Which vehicle do I need? Car, small van, SWB, LWB or Luton
A practical guide to choosing the right courier vehicle by what you're sending: dimensions, weight limits, pallet counts, and the common mistakes that cost money.
Swiftline Courier··5 min read
The vehicle decides the price more than the distance does. Choose one size too big and you pay 30–60% more for air. Choose one too small and the driver arrives, can't load, and you pay a wasted-journey fee and lose an hour. Here's how to get it right.
| Vehicle | Load space | Payload | Pallets | Typical loads |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Car | Boot + back seat, ~0.5 m³ | 150 kg | 0 | Documents, keys, samples, small parcels, laptops, a single tyre |
| Small van | 1.5 m³, 1.5 m long | 500 kg | 1 (euro) | Boxes, printer, exhibition pop-ups, several parcels |
| SWB van | 6 m³, 2.4 m long | 900 kg | 2 | Mixed freight, flat-pack furniture, machine parts, retail stock |
| LWB van | 11 m³, 3.4 m long | 1,200 kg | 3 | Sofas, long items to 3.4 m, bulk stock, trade materials |
| Luton (tail lift) | 20 m³, 4 m long | 1,000 kg | 4–5 | Pallets to addresses without a forklift, exhibition stands, office moves |
Four questions that settle it
- 1.What is the longest single item? Over 1.5 m needs SWB or bigger; over 2.4 m needs LWB; over 3.4 m needs a Luton.
- 2.Is anything on a pallet? Then it's SWB at minimum, and a Luton if there's no forklift at either end.
- 3.What's the total weight? Note the Luton carries less weight than an LWB; its box is bigger, its payload is smaller.
- 4.Does it need to stay upright or protected? Fragile and medical goods go in the smallest vehicle that fits, so they can't move around.
Common mistakes
- Booking a van for an envelope. A car is half the price and arrives faster in city traffic.
- Forgetting the forklift. A pallet onto a van with no tail lift needs a forklift at both ends. If you're not sure the receiver has one, book the Luton.
- Guessing weight. 20 boxes of printed brochures weigh around 300 kg. Catalogues and tiles are heavier than they look.
- Not mentioning the second item. Tell us everything that's going; the price is per vehicle, not per box, so an extra box is free if it fits.
If you describe the load when you book, our dispatcher will tell you if you've picked the wrong vehicle before the driver leaves. Nobody is ever charged for upgrading to the right one before collection.
Prices quoted are our published rates at the time of writing, with no VAT added. Enter your postcodes for a fixed price today.