How to choose the right size moving truck?

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Did you know?

By moving on your own, you can save an average of £700 compared to using a professional moving service!

That’s a lot of money, and while you can manage without a professional mover by moving on your own (as explain on this page), there's one expense you can’t avoid: rent a moving truck!

It’s an important cost, but you can easily reduce it with a few tips that I’ll share in this guide.

In addition to helping you choose the right truck for your needs, I’ll also explain how much it costs and show what kinds of trucks people using our "rent a truck with driver service" have rented, with real life examples!

Summary

What size moving truck should you choose?
You don’t have a driving licence: how do you move?

What size moving truck should you choose?

a mover is parked in front of a house with his truck and a couple is waving at him

You already know that you won’t be able to transport everything by car, unless you only have a few boxes to move.

So, the first question you need to ask is: what size truck should I choose?

If you’ve already used our page to estimate the volume of your move, you should have a pretty good idea of the type of truck you need.

The volume of a truck is measured in cubic metres, so it’s important to calculate the volume of your home carefully to avoid getting a truck that’s too big (and too expensive) or too small (which could lead to trouble).

Got the volume of your move sorted?

Here are the different types of trucks you can rent and why you might choose one over the other.

Summary table of truck sizes

Truck type	Required license	Average cost on Yoojo	Get a quote
Small van *up to 4 m3*	B	£40	Rent a similar van
Van *Between 5 and 9 m3*	B	£65	Rent a similar van
Large van *Between 10 and 15 m3*	B	£90	Rent a similar van
Lorry *Between 16 and 20 m3*	B	£125	Rent a similar lorry
Small lorry *Between 21 and 30 m3*	B-C	£170	Rent a similar lorry
Large lorry *Over 30 m3*	C	£245	Rent a similar lorry

Which truck for your move: technical sheets to understand everything

With our handy summary sheets, you’ll be able to easily choose the right truck for your move.

The small van: to move a few pieces of furniture

VOLUME: up to 4 m3

LICENCE: B

MODELS: Renault Kangoo, Peugeot Partner, Citroën Berlingo

BOXES: up to 24

MOVEABLE AREA: covers up to 10 m2

This is the smallest van model, perfect for very small spaces like a student’s room.

You won’t be able to fit much more than boxes, as any piece of furniture will take up most of the space.

✅ Who’s it for? If you have an unfurnished flat, this van is for you!

🚛 Perfect for: moving a 1-room flat

The van: for very small moves

VOLUME: 5 m3 to 9 m3

LICENCE: B

MODELS: Fiat Doblo, Volkswagen Transporter, Ford Transit

BOXES: between 30 and 54

MOVEABLE AREA: covers up to 21 m2

A van is like a small van but with an extended compartment. It’s often used by tradespeople and professionals in construction.

You’ll have enough space to move a studio or a small flat of up to about 22 square metres.

✅ Who’s it for? Perfect for small unfurnished flats.

🚛 Perfect for: moving a 1-bedroom flat

The large van: the most commonly used vehicle

VOLUME: 10 m3 to 15 m3

LICENCE: B

MODELS: Renault Master, Peugeot Boxer, Citroën Berlingo

BOXES: between 60 and 90

MOVEABLE AREA: covers up to 35 m2

The large van is slightly bigger than the regular van. The big difference is that it’s long enough to fit a bed, mattress, and potentially some small furniture.

If your flat isn't too furnished, you'll be able to fit all your belongings in it.

✅ Who’s it for? Perfect for a 1-bedroom flat with a few pieces of furniture.

🚛 Perfect for: moving a 2-bedroom flat

The large lorry: to ensure you have enough space

VOLUME: 16 m3 to 20 m3

LICENCE: B

MODELS: IVECO Daily, Mercedes Sprinter, Renault Master, Peugeot Boxer

BOXES: between 96 and 120

MOVEABLE AREA: covers up to 50 m2

Things get serious with the large lorry, big enough to move a medium-sized flat with typical furniture: sofa, coffee table, appliances, etc.

