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Moving containers

Moving container or rental truck: which one?

By the Every Last Box teamSizes checked October 31, 2026How we measureHow we make money

Rent a truck if you're happy to drive it and can load in one day. Get a moving container (like PODS) if you'd rather not drive, want to load over a few days, or need to store your things between homes.

Our 2-bedroom apartment list (73 pieces), left to right: one U-Haul 15' truck takes all of it, one PODS 16 ft takes all of it
Our 2‑bedroom apartment list (73 pieces), left to right: one U‑Haul 15-foot truck takes all of it, one PODS 16 ft takes all of it.

For a 2‑bedroom: one 16 ft PODS container, or a truck (U‑Haul 15 ft, Penske 22 ft, Budget 26 ft).

Rental truck

  • You drive it.
  • You load it in one day.
  • You pick it up and drop it off at the rental office.

Moving container

  • It's dropped at your door. You load it; they drive it.
  • Load it over several days.
  • Most companies can store it between homes.
  • It sits on the ground: no ramp to climb.

Prices change with the distance, the month and your city, so get a quote for your own dates once you know the size.

How many for your home

HomeRental truckPODS containers
Studio apartmentU‑Haul 15 ftPenske 12 ftBudget 16 ftOne 12 ft PODS container
1‑bedroom apartment15-foot truckOne 12 ft PODS container
2‑bedroom apartmentU‑Haul 15 ftPenske 22 ftBudget 26 ftOne 16 ft PODS container
3‑bedroom house26-foot truckTwo 16 ft PODS containers
4‑bedroom houseBiggest + a trailerTwo 16 ft PODS containers and one 12 ft
5‑bedroom houseBiggest + a trailerFour 16 ft PODS containers and one 8 ft
More detail: U‑Box, ReloCube and storage units

Our 2‑bedroom list (73 pieces) fits one U‑Haul 15' truck. In containers the same list takes one PODS 16 ft, or 4 U‑Haul U‑Boxes, or 3 U‑Pack ReloCubes, and in storage a 10x15 unit holds it.

HomeSmallest truckPODSU‑BoxReloCubeStorage unit
Studio apartmentPenske 12'474 cu ft1 × 12 ft2 U‑Boxes2 ReloCubes10x10
1‑bedroom apartmentBudget 16'658 cu ft1 × 12 ft3 U‑Boxesthe 3rd takes 2 pieces2 ReloCubes10x10
2‑bedroom apartmentU‑Haul 15'824 cu ft1 × 16 ft4 U‑Boxesthe 4th takes 2 pieces3 ReloCubes10x15
3‑bedroom housePenske 26'1,694 cu ft2 × 16 ft7 U‑Boxesthe 7th takes 5 pieces6 ReloCubesthe 6th takes 1 piece10x30
4‑bedroom houseNo single truckthe biggest + a trailer, or 2 trips2 × 16 ft + 1 × 12 ft9 U‑Boxes8 ReloCubesthe 8th takes 5 pieces10x30
5‑bedroom houseNo single truckthe biggest + a trailer, or 2 trips4 × 16 ft + 1 × 8 ft12 U‑Boxes11 ReloCubesthe 11th takes 1 pieceBigger than a 10x30

For a company with several sizes, the mix that needs the fewest containers. Storage unit: the smallest of our standard sizes that holds the whole list. None of the three container companies publishes its door opening, so measure your biggest sofa against the door when the container arrives.