Medium-size trucks are ideal for 1-2 bedroom apartments, small houses, or offices and can be safely used for long-distance cross-country moves.
The fuel consumption of medium-sized rental trucks will vary on how and where they are driven, as well as how much they are loaded.
Nevertheless, you should expect an average consumption similar to that of small moving trucks.
You may also like to read: How to Declutter for a Home Move. Decluttering is the one guaranteed way to make your move cheaper, it could make the difference between hiring a large truck or a medium-sized one.
Large Size Rental Trucks
Large apartment or 3-bedroom plus-sized homes will require a large rental truck
The largest moving trucks you can rent (20 ft.-26 ft.) are best used for long-distance state-to-state moves of 3-4 or 4+ bedroom houses and large apartments.
If you’re not sure whether a medium-sized truck will fit all your household belongings, then you should go with the moving vehicles with maximum capacity available on the market.
When calculating your moving budget in advance, keep in mind that the biggest rental trucks require diesel fuel, so make sure to factor in the cost difference between gasoline and diesel. Also, their average consumption is about 10 MPG.
You may also like to read: DIY Moving Mistakes to Avoid. In this guide, we share 10 common DIY moving mistakes and how to avoid them.
Cubic Feet Or Number Of Rooms?
Every moving truck comes with a specific storage capacity that is measured in cubic feet, which is the entire available space of the vehicle’s trailer from the floor to the roof.
Of course, the entire storage space of the rental truck can never be fully utilized, although expert packers and loaders can come pretty close to achieving it.
On the other hand, to make things easier for self-movers, the majority of truck rental companies designate an approximate number of rooms that each rental vehicle can fit (for example, a 20 ft. truck is supposed to hold the furniture and packed possession of three rooms).
The problem with this approach is that these are mere approximations and they have been based on the absolute minimum furniture each room is believed to have.
The exact number and sizes of your furniture pieces and all the stuff you have in each room become known only when the loading starts.
You can refer to the guidelines that most truck rental agencies publish to help people understand which size rental truck they need.
However, remember that these are only approximate calculations, and if you’re not sure which moving vehicle is the right one for your move, then either contact the rental company for advice or simply choose the truck with the bigger capacity.
You may also like to read: How to Load a Rental Truck. In this guide, we share some essential-to-know tips on how to safely and efficiently load a rental truck.
Which Truck Rental Company To Choose?
Everyone is familiar with the three largest national truck rental companies (U-Haul, Penske, and Budget), but there are also many other smaller local truck rental agencies to choose from.
The quickest way to get a much better idea of which rental companies will fit your relocation budget, and have a truck available on the date you need it is to visit the company’s website and fill out their quote calculator, or call them up and ask for a free quote.
Ensure that you shop around to get the best deal and make sure you understand clearly the company’s insurance coverage, extra fees, and penalties.
You may also like to read: Tips on How to Drive a Rental Truck. Aside from the hardship of loading your rental truck, you then have to drive a heavy and large, unfamiliar vehicle to your new home. In this guide, we share some tips about driving trucks that will make your journey safer.
Hire Loading Labor for an Easy Moving Day
Loading a truck in the rain is no fun
Loading your rental truck is going to be hard work, you can guarantee that it will rain, or there will be a heatwave, or a snowstorm on moving day, and that you will spend most of your day playing Tetris trying to get all your stuff to fit into an impossibly small space.
You will end the day stressed, tired, emotional, and vowing never to move home ever again.
And relying on friends and family to help you load the truck is rarely a good idea.
So whilst it is an expense that you could probably do without, hiring professional loading and unloading labor is going to make moving day so much easier and quicker.
You can hire labor by the hour and can be a very cost-effective way to get your things professionally moved.
Just call 800-680-6439 to discuss your requirements and get an instant quote, you will be surprised just what great value-for-money labor-only movers offer.
We would recommend that you also get quotes from full-service movers so that you can compare costs, by the time you have rented a truck, and paid fuel, insurance, tolls, and labor, it is often just as cheap to get a professional mover to do everything for you.
And finally, be sure to visit our home moving blog which is packed with guides to make every aspect of your home move cheaper, easier, and safer.
