Tips on how to rent a moving truck
With the current economy everyone is looking to save money wherever they can. It is not uncommon to rent your own moving truck and invite all of your family and friends to come help you pack up and say bon voyage. If you don’t have a wealthy of family and friends around often people will hire movers, like Gainesville Moving, to pack and unpack the truck for them all you do is drive it from one location to the other. If driving a large truck intimidates your read our previous article tips for driving a rental truck. If you are moving to Gainesville or any where else and want to of do it yourself here are some tips on how to rent a moving truck.
The first thing you will need to know is what date you need the truck and how long are you going to rent it for. Figure out what day you will pack up your home into the truck. Then calculate how much time it will take you to drive to your new location. If it is across town then no big deal; however if it is across the country this may require a little more planning. Don’t forget to take into account pit stops for gas, food, and bathroom breaks. If you are traveling with a small child or dog plan on stopping 5-6 times a day for 20 minuets. The best idea is to look at a map and set realistic goals for which city you wish to reach each day. However long you expect your drive to take add 3-5 days and that is how long you should rent the truck for. You will need 1-2 days to unload the truck and the other 2-3 days give you room in case of slow trip or flat tire occur.
Now that you know when you are moving you now need to figure out “how big of a truck should I rent?” What you should do first is make an inventory list of your home. Now is also a good time to sell or donate item you don’t need. If you haven’t started packing estimate how many boxes you will have and then add 10 to that number. A general rule of thumb in figuring out “how big of a truck should I rent?” is you will need 150 cu. ft. of truck space per furnished room. The common truck sizes are:
12 ft. truck = 450 cu. ft. = loft or small 2 bedroom apartment
16 ft. truck = 800 cu. ft. = large 2 bedroom apartment
22 ft. truck = 1,200 cu. ft = 3-4 bedroom apartment or 2-3 bedroom house
26 ft. truck = 1,400 cu. ft. = 4-5 bed room apartment
Penske truck rentals offers a great website to figure out “how big of a truck should I rent?” called the Truck Wizard where you type in your inventory and it will estimate what size truck you need. Many of the rental companies are willing and very capable of helping you figure out what size truck you will need. Just remember it is better to have a little extra space then not enough.
Once you have your moving date and truck size it’s now time to shop around for a truck. Call up your local truck rental companies in your area but also look at rental car companies and home improvement stores. For an accurate quote they will need to know your:
Move date
Local or one-way move
Size of truck you want
Rental Accessories (pads, dollies, car hauler, ect.)
Companies vary on weather they charge by the mile or flat rate per day for the type of truck you rent. Get all of your quotes and do the math as to which is the most economical for your move. Don’t forget to ask about insurance both for the truck and your belongings. Ask if the agency offers assessed value insurance, which can replace your items, should an accident or loss occur. Carefully ask questions of each insurance option and figure out what will work best for you. Also, check with your household insurance agency to see if they cover your move. If your not moving far or you don’t have many valuables, then general insurance may be enough.
Now that you have decided on which company you are going to rent a truck from call them back and place a reservation. In order to do this you will need a credit card. It is better to do this as soon as possible; ideally you should reserve your truck a month in advance but at least two weeks before your move. You will want to reserve even further in advance if you are moving at a peak time for instance at the beginning and end of college semesters truck rental companies can often be sold out two to three weeks in advance.
Congratulations on your upcoming move and you can now relax a little that you have you truck reserved. All you have to do now is start packing. It is a great idea to get a box or two a week and start packing things you don’t need weeks in advance, that way when it comes down to your move date some of the work is already done. For tips on how to pack read our other blogs:
What is the proper way to pack your items into a moving truck?
How to Properly Pad and Wrap Your Furniture by Gainesville Moving
