Congratulations on your informed decision to perform a cost-effective do-it-yourself move. After successfully solving the ultimate dilemma whether you should hire a mover or move by yourself, the next step is to go ahead and rent a moving truck for your upcoming relocation.
But all of a sudden, you find yourself stressed out, for a worrisome thought just crossed your mind, “What size of rental truck do I need?”
And indeed, choosing a rental truck of the right size is nothing less than crucial for the outright success of your move. And you do want to have a smooth and headache-free moving experience, don’t you?
Then read on to 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.
Small Size Rental Trucks
If you’re moving locally a tiny one-bedroom apartment with 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 where the number of items to be transported is somewhat limited.
The fact that renting a small rental truck costs the same (or sometimes even more) than booking a medium size vehicle may come as a surprise to some people. However, that phenomenon comes as a direct result of 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 numerous variable factors, such as driving conditions and load weight.
How Much do Movers Cost?
Save up to 40% on your upcoming move and get a quote from reputable moving experts.
Medium size moving trucks tend to be the most inexpensive ones 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, once more, vary and depend on how and where they are driven, as well as how much they are loaded. Nevertheless, you should expect an average consumption very similar to the one of small moving trucks.
Large Size Rental Trucks
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 size 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, have 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.
Cubic Feet Or Number Of Rooms?
You’ll probably fail to utilize the available truck storage space as completely as a professional mover would.
Every moving truck comes with a specific storage capacity that is measured in cubit feet, which in reality is nothing more than 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 are able to come pretty close to achieving it.
On the other hand, to make things easier for self-movers, the majority of truck rental companies designate 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 operations are under way.
You can refer to the guidelines that most truck rental agencies publish for helping 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 more, then either contact the rental company for advice or simply choose the truck with the bigger capacity.
Choosing The Right Size Rental Truck
If you’re wondering, “Why choosing the right size rental truck is so important?”, then you should think in terms of time, money, and overall success of your move.
Rent moving truck that is too big and you’ll be paying for unneeded storage space.
Let’s say you’ve booked a moving truck with insufficient storage space. Then, when the truck trailer is full and you still have plenty of stuff waiting to be loaded, you’ll be forced to pick one of three not-so-great options: either unload the entire truck and rent a bigger one (waste of precious time), get a second rental truck (waste of much needed money) or leave behind some of your household items (not really applicable, especially if you already got rid of your unwanted possessions).
Now, let’s assume that you’ve rented a moving truck with much larger capacity than necessary. In that case, not only will you be paying for storage space that you don’t really need (unless you’ve booked a medium size moving vehicle), but you’ll also run the risk of having your items damaged while they are being tossed around in the trailer during the transportation process.
Having said all of the above, the good news is that you needn’t worry too much about it. Statistically, more than 90% of the people who have decided to perform a DIY move will choose a truck size either based on price or current vehicle availability offered by the rental agency – a fact that practically eliminates much of the guesswork.
Which Truck Rental Company To Choose?
Good luck with your move.
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 which will be glad to give you a helping hand when you need it the most.
The quickest way to get a much better idea which rental companies will fit your relocation budget and satisfy your particular relocation needs is to request and compare various truck rental offers – simply visit the company’s corresponding website and fill out their quote calculator, or alternatively call them up and ask for a free quote.
Note that it’s a bad idea to hastily accept the first or lowest bidder without taking your time to read carefully each and every offer. When comparing different truck rental quotes, eliminate the ones whose final price is way above your pre-set budget and then see which remaining ones provide the services you do need. Also, make sure you understand clearly the company’s insurance coverage, extra fees and penalties
Hopefully, now you’ll know which truck size will be the best one to rent in your specific relocation case. If you’re planning on loading the rented truck all by yourself or with a few trusted friends of yours instead of hiring professional movers who have been trained to maximize the storage space inside the truck trailer, remember the universal rule to select the moving vehicle with the larger capacity.
Do you have any experience with rental moving trucks? If you do, we’d love to hear your story in the comment field below. Thanks!
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.
*At MyMovingReviews we will connect you with a professional moving company. Please note that we may not be affiliated with
and you may be speaking with another licensed provider.
Best movers nearby
We use cookies to optimise your experience.Accept and close or Learn more
Congratulations on your informed decision to perform a cost-effective do-it-yourself move. After successfully solving the ultimate dilemma whether you should hire a mover or move by yourself, the next step is to go ahead and rent a moving truck for your upcoming relocation.
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.