Renting a moving truck is a convenient and cost-effective way to move house. It allows flexibility and control – and it is much more affordable than hiring a professional moving service.
Despite these obvious advantages, however, moving with a rental truck is not the right solution for everyone. It comes with a number of challenges that can make moving even more difficult and stressful than it already is.
So, if you’re considering a DIY-move, it’s important to find out all the pros and cons of renting a moving truck – and carefully weigh them – before making your final decision.
Here are the most essential benefits and drawbacks of renting a truck for moving to help you decide if this option is the right one for you.
Advantages of renting a moving truck
Renting a moving truck and transporting your belongings to your new home yourself is a great way to save money on – and ensure full control of – your move:
Your move will be cheaper
There is no doubt that the cost of renting a moving truck is lower than the cost of hiring a professional moving company.
Truck rental fees start from $20 a day (for the smallest vans) – and even though there are a lot of additional costs (fuel costs, insurance costs, fees and taxes, etc.) that add to the final price, it is still easily affordable.
The average cost to rent a moving truck for a local move is between $150 and $300 ($2,000-$3,000 for interstate moves) – cheaper than any other moving option (with few exceptions in specific circumstances).
See also: The cheapest way to move house
You will have full control of your move
If you rent a moving truck and perform a self-move, you will be the one in charge – of everything.
It will be up to you to decide when and how to perform your relocation – you will be able to start your move as early (or as late) as you want to, pack your stuff as you see fit (and at your own pace), take good care of your items, choose the route to your new home, drive as fast (or as slow) as you like, stop when you want to, etc.
In one word – you will be able to do things your way.
It will be easy to find a truck rental option that perfectly suits your needs
Rental trucks come in various sizes, so it will be easy to find a vehicle that fits your items perfectly – large enough to accommodate all your stuff, but not so big that there remains empty space in it.
You need to carefully assess how much space your belongings are going to take up (consider the number and type of items you have for moving), so you can determine the right size truck for your move – and don’t end up having to make multiple trips to your new home (because the truck is too small to fit all your items at once) or paying for space you’re not using (because the truck is too big).
Choosing the correct size truck will save you both time and money on your move and will help you reduce the risk of damage to your items during transport (as they will be snugly packed in the moving vehicle and won’t move around, bump into one another, or topple over during the haul).
In addition to various truck sizes, rental companies provide all kinds of accessorial moving equipment as well – dollies, moving blankets, etc. They come at an extra cost, of course, but if you need them for your move, they will be conveniently available.
What’s more, truck rental agencies offer a range of insurance options too – so you can easily get the type of coverage you want for your move.
Last but not least, you will be able to rent a moving truck one way, if you need to (if you’re moving long distance, you will want to pick up a truck from a location near your old home and return the vehicle to a lot near your final destination). Renting a truck one way won’t be a problem, as most major truck rental companies have pick-up and drop-off locations in various cities across the country.
Must-read: What to know when renting a moving truck
You will be able to take your vehicle with you
When moving with a rental truck, you won’t need to worry about how to get your car to your new home. Most rental trucks are equipped with a trailer hitch for towing a vehicle trailer, so you will be able to tow your car behind your rented truck – safely and conveniently, without any extra costs (for fuel, road tolls, etc.). You will need to pay for the rental vehicle trailer, of course, but the fee is very small when renting a trailer from the same company you’re renting your moving truck from.
Keep in mind, however, that towing a trailer is not easy and requires advanced driving skills.
See also: How to tow a car when moving across the country
There will be less stress
When performing a DIY-move and transporting your belongings yourself, you will be able to take proper care of your items and will know where they’re at all times.
So, you won’t need to worry about your cherished possessions and will have peace of mind – unlike when moving with a moving company (the movers will drive off with your goods and you won’t see them for quite some time – this can be quite disconcerting, considering the risk of moving accidents, moving scams, and other nightmarish scenarios).
As a whole, you will be less stressed when renting a truck for moving:
- You won’t need to worry whether everything will be ready by the time the movers arrive and won’t feel so pressured;
- You won’t need to worry whether the movers will arrive on time on moving day, will take measures to protect your property, will handle your items with care, etc.;
- You won’t need to worry about how long your local move is going to take as you won’t be charged by the hour – truck rental prices are calculated per day;
- You won’t need to worry about extra charges for additional moving services;
- You won’t need to worry about moving fraud.
