Author Topic: Is it possible to save on moving trucks?  (Read 1751 times)

doneby35

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Is it possible to save on moving trucks?
« on: April 11, 2021, 09:13:39 AM »
Hey there mustachians, i'm planning a cross country move (1600 miles to be exact). I've so far done a good job using my chase credit card points to offset some of the costs associated with the move, however i wanted to check if someone knows something that I don't that can be bring the cost down further, specifically for the moving truck itself. I'm going to be doing the loading and unloading of the furniture myself, but the cheapest moving truck I found is one from budget, along with a costco discount bringing the total down to $2300 (tax included, no collision damage waiver a.k.a insurance, but probably needs to be added).

Quite costly I must say, or maybe not. Is there a mustachian method that i'm not able to think of, to bring this cost down, considering I have some furniture that needs to be moved?

Smokystache

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Re: Is it possible to save on moving trucks?
« Reply #1 on: April 11, 2021, 09:25:32 AM »
My biggest lesson from several cross-country moves:

1) Go with a company that promises a truck on a specific day at a specific time. Got a bunch of college friends together to help me move - went to get the truck at U-haul at 9am because I had reserved it for that day. "yeah, we'll have a truck to you by 5pm" - Well, sh!t.

2) I'm a huge fan of Penske. They satisfy #1. They also buy new trucks, rent them for a while, and then sell them off before they get too many years and miles. I know this is a scientific way of doing it, but how many U-haul and budget trucks have you seen parked along an interstate? Now think about how often you see a bright yellow penske truck. I was driving their biggest truck, loaded to the max, and I could still accelerate UP Tennessee mountains.

My experience (with Penske) is that there could be a significant variation in the cost depending on where I returned the truck. My parents moving from Wisconsin to Florida was the best exaple of this. Reserved truck online and when we said we were returning it to the closest Penske location it was $X (don't remember). When we changed the drop-off location to just 10 miles further away, it dropped the price by about $300. I guess their computer has some locations that are overloaded and some that aren't or something, but it is worth experimenting with.

Best of  luck!

yachi

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Re: Is it possible to save on moving trucks?
« Reply #2 on: April 11, 2021, 09:56:51 AM »
Check your credit card perks - some provide rental car insurance, but only if you reject the damage waiver from the rental company and charge the rental to your card.

It sounds to me like you're getting enough deal on the truck rental itself.  My only advice would be to make sure what you're moving is worth moving vs selling it in your current location and buying something similar back in your future location.  You should plan on about $400 for gas as well.

terran

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Re: Is it possible to save on moving trucks?
« Reply #3 on: April 11, 2021, 10:04:33 AM »
Definitely consider the insurance. Most (all?) normal car insurance doesn't cover moving trucks, so it's not like a regular rental car where you can rely on the insurance you have for your car.

I'd also take a look at services that do the driving for you like PODs or Upack. Once you consider gas/tolls/insurance it might not be much more expensive and it's nice not to have to drive the big truck.

Dicey

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Re: Is it possible to save on moving trucks?
« Reply #4 on: April 11, 2021, 10:06:51 AM »
I second checking with your own insurance first. You may be able to buy a rider that gives you more/better coverage for less.

sonofsven

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Re: Is it possible to save on moving trucks?
« Reply #5 on: April 11, 2021, 10:48:10 AM »
You could buy a brand new enclosed trailer and sell it at your destination, but if you don't already have a tow vehicle...

doneby35

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Re: Is it possible to save on moving trucks?
« Reply #6 on: April 11, 2021, 10:51:18 AM »
Thanks for the suggestions everyone.

Definitely have to add the additional insurance on the truck, since the chase sapphire card says that the rental coverage excludes moving trucks. I've considered the PODs or Upack but I don't think these get to your destination on your desired date, plus I live in apartment complex so I'm pretty sure that's not going to work.

Sounds like this is the best we can do, just wanted to make sure I wasn't missing anything.

nereo

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Re: Is it possible to save on moving trucks?
« Reply #7 on: April 11, 2021, 11:32:52 AM »
Here’s what we did on our last cross-country move:

We bought a slightly used trailer (I believe it was a 7’ x 14’ dual axle ).  Towed it ourselves cross-country, used it as storage for a few months, then sold it for $150 less than we paid for it (probably could have gotten the same amount, but just wanted it gone at that point).

