Most wrong truck bookings come from five mistakes: choosing the truck by guesswork instead of the weight and type of goods, hiring an unverified owner, giving an incomplete address, booking at the last minute and not checking the booking before it is confirmed. Fix those and you avoid the usual problems: a truck too small for the load, a driver who never arrives, a fare that changes at the gate, or goods damaged by rain in an open truck. In Dhaka, a 1 ton pickup costs roughly Tk 800 to Tk 2,200 a trip on Truck Lagbe’s September 2026 chart, so a wrong size can easily double your cost.
Here are the five tips, plus the charges to agree in advance and what to do if the wrong truck turns up anyway.
What a wrong truck booking costs you
A wrong booking rarely ends with just a short delay. If the truck is too small, you pay for a second vehicle or a second trip, and the first driver may still charge for waiting. If it is too big, you pay for space you do not use. An open truck in the monsoon can ruin furniture, cartons or rice. A driver who cancels on the morning of a house move can cost you a day’s rent, your labourers’ wages and your place in the building’s lift schedule. A truck overloaded to save the cost of a second one can be stopped, fined and forced to unload.
The five tips below prevent almost all of this.
1. Choose the truck by the weight and type of your goods
Start with weight, not volume. Dense goods such as rods, cement, rice and tiles reach a truck’s limit long before they fill the deck, while furniture and cartons fill the space first. Estimate the total weight from invoices, bag counts or the number of rooms, then pick a truck with some margin. Each truck has a set payload, and these are the common sizes on Truck Lagbe’s Dhaka fare chart:
| Truck | Typical use | Dhaka fare range (Tk) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 ton, 9 ft pickup | A fridge, a few pieces of furniture, a bachelor move | 800 to 2,200 |
| 2 ton, 12 ft truck | A one or two-room flat, shop stock | 1,200 to 2,700 |
| 3.5 ton, 14 ft truck | A small family flat, office furniture | 1,500 to 2,800 |
| 7.5 ton, 16 ft open truck | Building materials, larger flats | 2,500 to 4,500 |
| 15 ton, 18 ft open truck | Bulk goods such as rice or cement | 3,500 to 5,000 |
| 25 ton, 23 ft open truck | Heavy bulk loads, rods | 5,000 to 6,000 |
Fares are from Truck Lagbe’s Dhaka fare chart of 12 September 2026, set before diesel rose to Tk 135 a litre. Expect bids near the top of each range. The low end is for a trip within one area, the high end for the farthest trip in the city.
Then choose the body type. An open truck is cheaper and easy to load, but goods are exposed to rain, dust and theft. A covered van keeps furniture, electronics, garments and paper goods dry and locked, and usually costs Tk 300 to Tk 500 more at the top of each range. Matching the goods to one of the open, covered and other truck body types matters most in the rainy season.
For small loads, the choice is often between a pickup or a slightly bigger mini truck. When in doubt, go one size up rather than down. A slightly bigger truck costs a few hundred taka more; a second trip costs the full fare again.
Booking tip: In the trip details, write what the goods are, how many pieces and roughly how much they weigh. Mention fragile items. Owners bid more accurately when they know what they are carrying.
2. Book a verified truck and driver
An unverified truck can arrive without papers, with a driver who has no licence for its size, or not arrive at all. If the police stop it, your goods wait at the roadside.
Through an app, check that the owner is registered and the truck matches the size you asked for. On Truck Lagbe, owners register their trucks with documents, and every bid shows the truck category. If you hire at a truck stand or through an agent, ask to see:
- the truck’s registration certificate and its number plate;
- a valid fitness certificate and tax token;
- the driver’s licence, which must cover the truck’s weight class;
- a phone number for the owner as well as the driver.
Write down the registration number before loading. It is the simplest way to trace the truck if anything goes wrong.
3. Give the exact route, address and access details
An address like “Mirpur 10” is not enough for a truck. Give the full address, a landmark and a working phone number for the person at each end. If the exact pickup point is not listed in the app, choose the nearest one and add the details in the goods description. Truck drivers often find their way by landmarks rather than house numbers, so share a map pin if you can. For trips outside Dhaka, name the nearest bazar or highway stand as well.
