How to Choose a Moving Truck Size
A six-step procedure for picking the right truck class from bedroom count, heavy items, and trip distance, with comparison numbers for U-Haul, Penske, and Budget.
Quick answer
A studio fits a 10-foot truck, a 1-bedroom needs a 10 or 15, a 2-bedroom takes a 15, a 3-bedroom a 20, and a full 4-bedroom house wants a 26. The price gap between adjacent sizes is small; a second trip is not.
Quick steps
- Inventory bedrooms and heavy items. Count bedrooms, then list anything that needs three or more people to move (piano, gun safe, treadmill, large freezer, sectional sofa).
- Convert to cubic feet. Use 150 to 200 cu ft per bedroom plus 50 to 100 cu ft per heavy item. Add 100 cu ft if your living room is heavily furnished or you own a full appliance set.
- Map cubic feet to a truck class. Use the truck size table below to pick the smallest class that meets your number with at least 10 percent headroom.
- Account for trip distance. One-way moves and long hauls bias toward sizing up. A second trip is not an option past 100 miles.
- Quote U-Haul, Penske, and Budget. Rates vary by lane, fleet age, and accessory bundling. Quote all three for moves over 200 miles.
- Decide on a tow add-on. Bring the family vehicle on a tow dolly or auto transport if the move is one-way and the second car cannot be driven separately.
Inventory your home
A 15-minute walk-through with a notepad gets you to a working number. The accuracy that matters is the heavy-item list, not the box count.
- Walk every room and list furniture larger than a nightstand. Beds, sofas, dressers, dining tables, desks, bookcases, entertainment centers. The big pieces drive the volume estimate; small items pack into the gaps.
- Count boxes you have already packed (or estimate boxes per room). A typical bedroom packs into 8 to 12 medium boxes. A kitchen runs 12 to 20 boxes including dish-pack and small-appliance boxes. A garage adds another 10 to 15 large boxes.
- List heavy and awkward items separately. Pianos, gun safes, treadmills, snowblowers, full-size refrigerators and freezers, washer-dryer pairs, sectional sofas, large mirror cabinets. These items need a flat-deck dolly and at least three movers, and they consume floor space disproportionate to their volume.
- Note sentimental fragiles. Wedding china, framed art, glass-front cabinets, antique furniture. These pack with extra padding and ride in the cab or strapped to the cargo box wall, not stacked under heavier items.
- Photograph the contents of every closet. Closets always hold more than people remember. The pictures save an argument about whether you really need that 17-foot truck.
Map cubic feet to truck size
Truck makers and rental companies publish slightly different cargo numbers, so the table below uses conservative averages across U-Haul, Penske, and Budget.
| Truck size | Cargo volume | Typical fit | Bedrooms |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 ft | ~400 cu ft (11 m³) | Studio, dorm, small 1-bed | 0 to 1 |
| 15 ft | ~760 cu ft (22 m³) | 1-bed apartment, light 2-bed | 1 to 2 |
| 17 ft | ~865 cu ft (24 m³) | Standard 2-bed apartment, light 3-bed | 2 |
| 20 ft | ~1000 cu ft (28 m³) | Standard 3-bed home | 3 |
| 26 ft | ~1700 cu ft (48 m³) | Full 4-bed or 5-bed home | 4+ |
Get a precise cubic-foot estimate from your bedroom count and heavy items with the Moving Truck Size Calculator.
Account for trip distance
A truck that is borderline full on a 5-mile in-town move is annoying. The same truck on an 800-mile interstate move is a problem. Distance changes the safety margin you should leave.
- In-town local moves (under 30 miles). A second trip is feasible. Sizing the truck at 90 percent capacity is acceptable. U-Haul typically wins on local rates because of the per-mile pricing model.
- Mid-distance moves (30 to 200 miles). A second trip costs at least a half day plus 50 to 100 dollars in mileage and fuel. Size to 80 percent of cargo volume.
- Long-distance one-way moves (over 200 miles). A second trip is effectively impossible. Always size up to give yourself a 20 to 30 percent margin. Penske is usually cheapest on long lanes; quote all three.
- Cross-country moves (over 1500 miles). Consider a 26-foot truck even for 3-bedroom homes. Fuel cost on a 26 vs 20-foot truck is only 10 to 15 percent higher because of similar drag profiles, and the larger truck means no second-trip risk.
- Mountain or desert routes. Heat, altitude, and grade all increase fuel use and slow loaded trucks substantially. Allow an extra day on the trip plan and check the truck owner’s manual for elevation operating limits.
Compare U-Haul, Penske, and Budget
Each rental company has a sweet spot. Knowing which lane belongs to which carrier saves 100 to 300 dollars on a typical move.
| Carrier | Best for | Fleet age | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| U-Haul | Local in-town moves, accessory rentals, availability | Older, mixed | Most locations, biggest accessory inventory (pads, dollies, hand trucks). Per-mile pricing favors short distances. |
| Penske | One-way long-distance, AAA and military discounts | Newer (typically 2 to 4 yr fleet) | Cleaner trucks, automatic transmissions, 24-hour roadside. Often cheapest on lanes over 500 miles. |
| Budget | Mid-distance moves, occasional flash discounts | Mixed, often older than Penske | Sometimes runs deep promo codes (20 to 25 percent off). Worth quoting; not always cheapest. |
Always quote all three for moves over 200 miles. Final price differences of 100 to 300 dollars are common between the cheapest and most expensive carrier on the same lane.
