Moving containers
How many U‑Haul U‑Box containers do I need?
Most of a studio
One U‑Haul U‑Box container (7'11" × 4'8" × 6'11½" inside) takes 12 of the 36 pieces on our studio list, by our 3D packing. It's a treated-plywood box with one swing door on the end, long and narrow inside, and stands on 8'0" × 5'0" of driveway. A studio needs 2, a 1‑bedroom needs 3, and a 2‑bedroom needs 4.
- Inside
- 7'11" × 4'8" × 6'11½"
- One holds
- Most of a studio (12 of 36)
- For a studio
- 2 containers
Weight is not the limit: our heaviest packed load is about 1,300 lb, well under U‑Haul's 2,000 lb.
How many for each home size
| Home | Containers | Last one | Or one truck |
|---|---|---|---|
| Studio | 2 | 38% full | Penske 12'474 cu ft |
| 1‑bedroom | 3 | 15% full2 pieces | Budget 16'658 cu ft |
| 2‑bedroom | 4 | 15% full2 pieces | U‑Haul 15'824 cu ft |
| 3‑bedroom | 7 | 22% full5 pieces | Penske 26'1,694 cu ft |
| 4‑bedroom | 9 | 25% full | No single truckthe biggest + a trailer, or 2 trips |
| 5‑bedroom | 12 | 32% full | No single truckthe biggest + a trailer, or 2 trips |
We load the big pieces first, so the first container of a big home holds fewer, bulkier pieces, and the last one is often part-empty. "% full" is the share of the inside space the packed pieces fill. Where the last one takes only a few pieces (1‑bedroom, 2‑bedroom, 3‑bedroom), a tighter load or a car trip saves that container. "Or one truck" is the rental truck with the least space that takes the same list. Truck names are lengths, not space: a U‑Haul 15' has more room inside than a Budget 16'. Container or truck?
What U‑Haul says it holds
U‑Haul says one holds about a room and a half; a 2‑bedroom home needs 2 to 4.
By our packing, one holds less than our studio list: 12 of the 36 pieces on our studio list.
The numbers
| We use | As U‑Haul writes it | |
|---|---|---|
| Inside length | 7'11" | 95 inches |
| Inside width | 4'8" | 56 inches |
| Inside height | 6'11½" | 83 1/2 inches |
| Outside | 8'0" × 5'0" × 7'6" | 96 inches × 60 inches × 90 inches |
| Max load | 2,000 lb | up to 2,000 lbs |
| Space inside | 257 cu ft | 257 cu. ft. |
Sizes from U‑Haul's page: “interior 56" wide, 95" long (7'11"), 83 1/2" high (6'11 1/2")”, checked 2026-10-31. Container companies give round numbers and call them approximate; how sure we are of each one is on how we measure.
Other containers
- PODS 8 ft: most of a studio (21 of 36 pieces)
- PODS 12 ft: a whole 1‑bedroom
- PODS 16 ft: a whole 2‑bedroom
- U‑Pack ReloCube: most of a studio (21 of 36 pieces)