Moving Truck Rentals Near Me
Did you sell or buy a home and need to move? Are you trying to decide whether to hire a professional moving company or rent a truck to move on your own?
One of the most significant deciding factors between choosing between the two is cost.
A mover’s rental truck is a cost-effective option. Rental trucks to move can end up saving you thousands of dollars.
It is one of the ways to save money moving.
Hiring one of the best moving companies can be costly when you see what they charge and what you should tip them. Renting a truck offers a cheaper alternative that many people can manage independently or with help from friends.
If you have decided to rent a moving truck, you have taken the first step in getting your belongings from where they are to where they will need to be.
But there are more things to consider than just, “Where are moving truck rentals near me?” It would help if you did a little planning before you reserve your truck because you want to make your moving process as smooth as possible.
Finding a moving truck rental company won’t be challenging when you follow some solid tips.
We will cover everything to know about a movers truck for rent.
How to Find a Truck Rental Near Me
Before examining the considerations for choosing a truck rental company, you’ll need to know how to find one. Besides getting a recommendation from friends, family, and possibly your real estate agent, an online search will do the trick.
Using Google as a resource to rent a moving truck is a prevalent option. Whether you are searching on your phone or from a desktop, I would use either “rent a truck near me” or “moving truck rentals near me.” Both of these search terms should give you plenty of options to choose from.
Moving Trucks Near Me – Things to Consider
Let’s take a look at want to think about when looking for a moving truck to rent:
1. What Size Movers Rental Truck Will You Need?
There may be a variety of trucks available at the moving center you rent from. The three most common sizes are:
- 10 to 12-foot truck – A small box truck that will hold the furniture, appliances, and other possessions from a typical studio apartment.
- 15 to 17-foot truck – A mid-sized box truck that will hold the usual belongings found in a one or two-bedroom home.
- 24 to a 26-foot truck – A large box truck usually holds what is found in a house with five to eight rooms.
These are all estimates since how much one person has in their home is different from what another person might have in a home.
It would help to consider how much your belongings weigh, how big your furniture is, and how far you plan to travel. If you are going across multiple states, you will only want to make a single trip.
But renting a cheaper, smaller truck and making multiple trips might make more sense if you are moving across town.
This will undoubtedly be the case if you are going to and from a storage unit nearby to your house. Another thing to consider is whether you need everything you are bringing with you. Many folks take possessions they don’t have any use for.
It might be more prudent to have a company that does donation pick-up to remove the furniture and other things you don’t need.
Think carefully about what size truck you need because the last thing you want is to get a smaller truck loaded up with your stuff and then realize you need a bigger vehicle.
An essential consideration with truck rentals is picking the right size vehicle.
2. How Far Do You Need to Move?
Moving always costs more than you want, but the costs increase as you travel further from your location.
This increase in cost is felt most strongly in your moving truck costs, like the truck rental cost and the cost of fueling the truck.
Even a small box truck will burn more gas than your family car – and a large box truck will guzzle down fuel like there is no tomorrow.
The moving truck rental company will charge you more when you only take the truck one way since they have to plan to return it to its origination point.
If you plan to move far, you should carefully consider the costs and calculate everything beforehand to budget appropriately.
You may find that after everything is said and done, you prefer to pay a little extra to have someone take care of the move entirely – freeing you to focus on other things.
3. How Much Comfort do You Need in Your Moving Truck?
One of the essential things you need to know about renting a moving truck is what you will get. If you drive the moving truck, you’ll want to think about how hard the trip will be on you physically.
A cheap moving truck rental might be perfect for a short in-town move, but you may not be as happy with the thin seats and rocky ride if you have to spend multiple days behind the wheel.
Higher-end moving truck rental companies focus a lot more on comfort for the driver and passenger. A beautiful new moving truck will have comfortable seats, good suspension, and possibly even amenities like a stereo, so you have something to listen to hour after hour on the interstate.
When picking a rental truck, determine the conveniences you want beforehand.
4. Do You Know How to Drive a Moving Truck Rental?
You don’t have to have a commercial license to drive a rental truck, but you do need to exercise extra caution behind the wheel. These trucks are much larger and longer than the car or truck you drive daily, requiring extra care and attention to drive safely.
Some tips for navigating your moving truck include:
Read all Instructions For Your Movers Rental Truck
Rental truck companies know that most renters are unfamiliar with driving a big vehicle, so they must include clear instructions for drivers.