This is one of the most rented trucks by those who want to make sure they have enough volume for their move.

✅ Who’s it for? If you live in a couple and have a traditionally furnished flat, this is the one for you.

🚛 Perfect for: moving a 2- or 3-bedroom flat

The small lorry: for large flats and families

VOLUME: 21 m3 to 30 m3

LICENCE: B

MODELS: Fiat Ducato, IVECO Daily, Renault Master

BOXES: between 120 and 150

MOVEABLE AREA: covers up to 80 m2

You’re stepping up with the small lorry, which will allow you to move nearly all types of flats. It’ll easily fit all your furniture, appliances, and even all those unnecessary things you’ve accumulated over the years!

This lorry will be sufficient in 90% of cases... only larger houses will require a bigger truck.

✅ Who’s it for? Perfect for families with kids or very furnished homes.

🚛 Perfect for: moving a 3- or 4-bedroom home

The large lorry: for moving a house

VOLUME: over 30 m3

LICENCE: C

MODELS: Mercedes Atego, Renault Midlum, IVECO Eurocargo

BOXES: more than 150

MOVEABLE AREA: covers more than 75 m2

This is the classic moving truck, typically used by families who need a lot of space to move their countless belongings accumulated over the years.

If you have a garden, garage, a fully equipped kitchen, and all the appliances that go with it, you’ll need a large lorry.

✅ Who’s it for? For families living in large houses with gardens and garages.

🚛 Perfect for: moving a house

Get free quotes from movers with a truck

Moving your piano?

In that case, the ideal truck is a small lorry.

While your piano might fit in a smaller van, it’s best to have enough space to secure and protect it properly. This way, you can avoid any risk of damage or breakage during transport.

Check here my costing guide for a piano move:

Read the guide

You don’t have a driving licence: how do you move?

a mover help a client carry some boxes in his van

Hiring a moving truck is super, but what if you don’t have a driving licence or don’t feel comfortable driving a big truck?

At Yoojo, we’ve helped hundreds of families to moves, so this is a challenge we know well.

That’s why we’ve created a service to rent a moving truck with a driver, which allows you to connect with drivers who can transport your belongings.

Request a truck rental with a driver

See what kind of trucks your neighbours have used and how much it cost

a moving van is driving in the british country side

With Yoojo, you don’t even need to choose the truck size yourself – our handy form will recommend the perfect truck based on your needs.

Still, there’s nothing better than real-life examples to help you understand what works best.

Here’s how your neighbours have used Yoojo to find the right mover:

Example 1: Just to move a piece of furniture

💰 Price: £35
🚛 Truck: 8 m3 van

In this first example, a customer in Brighton needed to move a sofa 12 miles away.

They found a driver with a van on Yoojo to complete the job for just £35!

Example 2: A small move over a long distance

💰 Price: £135
🚛 Truck: 9 m3 van

Here, the customer didn’t have a lot of items to move but had to travel 118 miles.

They booked a mover with a van on Yoojo for £135, who transported their 4 m3 load. Easy!

Example 3: A pro needing a truck

💰 Price: £40
🚛 Truck: 4 m3 van

On Yoojo, businesses can also book professional transport services.

In this case, a business needed to transport boxes. They booked a driver and their van for just £40.

Example 4: Renting a truck for a complete move

💰 Price: £165
🚛 Truck: 20 m3 van

Finally, this is a typical long-distance complete move. The customer moved their entire flat for £165 with a 20 m3 van.

As you can see, anything’s possible with Yoojo!

You now have all the tools you need to find the right truck for your move!

And don’t forget, if you want to know more about moving prices, check my complete guide here!

Discover all the benefits of Yoojo

Posting a job on Yoojo is free and with no obligation
You only pay if you book a mover
You can chat with movers before making a booking
Option to book for as little as 1 hour of service
Our community helps you choose with ratings and reviews on each provider's profile
We only send your request to qualified and available movers near you
You release the payment once the job is completed

Connect with movers with a truck