Truck hire in South Africa

Payload figures describe what the truck may legally carry, not the volume of the box. For a house move, volume runs out before weight does, so ask about the load box dimensions as well as the tonnage.

A code B licence covers vehicles up to 3 500kg gross vehicle mass. That is the total mass of the vehicle plus everything in it, not the payload.

Above 3 500kg and up to 16 000kg you need a code C1. Above 16 000kg you need a code C. If you are towing above the relevant combination limits you need the corresponding EB, EC1 or EC code.

A professional driving permit is a separate requirement that applies to certain vehicle classes and to driving for reward. If you are moving your own furniture in a hired truck, you are not usually driving for reward, but the vehicle class requirement can still apply, so ask the operator directly.

None of this is optional. Driving outside your licence class means the rental agreement is breached and any damage becomes personally yours.

A tail lift is a powered platform at the rear that raises a load from ground level to the truck floor. Without one, and without a loading dock, two people are lifting a fridge to chest height.

Ask whether the truck has a tail lift or a ramp, what the lift capacity is, and whether operating it requires anything from you. On a self-move without a dock at either end, the tail lift is worth more than a size upgrade.

Also ask about internal tie rails and whether blankets and straps are included or charged.

Truck rates are quoted per size class and vary by operator and city more than car rates do, so get direct quotes. Expect a rate structure that separates the daily hire from a kilometre charge on most sizes.

Deposits and excess figures sit above car and van levels because the assets and the potential damage are larger. Ask for the deposit in rand, the excess in rand, and whether excess reduction is available on commercial vehicles at all, because on some fleets it is not.

For context only, Discover Cars' national car rates on 29 September 2026 start from about R202 a day for a small car. Trucks are a separate market and are not derived from that number.

Specialist truck hire firms are the main market and generally have the widest size range, the tail lifts and the commercial terms. Search demand for truck hire concentrates in Cape Town, Pretoria, Centurion, Durban and Gqeberha.

Larger rental operators with commercial divisions also carry trucks alongside cars and bakkies, which can be convenient if you want everything on one account, and some national brands list truck rental as a category.

Whichever you use, book earlier than you would a car. Truck fleets are small and month-end is when everyone moves.

Walk the whole vehicle and photograph the corners, the roof line, the load box interior and the tail lift, then check the mirrors are set before you leave the yard.

Note the vehicle height and write it on a sticky note on the dashboard. Height strikes on bridges, parkade entrances and shop canopies are the most expensive and least forgiven truck rental incidents in the country, and no waiver covers a driver who ignored a marked clearance.