Moving Van Sizes, a brief guide

As with most things, removal vans come in different sizes, and we often hear the request 'I only need a small van'. But how does that work in reality? Let's take a look..

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We get it, some ask for a 'small' moving van in the hopes it might reduce the rate a bit, but unfortunately it doesn't really work like that. It's more about the overall time the job takes and how many helpers are required etc.

And besides that, what does 'small' actually even mean, and what guarantee is there it will be big enough if a customer has maybe underestimated how much stuff they've got, for example.

The way things DO work in man and van world, as far as the moving van sizes go, is to make sure the van turning up is going to be at least big enough for the job in hand.

Okay, you probably don't want a 7.5 tonne lorry to turn up for a move from a bedsit without furniture, but quite often you may find a Luton van has been dispatched.

This doesn't mean being charged unnecessarily for a larger vehicle, it's just that either that was the only vehicle available, or it's going on to a larger job after yours, or (as is sometimes the case) the movers only use Luton's as they know everything will definitely fit inside them, regardless of how accurate a customer's estimation of their volume of goods is.

So what are the three main sizes?

Having said all of the above, it's probably about right to say there are three main sizes of moving van, that most 'man with a van' operators use - small, medium and large.

Small

Yes, we know, we've already said what does 'small' mean, but think of something like a VW transporter, that's fairly small but can easily handle 99% of bedsit moves without furniture (unless you're a total hoarder) so that's kind of the starting size.

Medium

After that, in the mid range size is a standard Transit van, quite possibly with a 'high top' that provides the extra head room. These can usually handle most man and van moves, with a couple of bits of large furniture thrown in.

Large

And then we have what most would describe as the larger end of the moving van range, which is the trusty work horse of the removals world... the 3.5 tonne Luton van.

One of the great things about Luton's is they can handle pretty much anything, which is why some Movers operate a fleet of only Luton vans, because they don't have to worry about which van is getting allocated to which job, they all get a Luton no matter what, which takes a lot of stress out of the logistical planning!

So if you're moving out of that shoe box bedsit with only a handful of boxes to your name, do not fret if you see a Luton parked up, they didn't misjudge how much stuff you have and there's no need to feel embarrassed if it barely makes a dent in the storage capacity (which is big). It's more likely the Movers only use Luton's!

Happy Moving!