When it comes to finding the best truck rental for moving, it is hard to look beyond U-Haul. America's most popular truck rental service has been helping people move home since 1945, and now maintains the largest fleet of rental trucks in the US, across more than 20,000 locations in all 50 states. With the familiar orange and white design, and advertised $19.95 in-town price that are instantly recognizable to most, U-Haul is also one of the few services that offers one-way truck rentals.
If you're searching for truck rental because you're moving home, remember to be on the lookout for the best home owners insurance too, and maybe even the best mortgage lenders if your home loan isn't in place just yet.
U-Haul review: Truck options
U-Haul offers more truck size options than other truck rental companies. The company's smallest moving truck rental is 10 feet long, and the largest is 26 feet. In between there are 15-foot, 17-foot and 20-foot trucks too. You can also rent an 8-foot pickup truck or a 9-foot cargo van for the smaller moving jobs you might have.
All the trucks have low loading decks making it easier to get your possessions inside, while those that are 15-foot plus include an EZ load ramp and can comfortably seat three adults. These 15 feet and longer trucks also have a small compartment known as Mom's Attic, which is an area located above the cab, perfect for transporting more fragile items separate from the main load.
U-Haul review: Additional rental options
In addition to rental trucks and vans, U-Haul loans various sized cargo trailers that can be towed behind your own vehicle. And then there's tow dollies and car carriers too, which will tow a car to your new destination if you can't - or don't want to - drive it.
U-Haul offers a great selection of additional equipment and services as well, including the option to rent a hand truck to aid with moving heavy furniture, and moving blankets to ensure your belongings don’t get scratched by other items in the truck. Special moving boxes that are sturdier than a typical cardboard box can be bought too.
U-Haul review: Price
U-Haul is synonymous with the $19.95 per day price tag for a day's rental, the cheapest advertised rates tend only to be good for local moves. So if you're hiring anything other than a 10-foot truck and are moving a fair distance down the road, you will definitely end up paying more.
As a marker, the estimated price for renting a 20-foot truck - suitable for moving a two-bedroom home or three-bedroom apartment - is around $1,900 if your new home is around 1,000 miles from where you currently live. While a long way from the price on the U-Haul signs, it remains competitive for what you're getting nonetheless.
Checking the fine print for additional extras that you might not know you're paying for is advisable too. And it's worth a call to U-Haul if you think you're paying too much, with the customer service representatives often open for negotiating if it means they'll secure your custom.
U-Haul review: Service
The U-Haul website is extremely easy to navigate, with all of the various truck and equipment options clearly explained. If you need assistance on the day of your move, you can also use U-Haul's Moving Help service to find professional movers local to you. You simply complete the request form for a moving assistance quote, and then choose who you'd like as support, based on the reviews and rates for laborers in your area. Assistance can be arranged for loading and unloading, packing and unpacking, moving heavy furniture and specialty items, and even for home cleaning.
One thing to note about U-Haul, however, is that the truck rental reservation you make online is not strictly guaranteed. Even though you specify a time, place and truck size when you reserve, there is a chance that you arrive on the day and the location doesn't have the truck size in stock that you ordered. The best way to get around this is to call U-Haul the day before to make sure it has the vehicle that you need - if it doesn't, you will be given a larger truck, or may have to pick up from a different U-Haul location. There is also a $50 refund if you're not warned beforehand that your rental is unavailable.
Should anything go wrong with the truck during your move, you can call the toll-free phone number or visit the U-Haul website to request ‘round-the-clock roadside assistance.
Should you use U-Haul?
With thousands of locations nationwide and rental options to suit all types of move, U-Haul is the best truck rental for moving in the US. There's a great selection of additional equipment you can loan too, and the option to arrange local help with your move. The reservation that maybe isn't might worry some, but with so many depots, it's unlikely U-Haul will ever let you down. Pricing is competitive too, and it's always worth a call once you've got your quote online, just to see if you can negotiate some money off.
