How to Select a Rented Movers Truck

If you want to rent a truck, how do you decide what to select?  There are a number of factors to consider.

If you are making a local move the decision is easy to make. The things to consider are price, availability, distance to the dealer, and ease of loading and unloading. On a local move, the size of the truck is not a huge issue because if it won’t all fit the first load, you simply make a second trip.

Selecting a truck for a one way move a long distance away should be considered carefully. It is wise to spend time ponder all of the options. The things to consider are price, fuel mileage, dependability, truck size, comfort, and distance to the dealer at each end of the trip

Pricing for long distance one way truck rentals is based on a number of factors not always proportional to the real cost of driving the truck. If a rental company has an influx of trucks to a certain area, they have a tendency to discount trucks leaving the area, especially if the client is driving the truck to an area that has a shortage of trucks. As an extreme example, a few years back, we had trucks moving in and out of the greater New York area frequently. When I checked on the price of renting a truck to bring back to North Carolina, the rental company wanted $2300 for the truck alone, excluding pads, insurance, and fuel – while a truck leaving North Carolina and heading to the New York area was running less than $400.00. It always pays to shop all the companies to find out who is offering the best deal.

Diesel trucks will burn about one third less fuel than gas trucks, but with diesel fuel about 5-10% higher than gas, the difference becomes nominal. However, diesel trucks tend to be more dependable and are more powerful than gas.

Truck size is a major concern, because if you fail to get all the goods in, a second load is not a good option. It is better to have a truck that is too big, rather than one that is too small. If you cannot get all your goods into the biggest truck, what are the options? Most obvious is a second truck, which effectively doubles the cost of the rental. Another option is a trailer. Rental truck companies will not allow you to tow a trailer from another rental company behind their trucks. They will, however, allow you to pull your own trailer, should you happen to have one.

If you decide to use a rental truck, each of the rental truck companies has their truck specs listed on their web sites. You can look at truck sizes and available cube space, weight limits, fuel mileage, and amenities –along with a plethora of additional information. Each company will list the reasons that you should choose them. The final decision is yours.