Categories: US Real Estate

How Much Does it Cost to Rent a U-Haul Truck

The Guide to U-Haul Rental Prices

Are you wondering what it costs to rent a U-Haul truck? U-Haul is often the first company people think of when they need to rent a moving truck. They offer a great range of trucks for most sizes of move, from pick-ups to 26-feet trucks.

They advertise prices of just $19.95 for their trucks, but is that what you will really pay for U-Haul rentals?

If you are getting ready for a DIY move, you’ll want to know how much a U-Haul rental will cost, and the answer might not be as straightforward as you imagine. U-Haul prices are rarely what you see advertised on the side of the truck. Check out Maximum Real Estate’s U-Haul pricing guide but let’s check out the basics here.

What Does it Cost to Rent a U-Haul Truck

U-Haul Pricing; How Much to Rent a U-Haul?

The U-Haul price you actually end up paying could be a lot more than the headline cost. The highest costs are based on the truck size and the length of time you rent it. But there are costs on top of that for your mileage, insurance, gas, environmental fees, and taxes.

If you are only moving locally, your Uhaul prices for the truck will start at $19.95. This will only give you either a pick-up truck or cargo van; larger trucks cost $29.95 or $39.95. Mileage fees start at $0.59 per mile, and you will have to pay extra if you return the truck with less gas than when you collected it.

For a long-distance move of nearly 1,500 miles that will take 5 days, their 10-foot truck will cost more than $2,300. That will be a large enough truck for a 1 bedroom home, but if you have 5 bedrooms to move, you’ll need their biggest truck. You can expect to pay a little under $4,000 for the same journey with the 26-foot truck.

Choices of U-Haul Trucks


Their cargo van has 245 cubic feet of room and is only good for smaller jobs. If you have a studio or a 1 bedroom apartment, the 10 or 15-foot box truck should be suitable.

The 17-foot truck is recommended for 2 bedroom homes. When moving from a 2 bedroom home or 3 bedroom apartment, the 20-foot truck is advised. And their largest 26-foot truck should be big enough for a 3 or 4 bedrooms home. As you might imagine, Uhaul pricing increases depending on the size of truck you need for your move.

U-Haul Insurance

Since most people won’t have insurance to cover the moving truck they rent from U-Haul, they offer coverage. They provide two main policies called Safemove and Safemove Plus.

With Safemove, you are covered for accidental damage that could happen to the truck. Your stuff in the back of the truck is also covered, up to the value of $15,000 for local moves and $25,000 for long-distance. There is a deductible of $100 for any claim you make, however.

You will also be covered for $1,000 of medical expenses, but there are a few things this doesn’t cover. You won’t be covered for damage to tires or for a collision with overhead obstacles. If the vehicle is stolen, you will need to prove that you weren’t at fault, like leaving the keys in the ignition, for example.

Safemove Plus includes all of the previous benefits and protects you from tire damage and overhead collisions. There isn’t a deductible when you claim, and it offers up to $1,000,000 cover for possessions. You will also be protected against lawsuits if you injure someone in a collision.

If this is more than you really need for your move, they instead offer a collision damage waiver with a $150 deductible. If you are towing or renting a trailer, their Safetow protection will be suitable. Safetrip coverage provides roadside protection for things like lost keys, running out of gas, and getting stuck in the mud.

U-Haul Rental Options

They promise the U-Haul price that you pay will be the lowest for your truck. To achieve this, they have a few different options to help.

Truck Share 24/7

You can reserve a truck and manage your move all through their app. The app helps you to be verified, allowing you to pick up the truck, and you can use the app again to return the vehicle.

One Way Rentals

With more than 20,000 locations, you can pick up your truck from one location and return it elsewhere. This makes long-distance moves more convenient. No doubt, one of the bigger benefits of renting through U-Haul is their vast amount of locations.

Local In-Town Rentals

If you are moving 40 miles or less, you can return the truck to the collection location. In-town U-Haul rentals have the lowest starting prices of $19.95. This is the U-Haul price you see plastered all over their vehicles.

What Else Does U-Haul Offer?

They provide secure and clean facilities at more than 20,000 locations. Most of those locations offer 24-hour access, and they are open every day. If you need climate-controlled units to protect your items, they have that as well. When you reserve storage, they will give you the first month free, you can pay online, and they offer insurance too.

They sell packing materials for your move and offer a few different trailers for vehicles or cargo. They also have a container rentals service called U-Box, which cost around $50 or $60 per month depending on location.

The fact you can rent a storage unit, as well as a truck, is an excellent feature. One-stop shopping for moving makes things far more convenient. Many people do their moving with Pods, but if you can roll both your storage and moving truck into one place, it can be far less stressful.

U-Haul Questions and Answers

Whenever you are renting a moving truck, it is smart to ask lots of questions. Besides finding these things out below from U-Haul, here are some other general questions to ask truck rental companies.

Are reservations guaranteed?

If your U-Haul rentals reservation has been confirmed, then it is guaranteed. It is confirmed if you see a $50 guarantee badge when reserving online. If you don’t see this badge, Uhaul will contact you the day before to confirm your vehicle details.

If what they offer isn’t the truck you reserved and isn’t suitable, they will pay you $50 and cancel the reservation.

Is a credit card needed to reserve a truck?

It would be best if you had either Visa, Mastercard, American Express, or Discover to reserve a vehicle, but you can pay with cash.

Why is there a hold on my credit card?

U-Haul may place a hold on your credit card that can take 3 to 5 business days to be released. Available credit or funds will be reduced until the truck is returned and the actual funds are charged.

How do you change a U-Haul reservation?

You can cancel or modify a reservation up to the day before moving day. You can do this online or through the local U-Haul representative.

Other Moving Truck Companies (U-Hauls Competition)

Are there other moving truck rental companies worth speaking to? Yes, of course. There are a handful of excellent truck rental companies worthy of your time. Some of the other industry leaders include the following:

  • Home Depot Truck Rental
  • Budget Truck Rental
  • Enterprise Truck Rental
  • Ryder
  • Penske

Final Thoughts on Renting With U-Haul

Without a doubt, U-Haul is one of the better do it yourself moving companies. They are well worth your time exploring as an option for your move. Like any other moving company, make sure you do your due diligence on the local firm. It is always vital to vet any moving companies as the industry is ripe for scams. Pay attention and always do your homework.

Hopefully, you have found this pricing guide for U-Haul to be useful.

Bill Gassett


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