The full rate card
These are the per-cubic-metre rates on every direction we run. The card rate is what a standard 11–20 m³ load pays; the second column shows the same lane at 35 m³ with the big-load discount applied. Both come from the quote engine at publish time — this table can't drift from what the quote tool charges, because it's the same code.
| Route | Card /m³ (11–20 m³) | At 35 m³ (big-load) | Frequency |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sydney → Melbourne · 878 kmBusiest | $125/m³ | $109/m³ | Daily — the busiest lane in the country |
| Melbourne → Sydney · 878 km | $125/m³ | $109/m³ | Daily |
| Sydney → Brisbane · 925 km | $125/m³ | $109/m³ | Daily, Pacific Highway |
| Brisbane → Sydney · 925 km | $125/m³ | $109/m³ | Daily |
| Melbourne → Brisbane · 1,675 km | $176/m³ | $153/m³ | 3× weekly, 2-day transit |
| Brisbane → Melbourne · 1,675 km | $178/m³ | $155/m³ | 3× weekly — the thinner leg, priced accordingly |
| Sydney → Canberra · 286 km | $122/m³ | $106/m³ | 3× weekly, same-day transit |
| Canberra → Sydney · 286 km | $122/m³ | $106/m³ | 3× weekly |
| Melbourne → Canberra · 660 km | $125/m³ | $109/m³ | Weekly, overnight |
| Canberra → Melbourne · 660 km | $125/m³ | $109/m³ | Weekly |
| Brisbane → Canberra · 1,289 km | $159/m³ | $139/m³ | Weekly, Newell Highway |
| Canberra → Brisbane · 1,289 km | $183/m³ | $159/m³ | Weekly |
| Melbourne → Adelaide · 728 km | $125/m³ | $109/m³ | 3× weekly — SA live since Aug 2026 |
| Adelaide → Melbourne · 728 km | $125/m³ | $109/m³ | 3× weekly, same rate both ways |
| Sydney → Adelaide · 1,376 km | $169/m³ | $147/m³ | Weekly |
| Adelaide → Sydney · 1,376 km | $194/m³ | $169/m³ | Weekly — the thinner leg, priced above the outbound |
| Adelaide → Brisbane · 1,940 km | $206/m³ | $179/m³ | New Aug 2026 — the longest lane on the card, ~3 days under fatigue law |
| Brisbane → Adelaide · 1,940 km | $193/m³ | $168/m³ | New Aug 2026 — the fatter leg into SA, priced under the outbound |
What that means for a whole home
Backloading is priced by volume — but not on a flat line, because trucks aren't priced on one either. Between about 11 and 20 m³ your price is simply cubic metres × the lane rate. Below that, a part-load rate phases in (down to 25% off the card at 6 m³ — a small consignment tops up a truck that's already going). Above 20 m³ a big-load rate phases in (down to 13% off by 33 m³ — you're filling most of the vehicle, so the per-m³ price comes down). The quote tool shows whichever applies as its own line. Here's what that produces for whole homes:
| Route | 2-bed (26 m³) | 1-bed (16 m³) | 4-bed (50 m³) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sydney ↔ MelbourneMost common | $3,050 | $2,000 | $5,450 |
| Sydney ↔ Brisbane | $3,050 | $2,000 | $5,450 |
| Sydney ↔ Canberra | $3,000 | $1,950 | $5,300 |
| Melbourne ↔ Canberra | $3,050 | $2,000 | $5,450 |
| Melbourne → Brisbane | $4,300 | $2,800 | $7,650 |
| Brisbane → Melbourne | $4,350 | $2,850 | $7,750 |
| Brisbane → Canberra | $3,900 | $2,550 | $6,950 |
| Melbourne ↔ Adelaide | $3,050 | $2,000 | $5,450 |
| Sydney → Adelaide | $4,150 | $2,700 | $7,350 |
| Adelaide → Sydney | $4,750 | $3,100 | $8,450 |
| Adelaide → Brisbane | $5,050 | $3,300 | $8,950 |
| Brisbane → Adelaide | $4,700 | $3,100 | $8,400 |
Not sure how many cubic metres you have? Work out your m³ in five minutes — it's the only input that really decides the price. Every route also has its own page with transit times and pickup windows: see all lanes.
How a backloading price is actually built
There's no mystery in it. A truck costs roughly the same to run whether it's full or empty: diesel (we model $2.35/L at 30 L/100 km for a loaded 12-tonne pantech), a driver at about $38/hour, and around $0.63/km in tyres, maintenance, rego and insurance. A dedicated removalist bills all of that to one customer. Backloading spreads it across everyone sharing the deck.
The per-m³ rate on each lane then reflects three things the cost model can't ignore: how full trucks on that corridor actually run, how lopsided the demand is between the two directions, and how much of the round trip the return cargo pays for. That's why the long, thin Melbourne↔Brisbane corridor costs more per kilometre than the dense Hume corridor — and why the two directions of it price differently. On top of the model sits a normal gross margin, GST, and a $350 floor so a single-sofa move doesn't get quoted at $80.
Because those inputs are public — diesel prices are published weekly, driver award wages are public, distances don't change — there's nothing competitive to hide in a rate card. What the 'call us for a quote' model protects isn't a trade secret. It's the ability to quote you a different number than the last customer.
What moves your price off the card
The card is the linehaul. A handful of itemised extras exist, each priced flat so you can total your own quote before you start it: stairs are $80 for the first flight at each address and $60 for every flight after it, a weekend pickup adds $150, same-week urgency adds $200, lifting insurance cover to $50,000 adds $120, and a packing service runs $45/m³. The discounts run the same open-book way: give us a ±1 week pickup window instead of a fixed date and 10% comes off the linehaul automatically, or ±2 days for 5% — because a flexible load can ride whichever truck has the most empty space, and a wider window buys more of that freedom.