What size lorry do I need: a practical view from the road

What size lorry do I need? It decides cost, service and whether the job can move. I have watched plenty of loads go wrong because the vehicle was guessed rather than specified. The quickest way to get your bearings is the CTS lorry sizes tool, which lays out the common UK vehicle types side by side so you can see what actually fits and what it will carry.

What the CTS lorry sizes guide does and who it is for

The guide is built for buyers who need a straight answer without ringing round five depots. It covers the core classes you will be offered in the UK, from a small van through to a double deck artic, with internal dimensions, payload, pallet capacity, gross weight and the licence needed to drive it. You can filter by the minimum pallets or kilograms you must move, and it will narrow the field to vehicle classes that are likely to suit the job, subject to confirmed specs. There is a PDF download and no sign up, which matters when you are under time pressure.

It suits one off moves and regular flows alike. If you are pricing a contract, or looking at a dedicated vehicle and driver, it gives you a common language with operators so you are not talking past each other. It also helps avoid the classic mismatch where the dock team loads to the roof and the planner has booked on weight, or the other way round.

The practical numbers behind the decision

Start with the load, not the vehicle badge. A Luton with a tail lift will take about 4 UK pallets and roughly 800 kg. Step up to a 7.5 tonne rigid and you are around 10 pallets and roughly 2,500 kg. That is where people get caught out: a 7.5 tonner can reach its weight limit before all ten pallet spaces are usable. An 18 tonne rigid moves about 14 pallets and roughly 9,000 kg, which often covers work people assume needs an artic. A 26 tonne rigid gets you to about 16 pallets and roughly 15,000 kg.

For bigger consignments, a 13.6 metre articulated curtain sider carries 26 UK pallets or 33 Euro pallets and roughly 27,000 kg. A double deck articulated trailer can take up to 52 UK pallets at roughly 26,000 kg, useful when the freight is light but voluminous. Remember these are typical UK specifications. Body builder choices, axle set up and kit like tail lifts or fridge units all eat into payload.

Licensing is part of the picture. Category B covers up to 3.5 tonnes, C1 covers 3.5 to 7.5 tonnes, category C is for larger rigids and C plus E is for articulated combinations, set out on gov.uk driving licence categories. On the road, artics run up to 44 tonne gross combination weight on six axles.

The common buying mistake is paying for an artic when an 18 tonner would have done the work, or booking a 7.5 tonner that runs out of payload at 2,500 kg with pallets still sitting on the dock. Get the weight and pallet count right at the start and the rest follows.

Using the tool in a few minutes

1. Enter the minimum number of UK pallets you must move.
2. Enter the total load weight in kg, including pallets and packaging.
3. Check the vehicle classes shown that meet both figures.
4. Open the PDF if you need to share the shortlist with colleagues.

The inputs sound simple but this is where most buying mistakes start. Count pallets as they will travel, not how they sit in the warehouse, and be honest about weight. If you have dense goods, weight will push you up a class before deck space does. If you have bulky light product, you may fill a body long before you trouble the payload. Keep a note of any equipment that must travel with the load, cages, stillages, pump trucks, as they all eat into payload.

Reading the results and acting on them

The table shows typical UK specifications side by side, from small van through to double deck artic. You will see internal dimensions, pallet capacity, payload, gross weight and the licence category needed. Treat the figures as working averages. Body builder choice, axle set up and kit on the truck all move the dial. A tail lift or a fridge unit will reduce payload, so if you are tight on weight, allow a margin.

Licence class matters if you are supplying the driver, and the categories are covered earlier in this piece. One point worth knowing: many older drivers retain C1 from a car test passed before 1 January 1997, which keeps 7.5 tonne work open to them without an extra test.

Use the shortlist to sense check cost. If you are between classes, ask for two prices and decide on risk versus cost.

If you are still asking what size lorry do I need, run your numbers through the tool here: CTS lorry sizes tool. If you want firm prices from vetted operators, request quotes here: request quotes through CTS.

Frequently asked questions

What size lorry do I need for 10 pallets in the UK?

A 7.5 tonne rigid will take about 10 pallets, with roughly 2,500 kg payload. If your load is heavier than that, step up to an 18 tonne rigid which carries about 14 pallets and roughly 9,000 kg.

What size lorry do I need for 26 UK pallets?

A 13.6 metre articulated curtain sider carries 26 UK pallets or 33 Euro pallets, with roughly 27,000 kg payload. For higher pallet counts, a double deck articulated trailer can take up to 52 UK pallets at roughly 26,000 kg.

What licence is needed for the lorry size I choose?

Category B covers vehicles up to 3.5 tonnes, C1 covers 3.5 to 7.5 tonnes, C covers larger rigids and C plus E covers articulated combinations. Drivers who passed a car test before 1 January 1997 generally retain C1 entitlement.