Including the registration, added fuel costs, etc I estimated it cost us about $500 all in.  Every other option we considered was going to be >>$2k and required us to load and unload in a pretty tight timeframe.

Obviously this only works if you have a vehicle with a class-3 (or higher) tow hitch and the ability to tow a few thousand pounds (most SUVs, trucks and many cross-overs and minivans can).  Use trailers are pretty easy to sell, as they don’t have odometers or complex parts. The lockable storage was a big plus for us as well.
YMMV.

roomtempmayo

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Re: Is it possible to save on moving trucks?
« Reply #8 on: April 11, 2021, 11:43:38 AM »
I've had good luck with the Uhaul boxes.  For a cross country move, I wouldn't drive a truck myself since boxes/Pods go cheaper by commercial freight.

reeshau

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Re: Is it possible to save on moving trucks?
« Reply #9 on: April 11, 2021, 05:05:41 PM »
Yes, get the CDW.  You are driving a high vehicle, and do not control the tree pruning on your route.  Beyond actual damage to the vehicle, the cost for scrapes will sour the end of your trip.

I have used Uhaul and Penske.  I do think Penske is more consistently good, but both can be good depending on the location.  AAA Michigan had a 45% discount with Penske.  (Last looked at it in 2018)  Not sure did that was national or not.

PODS won't go at the same pace you do, but it is pretty fast, and very flexible.  It just takes a parking spot, so you could ask your landlord about it.  The nice thing is you can have more time to unpack at your destination, as you try to fit things together.  We did not use, but our neighbors moved here to TX from CA, and did so with PODS.


terran

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Re: Is it possible to save on moving trucks?
« Reply #10 on: April 11, 2021, 07:55:08 PM »
PODs and Upack will both schedule a particular delivery day on both ends. They need a certain amount of time between pickup and dropoff, but you'd need that to drive yourself anyway. The apartment complex thing could be a problem, but they can park pretty precisely, so as long as it's flat enough and you're allowed I would think it would work.

Dicey

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Re: Is it possible to save on moving trucks?
« Reply #11 on: April 11, 2021, 09:58:23 PM »
Whichever you go with, just remember that living in an apartment complex, you're going to have to be super duper vigilant while loading. Easy for a box or three to grow legs and walk away.

ender

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Re: Is it possible to save on moving trucks?
« Reply #12 on: April 12, 2021, 07:12:17 AM »
One of my friends just bought a box van and moved himself.

There's increased risk of course since you're not buying something that is "guaranteed" by the provider but it might be a lot cheaper depending on your timeframe.

Cranky

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Re: Is it possible to save on moving trucks?
« Reply #13 on: April 12, 2021, 07:24:15 AM »
Thanks for the suggestions everyone.

Definitely have to add the additional insurance on the truck, since the chase sapphire card says that the rental coverage excludes moving trucks. I've considered the PODs or Upack but I don't think these get to your destination on your desired date, plus I live in apartment complex so I'm pretty sure that's not going to work.

Sounds like this is the best we can do, just wanted to make sure I wasn't missing anything.

So, I'm staging a complicated long distance move, and using PODS, and they absolutely do deliver on the date that you specify. I've been very happy with them, but it still runs about $2000, so I don't think it would be a big savings for you.

doneby35

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Re: Is it possible to save on moving trucks?
« Reply #14 on: April 12, 2021, 03:44:19 PM »
Thanks for the suggestions everyone. The trailer was a great idea, but we have a small economy car that cannot haul a trailer. I checked the Penske AAA discount, only 12% vs Costco's 25% for Budget.

One thing I still want to try is call Penske and see if they can beat Budget's price for the sake of competition. Otherwise, we'll stick with Budget.

ChickenStash

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Re: Is it possible to save on moving trucks?
« Reply #15 on: April 12, 2021, 03:52:40 PM »
If you are deal hunting with Penske, try to work with a regional hub rather than the little pickup/drop-off places attached to a random business. The hubs seem to have more ability to work the numbers. If the hub location isn't easily found from Googling, a call to the main 800# can sometimes help find them.

reeshau

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Re: Is it possible to save on moving trucks?
« Reply #16 on: April 12, 2021, 04:15:50 PM »
If you are deal hunting with Penske, try to work with a regional hub rather than the little pickup/drop-off places attached to a random business. The hubs seem to have more ability to work the numbers. If the hub location isn't easily found from Googling, a call to the main 800# can sometimes help find them.

