What’s the cheapest way of moving? Your answer will obviously be renting a moving truck, loading it up, and driving it to your new place. After all, nothing can beat the perks that are offered by a DIY move. But did you know that although a DIY move is the cheapest out of the three types of moves, expenses can add up and it will end up costing you a lot of money!
Many people end up getting surprised because they expect their moves to not cost a lot. Let us tell you that a move will certainly wipe out your savings if you don’t make any conscious efforts to cut down your expenses. Fortunately, there are several ways in which you could actually make your move wallet-friendly. Want to know more about it? Have a look at the ways to save money on a moving truck rental!
Ways to Save Money on Rental Trucks
1. Downsize Your Move
It is a commonly known fact that the more things you move, the more you can expect to spend during your move. If you have a lot of stuff, you will need to rent out a larger truck that costs more. The best way to save some money on a rental truck move is to downsize your move.
This means that you will have to walk through your house and take note of the items that are either broken/spoilt or you don’t use anymore. Make a list of these items and try to get rid of them before your move. How to get rid of them? You can do the following things:
- Items that are broken/spoilt beyond repairs go into the trash. A good junk removal company will take care of all your trash.
- You can hold garage sales or yard sales and sell some of your items.
- The items that are new or in great condition can be donated.
- You can give away some stuff to your friends or family members.
Doing all this will help you to make a quick buck as well. How? Well, if you sell your stuff, you can generate money pretty quickly. On the other hand, whatever stuff you donate is considered to be tax-deductible. Don’t forget that a penny saved is a penny earned!
Also Read: Are Moving Expenses Tax Deductible?
2. Starting Early with Your Reservations
The most common mistake that people make during moves is reserving moving trucks at the last minute. Why is this bad? Let us tell you. When you reserve at the last moment, the truck rental company will charge you a higher rate. To add to that, there is no guarantee of finding the right size of truck for yourself at the last moment. You might get a truck that is either too big or too small for you.
When you rent out a truck that is too small, you will certainly struggle to fit your stuff into it. You might even have to make two trips to move all your stuff from your current house to your new house. This will cost you double the money you expected to spend.
On the other hand, when you rent out a truck that is too big for you, you will have to pay according to the size of the truck. This means that even if you use only half of the space that’s available inside the truck, you will still have to pay the full rent. To add to this misery, your stuff won’t be packed tightly inside the truck. It is most likely to move around which will result in breakages. In this case, you will be paying extra as well as facing some monetary losses.
3. Talk to Multiple Companies
It would be quite foolish of you to get a quote from only one truck rental company and then hire it. There are several companies in the business which means that not every company offers you the same price for your move. The goal here is to find the company that offers the best quality of services at the lowest prices.
All you have to do is get in touch with a variety of truck rental companies and see what they have to offer. Get quotes from all the companies and don’t forget to read up on the reviews that have been posted by their past customers. Once you do your research, you will most definitely find a company that is not only suitable for your needs but also offers services at really low prices.
4. Moving Discounts and Deals
Moving companies know that moves get a little bit heavier on the pocket of their customers because of which they constantly have some promotional offers and discounts that allow customers to bring down the price of their moves. Truck rental companies use these discounts not only for the benefit of their customers, but to achieve their main aim which is to lure in more customers and expand their clientele.
While some offers are targeted specifically towards a certain category of people (military members, teachers, students, etc.), other offers are available for all their customers. Keep in mind that not all offers are advertised on their website. You will have to search for these offers online and even ask for discounts when you talk to the company’s representative. Never be embarrassed to ask for discounts because they can end up saving quite a bit of your money.
See Also: Moving Containers Companies : Deals and Discounts | Deals and Discounts offered by Truck Rental Companies
5. Price Matching Policies
The industry which harbors many businesses will always experience a lot of competition within itself. You can actually use this competition to score better deals for yourself. Do you know what that means? You will be able to save some big bucks if you play it smart. How do you use this competition to your benefit? Well, the next time you talk to a truck rental company, ask them whether they do price matching.
What is price matching? It’s quite simple. In order to score new customers, a moving company (a truck rental company in this case) will try to beat its competitors’ prices. The company you are talking to will lower its quotes to match the written quotes that are offered by its competitors. You can use this strategy to get the lowest quote possible from the truck rental company of your preference.
That is exactly why it is advisable to get quotes from multiple companies before you decide to hire one. Not only this, but you can also use this policy to get better discounts. Use the discounts you have been offered by one company to score more discounts from another company. For instance, if company ‘A’ offers you a 5% discount, you use it to get a 10% discount from company ‘B’.
6. Rent Out the Right Size of Truck
Whenever you rent out a truck, you have to make sure that it is of the right size. If you rent out a smaller truck, you will end up struggling to fit all that you own inside it. On the other hand, renting out a bigger truck means that you are spending money on the space that you aren’t even using. To add to that, you won’t be able to tightly pack your stuff inside a big truck because of which your stuff will move and break during the transit.
