The 5 tan is the largest lorry that shows up regularly on Malaysian house moves. Above it, you are into warehouse and industrial work. Here is what the size actually is, and the naming problem that comes with it.
5 ton lorry size
Most operators say 17 ft. TheLorry, Aidil Movers, Lori Sewa ZD and Morris Ventures all list their 5 tan as a 17 ft box. lorisewa.com.my gives a wider range of 17 to 20 ft.
| Source | Cargo box (L × W × H) | Payload |
|---|---|---|
| TheLorry, size L (2026) | 17 × 7.2 × 7 ft (about 5.18 × 2.19 × 2.13 m) | 5,000 kg |
| Lalamove, Large Lorry 17-ft | 510 × 200 × 210 cm | 4,000 kg |
| Aidil Movers (2025) | 17 × 7 × 7 ft | — |
| Lalamove, Large Lorry 20-ft (some regions) | 600 × 200 × 210 cm | 5,000 kg |
Metric conversions in brackets are ours. The rest are as published.
One figure to be careful with: a Klang Valley operator lists its 5 tan at 7.5 m long and 3.63 m high. That is almost certainly the whole vehicle, not the cargo box — 7.5 m is about 24.6 ft, and nobody else describes a 5 tan box that long. If you see a figure like that, ask whether it is the box or the truck.
The 3 tan / 5 tan naming problem
The same 17 ft lorry gets sold under two names:
- TheLorry’s homepage calls its 17 ft box a 5 tonne (5,000 kg).
- TheLorry’s own 2025 blog posts call a 17 ft lorry a 3 tonne, and add that it is equivalent to a 5 tan.
- Lalamove sells a 17 ft box rated at 4,000 kg and gives it no tonnage name at all.
For a house move, this matters less than it looks. Furniture fills space long before it reaches four or five tonnes. Book on box length, confirm payload in kilograms, and the label stops mattering.
When a house actually needs a 5 tan
The operators recommend the 17 ft box for:
- Semi-Ds, townhouses and bungalows (TheLorry)
- Double-storey houses and large office moves (Aidil Movers, which puts it at around 40 medium boxes plus a full house of furniture)
- Large, multi-room moves generally (Zazira Movers)
TheLorry’s example load is two king beds, two wardrobes and a 3+2 sofa set, with more around them.
The honest comparison is against two trips in a 3 tan. For a double-storey terrace, that is the real choice. Ask a mover to quote both — whichever is cheaper depends on distance, because the second trip repeats the whole drive. See the 3 tonne lorry guide for what a 14 ft box holds.
Access: the part people forget
A bigger lorry is only faster if it can park near your door.
- Condo loading bays and basement car parks often have height limits. A 17 ft box lorry is roughly as tall as a 3 tan, but longer and harder to turn. Check with building management.
- Narrow taman roads and cul-de-sacs sometimes mean the lorry parks further away, and the crew carries further. Long carries are a common reason quotes go up on the day.
- Tailgate. More common on 5 tan lorries than smaller ones — one Klang Valley operator fits them as standard on its 5 tan. Lalamove offers its tailboard on the 17 ft for RM75 (its listed rate, page undated, checked September 2026).
What a 5 tan costs
We don’t publish price tables. For reference, one Klang Valley operator’s published 2026 rates (lorisewa.com.my) for 5 tan are from RM350 per trip or RM900 per day. That is one company’s listed rate, not a market average — crew, floors, distance and timing move the real number.
Before you book a 5 tan
- Box length and payload in kg. “5 tan” alone doesn’t tell you which lorry turns up.
- Will it fit at both ends? Ask building management at each address about lorry access.
- How many crew? A full house needs more than a driver and one helper.
- Tailgate included? Worth it for pianos, safes and big fridges.
- One 5 tan or two 3 tan trips — price both.
Then call. Our lorry & transport page lists every mover we have, each with its Google rating (or an honest “no reviews yet”) and a direct phone number. We don’t record which lorry sizes each company runs, so the call is where you find out. For the full size range from van to 10 tan, see lorry types & sizes in Malaysia.
Sources
- TheLorry Malaysia, homepage “Types of Vehicles Available” (updated August 2026): thelorry.com/my
- TheLorry, “How to choose the correct lorry type and size” (August 2025): thelorry.com
- TheLorry, “5 tips untuk pilih saiz lori sewa yang betul” (August 2025): thelorry.com
- Lalamove Malaysia, all vehicle pricing detail (undated, checked September 2026): lalamove.com
- Aidil Movers, “Perbezaan saiz lori pindah rumah” (July 2025): mylorrysewa.com.my
- Lori Sewa ZD, “Tips memilih saiz lori”: lorisewa.officialsite.my
- Morris Ventures, lorry rental listing (December 2025): lorisewamurah.com.my
- Mover2U, “Saiz lori” (updated December 2022): mover2u.com
- Zazira Movers, lorry sizes (September 2026): zaziramover.my
- lorisewa.com.my, “Differences between 1 ton, 3 ton, 5 ton, 10 ton lorries” (December 2025): lorisewa.com.my