If you’re moving and looking to save money, and you don’t need much external help, you may be seeking out a moving truck to help cut costs. However, truck rental prices can vary based on all kinds of factors, from time of year to driving distance. If you want to get the best price on a moving truck, you’ll need to shop smart and take advantage of every discount and promotion available to you.
You may be new to moving, but we’re here to help! We’ve put this guide together to help you compare prices, find discounts, and save as much as possible on your move.
When should I rent a moving truck, and why should I rent one in advance?
Always plan ahead and book your moving truck rental in advance. The closer to your move date you book your rental, the more you may wind up paying, and you may also end up without a truck thanks to someone booking that same slot before you. Booking a truck in advance also means you’ll get the rate you first saw and won’t be surprised by price increases that can spring up when you wait.
If you can plan your move around your rental, try to move outside of peak demand times. Truck prices tend to increase during weekends, at the beginning and end of the month, and during the period between Memorial Day and Labor Day, so moving outside of these dates and times will most likely help you get a better price.
If you don’t have that flexibility, though, you can still get a good price on a moving truck during more costly times. Shopping around and booking in advance will help you nail down a good rate ahead of time.
How do I shop around for the best moving truck prices?
Never take the first available moving truck you see. You may be able to find a better price from a different company if you’re willing to take a little time to research, as prices can be unpredictable when you’re first starting out. Keep a comprehensive list of prices handy, and be ready to bring up other companies’ rates; moving truck rental services are often willing to negotiate if you find a better price from a different company.
Try the following techniques to help you find the best price on a truck rental:
- Research and compare different companies’ rates. These are usually available online and easy to line up next to each other.
- Incorporate truck size, fuel consumption, move distance, and any other additional charges into your estimates. If you don’t consider everything, you may find yourself paying far more than you expected to.
- Read company reviews and assess their reliability. A reputable moving truck company won’t try to upcharge you at every opportunity.
- Look out for hidden fees and penalties. Returning a truck late or leaving it in a messy shape may cost you a lot more.
- Consider alternative drop off locations for rental trucks. You can save money by returning a truck to its original location, but if you’re making a long move, you may want to find a closer place to drop it off so you don’t get upcharged for a one-way move.
How big of a truck do I need?
Pro tip: Estimate exactly how much space you need for your stuff before you rent a truck. If you’re not careful, you may end up paying for a larger truck than you need and wasting money on unused space. Here’s a quick guide to some common truck sizes and what can fit in them:
- 10-foot and 12-foot trucks: The contents of a studio apartment or a single bedroom
- 17-foot trucks: The contents of a two-bedroom home
- 26-foot trucks: The contents of a four-or-more-bedroom home
How do I find rental discounts and promotions?
If you know where to look, you can save quite a bit on a truck rental. Here are a few common promotions to seek out:
- Discounts for AAA members
- Discounts for AARP members
- Military discounts
- Student discounts
- Credit cards that offer cash back for truck rentals
- Affiliate partner discounts, such as discounted Penske truck rentals through SpareFoot
Many of these discounts, however, are offset by hidden fees and other charges you may not expect from less reputable companies. Be sure to look into rental costs and prices so you don’t end up paying more than you intend for things like:
- Elevator fees
- Retrospective charges for extra boxes and items
- Toll or transportation fees
- Holiday surcharges
- Storage fees for delayed delivery
What alternatives could I use instead of a moving truck?
There are plenty of situations where you won’t need to rent a moving truck. If you don’t need to move that much stuff and you own a vehicle that can reasonably fit all of it in a couple of short trips, you can avoid a rental entirely by using your own vehicle. If you’d rather not do that, a few other options exist:
- Renting a cargo van. These are smaller, more fuel-efficient, and often cheaper to rent than a truck.
- Renting a portable moving container such as PODS. These containers fit less than a truck, but are moved for you and are often more cost-effective.
- Renting a trailer. Simply attach a moving trailer to your hitch-equipped vehicle and you can move a significant amount of stuff at a lower cost.
Can I get a free moving truck rental through a storage unit?
Yes, you can! Many storage facilities offer a free or discounted moving truck rental to new customers as a promotion or amenity. While you usually can’t move items directly from house to house with these trucks, you can make use of your storage unit to help store, organize, and move items between your old and new homes. A storage unit is often cheaper than a dedicated moving truck, so you’ll save money by adding an extra stop to your move.
How do I get the best price on a storage unit?
Planning ahead, shopping smart, and keeping an eye out for promotions will give you the best price on a moving truck…and on a storage unit. SpareFoot recommends a storage unit rental to make your move less stressful, more cost-effective, and easier to organize.
If you want to compare storage unit prices at a glance, we can help! Take a look at SpareFoot’s built-in search tool to see facilities with available units and moving trucks near you…or near your new home, and compare prices without leaving the page.
Andreea Draguleasa
Andreea Draguleasa showed an affinity for foreign languages and literature at an early age and started writing when she was 6. She studied journalism, advertising, and public relations at the University of Bucharest and worked as a content writer for a tourism agency and as a journalist for a magazine in the hospitality industry until 2010. After seven years as marketing manager for a Home & Deco online shop, she realized that learning something new every day brings her the most joy, so she went back to researching and writing informative articles. Through her experience traveling the world, she's picked up tips and resources she now shares on self storage solutions. When not writing about home organizing and storage, Andreea spends most of her time reading, playing video games, and spoiling her cat.
