What Size Van Do I Need for Delivery?

One of the most common questions we get at RGP TRANS LTD is simple but critical: "What size van do I need for my delivery?" Book a vehicle that's too small, and the driver arrives but can't fit your consignment — costing you time and a wasted collection fee. Book something unnecessarily large, and you're paying for empty space you don't need.

This guide breaks down every vehicle size in our fleet — from the compact small van to the 26-pallet HGV — so you can match the right vehicle to your consignment with confidence. We'll cover real internal dimensions, weight limits, pallet capacity, and the types of goods each vehicle is designed to carry.

Small Van

Dimensions: 140 cm (L) × 120 cm (W) × 110 cm (H)  |  Capacity: 400 kg  |  Pallets: 1

The small van is the agile city specialist — compact enough to navigate congested streets, quick to load and unload, and ideal for single-item consignments. It's the right choice when you need a document, a parcel, a laptop, a medical sample, or a small box delivered fast. If your item can be carried by one person and fits through a standard door, a small van will almost certainly handle it. The 400 kg payload means it can manage surprisingly heavy single items — a server rack, a small safe, or a box of engineering components — without issue.

Large Van

Dimensions: 360 cm (L) × 130 cm (W) × 180 cm (H)  |  Capacity: 1,200 kg  |  Pallets: 3

This is the workhorse of same-day delivery. With over three metres of load length and a payload more than double the small van, the large van handles most B2B freight, construction materials, event props, and multi-item consignments. Three standard UK pallets fit side by side, and the 1.8-metre internal height accommodates stacked goods. If you're sending anything bulkier than a few boxes — think building supplies, trade counter parts, or multiple archive boxes — the large van is the sensible minimum.

Extra Large Van

Dimensions: 420 cm (L) × 130 cm (W) × 180 cm (H)  |  Capacity: 1,100 kg  |  Pallets: 4

The specialist for length and volume. The extra large van adds nearly a metre of load length over the large van, making it the go-to for long items: pipes, scaffolding poles, carpet rolls, flight cases, and event equipment. The slightly lower payload (1,100 kg vs 1,200 kg) is a trade-off for the extended body, so it suits volume over sheer weight. If your consignment is long but not exceptionally heavy, this is the right fit.

Luton Van + Tailgate

Dimensions: 420 cm (L) × 200 cm (W) × 200 cm (H)  |  Capacity: 1,000 kg  |  Pallets: 6

The Luton is the heavy hitter for bulky and tall items. With a full two-metre internal width and height, it accommodates oversized furniture, tall appliances, office partitions, and machinery that simply won't fit through standard van doors. The hydraulic tailgate makes loading and unloading effortless — no ramp required, no manual lifting of heavy items. This is the vehicle to choose for office moves, house moves, large white goods, and any consignment where height or width is a limiting factor.

7.5t Lorry

Dimensions: 600 cm (L) × 240 cm (W) × 220 cm (H)  |  Capacity: 2,800 kg  |  Pallets: 10

This is the bridge between vans and full-sized HGVs — a heavy-duty vehicle that carries up to ten pallets and nearly three tonnes. It's the right choice for bulk raw materials, large stock replenishment runs, big office relocations, and event production loads. The 2.2-metre internal height clears most palletised loads with room to spare, and the 2.4-metre width allows two standard pallets side by side. If you're regularly moving half a dozen pallets or more, a 7.5-tonner is far more cost-effective than multiple van journeys.

18t Lorry

Dimensions: 700 cm (L) × 240 cm (W) × 220 cm (H)  |  Capacity: 9,000 kg  |  Pallets: 14

The heavy-lifter for regional distribution. With nine tonnes of payload and space for fourteen standard pallets, this lorry handles high-volume B2B pallet distribution, heavy machinery moves, and full-scale event production. If you're shipping dense, heavy goods — tiles, metals, industrial equipment — the 18-tonner's weight capacity becomes the deciding factor over smaller vehicles. It's also the minimum size for most full-load pallet networks.

HGV / Arctic

Dimensions: 13.6 m (L) × 240 cm (W) × 220 cm (H)  |  Capacity: 26,000 kg  |  Pallets: 26

The king of the road. A full 13.6-metre trailer accommodates twenty-six standard pallets or up to 26 tonnes of cargo — making it the vehicle of choice for full trailer loads (FTL), large stock transfers, stillages, and maximum-volume distribution runs. If you're filling a warehouse, moving a production line, or shipping a season's worth of stock in one go, the HGV is the only logical option. It's also the most cost-effective per pallet for maximum-volume consignments — the fixed cost of the vehicle is spread across far more units.

Quick Decision Guide

• One small box or envelope? Small Van
• A few boxes or one pallet? Large Van
• Long items like pipes or carpet rolls? Extra Large Van
• Bulky furniture or appliances? Luton Van + Tailgate
• 6–10 pallets or bulk materials? 7.5t Lorry
• Heavy machinery or 10–14 pallets? 18t Lorry
• Full trailer load, 14–26 pallets? HGV / Arctic
• Still unsure? Describe your consignment and we'll match the right vehicle — request a quote or call 0800 161 3060.