5 Reasons Why You Shouldn’t Rent a U-Haul For Your Next Move

For decades, many renters and homeowners have opted to rent trucks for their moves to save money. While you can save money when you rent a U-Haul for a small, simple move, that’s not always the case. Renting U-Haul trucks carries hidden costs and inconveniences that are often more trouble than it’s worth.

That’s especially true if you live in a large home or don’t have enough people to help. It’s also important to consider that driving a U-Haul truck isn’t as easy as it looks, especially if you don’t have experience. Truck rental companies like U-Haul charge for mileage, gas, late fees, and upgrade fees that often surpass the initial quote.

Moving companies provide experienced crews who can pack and safely transport your belongings. There aren’t nearly as many unexpected fees to incur when you hire a moving company, especially at a fixed rate. Follow along as we highlight 5 reasons why you shouldn’t rent a U-Haul for your next move.

5 Downsides of Renting a U-Haul

1. They Are Only Suitable for Small Moves

Renting a U-Haul may work well for small moves, but that’s about it. For example, you may be able to easily fit your belongings into a U-Haul if you live in a 1-2-bedroom apartment or house. Granted, you must still organize, pack, and drive it without help.

However, it’s hard to rely on a U-Haul when you move out of a large home. There’s a good chance that you will make several trips back and forth between your old and new home. This increases rental costs as you must pay more for mileage and gas, which adds up quickly.

2. Poor Gas Mileage

U-Haul trucks aren’t known for having great gas mileage, and that’s a huge downside. You can expect to get 10-12 miles per gallon of gas when you rent a U-Haul, depending on the size of the truck. That means that you will spend a small fortune on gas for your move, especially for long-distance moves.

Stopping to fill the tank several times on an out-of-state move takes up a lot of time and money. Don’t forget that you must also refill your U-Haul before you return it. U-Haul also charges $0.59 to $0.99 per mile on top of the cost of gas.

3. Low Capacity

You simply cannot transport your whole family in a U-Haul in many cases. U-Hauls typically only fit 3 passengers, and it gets fairly cramped up there. This is quite inconvenient, especially if you must go back to your old home to pick up your vehicle later.

Conversely, you can simply meet the moving crew at your new home when you hire a moving company. That way, you don’t have to make as many trips, and you can even pack some belongings in your vehicle. This comes in handy for people with large families and limited time to dedicate to moving.

4. No Professional Help

One of the main reasons that people hire moving companies is because they want professional help. Professional movers know how to efficiently pack, protect, organize, and load your belongings to keep them safe. You don’t get that luxury with a U-Haul rental, so even packing the truck can take a long time.

Many moving companies also include packaging materials in the cost of the move. U-Haul sometimes displays signs that say “Take a box” if they have leftover boxes. However, they won’t typically provide nearly enough packaging materials to pack all your belongings.

Moving without professional help can take hours or even days longer than it would if you hire movers. That said, you can hire movers to load a truck if you rent a U-Haul. Of course, you must still drive the truck to its destination, so it’s not as useful as a full-service move.  

5. Unexpected Costs

Like anything, there are many hidden costs associated with renting a U-Haul. Whether it be time delays, gas refills, or tolls, it’s often more expensive to rent a U-Haul than how it looks on paper. Moving often takes longer than it initially seems, especially if you don’t have experience.

U-Haul charges late fees if you fail to return your rental truck on the allotted date. Moving companies are much easier to predict, especially if you opt for a fixed-rate move. Fixed-rate movers charge a flat rate for everything the move entails. This leaves nothing to chance and ensures you won’t have to incur unexpected costs.

Should You Hire Movers or Rent a U-Haul?

Hiring movers over renting a U-Haul is worth it in many scenarios, including long-distance moves. Many people don’t have experience driving large trucks and hauling that much weight. This can be unnerving and challenging even for short trips, and it becomes much harder for long-distance moves.

You can spend up to $150 daily on rental expenses when you rent a U-Haul for long-distance moves. This is less than hiring professional movers, but you don’t get the luxuries that movers afford when you rent a U-Haul. For example, you won’t have professionals to help you arrange, pack, organize, and drive the truck.

It’s also a great idea to opt for a moving company if you must move on short notice. This is also ideal if you have physical limitations that would make it difficult to move without professional help. Homeowners who live alone or have large houses can also benefit from hiring movers over renting a U-Haul. It’s simply too hard to cram all your belongings into a U-Haul efficiently if you have lots of furniture and belongings.

Consider Professional Movers Before You Rent a U-Haul

At Optimum Moving, we frequently work with customers who have rented moving trucks in the past. The story is often the same: they rented a U-Haul, had trouble moving, and incurred hidden costs. That’s not something you must worry about when you hire our skilled team of professional movers.

Our wealth of experience lets us quickly, efficiently, and safely pack and protect your belongings when you hire us. We leave nothing to chance and provide enough useful services that you simply cannot get with a U-Haul rental. Call Optimum Moving at (855)-315-6683 to save time and stress on your upcoming move.