Over a hundred quotations were obtained, genuine customers were interviewed, and the services provided by the industry's leading moving truck rental firms were investigated. We'll help you choose the best moving truck business for your budget based on our combined 20 years of industry knowledge.
Top 5 Best Moving Truck Rentals
4.5 Stars
1. Penske Review
Penske Truck Rental is one of the nation’s leading moving truck suppliers, with sites across the United States and Canada. Out of all the truck rental firms on our list, it routinely receives the largest number of positive customer ratings on platforms such as Yelp and Google Reviews.
Penske took the top rank on our list due to its extensive variety of services and inexpensive costs for long-distance movers (moves of more than 100 miles) and big truck rentals.
Budget has facilities around the country and provides every service that a moving truck business should. Unfortunately, Budget is outperformed by Penske in terms of truck rental sizes, customer satisfaction, and long-distance pricing.
However, for local movers (moves less than 100 miles), the firm provides the most bang for the buck, which should come as no surprise for a company-branded “Budget.”
U-Haul is the most well-known moving truck firm in the market, and it is often associated with do-it-yourself moving. However, the organization does not provide the finest customer service or the most affordable moving truck rental rates.
U-Haul, on the other hand, outperforms competitors in two ways: availability and the sheer amount of services.
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Penske has five truck sizes, which isn’t a lot but isn’t bad either. In addition to a good vehicle variety, Penske claims to have among of the industry’s newest trucks, therefore a Penske truck is less likely to break down en route than trucks from rivals.
Moving truck sizes and features
Truck sizes
Cargo van
12 foot
16 foot
22 foot
26 foot
Internal dimensions
11 ft. 11 in. x 4 ft. 6 in. x 6 ft. 9 in.
12 ft. x 6 ft. 6 in. x 6 ft. 1 in.
16 ft. x 7 ft. 7 in. x 6 ft. 6 in.
21 ft. 11 in. x 8 ft. 1 in. x 8 ft. 1 in.
25 ft. 11 in. x 8 ft. 1 in. x 8 ft. 1 in.
Capacity
Up to 1 room
1–2 rooms
2–3 rooms
3–5 rooms
5–7 rooms
Weight limit (lbs.)
3,500
3,100
4,300
10,000
10,000
Interior space (cu. ft.)
404
450
800
1,200
1,700
Fuel tank capacity (gallons)
Up to 31
Up to 33
Up to 33
Up to 50
Up to 50
Miles per gallon
12
12
12
13
13
Data as of April 20, 2021.
Why Penske is our number one
Penske has the best prices for long-distance moves and large loads
Penske is the best option if you’re traveling great distances or want a large vehicle. We obtained over a hundred bids from the firms on this list, and Penske had the best average pricing for transfers over a hundred miles, but only narrowly. Penske’s average pricing for all moves over 100 miles was around $1,944, while U-was Haul’s approximately $1,945.
Penske’s value was particularly evident in its price for transfers over 1,000 miles and requiring bigger vehicles.
Penske’s average for relocation between 1,000 and 2,000 miles was $2,471, while U-was Haul’s $2,684, a difference of more than $200. Similarly, Penske’s average for moving out of residences with 3 to 5 bedrooms was $2,141, while U-was Haul’s $2,225.
Despite the fact that Penske’s average for local removals was more than that of its competitors throughout our study, we have observed the firm give the best pricing possible for a local relocation. Even if you’re only relocating locally, receiving an estimate from Penske is worthwhile.
Penske has plenty of discounts
Penske provides a wide range of discounts in addition to inexpensive costs, including:
AAA discounts—12% or more off truck rental
Military discounts—10% off truck rental
College student discounts—10% off truck rental
Seasonal/promotional discounts—varied savings2
Looking for a great deal?
If you’re concerned about your finances and want to see what savings other truck rental businesses are giving, you may go through our list of moving truck specials and discounts from around the industry.
Penske offers every service you could want for a truck rental move
Remember the characteristics to look for in a moving company? Penske, on the other hand, has many of them. Penske can provide you with anything you need for your truck rental move, whether it’s a tow dolly, a loading labor team, high-quality moving coverage, or the right vehicle for the task.
And, because Penske has more positive customer evaluations than almost any other moving truck rental company, dealing with them ensures that you’ll receive first-rate customer care without breaking the bank.
Budget
Moving trucks
Budget, like Penske, provides a limited but adequate truck variety with five moving truck sizes. Budget’s vehicle sizes range from a cargo van to a 26-foot box truck, which is the same size as competitors’ largest trucks.
The budget also provides a selection of full-size pickup vehicles that may be utilized for modest, local moves and home renovation tasks, in addition to what is indicated in the table below.
Moving truck sizes and specifications
Truck sizes
Cargo van
12 foot
16 foot
26 foot
Internal dimensions
11 ft. x 4 ft. 5 in. x 6 ft.
