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Van or Lorry for Moving House in Singapore? 2026 Compared
Choosing a van or lorry for moving house in Singapore starts with two questions: how heavy is the load, and who’s driving? At C&P Rent-A-Car’s July 2026 rates, a Toyota Hiace High Roof Van carries 1,220 kg for $175 a day. A Toyota Dyna 150 lorry carries 1,920 kg for $155, but it’s manual only. Here is how the two compare on cargo size, licence and cost across C&P’s self-drive and chauffeured vehicle hire.
Should you rent a van or a lorry for moving house in Singapore?
Rent a van for a studio or small flat if the load stays under about 1,200 kg. Once furniture, appliances and boxes push past that, you need a lorry. For a 4-room flat or bigger, book a lorry with a driver and keep self-drive as the back-up plan.
Go by weight, and ignore the length figures people quote. The Toyota Hiace High Roof Van, the highest-payload van C&P lists, carries 1,220 kg. The Toyota Dyna 150 lorry takes 1,920 kg. That’s 700 kg more, for $20 a day less. If you can drive a manual, the lorry is the better deal for heavy loads.
The van keeps things dry. Its load sits behind locked doors and a roof, so a June thunderstorm on the drive from Tampines to Jurong won’t reach your mattress. An open-deck lorry needs tarpaulin and rope, and securing the load properly is a legal requirement.
Before you choose, list your heaviest pieces (fridge, washer, solid-wood wardrobe) and add up their weight. Moves sized by guesswork are the ones that end in a second trip.
How much can each van and lorry carry?
C&P’s self-drive payloads go from 752 kg in the Nissan NV200 up to 1,920 kg in the Toyota Dyna 150. Cargo volume goes from 4.2 cubic metres in the NV200 to about 9.8 cubic metres in the Hiace High Roof Van.
| Vehicle | Payload | Cargo volume | Overall length × height | Gearbox | Day rate (with 9% GST) |
| Nissan NV200 | 752 kg | 4.2 m³ | 4,400 × 1,860 mm | Manual | $115 ($125.35) |
| Toyota Hiace Standard Roof Van | 1,120 kg | About 6.0 m³ | 4,695 × 1,980 mm | Auto or manual | $155 ($168.95) |
| Toyota Hiace High Roof Van | 1,220 kg | About 9.8 m³ | 5,380 × 2,285 mm | Auto | $175 ($190.75) |
| Renault Master (high roof) | Not listed | Not listed | Not listed | Auto | $175 ($190.75) |
| Toyota Dyna 150 lorry | 1,920 kg | Open deck | 4,685 × 1,980 mm | Manual | $155 ($168.95) |
Payloads and dimensions from C&P’s commercial vehicle guide; rates from C&P’s July 2026 rate card. NV200 volume is Nissan’s published figure; Hiace volumes are Toyota’s claimed load space for this generation.
On most household moves, you run out of space before you hit the weight limit, because sofas, mattresses and boxes are bulky but light. The Nissan NV200’s load floor is 2,040 mm long, enough for a single mattress lying flat, but its 1,358 mm load height rules out anything tall. The Hiace High Roof Van gives you about 300 mm more headroom than the Standard Roof version, which helps with tall items.
Is a 10ft lorry bigger than a van?
A 10ft lorry carries more weight than any panel van C&P publishes a payload for, but the biggest van gives you more enclosed space. The Toyota Dyna 150, the model commonly hired in Singapore as a 10ft lorry, takes 1,920 kg. The Hiace High Roof Van takes 1,220 kg.
What the lorry has is an open deck. You can load from the side and the rear, drop the tailboard for a fridge on a trolley, and carry items taller than a van’s roof when the deck has no canopy. The Dyna 150 is 4,685 mm long and 1,980 mm tall at the cab, so it’s shorter than the Hiace High Roof Van and about 300 mm lower.
The van is automatic, enclosed and lockable, and it keeps a mattress dry. The hard case is a move that’s heavy and bulky at once, like a 3-room flat with a solid-wood bed frame, a dining set and a full-size fridge. That load needs the lorry’s 1,920 kg. A second trip in a van would cost you half a day.
If the move is under 1,000 kg, the Hiace Standard Roof Van costs the same $155 a day as the Dyna 150, and you can get it in automatic.
