Moving Truck Rentals: Choose A Smart Service
There are many expenses to consider when planning your move. Hiring the services of a moving company is a costly affair, if you have the money then there is not much holding you back; if not, you might need to be more careful, considering all your options carefully in order to stick to your budget. One of the most sensible and cost-effective options available for the moving process is a moving truck rental service. The big names in the business of truck rentals are Penske, U Haul, and Ryder. There are smaller players in the fray also and these are cheaper than the big names; however, their facilities and services offered may not be as good.
Renting a moving truck is a great way to keep the costs down on your move. This type of service allows you to be in full control of all aspects of the moving process, and the risk of your belongings getting damaged is minimized as you are supervising everything.
A truck rental company offers you various plans so you may choose as per your convenience. You could opt for a self-service option or a full aided service. In the self-service option, you may choose to drive yourself or enlist a company driver to do transport your belongings for you.
Choosing a Truck Rental Service
- Plans on Offer: Most companies will offer a variety of plans for you to choose from. E.g. unlimited truck rental, one-way truck rental etc.
- Size Issues: When choosing a truck rental service, see that the company is offering you a variety of truck sizes to choose from. Common truck sizes range from 10 to 26 feet.
- Storage: If you have the need for temperature controlled storage see that the company you are considering actually has that facility on offer.
- Additional Facilities: Any company you consider should be able to offer different packing services, such as loading and unloading. They should also be able to provide packing materials that you may purchase up from them; ask if they also provide moving aids such as dollies and trolleys.
- Truck Condition: Make sure to check out the condition of the vehicles. A good company will have well-maintained trucks with working brakes and good tires. The seating should be comfortable as you have long distances to cover and you do not want to develop shoulder or back pain along the way.
- Road Assistance Availability: You never know when something can go wrong. The bigger truck rental companies have 24/7 on-road assistance to aid you in case of any untoward incident.
A Few Things You Should Keep in Mind:
- Bookings: Moving services are busiest at peak season, between May to September. Book well in advance if you are planning to undertake your trip during these months.
- Radii of Turning: Trucks have larger radii of turning than cars. It is important to keep this in mind when driving a truck. Be sure to have adequate space to make a safe turn.
- Overhead Bridges: Your route needs to be planned carefully as the overhead bridges on the way should allow your truck to pass through.
- Test drive: See that your mirrors offer you a good vision of the traffic. When selecting the truck to check the mirrors, tire condition and brakes. Take a small test drive to be sure everything is in order.
- Rest: Get up fresh and well rested on the day you are to set out on road with the truck. You have a long distance to cover in a vehicle that you are not accustomed to driving, hence it is essential that you have had a good night’s sleep and are wide awake and raring to go.