Save Money When You Moving With Truck
The cheapest way to move is to rent a moving truck, pack it yourself, and drive it to your new home. However, you can end up spending thousands of dollars on this cost-effective option.
After you determine the overall costs of the truck, fuel, damage coverage, food, hotels, mileage, and other expenses, you might discover that the bill is higher than your expected cost.
Fortunately, there are various ways to save money on your move with truck rental. Consider the following tips if you are looking to move in the cheapest way ever:
In this article
Dispose of the items you don’t need
Moving lesser items means you will be renting a smaller truck size. The cost of a larger moving trucks alone is much, so reducing the number of things you plan to move is one of the easiest and stress-free cost-saving moving means.
In addition, since the weight of items in the truck contributes to gas mileage immensely, you should reduce the weight of the shipment to reduce your spending at gas stations.
During the planning phase of your move, make sure you do a home inventory to know all your belongings and decide the ones you still need and the ones to be disposed of.
In that case, you have some options:
- Donate any functional item you no longer need,
- Sell any valuable item you don’t have any further use for,
- Contact junk removal service to remove any stuff you no longer need and those that are damaged or useless.
Timing is Important
Most moving companies are predictable due to the work obligations as well as the expiration of traditional leases at the end of the month. Trucks are highly needed on the last weekend of each month.
Moving companies naturally understand this. Similar to airlines that charge extra for tickets during weekends, the majority of moving companies charge more on holidays, weekends, and at the end of the month.
If you can move at any date available, or you have more than one moving date, you might have the chance to obtain a discount.
Reputable truck rental companies sometimes post their available discounted midweek rentals on their websites and brochures.
Rent the Right Truck Size
As mentioned earlier, the cost of large moving trucks is higher than the cost of renting smaller ones. If you rent a larger truck size than you need, you will be paying extra fees for all unused space in the truck.
The right size of the moving truck is based on many factors:
- The number of rooms in your former home,
- The number of boxes you will need, and
- The size of your furniture.
If you are currently living in a studio apartment, you probably will need the smallest truck size for your belongings. For each added bedroom in your home, you may need to rent the next higher truck size.
Certainly, these are estimated sizes, and the accurate truck size is not predictable without knowing the actual amount of stuff you own.
Compare Quotes From Different Truck Rentals
Each mover charge different amounts for similar services. If you obtain just one quote, you probably will end up paying more than necessary. That is why you need to obtain quotes from several truck rental providers before you settle for one of them to rent from.
You will know the type of deal you are getting if you have many other companies’ quotes to compare.
We’ve compiled some of the lists for you to start with. Go through our list of cost-effective moving truck rental companies to discover which truck companies often offer the lowest rates.
Check for Discounts
Promotional discounts can save you some money, and they are relevant in the moving industry. There are lots of discounts only available to people in certain locations, seniors, military service members, students, and so on, but others are available to all customers.
Each rental company often has information on its discounts on their website, so be sure to check and see which one you qualify for.
If there is no discount advertised online, be sure to ask the customer representative about them when you call to obtain your quote.
You can also lookup promo codes online, but remember this doesn’t always work.
Read our post on Best Moving Discounts and Deals of this Season.
Book in Advance
Waiting till the final minute to book a rental moving truck can usually cause your actually needed size of the truck not to be available. This will cause you to end up renting an oversized moving truck.
This will not only cost you some money, but there will also be additional space left in the rental truck, and your goods may be subject to sliding and jostling, which will increase the risk level for damage while in transit.
Perform a Careful Inspection at Pickup
During truck rental pick up, they will ask you to inspect the moving vehicle and note any damage observed on a particular form. It is important that you carefully and thoroughly note each dent, scrape, and scratch saw, regardless of the size.
The rental company might assume any previously un-noted damage is fresh and caused by you. This implies that you can be liable for the damages you didn’t cause.
In order to ensure this doesn’t happen, perform the inspection with any of your friends that pays careful attention to details. This will make the process go faster, and they might notice that you miss it. Your purse will be greatly appreciated.
Fill the Tank
Inspect the gas gauge before you drive away from the lot with the rental truck. The gas tank also must be filled to the same level or more during the return of the truck. You will be charged and may be penalized for not doing this.
That charges may be up to four times the amount you would have used to refuel the tank before returning it. And with the big size of the rental truck’s fuel tank, this can quickly increase your total cost.
Return the Truck at the Agreed Time
If you are moving within the town or to another state, you need to return the truck rental on time to prevent being charged late fees and penalties that can increase your overall cost. The main reason for renting a moving truck is to save costs, so do not procrastinate returning your rental truck to save your money.
Watch the Odometer
The majority of truck rental companies do estimate the distance you will be driving during a move. If you pass your allotted estimate, you may be asked to pay extra fees when you return the rental truck.
That is why you must travel through the shortest route to your new destination. If you plan to make a stop along the way and do some necessary things, ensure the moving truck is parked somewhere safe and go round the place with your personal vehicle for your sightseeing.
Which is cheaper between 1-Way and Round-Trip?
Your current situation will determine the answer to this. For long-distance moves, 1-way truck rental may be the cheapest option than a round-trip. For instance, renting a 20-ft U-Haul moving truck to move to Indianapolis from Chicago would cost $269 based on the company’s online estimate. That includes two days of rental and about 221 miles.
If the moving truck you rented is for round-trip instead, the cost would be around $700. This is because the miles for return will be charged as well, which implies that the overall trip would take about 375 miles, and you may need an additional day as well. In addition, you will spend an additional day driving.
However, if your move is shorter, for instance, between Chicago and Chicago Heights, then your one-way rental would cost $235 per day and 39 miles.
In this case, the round trip would cost about $150. So if you are moving a short distance, make sure you obtain quotes for the two options to find out the cheapest. You might also be able to save money by changing your move date.
Have you gotten a great deal from a moving truck rental company? How did you get it? Share with us how it all happened in the comment section below!