Which licence class do you need to drive a lorry in Singapore?
A Class 3 or 3A licence covers a lorry of up to 2,500 kg unladen weight. Anything heavier needs Class 4 or 4P. What counts is the vehicle’s empty weight, which you’ll find on its log card.
Some moving guides in Singapore quote the 3,500 kg maximum laden weight that defines a light goods vehicle. That number sets the vehicle’s category. Your licence goes by unladen weight. The Traffic Police licence class table, updated on 15 June 2026, puts light goods vehicles and small buses of up to 2,500 kg unladen under Class 3 and 3A. Electric versions qualify up to 3,000 kg, and heavier load-carrying vehicles fall under Class 4.
C&P hires out both its vans and the Dyna 150 on a Class 3 licence. A 14ft lorry is a different vehicle class, so check its log card for the unladen weight before assuming your car licence covers it.
Class 3C, the licence Work Permit and S Pass holders get when they convert a foreign licence by theory test alone, covers motor cars with seven passengers or fewer. It doesn’t cover any van or lorry, whatever the size.
Can you rent a manual lorry with a Class 3A licence?
No. Class 3A only covers vehicles without a clutch pedal, and C&P’s Toyota Dyna 150 is manual. If you hold Class 3A and need lorry capacity, hire the lorry with a driver.
That also rules out the Nissan NV200, which C&P runs as manual only. On a 3A licence, your self-drive options for a move are the automatic Hiace High Roof Van, the Renault Master, or an automatic Hiace Standard Roof Van (C&P runs that one in both gearboxes). Name the gearbox when you book.
C&P’s Hino 300 lorry is manual too, but C&P only supplies it with a driver. If your licence or your confidence stops at automatic, that’s the practical route.
Even with a Class 3 licence, skip the Dyna 150 if you haven’t driven a manual since your test. A loaded lorry on a Bukit Timah Road incline is no place to relearn clutch control.
How much does it cost to rent a van or lorry for a move?
Including 9% GST, self-drive costs $125.35 a day for the Nissan NV200, $168.95 for the Toyota Dyna 150 lorry and $190.75 for the Toyota Hiace High Roof Van. With a C&P driver, the Hiace High Roof Van is listed at $85 an hour and the Hino 300 lorry at $115 an hour. Both have a three-hour minimum.
| Move | Vehicle | What you pay |
| Studio, weekday, self-drive | Nissan NV200, 1 day | $125.35 + $300 refundable deposit |
| 2-room, weekday, self-drive | Toyota Dyna 150, 1 day | $168.95 + $300 refundable deposit |
| 2-room, weekday, self-drive, delivered | Toyota Hiace High Roof Van, 1 day | $190.75 + $60 delivery and collection + $300 deposit |
| 3- or 4-room, with driver | Hino 300 lorry, 4 hours | $460 as listed |
| Saturday move, self-drive | Toyota Dyna 150, 3-day weekend minimum | $506.85 + $300 deposit |
Deposit shown for hirers over 30; hirers under 30 pay $600. Fuel and ERP extra on self-drive.
Weekends change the maths. C&P’s FAQ sets a three-day minimum for weekend self-drive hire, so a Saturday Dyna 150 costs $506.85 before fuel. Three hours of the Hino 300 with a driver costs $345 at the listed rate. If your Saturday move fits in three hours, the lorry with a driver is cheaper.
Between 23:00 and 06:59, C&P adds a midnight surcharge of $10 an hour on the chauffeured van and $20 an hour on the Hino 300. Our note on short-term vehicle rental explains why hiring beats keeping a commercial vehicle for one-off jobs.
Can your friends ride in the back of the van or lorry?
No. Singapore law doesn’t allow passengers in the cargo area of a rented van or lorry. Everyone rides in a proper seat in the cab, so the cab seats set how many helpers can travel with you.
LTA’s commercial vehicle rules say lorries can’t carry passengers, except workers being ferried between their lodgings and workplace. Even that exception comes with a 60 km/h limit, canopy seating and a set amount of deck space per worker. A house move doesn’t qualify, and friends helping you pack don’t count as workers under that rule.
C&P lists the Toyota Hiace vans and the Dyna 150 with two passenger seats beside the driver. The Nissan NV200 and Renault Master have one. Plan for helpers to meet you at the new address by car or MRT.