You can find instructions in the truck for various things, including loading and operating the truck. Ensure you read all of these instructions and understand them well.
If you have any questions, ask the rental company before starting the truck and driving off the lot.
Adjust Mirror and Controls in The Truck Rental
You don’t get a rearview mirror in a moving truck – the box with your belongings blocks the view behind you. You must use your side mirrors to check what is beside and behind you.
It is easier to do than it sounds. Just make sure you adjust your mirrors so that you can see as much of the view around the truck as possible.
Practice Driving The Moving Truck Before Filling it Up
The truck will be a little easier to handle when it is not loaded up, so take the time to get familiar with operating the vehicle while it is empty.
Try driving around an empty parking lot or on roads that are not very busy before hitting the open road.
Practice Taking Turns
One of the main ways that a large truck differs from a passenger car is how much more room you need to make a turn. Leaving yourself enough room to make each corner is a big part of driving a truck well and will take some practice.
Stick to The Main Roads With The Truck
Main roads are designed for large trucks. Smaller side roads are not. Keep your path to the main roads to navigate the streets quickly.
Know The Height of The Movers Truck For Bridges
Although rare, you could run into a low bridge for your truck to pass underneath. Find out your vehicle’s height and pay attention to any notifications you see on bridges you are approaching.
You should see signs indicating whether you have enough clearance to pass underneath.
Obey All Traffic Laws With Rental Trucks
A moving truck presents a significant hazard to others on the road because of its size and weight. You don’t want to get into an accident, so obey traffic laws.
Stay within the speed limit, signal before turning or changing lanes, stop at red lights and signs, etc.
You can’t rush a move, especially a cross-country move, so you might as well settle in and do your best to adhere to traffic laws.
5. Are You Going to Need Help to Load or Unload?
Even if you plan on driving the truck, you may not want or need to load and unload the truck. The moving truck rental company should be able to help you find help for loading and unloading.
A company like Hire a Helper can work well if you need someone to help load and unload your moving boxes and other items, such as furniture.
Hire a Helper is one of the most reliable online companies for finding moving day assistance.
Get all the loading and unloading logistics worked out before you start your move so you can keep to your timeline and avoid complications – like being forced to load or unload yourself.
6. Do You Have Everything You Need to Pack Your Things Well?
Truck rentals include more than just driving from point A to point B. Some preparation beforehand is vital.
You have many more tools at your disposal than boxes and tape – although boxes and tape make up the foundation of a well-organized move.
Determine what you must pack and get the necessary tools to make the job as easy and efficient as possible. Some possible tools include:
- Boxes
- Packing tape
- Moving straps
- Mattress bags
- Clear plastic bins
- Dolly
- Hand cart
- Sharpie
- Bubble wrap
- Plastic wrap
- Packing peanuts
Some people like to have a moving and packing checklist.
7. Are You Realistic About Your Travel Time?
Driving all day is hard enough as it is – when you are driving a large truck full of your precious belongings, the stress is only increased. It will take a lot out of you, so you need to plan realistically for how long you plan to drive before stopping for the day.
Giving yourself an extra day or two to travel in the truck is safer and more enjoyable than pushing yourself unnecessarily. Take plenty of breaks, stay at a comfortable hotel/motel, and take it easy.
8. Make Sure You Get Moving Truck Rental Insurance
One thing that most people don’t realize about renting a truck is that it is entirely different than renting a car. Unlike a car rental, your current insurance and credit card likely may not provide coverage for a rental truck.
You might need to get separate coverage from the rental truck company. Different types of insurance policies usually include supplemental liability insurance, damage waivers, personal accident, and possessions insurance.
Here are some considerations for getting truck rental insurance.
Check with your current insurance company to see what is covered and what is not before finding a truck rental company nearby.
FAQ About Renting a Moving Truck
Here are some of the most frequently asked questions people have when getting a moving truck rental:
1. Is There an Age Requirement to Rent a Moving Truck?
It varies from company to company on age restrictions. You can expect that a minimum age of eighteen will be a requirement more often than not.
2. How Much Does it Cost to Rent a Moving Truck?
The distance you travel and the time you have the truck will significantly impact the rental cost.
A rough estimate will be $1000-$1500 if you travel from the Northeast to the Southeast.
The factors that will impact the expense of renting a moving truck include the size of the vehicle, the point of origin, where you are going, the moving date, additional days needed or miles added, and moving equipment extras.
