Moving Tip #5: Who to rent a truck from and what to rent with it

photo courtesy of http://www.curatormagazine.com/brianwatkins/notes-from-a-budget-truck/

We are frequently asked if we will load or unload trucks instead of doing the whole move from origin to destination. We do moves like this all the time. Of course, we do have some strong preferences about who to rent from if anybody ever asks us for recommendations.

Not all truck rental companies are created equal. Some are excellent, some you want to stay away from. Our go-to truck rental place is Budget. Specifically, Anderson Automotive in Arlington, MA. Budget locations take great care of their trucks and any truck they own is only on the road for a certain number of miles/years. The other really good place to rent from is Penske. They take similar care with their vehicles.

We're not big fans of U-Haul, however. Yes, they're often cheaper, but there's a reason for that. They do not maintain their fleet like Budget and Penske do so you're more likely to have a bad ride or experience some sort of trouble. Obviously, that's not always going to be the case and we know plenty of people who have rented from U-Haul with no problems, but we've also heard about more problems with them than with the other two companies combined.

Once you've decided on a truck rental company and rented a truck you'll want to consider insurance and rental equipment and supplies. Truck rental insurance is a really good idea. We counsel anyone who asks us to get the full package, as much insurance as they will let you purchase. The insurance comes into play should there be an accident of any kind. For instance, Budget says that if you do not have their protection plan "you are responsible for any damage or theft of the equipment up to its full value (as much as $30,000 or more), whether or not you are at fault." This does not include any bodily harm to either you, your passenger or anyone else involved. Each company has various plans to cover your cargo, damage and personal injury. Its a really good idea to read through the options for whatever company you rent from and choose the right option for you.

You can also rent equipment and supplies with your truck rental. Probably the most important moving supply you'll want to get your hands on is furniture pads/moving blankets. These will be used to protect your furniture from dirt, scratches, etc. during moving. You might also want to consider renting a hand truck or two wheeler. Two wheelers can certainly make your move go faster, especially if there's a long walk involved at some point. Other moving supplies, like boxes, tape, bubble wrap, etc, are also for sale through truck rental companies, but these can often be found cheaper elsewhere.

If you'd like us to load up a rental truck for you or unload a truck at your new address we'd love to help you. If you have any questions about rentals, including what size to rent, let us know.

photo courtesy of http://timdr.com/blog