Lagos to Ibadan Move: Planning a Same-Day Truck Trip

It is seven in the evening in Ibadan. The truck has been parked outside the new house for an hour, the wardrobe is still on it, and the person with the gate key is stuck somewhere on the way. The day started at ten because the packing was not finished. Everything after that was catch-up.

Lagos and Ibadan are close enough to move between in one day. With one vehicle, finished packing and an early start, it is very doable. This works in either direction.

Why one-day moves run late

The drive is often a few hours, depending on traffic, your exact start and end points, and stops. Add loading and offloading and a full household fills most of the day. Bad days usually go wrong the same way:

• the truck leaves late and meets heavier traffic
• loading drags because half the kitchen is still on the shelves
• nobody is at the other end to open the gate
• items do not fit and someone has to come back for them

Be packed the night before

Have every carton taped and stacked near the door the evening before. Agree a start time with the driver that leaves room to load before the roads get busy, and buy bread and drinks the night before. Moving days drift when people disappear to look for breakfast.

Write down everything that is going

On a city move you can pop back for the iron you forgot. On this trip you cannot.

1. Count the cartons and label each one with the room it is going to in the new place.
2. List the big items separately: beds, wardrobes, fridge, cooker, sofa, generator.
3. Take photos of anything valuable or fragile before it goes on the truck.
4. Send the list to whoever is receiving at the other end.

Our Abuja to Lagos intercity checklist for families goes deeper.

Truck or van: size up, not down

A second trip on an intercity move means doing the whole road again, so get the size right the first time.

A pickup van suits a single room or a small flat with few large items. Sphere lists pickup vans at up to 2,400kg. A truck suits a full flat or house, or several big pieces of furniture and appliances. Trucks on Sphere are listed up to 27,000kg, so sizes vary a lot. If you are torn between the two, request the bigger vehicle.

Pack for the expressway

A load that survives a trip across town can shift badly over hours of highway and sudden braking.

• Use strong cartons, filled but not bursting.
• Wrap furniture corners and legs in blankets or flattened cartons.
• Defrost and dry the fridge or freezer the night before.
• Load heavy items first, against the front of the load area, and put lighter cartons on top.
• Push mattresses, pillows and bags of clothes into the gaps so nothing can slide.
• Cover anything that would be ruined by rain.

Ready to move?

Request a truck or van on Sphere

Choose your vehicle, propose your price, and verified drivers in Lagos, Ibadan accept or send a counter-offer.

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Keep documents and valuables with you

Pack one bag that rides with you: passports, certificates, land or tenancy papers, cash, jewellery, bank cards, laptops, phones, chargers, hard drives, medication and the keys to the new place.

Pack a separate "first night" carton with bedding, toiletries, a kettle and a change of clothes. Load it last so it comes off first.

Have someone waiting at the gate

Somebody must be at the new property to open the gate. Find out the estate's gate times and security rules beforehand, and where the truck can park. Swap numbers between the driver and the person receiving.

New to the city? Our Ibadan page covers moving within and into Ibadan.

Put the whole trip in your request

Drivers accept your price or counter based on what you describe, so a full request saves arguments on the day. Give exact addresses with the area and a landmark, and say clearly that this is a Lagos to Ibadan (or Ibadan to Lagos) trip. Add your start time, the big items, and any stairs or tight access at either end.

Agree loading and offloading help with the driver before you accept an offer. Do not assume it is included.

On the road and at the other end

Decide if you will ride with the truck, drive ahead or follow behind, and agree a check-in with the driver, such as a call halfway. Carry a power bank. If anything changes, tell the driver early.

On arrival, tape a room name on each door to match your carton labels. Bring the big items in first so they are in position before cartons pile up. Tick off your list as things come off, and check the fragile pieces before the driver leaves.

Going the other way, the Lagos end works the same. See house moving in Lagos.

How to do this on Sphere

1. Open the Sphere app and choose a truck or pickup van to match your load.
2. Add your pickup and drop-off addresses.
3. Describe the load, access at both ends, your start time and any help you need.
4. Propose a price. Nearby verified drivers accept it or send a counter-offer, and you choose which offer to take.
5. Confirm the details with your chosen driver before moving day.

Sphere operates in Lagos, Abuja and Ibadan and has completed 250+ moves so far.