The cheapest days to hire a truck in Melbourne are midweek, Tuesday to Thursday. Weekends and public holidays are when the most people move, so trucks are in highest demand then and often carry a weekend premium, while a quiet weekday is when you can most easily get the base rate, which at Turbofleet starts from $74.55 a day. Tuesday and Wednesday are usually the very cheapest, with the best availability and no premium. Friday leans into weekend demand, and Saturday is typically the most expensive and the first to book out. If your dates are flexible, booking your truck for a midweek day is the simplest way to pay less.
What is the cheapest day, and why
Truck hire pricing follows demand, and demand follows the calendar. Most people move house, clear a property, or shift furniture on weekends, because that is when they are off work. That surge in weekend demand does two things: it pushes prices up through weekend and public holiday premiums, and it books out the fleet, leaving fewer trucks and less room to negotiate a rate.
Midweek is the opposite. Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday are the quietest days for moving, so trucks sit available, there is no weekend premium, and the base daily rate is the easiest to secure. That is why a midweek hire is the cheapest way to get a truck. The vehicle is the same, the daily rate starts from the same $74.55, but you avoid the demand and the premium that make weekends dearer.
Day by day: how truck hire cost changes across the week
Here is how the days compare for demand, availability, and cost, so you can pick the cheapest one that suits you:
| Day | Demand | Availability | Cost |
| Monday | Low to moderate | Good | Low, close to the base rate |
| Tuesday | Low | Best | Lowest |
| Wednesday | Low | Best | Lowest |
| Thursday | Low to moderate | Good | Low |
| Friday | Rising | Tighter | Higher, leans into the weekend |
| Saturday | Highest | Books out first | Highest, weekend premium |
| Sunday | High | Tight | High, sometimes just under Saturday |
The pattern is clear: the middle of the week is the sweet spot, the ends of the week climb, and Saturday sits at the top. If you want the lowest possible cost, aim for Tuesday or Wednesday.
Why weekends cost more
Weekends carry a premium for a simple reason: everyone wants a truck at the same time. Saturday is the single busiest moving day of the week, followed by Sunday, because people use their days off to move house, collect large purchases, or run a big clean-out. When demand spikes like that, three things happen. The rate carries a weekend or public holiday premium, the fleet books out so there is little availability left, and the popular truck sizes, especially the larger pantech, go first. Booking a weekend truck also needs more lead time, since Turbofleet suggests reserving a weekend slot three to five business days ahead. All of that makes the weekend the most expensive and the least flexible time to hire.
Why midweek is the cheapest
Midweek is quiet, and quiet is cheap. From Tuesday to Thursday, far fewer people are moving, so the trucks are mostly sitting on the lot waiting to be hired. That means the best availability of the week, your pick of truck sizes, and no weekend premium on the rate. You are far more likely to get the base rate from $74.55 a day on a Wednesday than on a Saturday, and you can usually book at shorter notice because the fleet is not stretched. There is also less pressure at the depot, so handovers are quick and you are not queued behind a rush of weekend movers. If your move or job can happen on a weekday, midweek is where the savings are.
Is Monday or Friday cheaper?
Monday and Friday sit either side of the cheap midweek zone, and they behave differently. Monday is usually still quiet and close to the base rate, since the weekend rush has passed and the trucks are back on the lot, so it is a good cheaper option if midweek does not suit. Friday is the opposite. It leans into the weekend, as people pick up a truck on Friday to move across the weekend, so demand and cost start to climb. If you are choosing between the two, Monday is generally the cheaper and more available of the pair, while Friday is closer to weekend pricing.
Is Sunday cheaper than Saturday?
Both are weekend days and both carry a premium, but Sunday is sometimes a little easier than Saturday. Saturday is the peak, the first to book out and the most in demand, so if the weekend is your only option, Sunday can occasionally offer better availability and be marginally easier to secure. It is still a weekend rate, so it will not match a midweek day, but between the two, Sunday is worth checking if Saturday is full or dearer.
Other ways to lower your truck hire cost
The day of the week is the biggest lever, but it is not the only one. Stack these on top of a midweek booking to keep the cost as low as possible:
- Book direct with the depot rather than a third party, so there are no booking fees on the rate.
- Reserve a few days ahead, since last minute hires cost more when stock is low, and a planned midweek booking locks in availability.
- Choose the right truck size so you are not paying for space you do not need, and can do the job in one trip.
