🚚 What Size Moving Truck Do You Need? (Or How to Avoid 47 Trips and a Mental Breakdown)

So, you’re moving. Congratulations on the worst decision of your month. 😅 Between packing, crying, and throwing out 8 trash bags of emotional baggage, there’s one question you’ll face:

“What size truck do I actually need?”

Pick something too small and you’ll end up making enough trips to qualify for a gas rewards program. Pick something too big and you’ll feel like you’re trying to parallel park a military tank. Either way, your back is screwed. 💀

Let’s break down the real truth behind moving truck sizes — with a little humor, a lot of sarcasm, and tips that might keep you from throwing your dresser out the window.

📏 The Brutally Honest Truck Size Guide (by House Size)

🏠 Studio / 1-Bedroom Apartment

Truck size: 10 ft – 12 ft box truck
Volume: 350 – 450 cubic feet
AKA: The “I don’t own a couch yet” truck

This size is perfect if you live like a minimalist or recently Marie Kondo’d your life out of existence. Great for: one bed, a few boxes, broken dreams, and maybe a nightstand if it behaves.

🏡 1–2 Bedroom Home

Truck size: 14 ft – 17 ft
Volume: 700 – 850 cubic feet
AKA: The “Oops, I actually have a lot of stuff” truck

You thought you didn’t have much, until you discovered that IKEA furniture multiplies in the dark. This size can usually handle 3–4 rooms of items, if you pack like a Tetris god and don’t bring that 7-foot cactus.

🏘️ 2–3 Bedroom Home

Truck size: 20 ft – 22 ft
Volume: 1,000 – 1,200 cubic feet
AKA: The “We have kids and regrets” truck

Perfect for families with too many chairs, closets full of things you forgot you owned, and enough kitchen gadgets to open a bakery. Don’t try to squeeze this into a tight driveway unless you hate your neighbors.

🏯 4+ Bedroom Home

Truck size: 26 ft
Volume: 1,400+ cubic feet
AKA: The “Why Do We Own So Much Stuff?” truck

This beast can carry a small nation. You’ll need a commercial driver’s license, or just a lot of guts and bad decisions. Can fit everything… except the emotional weight of your choices.

💡 Secret Formula (That’s Not Really a Secret)

Don’t trust your memory. Trust math. Roughly, you’ll need:

150–200 cubic feet of space per furnished room.
Add 15% extra for bad packing and “bonus boxes” you forgot about.
Still unsure? Choose the next size up. You’ll thank us when the garage stuff magically appears.

🧠 Tips for Choosing the Right Size (and Not Losing Your Mind)

Make an inventory list 📝 – It’s boring, but it works. Plus, you’ll rediscover that box labeled “2009 taxes & voodoo candles.”
Use online truck calculators 🚛 – U-Haul, Penske, Budget — all offer truck size tools. But don’t lie to them. We know you’re keeping that elliptical machine “just in case.”
Ask the company directly 📞 – They’ve seen it all. If you say “two bedrooms and a piano,” they’ll know exactly which truck will barely fit it… and which won’t.
Factor in vertical space 📦 – Not everything stacks well. Like cats, bikes, or your mother-in-law’s china.
Don’t count the truck’s cab – You’re not putting your dresser in the front seat. Probably.

🔍 Recommended Moving Truck Companies (So You Can Blame Someone Else)

U-Haul – Classic. Widely available. Comes with existential dread and underinflated tires.
Penske – Great for long distances. Usually cleaner than your last Airbnb.
Budget Truck Rental – Affordable, reliable, and less likely to smell like regret.
Enterprise Truck Rental – High quality, but you may need a commercial license for larger trucks.
Home Depot / Lowe’s Truck Rentals – Ideal for quick, local hauls or moving that one cursed armoire.

🧱 What Happens If You Pick the Wrong Size?

Too small: You make 12 trips and cry halfway through each one.
Too big: You pay for wasted space and knock over a mailbox trying to park.
Just right: You feel like a moving god and celebrate with pizza.

Pro tip: Insurance won’t cover emotional damage from misjudging your space. Plan accordingly. 🧠

😱 Real-Life Truck Fails (So You Don’t Repeat Them)

“I booked a van for a 3-bedroom house. Ended up renting a second van and crying into my steering wheel.”

“We had to tie furniture to the roof like it was a sitcom. It was NOT funny in real life.”

“Rented a 26 ft truck. Took out a tree, two cones, and my dignity.”

🧼 Final Thoughts from a Broken Yet Wiser Soul

Picking the right moving truck is like picking a partner: it has to fit your needs, not just your budget. Go too small, and you suffer. Go too big, and you panic every time you turn a corner. But the right size? That’s pure, uncut moving bliss. (Well, almost.)

Don’t underestimate your junk, and don’t overestimate your Tetris skills. Choose wisely, or suffer stairwell purgatory with a headboard that won’t fit.

✅ TL;DR

Studio/1BR → 10–12 ft truck
1–2BR → 14–17 ft truck
2–3BR → 20–22 ft truck
4+BR → 26 ft truck (and therapy)
Measure, plan, overestimate, and maybe sacrifice a coffee table along the way.

Need help moving too? Visit MovingHell.com and check out our other articles that’ll make you laugh, cry, and maybe pack properly.

Thinking to rent a Moving Truck? 💪🏽🚛