Canberra to Melbourne by One-Way Truck: Route, Stops and Timing

Canberra to Melbourne is a long day in the cab: 662 km, about seven hours of driving before you count a single stop. Plenty of people do it in one hit. Most are happier splitting the trip, or at least splitting the drive from the drop-off.

How does one-way truck hire from Canberra to Melbourne work?

You collect a car-licence truck or van at Majura Park Shopping Centre in Canberra and return it at our depot in Epping, in Melbourne's northern suburbs. One flat, GST-inclusive package covers the hire days, the kilometres and damage cover with a $6,500 excess, so you never pay for a trip back.

Which way do you drive?

From Majura Park, head for the Barton Highway and follow it to Yass, about an hour from the pickup. At Yass you join the Hume Highway, and it carries you the rest of the way to Melbourne, past Gundagai and Holbrook to Albury–Wodonga on the state border. Albury–Wodonga is close to halfway, which makes it the natural place for a long break or a night's sleep.

Our Melbourne depot is in Epping, north of the city, so you come off the Hume before the worst of Melbourne's traffic. Your drop-off email has the exact spot, a Google Maps pin and the name and number of the person meeting you.

How long does the drive take?

Seven hours is the non-stop figure. A loaded truck is slower up the hills than your car, and you'll stop for fuel, food and a stretch, so plan on eight or nine hours from Majura Park to Epping.

That matters for the drop-off. Appointments run Monday to Saturday until 4:45 PM, so even an 8:30 AM pickup in Canberra reaches Epping close to the last appointment of the day. Most people book the drop-off for the next morning and unload in daylight.

What does the package include?

Each route is one flat price, GST included, covering a set number of hire days and kilometres plus damage cover with a $6,500 excess. Days are counted in 24-hour periods from your pickup time: bring the truck back by the same time on your last day, or the extra hours count as another day, which the booking adds for you. If your hire ends on a day we're closed, it runs on to the next open day at no charge.

Which day should you pick up?

Both ends work by appointment, Monday to Saturday, and both are closed on Sundays. Public holidays are local. An ACT holiday such as Canberra Day affects your pickup, and a Victorian one, like Melbourne Cup Day or the Friday before the AFL Grand Final, affects your drop-off in Epping. The booking calendar checks both locations, so it only offers days that work at each end.

Truck or van for Canberra to Melbourne?

A van suits a studio or a one-bedroom flat. Anything bigger needs the truck. Both drive on a standard car licence, and the moving trucks seat up to three. Here's how to choose.

Moving from Melbourne to Canberra instead?

The route runs both ways. Pick up at Epping and drop off at Majura Park: see Melbourne to Canberra one-way hire, and moving to Canberra for the Canberra end.

Before you go

• Measure the fridge and the couch before you choose between a truck and a van.
• Book the drop-off for the morning after the drive, not the evening of it.
• Bring your licence and the payment card in the main driver's name. We check the physical card.
• If someone else will drive, add them as an authorised additional driver when you book.
• Keep the Epping drop-off details on your phone. They're on your Wallet pass too.

Everything about this route is on the Canberra to Melbourne one-way hire page, and the Canberra hub covers the other routes from Majura Park. Questions? Call 03 8560 7038.