- Stay within the 100 kilometre daily allowance to avoid a per kilometre fee, by planning your route.
- Ask about a multi day or weekly rate if you need the truck for more than a day, since that is usually cheaper per day than separate hires.
- Move outside peak periods where you can, which the seasonal timing below covers.
Our guide to the moving truck rental options has more on matching the truck to the job so you do not overpay.
The cheapest day for your type of job
Most people asking about the cheapest day are moving house, and for a move a midweek day is ideal, since you skip the weekend rush entirely and get your pick of truck sizes. If you are doing a tip run, a furniture pickup, or a one-off delivery, you have even more freedom, so any quiet weekday works and you can often grab a truck or a cargo van at short notice for the base rate. Tradies and businesses that need a truck on a regular weekday can plan around the midweek sweet spot to keep their ongoing costs down. The one job where the day is often fixed is a weekend house move tied to a lease start or end date, and the weekend section above covers how to keep that as cheap as possible. If you are weighing up a move, our guide on why truck hire beats the alternatives is worth a look.
The cheapest time of the month and year
Beyond the day of the week, the wider calendar also moves the price. The end of the month is the busiest time for moving, because most residential leases start and end then, so trucks are in higher demand across those days. Booking mid month, when fewer leases are turning over, tends to be quieter and easier. The busiest seasons are summer and the school holidays, when more families move, along with the run up to Christmas, so rates and demand are higher then. The quietest, and therefore cheapest, stretches are the cooler months outside the holidays, midweek and mid month. If you can line up a midweek day in a mid month, off-peak week, you are booking at the cheapest point on the calendar.
When you have to move on a weekend
Sometimes a weekend is the only option, and that is fine, there are still ways to keep the cost down. Book as early as you can, ideally a week or more ahead, so you secure a truck before the fleet fills and lock in the rate. Consider whether Sunday works instead of Saturday, since it can be slightly easier. Choose the smallest truck that fits your load in one trip, so you are not paying for a larger vehicle at weekend rates. And plan the day tightly, with an early pickup, so the move fits into one day and you avoid a second day’s hire. A weekend will always cost a little more than midweek, but a well planned weekend booking is far cheaper than a last minute scramble.
Does the cheapest day change by truck size?
The midweek pattern holds across the fleet, but it matters most for the larger trucks. Smaller vans and box trucks turn over quickly and are usually available even at short notice midweek, so getting the base rate on one is easy on a quiet day. The large 6 metre pantech is the truck most in demand for full house moves, so it is the first to book out for weekends and the one where a midweek booking makes the biggest difference to availability and cost. If you need a big truck and want the best price, midweek is doubly worth it. If you only need a van or a small truck, you have more flexibility, though midweek is still the cheapest.
How to book the cheapest day
Getting the best price is mostly about timing your booking well. Pick a midweek day, Tuesday or Wednesday if you can, reserve a few days ahead so you are not caught by low availability, and book direct so there are no added fees. Choose the truck size that fits your job in one trip, and collect from the depot nearest you at Craigieburn or Ravenhall to keep your kilometres down. If you are unsure which day or size gives you the best deal, contact the Turbofleet team with your dates and they will help you find the cheapest option, or see the range on the truck hire Melbourne page. If your job could run on a weekday, car hire by the day works the same way for smaller vehicles.
Frequently asked questions
What is the cheapest day of the week to hire a truck in Melbourne?
Midweek, Tuesday to Thursday, is cheapest. Weekends and public holidays are in highest demand and carry a premium, while a quiet weekday is when you can most easily get the base rate from $74.55 a day.
Is it cheaper to hire a truck midweek?
Yes. Tuesday and Wednesday are usually the cheapest, with the best availability and no weekend premium. The truck and the base rate are the same, but midweek avoids the demand that lifts weekend prices.
Are weekends more expensive for truck hire?
Generally yes. Saturday and Sunday are the busiest moving days, so they carry a weekend premium, book out first, and need more lead time. Saturday is usually the most expensive day of the week.
Is Sunday cheaper than Saturday?
Both carry a weekend rate, but Sunday can be slightly easier to secure than Saturday, which is the peak day. If you must move on a weekend, Sunday is worth checking, though neither matches a midweek day.
What time of year is cheapest to hire a truck?
The cooler months outside the school holidays, mid month rather than end of month, are quietest and cheapest. Summer, school holidays, and the end of the month are the busiest and dearest times to move.