+1

One thing they seem to be able to do, in particular, is to upsize you---give you the next bigger size, if available, at the same rate.  So you may want to ask them about what you really want, and one size smaller, to give yourself some negotiating space.

doneby35

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Re: Is it possible to save on moving trucks?
« Reply #17 on: April 12, 2021, 04:32:54 PM »
If you are deal hunting with Penske, try to work with a regional hub rather than the little pickup/drop-off places attached to a random business. The hubs seem to have more ability to work the numbers. If the hub location isn't easily found from Googling, a call to the main 800# can sometimes help find them.

+1

One thing they seem to be able to do, in particular, is to upsize you---give you the next bigger size, if available, at the same rate.  So you may want to ask them about what you really want, and one size smaller, to give yourself some negotiating space.

I just called Penske, told them what Budget's offer is, and they managed to beat that by $100. I then called Budget and attempted to do the same thing and they rejected. So now $2300 is down to $2200. Still a win.

reeshau

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Re: Is it possible to save on moving trucks?
« Reply #18 on: April 12, 2021, 05:45:37 PM »
If you are deal hunting with Penske, try to work with a regional hub rather than the little pickup/drop-off places attached to a random business. The hubs seem to have more ability to work the numbers. If the hub location isn't easily found from Googling, a call to the main 800# can sometimes help find them.

+1

One thing they seem to be able to do, in particular, is to upsize you---give you the next bigger size, if available, at the same rate.  So you may want to ask them about what you really want, and one size smaller, to give yourself some negotiating space.

I just called Penske, told them what Budget's offer is, and they managed to beat that by $100. I then called Budget and attempted to do the same thing and they rejected. So now $2300 is down to $2200. Still a win.

Worth the phone calls, and maybe even some web forum time.  :)

The answer to an unasked question is always "no."

robartsd

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Re: Is it possible to save on moving trucks?
« Reply #19 on: April 12, 2021, 06:06:30 PM »
PODs and Upack will both schedule a particular delivery day on both ends. They need a certain amount of time between pickup and dropoff, but you'd need that to drive yourself anyway. The apartment complex thing could be a problem, but they can park pretty precisely, so as long as it's flat enough and you're allowed I would think it would work.
I've helped friends pack a U-Pack trailer for an interstate move. They were satisfied enough with the experience, but transit time for the trailer was several days longer than it would be to drive yourself. Most interesting thing to me is that the price had some dependency on how full the trailer was.

U-Haul trucks are easier to load/unload, but not that much easier.

draco44

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Re: Is it possible to save on moving trucks?
« Reply #20 on: April 12, 2021, 06:20:28 PM »
If you are deal hunting with Penske, try to work with a regional hub rather than the little pickup/drop-off places attached to a random business. The hubs seem to have more ability to work the numbers. If the hub location isn't easily found from Googling, a call to the main 800# can sometimes help find them.

+1

One thing they seem to be able to do, in particular, is to upsize you---give you the next bigger size, if available, at the same rate.  So you may want to ask them about what you really want, and one size smaller, to give yourself some negotiating space.

I just called Penske, told them what Budget's offer is, and they managed to beat that by $100. I then called Budget and attempted to do the same thing and they rejected. So now $2300 is down to $2200. Still a win.

Worth the phone calls, and maybe even some web forum time.  :)

The answer to an unasked question is always "no."

Well done on negotiating! That's a badass move.

Sounds like you now have your truck, so my only further suggestion is to reiterate that decluttering as much as feasible before you move will make your life 100x easier. Even if you use the same size truck as you would have pre-decluttering, you'll spend less time loading (and unpacking) and not have to stack things as precariously high.

