At first glance, renting a moving truck and recruiting friends with the promise of pizza and beer may seem less expensive than hiring full service movers. However, the full cost of a long-distance move goes beyond the price difference between a truck rental and hiring movers.
Here are some additional things to consider when comparing renting a U-Haul or Penske truck to hiring a full service moving company.
Driving a Rental Truck
While you can slide behind the wheel of a 26-foot moving truck it doesn’t mean it’s a great idea. In most states, professional truck drivers must pass a test and get a special license. Why? Because driving such a large truck is much harder than driving a standard car.
First, visibility is limited. There is no rear window or cameras. So you have to rely on your side mirrors when backing up or passing others. Rental trucks are also taller, longer and wider than most passenger vehicles. As a result, navigating unfamiliar roads is more dangerous. Traffic can make these long drives even longer, and most of us aren’t used to spending so much time behind the wheel. A study conducted by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety found that 328,000 severe crashes occur each year as a result of fatigued motorists.
It may seem easy at first, but driving a rental truck long distance can be stressful for even the most experienced drivers.
Heavy Lifting
Moving requires intense physical labor. Lifting furniture and boxes looks easy at first, but most are ready to quit after they carry that mattress or sofa down the stairs. Bulky objects such as couches are difficult to navigate through doorways, down the stairs and around tight corners. Even professional movers have to be careful not to damage property or get hurt while moving heavy items. If they do though, they will be liable instead of you.
Once you carry everything to the truck you want to make sure to load it just right. After all, you want all of your fragile items to make it to your new home in one piece. To ensure they do, you have to safely stack and secure it all, then strap down any loose items. Trained, professional movers know how to properly load the trailer and secure everything. If this extra care is not taken, a few bumps in the road can send boxes tumbling. Possibly leaving you with hundreds or thousands of dollars in damages. Professional movers also use trailers equipped with an air ride suspension system to smooth out those bumps in the road.
Equipment like blankets, straps, furniture pads and dollies make the process of loading and unloading a rental truck easier, but they don’t come free with the truck. You need to request them in your reservation, and each one costs an additional fee.
Hidden Truck Rental Costs
Speaking of hidden fees, when you compare the cost of renting a truck to hiring full service movers, it’s like comparing apples to oranges. In addition to renting all the extra equipment separately, you have to pay for insurance, tolls, and fuel. A 26′ moving truck does not go easy on fuel.
The average rental truck gets 8 to 12 miles per gallon. So for a long-distance move of hundreds or thousands of miles, the cost of filling the tank quickly adds up. For example, if you’re moving from Chicago to Los Angeles, that is roughly a 2,000 mile one-way trip. The average price for a gallon of gas is $2.50, so in a rental truck this trip is likely to cost an extra $400-$625 in gas.
Plus, driving 2,000 miles at the maximum recommended speed of 55 miles per hour means the trip will take around 36 hours. You’ll get hungry and tired, so you’ll want to factor in the costs of food and hotels along the way.
Completing the entire process of packing, loading the rental truck, driving for many hours, then unloading and unpacking at your destination can take a few days and you may need to take time off work. This is another, often overlooked, expense to consider in your price comparison.
Lastly, since you alone are responsible for the safety of your belongings and the rented truck, you’ll want additional insurance coverage. Both truck rental companies and independent insurance companies offer various forms of moving insurance for an additional fee.
Full Service Moving
When you hire a full service moving company, they take care of all the dangerous and stressful parts of moving for you.
- Commercially licensed drivers transport your belongings in trucks equipped with special “air-ride” suspensions. They cushion your possessions from bumps and potholes on the long journey.
- Experienced & professional movers carry all your belongings out of your old place and into your new one. This includes bulky furniture and heavy boxes.
- They expertly stack and load the trailer to protect your stuff during the move. Many full service movers provide limited liability coverage in the rare case they might need it.
- There are no hidden costs for moving equipment, tolls, fuel, food, lodging or insurance. It’s all included in a full service estimate.
Compare: Truck Rental vs. Full Service Moving Costs
Let’s use our previous example of a move from Chicago to Los Angeles (2,039 miles) for a 2 bedroom apartment. We’ll compare the difference in moving costs once we’ve accounted for all of the expenses.
| Expense | Truck Rental | Full-Service Mover |
|---|---|---|
| Grand Total | $2,850 | $3,000 |
| Quoted Cost | $1,700 (20” truck) | $3,000 |
| Additional Insurance | $250 | $0 |
| Moving Equipment Rental | $50 | $0 |
| Fuel | $500 | $0 |
| Food | $150 | $0 |
| Lodging | $200 | $0 |
Ultimately the cost of renting a truck compared to hiring a full service mover for long-distance moves may be much closer than you think. While a full service option may be slightly more expensive, there are other factors to keep in mind as well.
When you hire full service movers, you’re getting a premium service. You don’t have to worry about lifting lots of heavy stuff or loading it safely into a trailer. You don’t have to spend hours loading the truck or days behind the wheel. Instead, use that extra free time on more relaxing activities such as exploring your new hometown.
For small moves over short distances, a truck rental might be a way to save money on your move. However, for long distance or larger moves, hiring a full service moving company will make your move easy and stress-free.
