How to Keep Moving Truck Rental Costs Down

There’s a delicate balance that needs to be struck when renting a moving truck. While everybody’s looking for a budget truck rental to keep costs down, not all “budget truck rentals” will provide you with the cost-savings you’re looking for.

In fact, many of these lower priced moving alternatives may actually wind up costing you more in the end. Here are a few real-world tactics you can use to keep your costs under control when using a truck rental for your move.

Reserve in advance

Waiting until the last minute to reserve a moving truck can often result in the size of truck you need not being available. This will cause you to rent a truck that may be larger than your needs. Not only will this cost you more money, but there will be too much extra room left over in the truck and your items may be subject to jostling which will increase the chance that something will break or be damaged in transport.

Return the truck on time

If you’re traveling across town or across the state, returning the truck rental on time is essential to avoiding late fees and penalties that can quickly add up. The primary reason you’re renting a moving truck is to save money, so don’t forfeit your savings by procrastinating when it comes to returning it.

Fill the tank

Before you drive off the lot with the truck rental, check the gas gauge. When you return the truck, the gas tank has to be filled to the same point or higher. Failure to do this will cause you to pay a costly penalty as in some cases, rental companies will charge you up to four times more than it would have cost you to fill the tank before returning it. And with a truck’s gas tank being so big, this can add up to quite a bit of money.

Keep an eye out for promotions

The truck rental industry is very competitive, especially during the summer, and sometimes a company may offer an attractive promotion to try and lure in customers. This can include everything from reduced rates to free mileage. Keep an eye out for these kinds of deals and you might be able to save quite a bit on your moving costs. Before signing, however, always check the fine print to ensure the cost savings aren’t being made up by the company in some other capacity.

Inspect the truck rental before accepting

There are many different ways a truck rental can wind up costing you money if you don’t know what you’re doing when renting one.

For instance, if the truck isn’t cleaned out prior to you renting it, wet stains left behind by the previous user may penetrate your boxes and damage your valuables. In other cases the truck may be damaged, in which the damage should be documented prior to you using the truck to avoid being responsible for it. In addition, renting a truck that hasn’t been properly maintained can result in you breaking down before you hit your destination, thereby costing you time and money.