What size van or truck do I need?

Choose using the largest packaged item, the full quantity, total weight, whether the goods stack and how they will be loaded. The vehicle needs enough door clearance, usable floor space, payload and securing room. If one of those is close, move up a size or let Synergix confirm the exact vehicle.

For Synergix planning, a small van is approximately 120 cm long, 100 cm wide and 100 cm high inside, with room for one standard UK pallet position. Small vans differ by make and body, so an item close to any of those measurements must be checked against the actual door and load bay.

Use approximately 400 kg as the Synergix small-van planning payload. Payload means the weight available for the goods after allowing for the vehicle, driver, fuel and equipment as applicable. The confirmed vehicle plate and legal axle limits always take priority.

Measure the longest point, widest point and tallest point in centimetres after the item has been wrapped, boxed, crated or palletised. Measure projections such as handles, feet, wheels and overhanging packaging. For several different items, list each size and quantity rather than giving only an average.

Yes. The vehicle carries the finished transport unit, so measurements and weight must include the pallet, crate, flight case, wrapping, corner protection and any parts that overhang. Packaging can turn an easy fit into a door-clearance or payload problem.

When measuring in centimetres, multiply length by width by height, divide by 1,000,000, then multiply by the quantity. Four 60 × 40 × 50 cm boxes equal 0.48 m³. Volume is only a first check: the floor layout, opening and weight still need to work.

A long thin item and a compact cube can have the same volume but need completely different vehicles. Cubic metres also count empty air above non-stackable goods. Door apertures, wheel arches, bulkheads, payload and the loading method are separate limits.

Do not plan a load at exactly the published vehicle dimensions. Real goods are rarely perfectly square, measurements may be rounded, vehicles move on suspension and the item needs room to pass the frame, rotate and be secured. The amount of clearance required depends on the shape and loading method; ask us to check any close fit.

The roof, door frame, hinges, roller shutter, locking gear, tail-lift and body construction occupy part of the opening. Manufacturers often publish rear-entry dimensions separately from internal roof height and maximum body width. Always check the clear aperture the item must pass through.

Not automatically. The usable body may be around 200 cm high while the rear entrance is lower. A 200 cm item also has no handling clearance and may not be able to tilt under the frame. Give us the exact packaged height and width so the assigned Luton's rear aperture can be confirmed.

Sometimes, but it is a close and vehicle-specific load. Standard 8 × 4 ft plasterboard is commonly 2400 × 1200 mm, which can match the nominal SWB load length and width with virtually no spare room. In some vans a small flat bundle, sometimes around five sheets, can be angled around the bulkhead; a thicker bundle may no longer make that angle. Confirm the exact van, door route, bundle thickness and sheet weight. If they are unknown, choose a longer vehicle.

The partition behind the cab may slope, curve around the seats or have no load-through flap. The maximum floor length can therefore be greater than the usable length higher up. A rigid 2400 mm board or pole cannot use space that only exists at floor level if its height or loading angle meets the bulkhead.

Possibly, but the diagonal measurement alone is not enough. The item must first pass through the opening, then have room to rotate without hitting the roof, floor, bulkhead or other goods. Long flexible goods behave differently from rigid boards, glass, machinery or furniture.

They reduce the clear width at floor level. A body may be wide enough above the arches but too narrow for a crate, stillage or pallet that must sit directly on the floor. Ask for the width between wheel arches when the load uses most of the published width.

No. Side openings normally have their own width and height, and the usable turning space may be tighter. Tell us if the collection or delivery can only use a side door, or if the goods must come off in a particular order.

They can. Insulated walls, evaporator units, air chutes, protective buffers and airflow requirements reduce usable space. Chilled goods may also need gaps for circulation, so the geometric maximum should not be treated as practical refrigerated capacity.

Payload is the maximum weight the vehicle can legally carry under its confirmed operating limits. Load volume is the amount of space the goods occupy. A load can be small but too heavy, or light but too bulky. Both limits must pass.

Multiply the weight of each item by its quantity, then add all product, pallet, crate and packaging weights. For mixed goods, calculate each line separately and add the totals. Also tell us the heaviest single item because that affects manual handling, tail-lift use and weight distribution.

Yes. Too much weight over one part of the vehicle can exceed an individual axle limit even when the gross total looks acceptable. Heavy items need an appropriate loading position and the weight should be spread sensibly across the load floor.

A commonly used UK pallet footprint is 1200 × 1000 mm. A Euro pallet is commonly 1200 × 800 mm. Your loaded pallet can be wider or longer if cartons, wrap or products overhang, so measure the complete loaded unit rather than relying on the wooden pallet size.

No. Pallet counts are planning positions based on standard footprints and a workable arrangement. Loaded height, overhang, weight, double stacking, door access, wheel arches, tail-lift size and the unloading sequence can all reduce the practical count.

Stackable means another transport unit can safely be placed on top for the whole journey without crushing, marking, moving, becoming unstable or blocking required airflow. It does not simply mean there is empty space above the item.

Select non-stackable and tell us what the goods are. We would rather allow enough floor space than send a vehicle that only works by putting weight on fragile, uneven, high-value or temperature-controlled goods.

