When my SO and i moved in April, we had our 17’ truck for the whole day. We picked it up at about 8.30 in the morning, the move took two trips, and we were done by about 2pm. We ended up dropping it back around 3, but we could have kept it until 5. I think that some franchises try to get two rentals a day to bump up their income levels.
Cyros, thanks for setting me straight. Hadn’t thought of that part of it.
Thanks for this thread, OP. I’m moving soon and was planning on renting a UHaul.
Ryder never even crossed my mind. I think I’ll check them out.
I have had two experiences with U-Haul.
The first was an emergency case – someone I knew needed to move THAT DAY, without advance warning. U-Haul had nothing available. I guess they book trucks only in advance, and don’t have any last-minute slack. (I rented either a Penske or a Ryder from a gas station that had a few trucks as a sideline.)
The second was a normal case. I reserved my truck in person at the local U-Haul center, for a local move of less than 10 miles. I had no trouble with the truck. I would like to note, though, that their estimate of how big a truck for how many rooms is on the optimistic side. Next time, I’m adding 1 room to the recommended size just to handle the underestimate.
Now someone else’s story.
A friend rented from U-Haul for a one-way rental. The reservation was handled properly, he got the truck, loaded up, and headed out. On the highway, the truck broke down. The police showed up to clear the truck off the road, and the friend was on the phone with the U-Haul service desk to make arrangements. At one point, the police officer started talking directly with U-Haul – and then U-Haul hung up on the cop, with the vehicle situation unresolved! :mad: With no other option, the police towed the truck to an impound lot. Yes, the truck was still filled with the guy’s stuff. As is common in these stories, the guy swore never to rent from U-Haul again.
The next time I rent a truck, I’m going to cross out that maintenance disclaimer and write in that the company warrants that the vehicle is in good operating condition, with an appropriate penalty if the truck breaks down. If they don’t like that change to the standard contract, I’ll find someone else.
You may as well start finding someone else right now then. IANAL, but AFAIK, you cannot simply cross out various clauses of a contract. I believe that would nullify the contract altogether. Certainly a U-Haul clerk, who is likely working there because he hasn’t yet passed the bar, is not going to make himself responsible for a contract that a customer altered.
I have heard so many complaints about U-Haul. A friend rented one for a local drive- she was just moving a couch from one place to another, maybe about 20 miles. The truck had no ac and broke down twice. Fun in NoVa summers.
That’s why when I was looking at moving options I said U-Haul was out of the question. Instead, we are using something called ABF U-Pack. They send a trailor to your home, you load it up, and they drive your stuff to your new location. It’s much cheaper than renting a one way for interstate moves. Much. The price includes gas and tolls and things and you pay per linear foot. It’s a great deal and from what I’ve heard, fairly reliable. The only complaints I’ve heard stem from having to load the truck yourself!
U-Haul is just one big scam now.
I used ABF U-Pack myself when I moved from California to Georgia. I also use ABF weekly (I’m the shipping manager for my company.) It’s a pretty good service, just remember that the delivery time and day are not guaranteed. I also advise using a buffer (matresses, boxes of linens/clothes, etc.) between your stuff and the bulkhead they give you. “Your” trailer will have regular freight put in it after the bulkhead is up and freight loaders with forklifts aren’t known for being gentle when loading.
As for U-Haul, the last time I used them was when I helped my sister move about four miles. I had no problems with them, but the rental place was a U-Haul franchise/head shop :eek: It was then I realised that they don’t screen their franchisees real closely.
Peace - DESK
IANAL either. Crossing out a clause from an agreed-to contract ought not to nullify the contract; I expect that unilateral changes are of no effect under contract law.
What I’m discussing is modifying a standard contract, before I sign it. You’re likely right that the clerk doesn’t have the authority (or, I suspect, training) to approve changes to the standard contract. That’s when I ask for someone who does have the authority. And shortly after that, I’ll probably be looking around for some more cooperative truck rental place. I’ve heard so many stories about U-Haul, that a franchise manager probably knows better than to guarantee that the truck will run properly and not break down.
No problem.
As to the OP, the only time I tried to go Uhaul I booked my truck about 3 weeks in advance. I thought everything was groovy but called the night before to confirm the reservation. The nice lady I was speaking with informed me that no, they didn’t have the truck I needed but luckily (for them) they did have the next size up. At twice the price!!! Fuck That!
I have since gone with the local 2 big guys and a truck option. I mostly just move within town so this is a good option for me. It runs about $50 an hour and I don’t have to do heavy lifting.
The one time I moved across country I just went with a big name mover. I didn’t have much stuff so I could afford it even though I was unemployed at the time and again no heavy lifting.
The last two times we’ve rented a truck, we’ve used Penske. We got nearly new trucks with comfy seats, good radios, well-functioning AC, and capable of doing highway speed as comfortably as our car. Plus they were cheaper than U-Haul.
And would a U-Haul agent do this? Papa Tiger got laid off, so we decided we needed to get my grandmother’s stuff out of storage 600 miles away to save on the storage costs. The local Penske guy I called bent over backwards to get me a truck, and since it was far cheaper to do a local rental, when I asked if there was any way he could come down on the price since the mileage charge was steep, he said, “I’ll call you back in a few minutes.” Sure enough, five minutes later the phone rings – he’s knocked 40% of the daily rental rate and 30% off the mileage charge! And then he threw in furniture pads and tie-downs at no charge. Man, I was ready to wrap him up and take him home!
I’ll never rent from anyone but Penske again.
Ah, U-Haul. A friend of mine was charged a huge cleaning fee (like $60+) for not folding up some drop blankets that would have taken 2 seconds.
I used to work for the police department, and the local U-Haul was a standard customer. There were two reasons - their alarm system would go off whenever the wind blew (and they didn’t care about wasting the PD’s time), and we had to escort angry customers off the premises on a regular basis. I mean, regular enough that I was tired of it in three months! (No other business was even close)
I fucking hate Uhaul and I will never give them any shred of business - ever! And if I ever completely lose it and go on a crazed-psycho crime spree, they will be my first victums!!
I should have linked to this earlier:
Not only do they have a bunch more reservation horror stories, but they also have a nice guide telling you how to sue the company if it fails to provide you with a truck when you’ve made a reservation.
The website was started by a couple who got screwed by uhaul on an interstate one-way reservation. They sued, and got a few thousand dollars to cover their extra moving and storage expenses.
And maybe the company’s so fucked up because the family that started it is also fucked up.
I’ve posted the whole story before, so I won’t go into details, but U-haul once rented me a truck that was:
14 Quarts Low of Oil
That’s right, a diesel engine with 16 quart capacity – 14 quarts low. 3 and a half gallons. So much for well-maintained.
Fucked up indeed! The coding, that is. Let’s try again:
I should have linked to this earlier:
Not only do they have a bunch more reservation horror stories, but they also have a nice guide telling you how to sue the company if it fails to provide you with a truck when you’ve made a reservation.
The website was started by a couple who got screwed by uhaul on an interstate one-way reservation. They sued, and got a few thousand dollars to cover their extra moving and storage expenses.
And maybe the company’s so fucked up because the family that started it is also fucked up