Tell the owner about anything that limits access:
- a narrow lane or low gate that a big truck cannot enter;
- the floor number and whether there is a lift;
- where the truck can park and for how long;
- any building rules on moving hours.
Timing rules matter too. On Truck Lagbe, trucks longer than 12 ft can only be booked for trips inside Dhaka after 10:00 PM, so a daytime city move is limited to pickups and 12 ft trucks. Trucks are also kept off the highways for about a week around each Eid. In 2026, the ban for Eid-ul-Fitr ran from 17 to 23 March, TBS reported, with exemptions for essentials. Plan long-distance trips around those dates.
4. Book in advance, not at the last minute
Last-minute bookings get fewer bids, higher prices and less choice of size. Book at least 24 hours ahead for a normal trip, and earlier for:
- the start and end of the month, when house moves peak;
- the days before Eid and other holidays;
- large trucks, covered vans and long routes;
- house moves that need labour and packing.
On Truck Lagbe you can book a shifting service up to 30 days ahead. For planning a house move, book the truck as soon as you know the date.
If you need a small truck urgently, an express trip on Truck Lagbe books a half-ton pickup or mini truck right away, and registered drivers may contact you within about 10 minutes if no one responds, according to Truck Lagbe’s FAQ.
5. Double-check the booking before you confirm
Many wrong bookings are simple typing mistakes. Before you publish a trip, check:
- pickup and drop-off points;
- date and loading time;
- truck size and body type, open or covered;
- the goods description and any extras such as labour or an up-down trip.
On Truck Lagbe you cannot change the pickup or drop-off after publishing a trip; you would need to create a new one. When you accept a bid, check that it is for the size and body type you asked for, then call the owner to confirm the loading time and address. Save the driver’s name, phone number and the truck’s registration number.
Agree the charges before loading
Surprise charges are the other common booking problem. Settle these before the goods go on the truck:
- Tolls. On Truck Lagbe, bridge and road tolls are included in the bid, according to its FAQ. Confirm it with the owner.
- Waiting time. When loading or unloading runs past six hours, Truck Lagbe’s rate chart adds Tk 300 to Tk 1,000 depending on truck size.
- Labour. Loading and unloading workers are usually separate. Add labour when you book or arrange your own.
- Payment. Most shippers pay the owner in cash at the end of the trip. Agree whether any advance is needed.
Do not ask the driver to load more than the truck is built for to avoid a second trip. Overloading the truck can cost the driver a fine of up to Tk 1 lakh and licence points, and at the Padma and Jamuna bridges the excess is unloaded before the truck can cross.
What to do if the wrong truck arrives
- Do not load it. Once goods are on the truck, sorting out the problem gets harder.
- Call the owner first. The truck may simply be the wrong one sent by mistake.
- Cancel and rebook if needed. On Truck Lagbe, before a trip is active you can tell the owner, cancel the accepted bid and choose another. Once the trip is active, call customer care on +880 9638 000 245.
- If the driver stops answering, wait, try again, then report it to the helpline and accept another bid.
- Rate the trip honestly afterwards, so the next shipper knows what to expect.
Book the right truck on Truck Lagbe
Truck Lagbe shows the fixed fare for a 1 ton pickup inside Dhaka and live bids from verified owners for every other size, across the country. Follow the step-by-step booking process or download the Truck Lagbe app to post your trip.
Frequently asked questions
How do I know which truck size to book?
Go by the weight of your goods first, then the space. A 1 ton pickup suits a fridge or a few pieces of furniture, a 3.5 ton, 14 ft truck a small family flat, and 15 to 25 ton trucks bulk goods such as rice, cement or rods.
How early should I book a truck?
At least 24 hours ahead for a normal trip, and a few days to weeks ahead for house moves, month-end dates and the days before Eid.
Can I change my booking after publishing the trip?
On Truck Lagbe, you cannot change the pickup or drop-off after publishing. Cancel and create a new trip instead.
Are tolls included in the fare?
On Truck Lagbe, bridge and road tolls are included in the owner’s bid. Confirm with the owner before you accept.
What if the truck does not arrive?
Call the owner, then report it to Truck Lagbe customer care and accept another bid. Before the trip is active, you can cancel the accepted bid yourself.