10 ft. x 6 ft. 3 in. x 6 ft.
16 ft. x 6 ft. 3 in. x 6 ft. 7 in.
26 ft. x 8 ft. 1 in. x 8 ft. 1 in.
Capacity
1 room or a studio apartment
1–2 rooms
3–4 rooms
5–8 rooms
Weight limit (lbs.)
3,400
3,610
4,460
10,000
Interior space (cu. ft.)
357
380
658
1,698
Fuel tank capacity (gallons)
25
35
33
50
Miles per gallon
8–14
8–14
6–10
8–10
Data as of April 20, 2021.
Why we recommend Budget
It has unbeatable rates for local moves
Budget’s low upfront prices paired with low mileage rates make it the most inexpensive alternative if you’re relocating less than 100 miles and want a mid-sized to big moving truck.
The average cost of renting a moving truck for a local relocation is $27.60 according to Budget. U-average Haul’s is $38.70, whereas Penske’s is $328.09 (yikes!). These pricing, however, are only for truck reservations and do not include mileage charges.
However, Budget’s mileage rate for the bids we received was $0.47/mile, which was significantly cheaper than U-($0.99/mile) Haul’s and Penske’s ($1.29/mile). If you booked a moving truck for a local move and traveled 60 miles round-trip, you’d spend around $60 with Budget, $100 with U-Haul, and more than $400 with Penske.
Only Enterprise and Home Depot offer lower mileage rates than Budget, with costs as low as $0.20/mile and unlimited miles. However, Enterprise’s average up-front fee for renting a moving truck is $129.77, which is more than a hundred dollars more than Budget’s, and Home Depot’s unlimited mileage policy only applies to a limited number of very tiny vehicles.
Budget has a partnership with Avis.
Budget collaborates with Avis Car Rental to provide cargo vans and moving trucks that are larger than the cars in Avis’ main fleet to Avis clients.
It has a wide assortment of discounts
Budget provides several discounts to further cut the cost of their already low-cost truck rentals:
Military discounts—20% off
AARP member discounts—20% off Sunday through Thursday and 10% off Friday through Saturday
Police, fire, and EMT personnel discounts—20% off for local moves and 15% off for one-way moves
Motor Club member discounts—20% off for local moves and 15% off for one-way moves
Bar Association member discounts—20% off for local moves and 15% off for one-way moves
Student discounts—20% off for local moves and 15% off for one-way moves3
Budget also provides seasonal and special discounts on a regular basis, so check the company’s website or ask your customer service agent about current discounts when you book.
U-Haul
Moving trucks
U-Haul has seven distinct moving truck sizes, offering them the widest range of vehicles suitable for both long-distance and local relocation. The firm also claims to be the only one that works directly with truck manufacturers to design vehicles exclusively for domestic relocation rather than commercial freight.
Why we recommend U-Haul
It has more locations than any other truck rental company
U-Haul offers greater availability than any other moving truck provider, with a network of over 21,000 sites. There’s undoubtedly at least one place near you, no matter where you are. This is significant for two reasons: cost and convenience.
How accessibility U-Haul’s may help you save money
Moving costs are mostly driven by supply and demand. Some services (such as moving coverage) have set fees, although moving equipment rental charges can vary greatly. This is especially true when there are a lot of people migrating because there is less equipment accessible.
As a result, a firm with a large number of sites and vehicles can typically give the best costs. While U-Haul didn’t have the best pricing for local rentals or one-way moves, it did come in second in both categories.
We only wish U-Haul offered more deals.
Is it worthwhile to save money by using U-Haul?
Renting a U-Haul moving truck is less expensive than hiring a full-service mover, but not by as much as you may expect. Moving using a U-Haul also requires a lot of physical lifting, long hours of travel, and a few extra fees such as petrol and lodging. Check out our guide where we compare renting a U-Haul versus hiring a full-service mover for the entire analysis.
Why is U-availability Haul’s synonymous with convenience?
Because U-Haul is so widespread, you’ll nearly always be able to find a local site to pick up or drop off your moving vehicle. This might mean spending less for the mileage you’ll need merely picking up or returning your truck for local transfers. It means you won’t have to drive too far out of your way before or after a long-distance move.
It also means that if your local U-Haul site does not have the truck size you want, you will most likely be able to rent it from another nearby location.
Are you ready to start loading?
U-Haul provides the most services.
While both Penske and Budget have broad service offerings that encompass everything from moving coverage to moving labor, U-Haul truly excels in terms of the number of services it provides.
In addition to the basic services provided by a moving truck rental firm, U-Haul additionally provides:
Moving and storage containers
Self-storage
Cargo trailers
Furthermore, U-Haul outperforms both Budget and Penske (if not necessarily better). The firm provides a larger selection of tow trailers and moving trucks than most of its competitors.
And, while U-client Haul’s evaluations are mixed, it’s difficult to top a service menu this comprehensive.
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