Best Car Carrier Companies Recommendation

Penske

Unlike U-Haul, Penske has a great reputation for customer service and transparency: It makes good on the features and benefits it advertises. Basically, what you see is what you get when it comes to Penske, and that’s something few moving companies can claim.

For example, Penske guarantees reservations for your preferred truck size and pickup location. Other companies may offer this—but only at an added cost.

Our only complaint? Penske rents car trailers but doesn’t offer other types of moving trailers. Plus, it doesn’t allow you to tow its trailers behind anything other than a Penske rental truck.

Trailers Penske offers

Car trailers

Penske’s car trailers have a three-point tie-down system to keep your vehicle in place and prevent shifting. They also come with a ramp to make it a little bit easier to load everything from your mom’s new Mercedes to your beat-up Toyota you bought in college.

Penske’s car trailers are best for cars with all-wheel drive or rear-wheel drive—they also have a lower weight limit than U-Haul. Before you reserve, consider whether or not Penske is the best option for your car type.

Penske car trailer features

Car dolly

Like its car trailers, Penske’s car dollies can only be pulled behind a Penske truck. But unlike its car trailers, the weight limit on its car dollies are actually higher than U-Haul’s.

If you know you have a heavier-than-average car, this might be one reason to choose Penske over U-Haul.

Penske tow dolly features

How much does it cost to move with Penske?

Penske offers no set rental rates. It bases the cost of its car trailers and tow dollies on availability. The more car carriers and tow dollies it has at your location, the cheaper they are to rent. The less available they are, the more expensive they’ll be.

It was hard to nail down exactly how much Penske trailers cost because the company isn’t transparent about its cost factors (on top of its variable rates).

For instance, we got a quote of $275 for a car trailer starting in Salt Lake City, UT, and ending in Portland, OR. However, the cost of a move from Portland to Salt Lake City could be double that depending on how many trailers the Portland Penske has on hand.

Seasonality also affects rates. The quotes we got are from the winter, but if we called again in May or June, the rates could easily be double.

U-haul

U-Haul allows you to rent its moving trailers a la carte, which means you don’t have to rent a moving truck to get a cargo trailer or tow dolly. This sets U-Haul apart from its competitors, who require you to rent moving trailers and car trailers/tow dollies all at the same time.

U-Haul is also the only company on our list to offer moving trailers in addition to car carriers and tow dollies (the others don’t offer trailers). In fact, U-Haul knocks it out of the park with its thirteen trailer options.

Be cautious of hidden fees, though—U-Haul has a rep for tacking extra costs onto your final bill.

Trailers U-Haul offers

Cargo trailers

Cargo trailers are smaller than a rental truck but still offer the same protection from the elements. You’ll want one of these if you’re transporting bedroom furniture, fragile items, or that pricey West Elm desk you always use a coaster with.

It comes down to this: Cargo trailers are best if you want protection. Your belongings will be kept safe from highway debris, and you won’t have to worry about a surprise torrential downpour ruining your velvet loveseat.

Plus, U-Haul cargo trailers have lockable doors to keep your things safe from theft.

U-Haul cargo trailer rates

Utility trailers

Utility trailers are ideal for outdoor or oversized items like landscaping equipment or your brand-new gas grill.

We don’t recommend throwing your Restoration Hardware sectional in one of these—but if you’re transporting patio furniture, a lawn mower, or other items that can handle an open ride on the highway, we say go for it.

Several utility trailer sizes come with an EZ Ramp so you can slide heavy belongings onto the bed rather than lift them. These open trailers can’t be locked, but they do come with tie-down rings to secure your items in place.

U-Haul utility trailer rates

Auto trailers

If you don’t want to drop money on car shipping, you can rent a car or motorcycle trailer to tow your ride. Your vehicle sits on top of the trailer so your tires don’t suffer wear and tear while on the road.

For this reason, we recommend getting a car trailer if your move is long distance (i.e. 300 miles or more).

U-Haul’s car trailers can hold vehicles up to 5,290 pounds. To put this in perspective, a Ford F-150—a heavy-duty pickup truck—weighs anywhere from 6,000 to 7,000 pounds. Check up on your car’s specs to see if it’s towable before you book an auto trailer.

U-Haul auto trailer rates

Tow dolly

A tow dolly is cheaper than a car or motorcycle trailer, but it also offers less protection. Instead of lifting the vehicle completely off the ground, it supports only the front wheels. The back tires drag on the road—which does still save your car from racking up mileage.

If you have a smaller car and a tighter budget, a tow dolly may be all you need. But this solution is best for local moves—the wear and tear on your back wheels will be too much with long-distance moves.

U-Haul tow dolly rates

How much does it cost to move with U-Haul?

Renting a trailer through U-Haul is cheaper than renting a trailer with any other company we reviewed. That’s because you can reserve a U-Haul trailer without having to pay the full price of a truck rental.

Here are the factors that affect U-Haul’s base rates:

• Trailer type
• Trailer size
• Move distance
• Gas mileage
• Seasonality (i.e. rates increase in the summer)

To be honest, U-Haul’s base rates seem too good to be true. Here’s the caveat: U-Haul has a thing for jacking up your total via last-minute fees ranging from gas costs and mileage fees to damage protection plans.

Budget

If you’re wondering what Budget is best for, its name is a straight giveaway.

Budget is ideal for the price-conscious mover. And while the company only allows you to rent a car trailer or car dolly as part of an existing truck reservation, it offers low rates plus a slew of discounts to curb your overall cost.

And, if you’re moving locally, its rates get even cheaper.

Trailers Budget offers

Car trailers

Budget’s car trailers secure your car above the ground on a trailer attached to the back of your rental truck.

Like with Penske, you don’t have the option of attaching a Budget trailer to your personal vehicle. But there’s another caveat: you can only pull a Budget car trailer with Budget’s 26-foot truck.

While this trailer’s weight limit is fairly comparable to the other two companies’ offerings, Budget still has the lowest weight capacity of all three.

Budget car trailer features

Tow dolly

Budget’s tow dollies operate just like U-Haul’s and Penske’s both in design and functionality. Regardless of which company you choose, a tow dolly helps limit extra mileage on your car (just not as much as a car trailer).

The difference with Budget is that its tow dollies are only available for one-way moves. But the clear advantage with Budget is its affordable rates—especially if you qualify for one of its discounts.

Budget tow dolly features

How much does it cost to move with Budget?

Like Penske, Budget doesn’t have flat rates for its car trailers and tow dollies. But unlike Penske, Budget determines the price of each car trailer and tow dolly based on the number of days your move takes and your mile count—this means you won’t get sky-high prices based solely on where you live.

You’ll need to call a Budget representative to find out how much a trailer or car dolly rental will increase your bill, as these items aren’t included in Budget’s online quote generator (which is a little annoying, if you ask us).

Trailer towing FAQs

Can my car tow a trailer?

The short answer: It all depends on the car. Generally speaking, there are certain car types that aren’t designed with tow capabilities in mind:

• Luxury cars
• Antique cars
• Smaller cars (such as coupes and hatchbacks)
• Electric cars

Give your car make and model a good Google search to find out if it’s tow-friendly. Some rental companies like U-Haul and Penske even have tools on their websites that tell you whether or not your car has towing capabilities.