How to Choose the Right Moving Truck?

Quick Overview: Choose the right moving truck by matching truck size to home size. A 10 to 12-foot truck fits a studio or small one-bedroom, while a 15 to 17-foot truck suits two bedrooms. Use a 20 to 26-foot truck for larger homes. Consider weight limits and loading ease when making your choice.

Introduction

After all the preparations for your move and all the packing, etc., are done, the actual thing that you need to move your stuff from one place to the other is…a moving truck.

Choosing the right moving truck can be tricky. For the uninitiated, it’s very easy to overestimate or underestimate the required storage space.

But, of course, there’s nothing wrong with being amongst the uninitiated. We all start somewhere. What isn’t acceptable is not educating yourself on how to choose the right moving truck when you’ve realized how important it is.

In this post, we’re going to guide you on how to choose the right moving truck for your relocation.

Understanding the Type of Trucks Typically Used for Moving

There are two types of trucks that are used for moving.

• Pickup trucks
• Box trucks

Pickup Trucks

We’re all familiar with pickup trucks. This is what one looks like:

These trucks have a truck bed, which offers a reasonable amount of space for a reasonable amount of stuff.

For example, if a lone student living alone in a shared apartment wanted to move, they could fit their belongings easily in the truck bed (with a few boxes spilling over in the backseat).

If you happen to find yourself in a situation like this, there’s no reason to read further. Just get a truck (you can borrow it from a friend or rent it from a local car rental) and make your move with ease.

However, if you have more stuff to move, that is where you need the bigger trucks.

Box Trucks

A box truck is the type of truck that comes to most people’s minds. Here is what one looks like:

You can see why it’s called a box truck. The storage space on the back is like a huge box.

Box trucks come in different sizes. In the next part of this blog, we’re going to list some of the main sizes, along with the number of items they can usually hold.

It’s important to remember that size is just one of the things that you have to check when choosing a moving truck. There are a bunch of other things as well, which we will discuss when we start talking about the steps in earnest.

Understanding Different Moving Truck Sizes and Their Capacity

Here is a table that shows various truck sizes along with their ideal use and weight capacity:

Now that we’re done with this, let’s move on to the actual steps that you should follow to pick the best moving truck for your needs.

How to Pick the Right Moving Truck for Your Move?

Here are the steps in a straight list before we elaborate on them:

1. Check your belongings and determine the truck size that you need
2. Check the weight of your belongings
3. Check accessibility needs and towing capabilities

Below, we will explain each step.

First Step: Find the Truck Size That Can Accommodate Your Belongings

How large is your home, i.e., the one that you’re moving away from? Is it a small studio apartment or a 3-bedroom house?

You can use the table that we shared earlier as a reference to check which truck size is ideal for the size of your home.

If, for some reason, the items in your home don’t reflect its actual capacity (for instance, if you’re just occupying one room of a larger house and your appliances are quite sparse in relation to the size of your home), then you need to make your selection based on the cargo volume.

Here are some examples.

• A medium-sized moving box is around 3 cubic feet. Ten of those boxes would be 30 cubic feet. (Ten medium moving boxes would be sufficient for holding the items of a small kitchen.)
  Let’s say that you have, other than the boxes, appliances that measure up to around 200 cubic feet (combined), your total required area would be around 250 cubic feet. All of these items could be placed in a 12-foot moving truck with space left over.
• A large moving box is around 4.5 cubic feet. For a larger house with larger rooms, each room would require about 10 large moving boxes to hold everything, from apparel to decorative pieces. Assuming that the appliances add up to around 500 cubic feet (a couple of fridges, a washing machine, dryer, etc.), the total required capacity would be around 1,000 cubic feet. All of these items could be easily moved in a 22-foot truck.

The bottom line is: If your home contains an average amount of items (which would be expected in a house of its area), use the table given above.

If your belongings aren’t reflective of your house’s size, calculate the storage capacity that you would need based on the individual sizes of the boxes and appliances.

Second Step: Check the Weight of Your Belongings

Sometimes, in special cases, although the belongings are few and take up a moderate amount of space, they are unusually heavy.

Think of an avid woodworking hobbyist looking to move houses (which would also include their seemingly innocent trunk of wood pieces weighing about 400 pounds). Although the trunk could sit well in a 12-foot truck, it would weigh the poor vehicle down once the other boxes/appliances were placed in there as well.

In situations where the weight of your belongings is not commensurate with their size, make sure to keep the weight capacity of the truck in mind.

In the table above, we’ve mentioned the weight capacity along with the size of each truck. You can use that information as a reference.