Sounds like you are doing a great job thinking ahead about this move, so props to you.
« Last Edit: April 12, 2021, 06:22:35 PM by draco44 »

norajean

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Re: Is it possible to save on moving trucks?
« Reply #21 on: April 12, 2021, 06:54:27 PM »
The first rule of long distance moving is to get rid of everything except the absolute bare essentials.  It is cheaper to sell stuff on Craiglist and re-buy used on the other end than it is to move it.  Jettison anything bulky or heavy -  beds, dining sets, sofas, etc.   With CL you can re-buy for about the same price you sell.  If mattresses are old you are ready to replace anyhow. You can upgrade or downgrade if you want and you can get exactly the furnishings you need for your new place.  We moved from Texas to Oregon in 2020 and I sold on CL three sofas, a dining set, bed/frame/mattress, side tables, three book cases, a desk, wine cellar, patio furniture, rugs, bar stools, etc.  The sales proceeds paid for the move! 

Used PODS which was very flexible and allowed us to load and unload at our leisure.   If you rent a truck keep in mind you are probably getting 10 mpg, so 160 gallons to go 1600 miles x $3/gal. Plus you are driving a massive truck, maybe towing your car, fighting wind/rain/ice the whole way, etc.

doneby35

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Re: Is it possible to save on moving trucks?
« Reply #22 on: April 13, 2021, 10:23:01 AM »
The first rule of long distance moving is to get rid of everything except the absolute bare essentials.  It is cheaper to sell stuff on Craiglist and re-buy used on the other end than it is to move it.  Jettison anything bulky or heavy -  beds, dining sets, sofas, etc.   With CL you can re-buy for about the same price you sell.  If mattresses are old you are ready to replace anyhow. You can upgrade or downgrade if you want and you can get exactly the furnishings you need for your new place.  We moved from Texas to Oregon in 2020 and I sold on CL three sofas, a dining set, bed/frame/mattress, side tables, three book cases, a desk, wine cellar, patio furniture, rugs, bar stools, etc.  The sales proceeds paid for the move! 

Used PODS which was very flexible and allowed us to load and unload at our leisure.   If you rent a truck keep in mind you are probably getting 10 mpg, so 160 gallons to go 1600 miles x $3/gal. Plus you are driving a massive truck, maybe towing your car, fighting wind/rain/ice the whole way, etc.

Thought about this too, but selling and repurchasing everything will complicate things in our situation, i'd rather have everything I need with me as soon as I get to my destination.
I just got off the phone with Penske again and was able to have them bring the price down another $300. Now I'm down to $1900 with taxes included, so this is a pretty good deal I believe.

Thanks everyone for the help. What was learned from this is if you call multiple places multiple times to negotiate a better deal, you just might end up getting one.

Sibley

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Re: Is it possible to save on moving trucks?
« Reply #23 on: April 13, 2021, 05:22:27 PM »
The first rule of long distance moving is to get rid of everything except the absolute bare essentials.  It is cheaper to sell stuff on Craiglist and re-buy used on the other end than it is to move it.  Jettison anything bulky or heavy -  beds, dining sets, sofas, etc.   With CL you can re-buy for about the same price you sell.  If mattresses are old you are ready to replace anyhow. You can upgrade or downgrade if you want and you can get exactly the furnishings you need for your new place.  We moved from Texas to Oregon in 2020 and I sold on CL three sofas, a dining set, bed/frame/mattress, side tables, three book cases, a desk, wine cellar, patio furniture, rugs, bar stools, etc.  The sales proceeds paid for the move! 

Used PODS which was very flexible and allowed us to load and unload at our leisure.   If you rent a truck keep in mind you are probably getting 10 mpg, so 160 gallons to go 1600 miles x $3/gal. Plus you are driving a massive truck, maybe towing your car, fighting wind/rain/ice the whole way, etc.

Thought about this too, but selling and repurchasing everything will complicate things in our situation, i'd rather have everything I need with me as soon as I get to my destination.
I just got off the phone with Penske again and was able to have them bring the price down another $300. Now I'm down to $1900 with taxes included, so this is a pretty good deal I believe.

Thanks everyone for the help. What was learned from this is if you call multiple places multiple times to negotiate a better deal, you just might end up getting one.

Re the purging of stuff... you don't have to get rid of everything you do need. But you probably have a bunch of stuff you don't need. Most Americans do. So declutter!

clarkfan1979

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Re: Is it possible to save on moving trucks?
« Reply #24 on: April 15, 2021, 01:39:58 PM »
I would get the diesel truck from Penske. It comes in a 22 ft. or 26 ft. The last time I rented it, it was 10 years ago. It was $1200 for 1800 miles. I think I got it for 5 days.