Moving Truck Rental: The Quick and Convenient Alternative

Moving truck rental is one of the quickest and least expensive ways to get your things from one point to another. Whether you're actually moving your entire home's belongings or you just need seasonal items moved to storage (like lawn mowers, snow blowers, or whatever else may be taking up space in your garage that you don't really need right now), it's easy to rent a moving truck for an hour or two -- or a day or more for bigger jobs -- and get the job done.

Rental trucks for moving are readily available in most areas, including cities and country towns. You're probably used to the "big name" rentals, but many smaller providers and even some storage companies have trucks available to rent by the hour, day, or more. So look online or in your phone book for all your options and call around. Availability, rental charges, and mileage fees should all be considered so you know you're getting a deal that works for you.

Weekends are obviously busier times for rentals so you may want to reserve a truck ahead of time. Also, consider other "big move" times like students moving in and out of the local university dorms in the spring and fall. You may have a harder time getting a truck for those few days, although weekdays are generally less busy. Most rentals are for a 24-hour period, so be sure to have things packed and ready to go before you pick up the truck so you're time is best spent transporting items instead of packing them while the truck sits in the driveway.

If you're moving long distance, say more than a few hours or few hundred miles away, you'll probably want to get a one way moving truck rental. You don't want to spend the time driving the truck back to the pickup point, nor do you want to pay for the mileage (which is reasonable when the truck is in use, but a little expensive when driving an empty truck back to where it came from). Not all companies can provide one way service, but the larger, nationwide companies usually do. Again, call ahead and make your reservations early. One way rentals are a little more complicated as the company must arrange to have other trucks at their disposal, and you'll both need to know the best place to return the truck once you're finished with it in the new location.

The advantages to renting a truck for your moving needs are many. As mentioned, convenience is probably the biggest advantage; rental companies are plentiful in almost every community, the price is inexpensive compared to hiring professional movers and van lines, and you can pickup and return the truck in just a few hours if that's all that's needed. Buying a new big screen TV? Pick out some new patio furniture? Want to avoid expensive delivery fees when you only live a few miles away? Then renting a moving truck may be cheaper, quicker, and more fitting to you schedule, so don't forget this convenient service. Whatever your moving needs, you can usually find a rental that will suit your needs in budget, time, and ease of use.