If you are preparing for a self service move then you are likely familiar with the three primary options: Truck rental, portable storage and freight. Each option provides a long list of benefits and drawbacks that must be considered before setting up your move. In this blog post we will discuss the truck rental option because it is still the most widely used self service moving method and is available for local, regional and long distance moves.
When most people hear the word "truck rental" they automatically think U-Haul. I applaud U-Haul for their ability to brand themselves so well that they are synonymous with an entire industry, similar to Kleenex, Google, PODS and Asprin. While many people may jump online and book a U-Haul truck, few fail to realize that there are two other large companies that provide moving trucks nationally; Penske Truck Rental and Budget Truck Rental.
Elite Moving LaborTM specifically recommends both Penske Truck Rental and Budget Truck Rental, this is based on years of data regarding safety, quality of service, quality of moving trucks and pricing. With that in mind we have provided a brief overview of the three companies to help you determine which one may be best for your unique situation.
Penske Truck Rental
| Prices | Extremely competitive with U-Haul and Budget. Prices vary by season/route but are much more competitive than many think. Save up to 20% on your one-way truck rentals with our discount! |
| Quality | Nationally established as having the best quality of trucks available. They provide a young and well maintained fleet. |
| Reservations | Easy to use, fast load times and easy to understand. Even better, they provide quotes for insurance prices and include taxes in their pricing. Budget Truck Rental does not. |
| Coverage | The smallest of the three companies in terms of truck rentals. They provide complete national coverage and can be found in most primary and secondary markets, unlikely to be found in rural areas. |
Budget Truck Rental
| Prices | Competitive with Penske and U-Haul. We've found them generally less expensive than U-Haul and slightly more expensive than Penske on average. Save 15-20% with our Budget Truck Rental discounts |
| Quality | 2nd best of the three companies. The fleet varies in age but is relatively well maintained and trucks are usually less than 7 years old. |
| Reservations | Online reservations could be greatly improved. The quotes load slowly and does not include the price of taxes or optional insurances. |
| Coverage | The 2nd largest in the country, Budget covers most major and secondary markets extremely well. You may find them in some rural markets but not all. |
U-Haul Rental
| Prices | Because U-Haul has the most trucks on the road (by far) they can generally offer greater discounts. However we have found on many occasions that their prices are higher than the other two companies. This is likely because many consumers fail to price shop for truck rentals. |
| Quality | Widely accepted as poor quality trucks. While they have added a large fleet of new trucks over the past few years they still have many older trucks that are constantly under scrutiny. Read More |
| Reservations | Simple and easy online reservation process. Includes the prices for insurance however does not appear to list taxes with the quote. |
| Coverage | By far the largest rental truck company. They have over 15,000 locations and can be found extensively in all major markets and can usually be found in secondary and rural markets. |
Comments
That is unfortunate, I am sorry that happened to you. The problem is not unique to Budget Truck, instead it affects just about every transportation company from time to time. Next time I recommend looking into Penske Truck first, as they are the most reliable. However Budget is still far more reliable than U-Haul.
U-Save Moving, Ryder was not added to the list because they don't have a network as extensive as Budget, Penske and U-Haul. I would also classify them more like Enterprise Truck Rental, servicing commercial accounts in local markets more so than residential and long distance.
The morning of my move, Budget left me a voicemail to advise that there was no truck available.
I called customer service several times that day and the next. Customer service could only refer the problem to "Inventory Control Managers" and none of them ever called me.
None of the other companies had a truck available on a moment's notice the last weekend of August.
Utilities are scheduled to be disconnected, I can't turn in the keys as I promised or get my new keys on the other end. My friends who were going to help me move on Saturday will be at work on Monday.
Please use caution and have a backup plan if you decide to rent from Budget.
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