Decide on a tow add-on
Two tow options exist for moving the family vehicle along with the truck. Pick by drivetrain and weight, not by price.
- Tow dolly (front wheels up, rear wheels rolling). Fits front-wheel-drive vehicles up to roughly 4500 lb (2040 kg) loaded. Cheapest option, typically 60 to 100 dollars per day. Not safe for rear-wheel-drive vehicles unless the driveshaft is removed.
- Auto transport trailer (full deck, all four wheels off the ground). Fits all drivetrains. Required for 4-wheel-drive and all-wheel-drive vehicles. Heavier (about 1500 lb empty), so the truck must be rated for the trailer plus the loaded car. Costs 100 to 175 dollars per day.
- Match the truck’s tow rating. U-Haul, Penske, and Budget publish tow ratings per truck class. The 26-foot trucks rate around 6000 lb (2720 kg); a loaded mid-size sedan plus auto transport is typically 4500 lb (2040 kg). The 10 and 15-foot trucks have lower ratings and may not pull an auto transport at all.
- Skip the tow if a friend or family member can drive the second car separately. The dolly or auto transport adds at least 200 dollars to the rental, plus fuel cost on the loaded truck (towing drops fuel economy by 25 to 30 percent), plus parking complexity at every stop.
Common mistakes
- Sizing down to save 30 dollars. The price gap between a 15 and 17-foot truck is small. The cost of a second trip (gas, time, missed return-window fees) usually triples the savings. On a one-way move, a second trip is not even possible.
- Forgetting stairs and clearance at the destination. A 26-foot truck cannot get within 30 feet of some narrow city streets, low-clearance garages, or steep driveways. Walk the destination access in advance and have a plan B for the last 50 feet (handcart relay or staging area).
- Ignoring weight limits in favor of volume. A 15-foot truck has a payload rating of about 6300 lb (2860 kg). Filling it cube-full of books and canned goods can exceed the rating. A 5x5 ft (1.5 m) shelf of dense boxes weighs 600 to 800 lb on its own.
- Skipping the truck pads and dolly. Furniture pads cost 5 dollars per dozen and prevent 100 to 500 dollars of furniture damage on a single move. A two-wheel dolly saves backs on every box-relay run.
- Not reading the rental agreement’s late-return policy. Most rentals charge a full extra day for any return more than two hours late. Build the return time into the trip plan, not the destination time.
- Booking the cheapest carrier without quoting the others. Carriers run flash discounts that swing the cheapest carrier on a given lane. Quote all three (U-Haul, Penske, Budget), and re-quote one week before pickup if the move is over 30 days out.
FAQ
What size moving truck do I need for a 2-bedroom apartment?
A 15-foot truck is the standard fit for a 2-bedroom apartment with normal furnishing density. The cargo box runs 760 to 800 cubic feet, which covers a queen bed, sofa, two dressers, dining set, and 30 to 40 boxes. Size up to a 17-foot truck if you have a piano, full appliance set, or a heavily furnished living room.
How do I estimate cubic feet from my bedroom count?
Use 150 to 200 cubic feet per bedroom for a normal household, and add 50 to 100 cubic feet for each heavy item. A studio runs 300 cubic feet, a 1-bedroom 500, a 2-bedroom 800, a 3-bedroom 1300, and a 4-bedroom 1700. Round up if you have garage tools, hobby gear, or sentimental fragiles that need their own boxes.
Should I size up if a truck is borderline full?
Yes, especially on a one-way move. A truck that fits at the 95 percent mark in the driveway leaves no room for last-minute boxes, awkward angles inside the cargo box, or items the loader misjudged. The price gap between a 15 and 17 foot truck is usually 30 to 50 dollars; a second trip costs more in mileage, fuel, and a wasted afternoon.
Is U-Haul or Penske better for a long-distance move?
Penske runs a younger fleet and is often cheaper than U-Haul on one-way moves longer than 500 miles, especially when AAA or military discounts apply. U-Haul wins on local in-town moves, on availability, and on accessory rentals like furniture pads and dollies. Budget falls between the two on most lanes. Quote all three for any move over 200 miles.
Can I tow my car behind a moving truck?
Yes, but the truck must be rated for the vehicle weight. U-Haul, Penske, and Budget all rent auto transport trailers (full enclosed trailer for 4-wheel-drive vehicles) and tow dollies (front wheels up, rear wheels rolling, lighter and cheaper). Check the truck’s tow rating against the loaded vehicle weight and add 200 lb for the dolly or 1500 lb for the auto transport itself.
Do I need a special license to drive a 26-foot moving truck?
No. All consumer moving trucks (10, 15, 17, 20, and 26 ft) are designed to drive with a standard non-commercial driver license. The 26-foot trucks are large enough that height and turning clearance matter (most are around 12 ft 6 in tall, well over a typical residential garage door), but no CDL is required.
Bottom line
Inventory bedrooms and heavy items, multiply by 150 to 200 cubic feet per bedroom plus a per-item heavy add, then size up to the next class if you are within 10 percent of the cargo cap. The price gap between sizes is small; a missed truck or second trip is not. If your move pivots to a storage stop instead of a direct delivery, run the Storage Unit Size Estimator for the right unit class.