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Moving Truck Size Calculator: What Size Truck Do I Need?

Use home size and box count to screen truck volumes, then check packed dimensions, actual layout and payload.

MoveDayPlan Editorial Updated

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How it works

Volume screen = (assumed furniture volume + boxes × 3 cu ft) × 1.1; compare the result with nominal truck capacity

The calculator starts from a typical furniture volume for the home size — about 200 cu ft for a studio, 300 for one bedroom, 550 for two, 750 for three and 1,100 for four or more bedrooms — and adds your boxes at about 3 cu ft each, using the top of the range you pick. It adds an editorial 10% space allowance and selects the first nominal capacity above the result. Real gaps depend on item shapes and the loading plan. A 2-bedroom home with 20–40 boxes comes to about 737 cu ft: a 15-ft truck is a candidate to inspect for this volume, subject to payload, doorway and layout checks.

What the calculator recommends
Home and boxesEstimated loadTruck
Studio, up to 20 boxes 286 cu ft 10 ft
1 bedroom, 20–40 boxes 462 cu ft 15 ft
2 bedrooms, 20–40 boxes 737 cu ft 15 ft
2 bedrooms, 40–70 boxes 836 cu ft 20 ft
3 bedrooms, 20–40 boxes 957 cu ft 20 ft
3 bedrooms, 40–70 boxes 1,056 cu ft 26 ft
4+ bedrooms, 70–100 boxes 1,540 cu ft 26 ft

Truck capacities used: 10 ft about 400 cu ft, 15 ft about 760, 20 ft about 1,000 and 26 ft about 1,680 cu ft. Rental companies publish slightly different figures for their own trucks, and some rent 12, 16 or 22 ft sizes instead — compare the cubic feet, not just the length.

Frequently asked questions

Is it better to go one size up?

Compare the larger truck with the complete cost and access needs of another trip. A capacity result close to a limit needs a measured layout and payload check; the next size is not automatically cheaper or physically suitable.

Do I need a special license for a 26-ft truck?

U-Haul says its trucks are not commercial vehicles and a standard driver's license is enough; other companies set their own rules, so check the rental terms. Large trucks are long, tall and slow to stop, so check clearance heights on your route.

What about appliances and outdoor items?

Inventory those items separately, using their packed dimensions and documented weights. Add them to the load plan and verify the appropriate vehicle instead of assigning an invented room equivalent.

Sources checked October 22, 2026. Provider specifications apply only to the equipment described. Model defaults and allowances are planning assumptions, not measured inventory or market prices.

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