Moving Truck vs Storage Unit: What Fits Best (2025)

Look, moving sucks. Let’s just start there.

The absolute worst part is the “what size” game. What size truck? What size storage unit? It feels like you’re just guessing, and if you guess wrong, you’re either wasting money or having a full-blown crisis in a U-Haul parking lot.

I’ve seen it all. The guy who tried to fit a three-bedroom house into a 10-foot truck. The family rented a unit so small that they had to stack their mattress vertically. It’s painful to watch.

So let me give it to you straight. This isn’t rocket science. It’s about matching two spaces, so you can do this in one trip without losing your mind.

Why This Matters

You know that scene in every movie where someone is desperately trying to force a couch into a space that’s clearly too small? That doesn’t have to be you. When your truck and storage unit are sized right, it’s actually… easy. You back the truck up, open the door, and everything flows right in. No drama. No swearing. You’re done in an hour instead of three.

Moving Trucks – The Truth

Those size charts from rental companies? Mostly nonsense. Here’s what you actually get:

• 10-foot truck: It’s basically a long van. Good for a studio apartment or if you’re just moving your kid out of the dorm. Once you put a queen mattress in there, you’ve used up half your space.
• 16-foot truck: This is the sweet spot. Fits your typical one or two-bedroom apartment stuff. Your couch, bed, kitchen table, and all those boxes you’ve been avoiding packing.
• 20-foot truck: Now we’re talking real furniture. Sectionals, big dining sets, the works. This is for when you’ve accumulated actual adult furniture.
• 26-foot truck: This thing is massive. You could fit a small car in there (don’t actually try this). For when you’re moving everything you own.

Here’s my rule: whatever size you think you need, go one bigger. The extra $20 is cheaper than therapy after you realize your dresser won’t fit.

Storage Units – No Math Required

At our place, Plaza Mini Storage, I tell people to stop thinking about numbers and start thinking about their stuff.

• 5×5 unit: Think walk-in closet. Boxes, seasonal stuff, maybe a bike. Not for furniture unless it’s something small like a coffee table.
• 5×10 unit: Your first apartment fits in here. Mattress, small couch, TV stand, and all your kitchen boxes. If you filled a 10-foot truck, this is your unit.
• 10×10 unit: This is what most people need. Fits a one or two-bedroom apartment comfortably. You can actually walk around in there. It doesn’t feel like a prison cell.
• 10×15 unit: For when you have real furniture. Big sectional, formal dining set, that sort of thing. This is for people who own more than one bookshelf.
• 10×20 unit: Basically a garage. Fits everything from a large house. If you need this size, you know who you are.

The Simple Part

Here’s how they match up:

• 10-foot truck → 5×10 unit.
• 16-foot truck → 10×10 unit.
• 20-foot truck → 10×15 unit.
• 26-foot truck → 10×20 unit.

See? Not complicated.

How to Not Mess This Up

1. Do a quick walk-through of your place. Count the big furniture pieces. Seriously, just write it down. “One couch, two beds, kitchen table, etc. This takes two minutes and will save you hours of pain.
2. Call us at Plaza Mini Storage and tell me what you wrote down. I’ll ask about the awkward stuff – “Is it a sectional or a regular couch?” “Do you have any extra-large items?” We do this all day. We know what fits.
3. Load the truck backwards. Stuff going to storage goes in first (way in the back). Stuff you need immediately in your new place goes in last (right by the door). This way, when you get to your storage unit, the storage stuff comes out first. Simple but genius.

The Bottom Line

Life happens. Sometimes you need to store your stuff between places, or you’re downsizing but not ready to let go of everything. Having a clean, secure spot at Plaza Mini Storage to put your things means you can actually breathe during a move instead of having a panic attack.

You’ve got this. Just don’t overthink it. Look at your stuff, give us a call, and we’ll figure it out together. And for god’s sake, label your boxes. You think you’ll remember what’s in them, but you won’t.