The Best Moving Truck Rental Companies

When it’s time to move, nothing makes a bigger difference than having the right moving truck rental. Transporting boxes and furniture can eat up a lot of time and gas if you try to do it with your own vehicle — instead, find a cheap truck rental and save yourself the headache.

But before you reserve a moving truck, it’s best to compare companies and moving services so you can find the best and cheapest moving truck rental available.

In this article, we’ll highlight some of the best moving truck rental options around so you can see how the truck rental companies compare and find a moving rental that works for you, your move, and your budget.

The 5 best moving truck rental companies 

• Best overall – U-Haul
• Best for your budget – Budget Truck Rental
• Best for hourly rental – The Home Depot Truck Rental
• Best for a local move – Enterprise Truck Rental
• Best for a long-distance move – Penske Truck Rental

Best overall: U-Haul

U-Haul has a streamlined reservation system that can be used right from your smartphone, allowing for an easy reservation experience. They have competitive prices and a broad range of rental truck sizes. Their smallest U-Haul moving rental truck has an almost 10-foot cargo space and starts at just $19.95 for in-town moves, and their largest truck has a 26-foot cargo space and starts at $39.95 for in-town moves. The per mile costs are either 59 or 79 cents a mile depending on the size of your truck rental. For a one-way move in a 10-foot moving truck, you might pay a flat $806 for five days of use and 1,206 miles.

These prices can rise based on gas used and whether or not you make use of add-ons such as tie-downs, dollies, moving supplies, and insurance.

Every U-Haul truck rental above the 10-foot selection comes with a built-in ramp for ease of loading and unloading. Being a large-scale national company, Uhaul has excellent availability most times of the year. Consumeraffairs.com gives U-Haul just over 1/5 stars based on customer reviews.

*pricing as of 12/16/2020 for a move from Denver to Los Angeles.

Best for your budget: Budget Truck Rental

Budget Truck offers three different sizes of personal moving trucks: 12 feet, 16 feet, and 26 feet. Their base price for both the 12-foot and 16-foot truck start at $29.99/day and their 26-foot has a base price of $39.99/day, plus 59 to 87 cents a mile. For a one-way, five-day truck rental, you’ll pay under $620 for a 12-foot truck with unlimited mileage. Budget partners with AARP members, US military members, students, and more to offer savings of up to 20 percent.

The two larger-sized budget rental trucks come with a built-in moving ramp for ease of loading and unloading. Numerous add-ons are available, including dollies, furniture pads, moving assistance, and multiple protection plans.

It’s simple to secure a budget rental truck through their easy online reservation system that’s accessible through their website. They maintain great availability on their moving trucks and are present in nearly every state within the continental United States. Consumeraffiars.com gives Budget Truck an average review of 1/5 stars for customer satisfaction.

*pricing as of 12/16/2020 for a move from Denver to Los Angeles.

Best for hourly rental: The Home Depot Truck Rental

The Home Depot offers what they refer to as their “Load ‘N Go Rentals.” Their rates for these moving trucks start at $19, but that is specifically for the first 75 minutes and is exclusive to their pickup trucks and cargo vans. For their moving box truck, the base price is $29 for the first 75 minutes with unlimited miles. For every 15 minutes beyond the first 75, they add a charge. A day rental of the moving box truck will cost $139 a day.

The Home Depot has decent availability on their trucks, but the size options are limited. They partner with Penske in providing larger trucks, which we don’t take into account here. You’ll also have to secure a rate and truck at your local store, which can create difficulties when it comes to planning. Of these vehicles, only the largest option comes with a loading ramp. For the intended purposes of short-duration use, this service works well and has received a 4/5 star review from reviews.org.

*pricing as of 12/16/2020 for a move from Denver to Los Angeles.

Best for a local move: Enterprise Truck Rental

Enterprise offers a variety of trucks for personal moving: the 15-foot parcel van for $85.99/day plus 69 per mile, the 16-foot cabover truck for $129.99/day plus 99 cents per mile, and the 24-foot and 26-foot box trucks for $129.99/day plus 99 cents per mile. Prices vary based on date and availability, so it’s best to get a quote online. Keep in mind that add-ons such as furniture pads and moving straps can be purchased as well, but prices and availability vary.

Reservation for an Enterprise moving rental truck is a simple process that can be done entirely online through the Enterprise website. Enterprise truck availability varies by location, and they require that moving trucks be returned to the same site that they were rented from, making this company less useful for long-distance moves. All of their moving truck rentals come with a tuck-under liftgate, making loading and unloading as easy as can be. Enterprise has a 2/5 star average review on consumeraffairs.com.

Best for a long-distance move: Penske Truck Rental 

Penske is a big name in moving truck rentals, and they have locations throughout the continental U.S. They offer five different sizes of moving vehicles: a cargo van, a 12-foot truck, a 16-foot truck, a 22-foot truck, and a 26-foot truck. For a same location drop-off rental, their rates start at $99.99/day plus 99 cents a mile. For a one-way rental, you have to request a quote that’s specific to your pick-up and drop-off location, but they do offer unlimited mileage. Penske also offers AAA, military, and college student discounts.

Penske truck rental offers a large fleet and has good availability, although you may find yourself having to go up or down one size if you don’t reserve the vehicle far enough in advance. The 16-, 22-, and 26-foot trucks all have built-in 1,000-pound loading ramps. Penske has an average review of 1.5/5 stars on consumeraffairs.com.

Methodology: Research for these trucks included analyzing customer reviews of each company, as well as reading over the information provided by each company for each truck and other services offered. Where data was not provided directly on company websites, we reached out to company representatives by web-chat and phone to ascertain relevant information.

Things you should consider before renting a moving truck

When choosing between moving truck companies, it’s essential to know what you’re dealing with in your move. What truck is going to be best for your move depends on several variables. Below are some key factors that you should take into account when selecting the cheapest moving truck rental for your move.

• How much stuff do you have to load? Most companies will provide a housing size estimate for each of their trucks. This tells you if the truck is big enough for a three-bedroom house, or just a one-bedroom apartment. Go onto each truck rental company’s website and look for a truck rental size guide.
• Are you comfortable driving a large moving truck? Moving trucks can be difficult to drive if you have no experience with them. So, if you are the one driving, remember not to rent a truck bigger than what you’re comfortable with.
• How much are you able to spend? The larger the truck, the steeper the cost. Even when mileage is calculated, it is sometimes cheaper to make multiple trips with a smaller truck, rather than getting the largest available. This is especially true for local moves.
• How far away are you moving? Is it a local move or a long-distance move? This affects price and availability and some companies are better for one or the other. Keep this in mind when you consider different companies.

The bottom line

The best and cheapest truck rental companies will vary based on what you need and how far you’re moving. To find the best cheap truck company for you, consider what size truck you’ll need, the number of miles you’ll need to travel in it, and if you need a one-way or in-town rental.

Evie Carrick contributed to this article