What Size Moving Truck Do I Need?

Written By

Machaela Casey
A moving truck is parked on the side of a building. High quality photo

Answer:

The size of moving truck that you need depends on what you are moving and the size of the move.

MOVING TRUCK LENGTH

Truck is moving down the street in the city

There are several different lengths of moving truck, and each one is perfect for a different size of move, or type of object being moved. When it comes to household moves, you will need to choose the right moving truck size to make sure everything will fit inside. So, how big of a moving truck will you need?

For a studio, college dorm, or 1-bedroom apartment, you will likely need a truck that is anywhere from 10-16 feet in length. If you are moving from a college dorm and you don’t have to move any furniture, it’s possible that a cargo van could get the job done, but best to use a truck just in case there’s anything that won’t quite fit.

For anything smaller than these types of jobs, for example, picking up one piece of furniture, you might be able to use a pickup truck. However, a pickup truck is open to the elements, whereas a truck does protect your belongings from rain, sun damage, and debris.

For a 2-3 room apartment or house, try a truck from 12-22 feet long. You know how much stuff you have, and how much you need to move. A moving expert can help you figure out if you will need to be more towards the 12 foot length or the 22 foot length.

Larger spaces may require a truck up to 26 feet long. If you have a particularly large house, you may need multiple moving trucks to get the job done all in one go. Even if you have the same size house as someone else, you may have more or less stuff. This is why it’s important to get the input of a moving expert.

SHOULD I USE A CALCULATOR?

Another way to check what size truck to get is to use an online what size moving truck do I need calculator. However, if you hire a moving company to do the loading and unloading for you, they will automatically bring the truck that is the right size. That way you won’t have to think twice about whether or not you’re getting the correct length.

You can even hire a company like Nelson Westerberg to do everything from packing to unpacking. Let us take care of the details of your move for you.