Great advice guys! It happened to me and my husband once. We rented a small truck not sure of the exact size we needed. And the result was a bended mattress 🙂
A friend of mine is currently in the process of moving and I know she had a hard time knowing what type of moving truck to choose. I think it’s important to take into consideration how many items you’ll be needing to transport. Once you’ve chosen the truck, you have to make sure to pack everything carefully. Wouldn’t want a bent mattress, like someone made a comment about earlier!
Megan
Thanks for this advice about choosing a moving truck. It’s so important to choose the right size truck when you’re moving. Like the article mentioned, if you choose too big of a truck not only will you have to pay for the extra space, but you run the risk of damaging some of your furniture! You want everything to fit nice and snug so that boxes don’t crash around as the truck drives.
Brook
My family is moving to a new home next week and your article definitely helped me decide on what kind of moving van should I get to move all our furniture. My favorite parts were when you described how a small rental truck should be used for moving from one apartment unit to another, a medium truck for small houses, and a large truck for large apartment units or homes. Thank you for your tips and I will ask a moving company to help me decide on these choices and also be able to take care of our furniture from when it comes out the door until it gets moved into a new one.
Thanks for pointing out that renting a truck that is much larger than what you need might make your items at risk since it can get tossed around the truck. With that in mind, I will make sure to rent the right sized one by checking my belongings first to prevent damage. This will be helpful since the move will be a long-distance one since the house we bought is in another state.
Hello! Now, my daughter-in-law is moving back in to her parents’ house for a while since her place is being renovated. I found it rather interesting when you said that we can opt for a rental truck based on our room capacity as well. I’ll ask her to consider this method when making further arrangement later.
It was helpful when you said that you could visit the website of truck rental companies so you can compare their rates. My husband and I are planning to move to the single-family house that we bought two months ago, and we need to rent a moving truck. Since we have a restricted budget to consider, we will be sure to only with a truck rental company that can offer us the best possible.
I just wanted to drop by and say thank you for taking the time to create this helpful blog. Your expertise is evident, and I learned a lot from reading it. Determining the right size of a rental truck depends on several factors, such as the number of belongings you need to move and the distance of the move. Thank you for sharing this blog.
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Great advice guys! It happened to me and my husband once. We rented a small truck not sure of the exact size we needed. And the result was a bended mattress 🙂
So, do your math and rent the right size.
Cheers!
A friend of mine is currently in the process of moving and I know she had a hard time knowing what type of moving truck to choose. I think it’s important to take into consideration how many items you’ll be needing to transport. Once you’ve chosen the truck, you have to make sure to pack everything carefully. Wouldn’t want a bent mattress, like someone made a comment about earlier!
Megan
Thanks for this advice about choosing a moving truck. It’s so important to choose the right size truck when you’re moving. Like the article mentioned, if you choose too big of a truck not only will you have to pay for the extra space, but you run the risk of damaging some of your furniture! You want everything to fit nice and snug so that boxes don’t crash around as the truck drives.
Brook
Take the time to watch u-tube on how professionals pack a moving truck. It can make renting a oversized truck a little less freighting.
My family is moving to a new home next week and your article definitely helped me decide on what kind of moving van should I get to move all our furniture. My favorite parts were when you described how a small rental truck should be used for moving from one apartment unit to another, a medium truck for small houses, and a large truck for large apartment units or homes. Thank you for your tips and I will ask a moving company to help me decide on these choices and also be able to take care of our furniture from when it comes out the door until it gets moved into a new one.
Thanks for pointing out that renting a truck that is much larger than what you need might make your items at risk since it can get tossed around the truck. With that in mind, I will make sure to rent the right sized one by checking my belongings first to prevent damage. This will be helpful since the move will be a long-distance one since the house we bought is in another state.
Hello! Now, my daughter-in-law is moving back in to her parents’ house for a while since her place is being renovated. I found it rather interesting when you said that we can opt for a rental truck based on our room capacity as well. I’ll ask her to consider this method when making further arrangement later.
It was helpful when you said that you could visit the website of truck rental companies so you can compare their rates. My husband and I are planning to move to the single-family house that we bought two months ago, and we need to rent a moving truck. Since we have a restricted budget to consider, we will be sure to only with a truck rental company that can offer us the best possible.
I just wanted to drop by and say thank you for taking the time to create this helpful blog. Your expertise is evident, and I learned a lot from reading it. Determining the right size of a rental truck depends on several factors, such as the number of belongings you need to move and the distance of the move. Thank you for sharing this blog.