What to do when your load won't fit in the van

When the load won't fit, don't start pushing

A situation where the load won't fit in the van can almost always be solved, just not by force. The worst reaction is to cram things in, leave an item sticking out and hope for the best. Stop for five minutes, unload what you have already loaded badly and go through the options in the order below.

First try a different order

Most failed loadings are a problem of sequence, not volume. The longest and heaviest items go in first and against one wall. Wardrobes, doors and table tops are carried upright along the side, not flat on the floor, where they take up the whole area. Only then do the boxes go into the gaps.

Take apart what can be taken apart

Table legs, shelves, bed headboards and wardrobe doors make a huge difference. A dismantled wardrobe takes up a fraction of the space of an assembled one. Put the screws in a bag and tape it directly to the part it belongs to. Ten minutes with a screwdriver will save a whole second trip.

Use the height

A van has usable space right up to the ceiling. Light and soft things go on top, and boxes are stacked in columns. Just make sure there is nothing heavy at the top and that nothing can fall against the rear doors.

Unload what doesn't need to go now

Divide your things into essential and postponable. Garden furniture, seasonal items and boxes of books can wait. Load what you can't do without in your new home and collect the rest next time.

Try turning items

Most bulky items have one position in which they take up the least space. A sofa stood on its side, a mattress leaned against the wall, a table top upright. Before you decide that something won't fit, try the item in all three positions. Often only a few centimetres are missing, which you can gain with a different orientation.

Empty what you are carrying full

A chest of drawers with its contents takes up the same space as an empty one, but weighs several times more. Clearing out the drawers takes some work, but then the units can be stacked on top of each other and carried by one person. Conversely, fill empty baskets, pots and crates with small items so you are not transporting air.

Load through the side door too

The sliding side door makes it easier to stack things in the front part of the van. Long items get in more easily from the back, but you can stack boxes in the front third much faster through the side, without climbing around on the load floor. Just check that cars parked alongside are not in the way.

What to do when even that isn't enough

Make two trips

A second trip is almost always cheaper than improvising. Mileage within the Czech Republic is unlimited, so another trip across town doesn't cost you extra kilometres. If you build in a time margin when booking, a second trip is a matter of an hour.

Extend your rental

If you know you won't make it, deal with it straight away, not after the deadline. Get in touch before the original rental period runs out. A late return is always more expensive and more unpleasant than agreeing in advance.

Check whether a bigger van is available

If you are only just starting, a different model may be the solution. Cargo area dimensions differ considerably between vans, and the difference in load floor length is decisive for, say, a mattress or a table top. Take a look at our fleet and check availability for the date you need.

Rearrange the whole load, not just the last item

When one big item is left, cramming it in somewhere won't help. Unload the last third of the load and start with the problem item: put it in the van first and fill in the rest around it. Rearranging takes twenty minutes and saves a whole extra trip.

Take the rest in a car

A few boxes and small items will fit even in an ordinary estate car. If you only have a small remainder left, you don't need to set off in the van again for it. What's more, you can leave your own car at the location free of charge for the duration of the rental, so you have it right to hand after returning the van.

What you definitely must not do

Drive with the doors open

A van with its rear doors ajar and the load sticking out is dangerous. The load must not endanger others or restrict visibility, and the vehicle must comply with the road traffic rules. You risk damage to the vehicle and to other people's health.

Exceed the payload

With furniture you run out of volume first; with materials, weight. Depending on the model, payload usually ranges between 1 100 and 1 450 kilograms. With paving, cement or soil you can reach this limit even if the van looks half empty. An overloaded vehicle brakes worse and is harder to drive.

Leave the load unsecured

Things stacked on top of each other without straps will shift at the first braking. When you are loading right at the limit, pay all the more attention to securing it. You will find more practical questions answered in the FAQ section.