No. The lower cartons must be strong enough to support everything above during braking and cornering. Uneven tops, liquids, fragile goods and weak cardboard may make a light box non-stackable. Give us a safe maximum stack height if one is specified.

Every non-stackable unit needs its own floor footprint. The empty air above it cannot be used for another item, so floor length and width become the limiting measurements long before the body's theoretical cubic volume is full.

A rigid truck has its cab and load-carrying body on one chassis. An articulated lorry has a tractor unit connected to a separate trailer. An artic normally provides the greatest floor space, but needs substantially more length and turning room. A rigid can be the better choice for constrained sites, depending on the load and legal weight required.

HIAB is a familiar name for a lorry fitted with a hydraulic loader crane. The crane can lift a suitable load from the vehicle and place it within its safe working reach. The exact crane, attachment, lift plan and vehicle must be selected for the known load and site.

Provide the exact weight and dimensions of each lifted unit, lifting points, centre of gravity if known, collection position, required set-down position, approximate horizontal reach and lift height. Include site photos showing access, ground, slopes, buildings, trees, overhead cables, traffic and pedestrians.

No. Loader-crane capacity depends on the crane model, boom configuration and distance from the crane. A load that is within capacity close to the vehicle may be outside capacity at a longer reach. Operations need the load weight and required reach so the correct load chart can be checked.

There must be enough clear space to position the vehicle and deploy the required stabilisers or outriggers on ground suitable for the planned loads. Soft verges, cellars, drains, voids, steep slopes and restricted streets must be reported. The competent lift planner or operator makes the final site assessment.

It is a truck-mounted forklift carried on the delivery vehicle. The driver can detach the forklift and use it to unload suitable goods, subject to the machine specification, then carry them around the receiving site. MOFFETT is a well-known brand and “Moffett Mounty” is a name many customers still use for this type of equipment.

It is useful when palletised building materials, drinks, turf, machinery or other suitable goods must be delivered to a site with no forklift or loading bay. It can move goods farther than a tail-lift and pump truck, but the ground, route, space and unit weight must suit the actual forklift.

No. Some truck-mounted forklifts are designed for more demanding terrain, but that does not make every surface safe. Ground strength, slope, mud, gravel, kerbs, potholes, overhead clearance and pedestrian separation still need assessing for the selected machine and load.

A tail-lift raises or lowers suitable goods between vehicle-deck and ground level. A Moffett is a detachable forklift that can carry suitable goods around the site. A HIAB-style loader crane lifts from the vehicle to a planned set-down point within its safe reach. Tell us where the goods must finish, not simply that unloading is required.

Yes. A tail-lift, loader crane or truck-mounted forklift adds equipment weight to the operating vehicle, so the remaining payload may be lower than a basic vehicle of the same gross weight. Outriggers, subframes, fuel and carried handling equipment also form part of the real vehicle specification.

No. A standard curtain is mainly weather protection and must not be assumed to restrain the goods. The correct securing method depends on the load, vehicle construction, body rating, arrangement and gaps. Tell us if side loading is required so the right body and restraint plan can be provided.

A tail-lift may be needed when heavy or palletised goods must move between ground level and the vehicle and there is no loading bay or suitable forklift. Confirm the heaviest unit, its footprint and whether a pump truck can roll safely at both sites. Tail-lifts have platform-size and weight limits.

No. A tail-lift only raises or lowers suitable goods. The driver still needs a safe, firm and level area and may need a pump truck or site assistance. Heavy, unstable, long or irregular items can require specialist equipment or extra people.

Forklifts are commonly used for heavy pallets, stillages, crates and machinery. Tell us whether one is available at collection and delivery, its lifting capacity, the direction the pallet can be entered and whether side loading is required.

No. Pump trucks need a suitable pallet, level hard ground and enough turning space. They do not work safely on steps, kerbs, gravel, soft ground or steep slopes. Uneven sites should be discussed before the vehicle is booked.

Curtain-side access can help when long, wide or multiple pallet loads must be loaded from the side by forklift. It does not remove payload, height, load-securing or site-access limits, and the collection and delivery sites need suitable side access.

Tell us about height barriers, low bridges, narrow gates, weight limits, pedestrian areas, loading time slots, red routes, steep slopes, soft ground, restricted turning space, indoor docks and any requirement for permits or booked bays.

The team may need access for straps, bars, edge protectors, dunnage and unloading. Packing a body to its absolute geometric limit can block proper restraint or make the goods unsafe to remove.

Send clear photographs with a tape measure or known object for scale, the product name or data sheet, quantity, estimated weight, packaging details and pictures of the loading area. Do not hide uncertainty — tell us which figures are estimated so we can allow a sensible margin.

Provide the goods description, every packaged dimension, quantities, total weight, heaviest unit, stackability, pallet type and overhang, collection and delivery access, loading equipment, photos and any fixed times. Mention fragile, high-value, refrigerated or dangerous goods requirements.

Yes. Give the team accurate load information and identify anything close to a limit. We can then check the proposed vehicle category, body type, access and loading requirements before confirming the booking. The final recommendation depends on the information supplied.