What it costs by home size
| Home size | Volume | Price inc GST | What that is |
|---|---|---|---|
| Studio | 8 m³ | $850 | Students and singles — Adelaide Uni intakes both directions |
| 1-bed apt | 16 m³ | $2,000 | Couples and solo professionals |
| 2-bed homeMost common | 26 m³ | $3,050 | The most common move on this lane |
| 3-bed home | 36 m³ | $3,900 | Family relocations, full kitchen and laundry |
| 4-bed home | 50 m³ | $5,450 | Full family home with garage contents |
Not sure of your volume? Work out your m³ here — five minutes, and it's the only input that really moves the price.
Why this lane launched at Hume rates
Adelaide sits in a lucky freight position. More household goods flow into SA from the eastern capitals than flow out, and enough moves both directions that trucks rarely run badly empty either way. Balanced legs mean shared costs, and shared costs are the whole engine of backloading. That's why a brand-new 728 km corridor could open at the same per-m³ rate as the busiest lane in the country, with no new-lane premium.
The honest contrast is the Sydney↔Adelaide corridor, where the legs genuinely differ and the rates differ with them. Everything is on the public rate card either way.
Timing a 3×-weekly lane
Book 5–7 days ahead and you'll never feel the schedule — missing a departure costs two days here, not a week. The ±1 week flexible window takes 10% off automatically (about $310 on a 2-bed). It also usually pulls your pickup forward, because a flexible load rides the next truck with space. February and July run hot with university intakes at both ends; book two weeks out in those months.
- 3× weekly departures — book 5–7 days out, two weeks in Feb/July
- ±1 week flexibility = 10% off AND usually an earlier pickup
- Overnight transit with a depot stop — label fragile boxes
- No fresh produce or plants in soil across the border — SA fruit-fly rules are real
The delivery end
Adelaide metro from Gawler to the Fleurieu edge quotes instantly, and the Adelaide Hills count as metro — no feeder fee for Stirling, Aldgate, Hahndorf or Mount Barker, though a steep Hills driveway is worth mentioning at quote so we bring the right truck. The Barossa, Clare Valley, Murray Bridge and Victor Harbor add a short feeder leg that prices automatically. Route pages: Melbourne to Adelaide and Adelaide to Melbourne.