U Haul: Basic and Cheap, But it’s There When you Need It U Haul

Cheap price for a cheap service U Haul If you need a truck but you have time to loose this is the company. They don't have all the equipment available and usually the truck is not...

U Haul is not friendly U Haul I have never been satisfied with a rental from Uhaul. I have rented both trucks and trailers from Uhaul. Since U Haul has no customer focu...

Changing residences can be a real drag for countless reasons. You have to contact your creditors and update your address. You have to disconnect your telephone. You have to make arrangements to have your utilities cut off. You have to stop your trash collection, cable, and other services.

Then of course comes the worst part of all: everything up and transporting the goods from your old place of residence to the new one. Having moved more than twenty times in my lifetime, I have become somewhat of an expert at the science of moving. And the company I have dealt with more frequently than any other to help with this process is U- Haul, an inexpensive service that rents and moving vans to help Americans and other folks make their move. Let’s take a look at what this service has to offer:

How Does This Service Work?:

U- Haul has service centers in most every medium to large city across the United States with multiple locations in the larger metropolitan areas. The locations vary in size, but they can be counted on to have at least a few moving vans and of different sizes (Note: some locations may also offer units for moving that are attached to the roof of your car or truck, but I haven’t seen these in a long time). Depending on how much you have to move and the towing capabilities of your vehicle, you will have to determine whether a trailer or van is right for you, and then select the appropriate size. After deciding on the size you want, you just sign some forms, present your driver’s license and credit card, and U- Haul will send you on your way. They won’t supply any manpower. All they give you is the van or trailer. It’s up to you to supply the labor.

Prices for rentals are determined by the size of the van or trailer and by the number of days you will be utilizing the service. If you rent a moving van, you will pay a flat rate that includes a pre- determined number of miles. If you happen to exceed the number of allowable miles, you can expect to pay additional money when it comes time to return your van. With , there is, of course, no mileage limit. You just pay a flat fee up front. Also, when you return your van or trailer (to the same location or another location in the city you are moving to), U-Haul personnel will quickly inspect the equipment used to see if everything is still in working order. If there is something wrong or if you have exceeded the allowable miles (or returned the van or trailer late) you will be assessed additional charges.

U- Haul offers its vans and for long- distance moving and for in- town moving. We usually associate U-Haul with a lengthy, cross- country move but the company is happy to rent its vans and to those who are moving within the same city. In some cases, this can prove to be helpful because the large size can often make it possible to reduce the number of back and forth trips down to only one or two, as opposed to the ten or more trips necessary when using a pickup truck or SUV.

Other Services:

Most people come to U- Haul to rent a van or trailer, but there are other services offered besides this. U- Haul also sells boxes, material, ropes, furniture covers, zip and store bags, tarps, dust covers, clothing bags, plastic wrap, moving gloves, locks, and other moving materials. They also install trailer hitches and they rent for towing your own car or motorcycle.

Customer Service:

Making a reservation with U- Haul is easy. You can lay claim to a van or trailer by either calling the center directly; calling the national, toll- free line 800-Go- Uhaul (800-468-4285); or by visiting the on- line site, uhaul.com. Your best bet is to call ahead, since there is always a chance that there will not be any equipment available on the day you need it. But this isn’t absolutely necessary. U- Haul does accept walk- in reservations, too. If there is a van or trailer available, they will let you rent it on the spot.

If you need customer service while on the road or for any other reason, you can call the support line, 800-789-3638. This customer service line is available from 6am to 1am EST (19 hours total), seven days per week.

Final Thoughts:

Moving is an activity that most everyone dreads. The stress, the disruption of your daily routine, and the endless work involved can make moving one of life’s most negative experiences. For myself, I have grown to accept moving as a fact of life. Starting as a young child, we moved from place to place frequently. It wasn’t because my parents were in the military or because they changed jobs, or any of the “usual” reasons. It was because they simply liked to move (not enough space here to explain all the reasons why they wanted to change residences so frequently). And in most cases, U- Haul played a role in making these moves. I can remember my first experience with U- Haul, at the young age of six, helping to pack up a trailer to move from Ohio to Wisconsin. Most any time we made a lengthy move, U- Haul was part of the task.

Over the years, I have used U- Haul more than any other to transport household goods from one place to the next. More often than not, I have rented the vans, not the . The reason is because, first of all, the are usually not large enough to accommodate all of my belongings. And second, the require installing a hitch to the back of my car. To me, it seems like too much hassle when I can rent a van and fit everything inside, in one trip, and not have to bother with hitches.

If you have ever experienced using U- Haul’s moving vans, you probably already know how basic and how limited they are, in terms of their appeal as vehicles. To put it plainly, U- Haul moving vans are about as stripped- down and utilitarian as a vehicle could possibly be. There are no luxuries offered (unless you consider a weak, barely functional air conditioner a luxury). You won’t find a CD player, power windows, power seats, or even a fancy FM radio. Most U- Haul vans feature an engine manufactured by Toyota and an interior that makes most rent-a- cars seem beautiful and luxurious in comparison. U- Haul vans, if rated from a vehicle standpoint, would have to get a big fat zero, since they are incredibly unattractive and offer nothing but the ability to get from point “A” to point “B”. But the primary purpose of U- Haul is to move, not to enjoy the trip. Thus, the vehicles are constructed in the most basic, utilitarian way possible.

