Moving truck size estimator
Start from a typical home or your box estimate, adjust the furniture list, and see how much space the load takes and which van or truck holds it in one trip.
How to size a van or truck
Pick the home size nearest to yours to fill the list with typical furniture and boxes, then make it yours: change the counts, open the other room groups, and add anything unusual with its measurements. If you have used the box calculator, its box counts can replace the typical ones.
- Load is the sum of every item's volume. Each item carries a typical volume in cubic feet or m³; for odd pieces, measure the box that would just contain them (legs and handles included).
- Gaps and padding adds 10, 20 or 30%, because furniture never packs as tightly as bricks and needs blankets around it. The result is also widened by 10% either side for the guesswork in item sizes.
- The van and the truck are the smallest of each that hold the upper estimate in one trip, judged against the lower published capacity. Vans are listed by load volume in m³, as they usually are in the UK and Europe; trucks by length, as in North America.
Example: the typical two-bedroom list (two beds, a sofa and armchair, dining set, appliances and about 52 boxes) is about 700 cu ft (20 m³). With 20% for gaps that means 760–930 cu ft, or 21.5–26.3 m³: a 20–22 ft truck, or two loads of a Luton van.
A van or truck also has a weight limit. Books and appliances can reach it before the space is full, so check the payload when you book.
Sources and assumptions
- Truck capacities, approximate as published: 10 ft 402, 15 ft 764, 20 ft 1,016 and 26 ft 1,682 cu ft, cargo van 245 cu ft (U-Haul, moving truck sizes); 12 ft 450, 16 ft 800, 22 ft 1,200 and 26 ft 1,700 cu ft, high-roof cargo van 404 cu ft (Penske Truck Rental, moving trucks).
- Van load volumes: small 2.3–3.3 m³, medium 5–6.5 m³, large up to 11.3 m³, extra large up to 14 m³, Luton up to 19 m³ (Enterprise UK, van size guide). Other hire companies' vans differ.
- Item volumes and the allowance for gaps are Calm Doorway's own rounded estimates. Box volumes come from the reference sizes on the box calculator.
- 1 ft = 0.3048 m exactly, so 1 m³ ≈ 35.31 cu ft (NIST, unit conversion).
Questions
How many cubic feet is a 26 ft moving truck?
Two large North American rental companies publish about 1,682 and 1,700 cu ft for their 26 ft trucks, roughly 48 m³. Usable space is a little less once the load has to be stacked safely, which is why the estimator adds room for gaps.
What size truck does a two-bedroom home need?
With the typical list here, about 760–930 cu ft (21.5–26.3 m³) including gaps, which points to a 20–22 ft truck. A careful packer with less furniture might manage in a 15–16 ft truck; a large, full home may need a 26 ft truck.
Why add space for gaps and padding?
Sofas, tables and lamps do not stack like boxes, mattresses stand on edge, and fragile pieces need blankets and space around them. Loading to the roof is also not always safe. The allowance turns the sum of item volumes into the space you really need.
Can I drive a large van or truck on my normal licence?
It depends on the vehicle's weight and on where you live. Licence categories differ between countries, so check your local rules and ask the rental company which licence the vehicle needs before you book it.
How do I measure an unusual item?
Measure the smallest box it would fit in: the longest length, the widest width and the full height, including legs, handles and anything that sticks out. Enter the three numbers in centimetres or inches and the estimator works out its volume.