Third Step: Accessibility Needs and Towing Capabilities

Ramps

Smaller trucks, such as the ones that are 10 to 12 feet in length, don’t usually come with a ramp. A retractable ramp is usually found in larger trucks.

Here’s a scenario to think about.

A particular individual is moving houses. Their belongings are few, but are incredibly heavy and need to be rolled around on wheels.

The arrow in the image above shows the positioning of the ramp in a typical moving truck.

Although technically, the items may take up just 200 cubic feet of space, they could require a bigger truck because the smaller ones won’t have a ramp that they could use to roll up the heavy items.

In such a case, it would be reasonable for a person to go with a bigger truck for the sake of accessibility. Instead of hoisting the heavy items with straps and dangerously lifting them up to the back of the truck, a ramp would make things much safer and easier.

Even if there was a lot of space left over, it would still be the better and more practical choice. (In this sort of situation, however, it’s important to tie everything down so that it doesn’t move around.)

The crux of this entire scenario is that if the items you’re moving are particularly heavy yet delicate, the storage capacity and weight capacity of the truck become of secondary importance. The top priority is accessibility, even if the truck is unnecessarily large.

Towing Capabilities

Another factor that you should keep an eye on is the towing capability of the truck.

Many people who do a DIY move have to drive the truck with their stuff in it, but they don’t want to make another trip for the car. They tow the car behind the truck to make things easier.

Some movers may want to hitch a trailer to the back of the truck with some extra belongings.

If you’re planning on doing something like that, make sure to check that the truck has towing capability.

Smaller trucks usually don’t come with a tow hook. Larger ones, such as 22-foot and 26-foot trucks, do typically have this feature.

Afterthoughts…

Following the steps that we’ve mentioned above will help you understand which truck is the best for you.

However, that step comes after you’ve found the right company to get the truck from.

There are a lot of different companies that provide moving trucks, and each of them may have differences in the exact sizes and features.

For example, here at Dumbo Moving, you can get the types of sizes that we’ve mentioned in the table above. You will have no problem in finding and choosing the best size for your move.

However, in some companies, the sizes may be different, their load capacity may also be different, as well as the features that they offer.

For example, a company may offer 20-foot trucks and 25-foot trucks instead of 22 and 26. In situations like that, our guide is still applicable. You should simply check for the load capacities and volume capacities of each size, and apply our instructions accordingly.

Some More Tips to Find the Perfect Moving Truck

Here are a few more tips/factors that you can keep in mind to find the perfect moving truck for your move:

• Budget/Pricing: It’s important to find a truck that you can hire without putting a strain on your moving budget. This is important to keep in mind when you’re deciding on which company to go with, as well as the exact truck size. Sometimes, it can be more affordable to go with a smaller truck and make multiple trips instead of getting a large one from the get-go. (This applies in situations where the destination is nearby.)
• Availability and Booking: Another important thing not to forget is availability and booking. Make sure that the truck you need is available on the day of your move. Book it beforehand so that there is no last-minute hassle. It’s possible for a specific truck to be in a limited number in a certain company’s fleet. High demand may make it unavailable when you’re planning your move.
• Safety features: While the storage and capacity and accessibility, etc., of the truck are important factors to keep in mind, it’s also important to consider the safety features. You should pick a modern truck with necessary features like cruise control, antilock braking system, electronic stability control, etc.

Wrapping Up

And that’s it as far as this guide goes.

It’s easy to choose the right moving truck size if you’re careful about considering all the important factors. There aren’t a lot of moving truck sizes, nor are there a lot of factors to consider. You just have to do it right.

What exactly are those factors? As we mentioned in the post above, you need to make sure you match the truck size with the space needed by your belongings. You should also take into consideration the weight capacity of the truck.

Other than that, accessibility and towing capability are also important factors to keep in mind.

If you take care of all these, you’ll be golden.

FAQs

How big of a moving truck do I need for a 10x10 storage unit?

A 10x10 storage unit typically needs a 16-foot moving truck. This size accommodates items from a one-bedroom apartment or a small two-bedroom home, including furniture, boxes, and appliances. For tightly packed or oversized furniture, consider upgrading to a 22-foot truck for extra space.

What can I fit in a 12-foot moving truck?

A 12-foot moving truck can fit belongings from a studio or a small one-bedroom apartment. It typically holds furniture such as a queen-size bed, sofa, dining table, and about 5–10 medium boxes. The truck offers around 450–500 cubic feet of space, ideal for moves under 500 cubic feet of household goods.

Can a king-size bed fit in a 12-foot moving truck?

A king-size bed can fit in a 12-foot moving truck if loaded diagonally or with the frame disassembled. The mattress may need to be angled. Secure the bed with straps and load it upright against a wall to maximize floor space for other items.