The moving vans range from medium to very large and they can present some special problems to those who are not accustomed to driving a truck. Mirrors exist on both sides to assist drivers, but the experience can still be a little scary to someone who isn’t used to driving this type of vehicle. If fear gets in the way, the best thing to do is get in the right lane of the highway and stay there for the duration of your trip. Speed is also a problem. The large vans are not capable of going very fast and they have painfully slow acceleration, adding additional challenges to merging on the highway and other maneuvers. The main reason for this is the fact that most all the moving vans have an automatic . Manual would give the vehicles more “get up and go”, but fewer and fewer people even know how to drive a manual and thus most drivers will opt for the automatic. Also, U- haul trucks consume quite a bit of gasoline. Using one with a manual will save you a little bit of money on fuel, but even the manual vans are still gasoline- eating machines.

One thing you will notice if you plan to rent your van for several days is that the door on the back isn’t very secure. The back of the vans doesn’t have an automatic lock, so if you plan to leave your loaded van in an unprotected area overnight, it might be a good idea to purchase a heavy- duty chain lock for added security. U- Haul takes good care of its customers when it comes to loading and unloading the vans (there is a ramp to pull out, to make it easier), but they offer no lock on the back. Anyone could walk right up, lift the latch, and pull the door open (it functions like a garage door) so buying a lock is often a good idea for extra- long moves with overnight stays. It will help you sleep more peacefully.

Pricing with U- Haul is good and often less expensive than many of the competition. Rates are determined by size and by the number of days of use. Even a large moving van can often prove to be relatively inexpensive when compared to other methods of moving, often costing less than $50 for a single- day rental (for a smaller van, less than $100 on a larger van) and less than a few hundred dollars for a multi- day rental (the daily rate decreases if you rent for more than one day). When compared to paying a full- service , these rates are incredibly inexpensive. A full- service professional would charge at least five times more, in many cases. And U- Haul is very quick with its check- in and check- out process, taking only minutes to complete. I have also found that the company is lenient when it comes to tacking on additional charges. I can remember one instance where I was forced to take my van back two days later than expected, due to the fact that my new place wasn’t ready for occupancy on the day I was told. I took the van back, fully expecting to have to pay a penalty for the two additional days. But the manager said not to worry about it. He really needed more vans to keep up with the demand so he waived the charges.

The old U- Haul slogan from the past “Adventure in Moving” is no longer used. I guess the corporate management finally realized that there is nothing “adventurous” in making a long move across the country. Moving is stressful, troublesome, and tiring. Trying to make it seem like a fun, entertaining type of event just isn’t going to work, so the company eliminated the old slogan. Now, the slogan is simple and to the point: U- Haul: Your Moving and Resource. There’s nothing catchy in this phrase, but this is, after all, a . There really is nothing glamorous about and loading up a truck as you prepare to change residences.

Despite its many flaws, U- Haul has one positive quality that keeps me coming back: it’s always there when I need it. I cannot count the number of times where I drove up to the U- Haul office, walked inside, explained my situation, and walked out minutes later with the keys in my hand. No reservation was needed. U- Haul has always come through for me, often when other have failed and U- Haul was the only place left to turn.

Overall, U- Haul will continue to be one of the first places that come to mind when I prepare to make a move. Are U- Hauls vans high quality? No. Are they fun to use and drive? No. Could the appearance and features be improved? Yes. But in spite of all of these negative points, U- Haul still gets a recommendation from me because they have always come through in a pinch. And when you move as much as I do, you can’t take any chances with that are unreliable. You need a company that is going to have the vehicle or trailer that you need, when you need it, and U- Haul is one place that has never let me down. The vans might be ugly and the experience of moving might be a nightmare, but I can always count on U- Haul to satisfy my basic moving needs.

Beware of their deceitful policy U Haul I've had the unfortunate experience of using U-Haul and dealing with their customer service and I'm hoping anyone who reads this can learn f...

Drop off UHAUL truck in another state? My friends and I were arguing this and I wanted to know if anyone could answer it.What could happen if you rented a uhaul type of truck and ...

Drop off UHAUL truck in another state? My friends and I were arguing this and I wanted to know if anyone could answer it.What could happen if you rented a uhaul type of truck and ...

Like a cheap motel with free HBO, I keep returning to U Haul U Haul Yes, I realize there are high end hotels out there, yet I keep returning to the cheap motels. There are also better truck companies out the...

If you rent a trailer you should make sure you have a Hitch U Haul From Uhaul.com you could see one way trailer cheapest, about $25. However, before you make reservations for the trailer, please make sure...

In For a LONG Haul U Haul U-Haul is one of the first names we all think of when we think of having to move something large from Point A to Point B. I guess that's be...

Cheap alternative U Haul

Never as simple as it seems U Haul

Tags: moving and storage, moving companies, moving company, moving van, moving vans, packing, storage, trailers, transmission

You must be logged in to post a comment.