All in all, renting a moving truck means a lot less worries.
Related: How to reduce moving stress
Disadvantages of renting a truck for moving
As advantageous as it may be to rent a truck for moving, however, it’s not ideal – there are some considerable drawbacks to keep in mind:
You may not be able to save as much money as you thought
Even though truck rental fees are very affordable, the final cost to rent a moving truck can be quite high – there are various fees and taxes (mileage fee, environmental fee, additional driver fee, etc.) and a number of extra costs (insurance costs, equipment rentals, etc.) that add to the final price.
Besides, you may be charged some extra fees if you don’t return the truck on time (late return fee), if the vehicle is not clean upon return (cleaning fee), if you have caused any damage to the truck (damage fee), etc.
The cost of gas is another major concern, especially when moving across the country – a fully loaded truck consumes a lot of fuel, so you will spend a lot of money on gas when moving long distance (and you will need to refill the tank before returning the vehicle – returning the truck with less fuel than it had when you picked it up will result in a premium charge for refueling).
Road tolls should also be taken into account – as well as parking fees, meals and lodgings on the way, etc.
All things considered, the cost of moving with a rental truck may come quite close to the cost of hiring a moving company.
See also: How much does a self-move cost?; How to keep moving truck rental costs under control
It will take a lot of effort – and you will need help
When you rent a truck for moving, you won’t have any professional moving help – it will be up to you to load and unload your belongings.
That’s a lot of work and a lot of heavy lifting – it will be exhausting and you will most likely not be able to do it on your own. You will need to ask friends for help or hire moving labor – and neither option is ideal:
1) Hiring moving labor will increase your final moving costs – and the entire point of renting a truck for moving is to save money on your move.
2) Asking friends for help will make things much more complicated:
- It won’t be easy to coordinate the logistics – your friends will probably only be available to help you on weekends and weekends are busy times for the moving industry, so rental trucks won’t be easily available (and even if they’re, you won’t be able to get a good deal);
- Your friends don’t have special training or moving experience – they won’t work as safely and efficiently as professional movers, so loading and unloading will take longer and the risk of damage to your items and your property – as well as the risk of personal injuries – will be much higher;
- You may not feel comfortable asking friends to sacrifice their free time – and risk their health – to help you move;
- When moving long distance, your friends won’t be able to help you unload the truck at your new home;
- You will need to find a way to thank your friends who come to help you.
If you hire professional movers, things will be much easier – the pros will do all the hard work, so you won’t need to lift a finger. The experts know their job, so they will perform your move in the safest and most efficient way possible – and they will take care of everything, from start to finish, so you won’t need to worry about anything.
See also: Pros and cons of asking friends to help you move
You will lose a lot of time – and will need to deal with driving a large and heavy truck
When moving long distance with a rental truck, you will have to spend days – sometimes, more than a week – behind the wheel. It’s a lot of time and you may not always be able to afford spending so much time on the road.
Besides, driving a large and heavy truck is very difficult and even dangerous – you need to be extremely careful and drive with great caution (drive slowly, brake early, make wide turns, bear in mind the clearance of the truck all the time, etc.). (See also: How to drive a moving truck)
If you don’t have the time to drive a moving truck across the country or are not up to the challenge, hiring a professional moving company is your better choice – the movers will transport your items for you and will deliver them to your new home in a safe and timely manner.
You will need additional insurance
When using professional moving services, the movers are liable for your items – so, you will be compensated if your belongings get lost or damaged during the moving process.
When moving with a rented truck, you bear all the responsibility for your items. You are also liable for any damage caused to the truck or by the truck, as well as for bodily injuries.
Your homeowners’ insurance may provide some coverage for your items and the liability coverage on your car insurance policy will extend to your rental moving truck, but it won’t be enough – to ensure your peace of mind, you need to buy moving truck insurance from the rental company (and it will increase your final moving costs).
So, even though renting a truck for moving has a lot of advantages, it is not always a good solution – especially not in the event of cross country moves.
You need to research all your moving options and find out how much it will actually cost you to hire movers for your relocation before you decide to rent a moving truck – so you can make the right choice for your move.
