Lorry & transport for moving

Lorry sizes, roughly

Malaysian movers usually talk in tonnage rather than cubic metres, and the same words cover a range of actual bodies. As a rough guide for what people move:

• 1-tonne van or pickup — a studio or single room. A bed, a few boxes, one appliance.
• 3-tonne lorry — the workhorse. A one- to two-bedroom flat in one trip if you have packed properly.
• 5-tonne lorry — a three-bedroom house or a small office, usually still one trip.
• Anything larger — normally a commercial or warehouse job rather than a household move.

These are conventions, not standards. Two companies can call two different vehicles a three-tonner. The reliable question is not “what size lorry” but “will my list of items fit in one trip, and what happens if it doesn’t”.

For the published box dimensions of each size, and where the rental platforms disagree, see our lorry types & sizes guide, or go straight to the 3 tan or5 tan guide.

What changes a lorry quote

• Trips. Two trips is close to twice the price. Volume beats distance.
• Manpower. A driver-only rate and a driver-plus-two-movers rate are different products. Be clear which you are buying.
• Access. Stairs, a long carry from where the lorry can park, or a lift booking that runs over its window.
• Tolls and waiting time. Ask whether they are inside the quoted figure.