The rules on people in rear decks are getting stricter. In a March 2026 joint release, MOT and LTA banned the ferrying of workers in caged lorry decks from 1 January 2027. Senior Minister of State for Transport Sun Xueling told Parliament that caged decks pose “additional safety risks” to the people inside. LTA estimates 500 to 1,000 of Singapore’s roughly 50,000 lorries have caged decks, according to CNA’s report of the announcement.
Will a van or lorry fit at your HDB block?
Load at your block’s loading and unloading bay. Multi-storey car parks are where height becomes a problem. The Nissan NV200 stands 1,860 mm tall, the Dyna 150 cab 1,980 mm and the Hiace High Roof Van 2,285 mm.
Before you drive into any car park, compare the posted height limit with the Hiace High Roof’s 2,285 mm. A canopy lorry also stands taller than its 1,980 mm cab. The week before, walk the route to the loading bay and read every height bar on the way.
Then there’s overnight parking. HDB says vans and lorries above 1,800 kg unladen weight are generally not allowed in its residential car parks, and sheltered car parks only take commercial vehicles up to 2,000 kg. Anything that won’t fit a car lot goes to the lorry parks at the edge of the estate.
For a two-day move, either return the vehicle to C&P at 41 Pandan Road after day one, or book the chauffeured lorry for each day and let the driver deal with parking.
Should you drive yourself or book a van or lorry with a driver?
Drive yourself if it’s a studio, 1-room or 2-room move on a weekday and you have two able helpers. Book a lorry with a driver for a 3-room flat or bigger, for any weekend move, or if you can’t drive a manual.
Self-drive saves money when the job fits into one weekday and one vehicle. A 2-room move in the Dyna 150 costs $168.95 plus fuel. Three hours of the Hino 300 with a driver costs $345. That saving is gone once the move spills into a second day or a weekend, or once an underestimated load means a second trip.
A driver also takes care of the parts self-drive leaves to you. C&P’s driver handles the manual gearbox, the car park approach and the overnight parking, while your helpers travel in their own cars. Our comparison of self-drive, chauffeur and leasing covers the wider trade-offs, and you can book a lorry with a C&P driver through the chauffeur service. If you’re driving yourself, our guide to picking the right rental van covers the booking details.
Which vehicle should you book for your move?
Choose by weight first, then gearbox. A load under 1,200 kg fits a Hiace High Roof Van, which a Class 3A driver can take. Up to 1,920 kg, you need the Dyna 150 and a manual licence. If the load fills a 3-room flat or the move falls on a weekend, the Hino 300 with a C&P driver costs less. The cab seats decide how many helpers ride with you.
Check which C&P van or lorry is free on your moving date and book it online, or call +65 6736 6666 to book the Hino 300 with a driver.
Frequently asked questions
How much is a 10ft lorry rental per day in Singapore?
C&P Rent-A-Car’s Toyota Dyna 150 lorry costs $155 a day, or $168.95 with 9% GST, on its July 2026 rate card. The rate includes unlimited mileage and third-party insurance, and you pay fuel. With a driver, C&P’s Hino 300 lorry is listed at $115 an hour for a minimum of three hours.
Can I park a rented lorry at my HDB car park overnight?
Not if it weighs more than 1,800 kg unladen. HDB says vans and lorries above 1,800 kg unladen weight are generally not allowed to park in its residential car parks, and sheltered car parks cap commercial vehicles at 2,000 kg. Park at the estate’s lorry park, or return the Toyota Dyna 150 to C&P at 41 Pandan Road overnight.
What is the speed limit for a lorry in Singapore?
Lorries above 3,500 kg maximum laden weight, and lorries carrying workers in the rear deck, are limited to 60 km/h. Other lorries are limited to 70 km/h, according to a 2021 Ministry of Home Affairs parliamentary reply. Check the maximum laden weight on the Toyota Dyna 150’s log card to see which limit applies.
Can I return a rental van or lorry on Sunday?
Not at C&P Rent-A-Car. The Pandan Road counter is closed on Sundays and public holidays and opens only 08:30 to 12:30 on Saturdays, and C&P’s FAQ sets a three-day minimum for weekend self-drive hire. So a Saturday move in the Toyota Dyna 150 runs to Monday.