Compare Truck Rental Vs. Professional Mover

When faced with a move, most people tend to weigh the difference between renting a moving truck and using a professional moving service. While both offer valid solutions to moving conundrums, at the end of the day, the cost of moving ultimately winds up being a determining factor. But before you take the knee-jerk approach, it’s best to compare renting a moving truck with using a professional moving company so you can be sure you’re getting the best value for your buck.

Cost

Renting a moving truck is undeniably less expensive than the cost of hiring a professional moving company, but in some cases that’s only when you look at it from one direction. Consider the fact that truck rental quotes are only for the rental and do not include things such as fuel costs, tolls, insurance, cargo protection plans, possible fines and penalties, packing materials and other things and suddenly, your final cost of moving is significantly more than might have expected. Conversely, a quote from a moving company is usually exactly what the move will cost you from start to finish.

Content Safety

Some professional moving companies, especially those that offer incredible discounts are notorious for their lack of finesse when it comes to packing, loading and transporting delicate and valuables items.

Broken or damaged goods can greatly increase your total cost of moving, especially when you have to replace an expensive item. Therefore, before you choose a professional mover, you should be aware of their track record. For the best possible experience, you should only choose from among those movers that have been referred to you by people you trust.

On the other hand, if you are using a truck rental, you will no doubt make sure your most sensitive items are properly packed and stowed as to avoid damage because you are in complete control of everything, from the packing to the loading to the transporting to the unpacking.

Finding Discounts

The moving industry is very competitive and both truck rental agencies and moving companies will offer special deals from time to time. Keep your eye out and ask about discounts and you might get lucky and save a lot of money on one or the other. A key tip for keeping your costs down – schedule your move to take place during the week or in the off-season when the rates are at their lowest to begin with.

You can also arrange for a lower price with a professional moving company if you pack your items yourself and only use the service for transportation of your goods.

In order to get a good idea of how just much money you’ll save using a truck rental, take all of these factors into consideration. The truck rental will more than likely still be less expensive than hiring a professional, but by how much? And is it worth it to you to pay the pros to handle the grunt work?

Then again, if you prepare and plan smartly, renting a moving truck will make for your most economically sound move, but only if you’re fully aware of what to expect.