Also, truck rental rates will be higher during peak moving seasons.
3. What is Considered Peak Truck Rental Season?
Peak moving season usually goes from May to September, as most people will move during summer.
If you have to move during this time frame, book your truck rental well ahead of your move. With more substantial demand comes more expensive rates. Try driving on a weekday during the off-season when demand for truck rentals is lower to save on costs.
4. Do I Refuel The Moving Truck Myself?
Like rental car companies, you can either bring back the truck full of gas or, if not, be charged an additional fee that will be expensive. Your best bet is to get the truck back complete.
5. What Kind of Gas Mileage Does a Rental Truck Get?
Most of the time, truck rentals get lousy gas mileage. A ten-foot rental vehicle will get around twelve to thirteen miles a gallon. A large twenty-six-foot truck rental gets approximately ten miles per gallon.
6. Will I be Able to Pick Up a Rental Truck in One Location a Return it to Another?
Most truck rental companies offer service centers throughout the US, making getting a rental truck in one location and bringing it back to another simple.
One-way moves, however, can be more costly. In this circumstance, the company may have to drive the truck back to the previous location. This could potentially be an additional charge. Make sure you ask upfront.
7. What is The Biggest Moving Truck You Can Rent?
If you come from a large home, you’ll probably want the largest truck available, a twenty-six-footer. This is the largest moving truck a customer can rent for a residential move.
These trucks can hold around ten thousand pounds of stuff.
8. Can You Cancel a Movers Truck if You Change Your Mind?
With most truck rental companies, if you give them two days’ advance notice of the pick-up date, they will let you cancel.
Cancellation policies can vary from company to company, along with their cancellation fees. This is worth comparing.
Best Moving Truck Rental Companies
The following are popular truck rental companies worth exploring:
- U-Haul – see our review on renting a U-Haul moving truck.
- Enterprise Truck Rental
- Home Depot Truck Rental –see our review of renting a Home Depot moving truck.
- Budget Truck
- Penske
- Ryder
You can see our comprehensive review of the best truck rental agencies for moving.
Make sure you do your due diligence and comparison shopping before choosing one of these truck rental companies.
Home Depot will be excellent for one-way moving truck rentals. Budget will be perfect for cheap moving truck rentals. U-Haul moving truck rentals is an industry leader with an exceptional reputation.
Enterprise and Penske will be excellent for moving out-of-state rentals.
Final Thoughts on What to Know About Renting a Moving Truck
Finding a reliable truck rental company near you isn’t all that difficult. As mentioned, you can use Google as a tool by searching for “moving truck rentals near me” or something along those lines.
Make sure you take the time to read some of the online reviews. A moving truck rental hopefully saves some money over hiring a professional moving company.
Hopefully, you have found the tips and guidance above useful. Best of luck with your move!
Other Moving Resources Worth a Look
Learn more considerations for having a successful move with these helpful publications.
- Comparing moving containers vs. moving trucks – are you trying to decide between using a moving container company like PODS vs. hiring a moving company? See a review of the pros and cons of these two moving options.
- How to pick a storage unit – are you searching for an excellent company? One of the most vital considerations will be choosing your storage unit. See some terrific tips on selecting the best storage unit for your needs.
- How to pack your house for storage – are you preparing all your stuff for storage? If so, see some helpful tips on getting your home ready to move to the storage unit.
- Who to notify of an address change – once you know you will buy or sell a home, it is time to inform the world that you’ll be moving. Look at a comprehensive review of all the parties that should be alerted to your move.
Use these additional moving resources to make the best decisions possible.
About the author: Bill Gassett, a nationally recognized leader in his field, provided the above Real Estate information on moving truck rentals near me. Bill can be reached via email at billgassett@remaxexec.com or by phone at 508-625-0191. Bill has helped people move in and out of Metrowest towns for 37+ years.
Are you thinking of selling your home? I am passionate about Real Estate and love sharing my marketing expertise!
I service Real Estate Sales in the following Metrowest MA towns: Ashland, Bellingham, Douglas, Framingham, Franklin, Grafton, Holliston, Hopkinton, Hopedale, Medway, Mendon, Milford, Millbury, Millville, Natick, Northborough, Northbridge, Shrewsbury, Southborough, Sutton, Wayland, Westborough, Whitinsville, Worcester, Upton, and Uxbridge MA.