Now, finding the right size of a truck might seem difficult at the beginning but it’s not as tough as it looks. Truck rental companies provide you with a size guide that will help you choose the right size of a truck. This size guide tells you which truck you might need to rent on the basis of the following factors.
- The size of your house (the number of rooms).
- The number of furniture pieces you own (and their size).
- The number of moving boxes you plan to use.
Related: What’s The Right Moving Truck Size for Your Relocation?
Note: While you can use the smaller trucks to move a studio apartment or a one-bedroom home, you will certainly need larger trucks for your 3–4-bedroom houses.
7. Coverage Options
While each moving company includes some basic coverage in its quotes, you will notice that these plans barely cover you for your move. In most cases, you will most likely have to purchase some more coverage at an added cost. Purchasing coverage ensures that you don’t have to face any monetary loss if your stuff is stolen or damaged during the move due to accidents, natural disasters, etc.
Now, you should know that purchasing extra coverage isn’t exactly ‘cheap’. Purchase the extra coverage only if you need it. If you are planning to move during the days when you expect the weather to not be very nice, then you should probably get more coverage. Purchasing coverage for long-distance moves is also worth it, especially if you are moving some valuable items.
On the other hand, if you are moving to the next street (a very short distance) on a beautiful sunny day, you probably don’t need to buy more insurance coverage. In this case, the chances of your stuff getting damaged are very less because of which you can think about cutting your costs. Similarly, if the objects you are moving aren’t that valuable or expensive, you can think about skipping the coverage expenditure.
8. Carefully Inspect the Truck
Inspecting the rental truck before you pick it up is the most important part of your truck rental process. There are several reasons to do it. Sometimes the previous customers end up leaving wet stains inside the truck. In other cases, the truck is extremely dirty and even has pests inside it. If you do not inspect it thoroughly, you can end up damaging your own stuff.
To add to that, you have to take note of all the damages that have been sustained by the truck before you whisk it away from the company location. Make sure that you notice the smallest of the scratches and dents. It is even better to photograph the entire truck along with all its existing dents and scratches.
Why are we telling you to do this? It is because if you do take note of all the damage that has been sustained by the truck before you pick it up, the company will blame you and assume that you have damaged the truck during your move. They will even charge you for these damages. All this can be avoided by having some pieces of evidence (inspecting the truck in front of the company representative and having photographs) about the fact that the truck was damaged before you picked it up.
9. Keeping a Check on the Miles
Truck rental companies often charge you by the mile when you are moving a short distance. Whereas when it’s a long-distance move, a specific number of miles are included in your quote. If you exceed those miles, you will be charged a per-mile rate. This means that your final bill will include the additional mileage cost.
To avoid exceeding your miles and paying extra during your moves, make sure that you choose the shortest route possible to your new house. You might want to go sightseeing if you are moving a long distance. In this case, park the rental truck somewhere and use your personal car or public transport to roam around. In this way, you can avoid incurring this additional expenditure.
10. Keep an Eye on the Gas Tank
Truck Rental companies expect you to follow this one basic rule: the amount of gas in the rental truck should be the same at the time of pick-up and drop-off. This means that if the gas tank of the truck is full when you pick it up, it should be full when you drop it off. Similarly, if the tank is only half-filled at pick-up, it should be half-filled during the drop off and so on.
If the amount of gas during the drop-off is less than the amount of gas that was there during the pick-up, the truck rental company will charge you extra for the amount of gas that is missing and also for the time of the employee that is wasted in filling up the tank. So it’s advisable to keep an eye on your gas tank and be very vigilant about the gas tank when you return the truck.
11. Carry Packed Meals
When you are moving to a new place that’s really far away from your current house, there is a possibility that you will not reach the destination quickly. You might take an entire day or even a few days to reach your destination. In this situation, it’s very easy to spend a lot of money on roadside restaurants and fast food, especially if you are moving with your entire family.
Don’t underestimate the amount of money you will spend on the food while you are on the road. The best solution for this would be to carry dry snacks and packed meals for the road trip. Saving a couple of hundred dollars will certainly make a lot of difference, especially when you are spending so much on a move.
Similarly, you might end up staying in hotels overnight if it is a long-distance move. Did you know that truck rental companies also partner up with hotels? For instance, U-Haul partners up with some hotels, and these hotels offer a 15% discount to all U-Haul customers. In this way, you can cut down on the costs of your overnight stays.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the cheapest truck rental for moving?
There are some great truck rental companies in the market that will offer you the cheapest of the deals. You should consider doing business with the following companies whenever you are working on a tight budget.
What is the cheapest time of year to move?
If you are looking to save some money, you should know that winters prove to be the cheapest time of the year to move. The demand for moving companies is generally less during the winter months. If your area of residence experiences harsh winters, you can also consider moving during the spring season. This season also witnesses a lighter demand for moving companies as compared to the summer season.
Final Thoughts
You are now equipped with the powerful knowledge of how to save money on moving truck rentals. We have told you all the tricks from our hat to cut down on the costs of your rental truck moves. So, get up, and start planning your move. Put that knowledge to good use! We are sure that these tactics will help you to control your moving expenditure and your moves will not cause you too much stress!
