The True Costs of Rental Trucks — The Good, the Bad and the Costly
Related Links: How does Truck Rental Work & Questions about Rental Trucks
Gas
When purchasing a car, a commonly asked question is, "What kind of gas mileage does the car get?" While you may be used to driving a fuel efficient vehicle, rental trucks are far from efficient. The average rental truck gets anywhere from 3-10 miles per gallon. Keep this in mind when figuring your rental truck costs.
Another important thing to know is the size of the fuel tank. This will allow you to calculate how many miles you can travel before you need to fill up again instead of relying solely on an unfamiliar fuel gauge.
For the current national diesel fuel average try the Department of Energy Gasoline and Diesel update (http://tonto.eia.doe.gov/oog/info/gdu/gasdiesel.asp).
Mileage
You must first calculate how many miles it is to your new home. Your truck rental cost will include this plus, on average, 10% more.
Now you need to calculate the number of extra miles you will be driving in your rental truck, for incidentals such as rest stops, hotel stops, site seeing, if you get lost and unexpected detours.
On average, the truck rental companies will charge $0.40 per additional mile. Be conservative with this estimate, you want to end up saving more than you expected, not spend more.
Hotels
Hotel costs can make a difference when just adding one night on the road. Make sure you allow for plenty of time to get to each intermediate destination on your way to your new home. Missing a check-in time can be costly.
There are some additional questions you should ask when you are reserving a hotel for your drive across the country in a rental truck. You need to ask about cancellation policies in case you have trouble on the road or didn't make it as far as you would have liked. Ask about guaranteed check in or when the latest is you have to check in before losing your room. Also inquire if your rental truck will fit in the designated parking, if there will be additional fees for parking a rental truck, and if secure parking is available.
Food
Additional days on the road lead to additional meals. Keep this in mind when calculating your truck rental costs.
Time Constraints
Time is a valuable thing, especially when you are measuring it in truck rental costs. Add a day for loading and a day for unloading (usually allowed) to your rental time and make sure that is included in the price and rental agreement.
Also ask what the additional cost will be for an additional day or if it is even allowed. Make sure to know what the consequences are if your schedule is off by a day or two.
Insurance
Check with your truck rental company about insurance that is included in your rate.
There will probably be minimal coverage included, but you will most likely pay for additional coverage that will adequately protect you. Most coverage is only available for accidents and not damage due to normal transit.
Find out what your car insurance covers if anything and how your rates will be affected if you have something on your driving record due to something that happened in a rental truck.
Truck Size
One thing that could be more costly than anything during your move is picking the wrong rental truck size. Nothing is more frustrating than loading a truck all day and finding that your truck is full and you still have furniture left over. What do you do then? Get a larger truck and repack the entire thing? Get a second truck and possibly another tow dolly. Who will drive the second truck? Now you have just added another set of costs to your savings plan. Researching the size truck you need is essential to maximize your truck rental savings.
Taxes and Tolls
Most truck rental quotes do not include taxes. Make sure you know what the taxes are in your state(s) and what is applicable to the truck rental service. And keep in mind what tolls you will be paying because of your route. Keep in mind that depending on the size of the truck, you may pay higher tolls than a standard automobile.
If you still want to move yourself, but would like to explore the option of someone else driving, visit www.upack.com. This is a great alternative to driving your own truck, but without the expense of a full service moving company. Many times, these alternatives are cheaper than the total cost for your truck rental.
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