Uhaul Story

U Haul, Proceed With Caution! U Haul

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Here lately I have been debating the purchase vs. rental argument with trailers. My need to haul has become increasingly evident as I have to haul around supplies for my business, as well as band gear. The short rewards of renting are evident with cost efficiency and convenience the primary argument.

Until recently, I had been content to periodically head down to the local U-Haul facility and spend 30 minutes picking up the trailer of my choice. Recently that plan has been plagued with a series of mis-steps and ball dropping that have placed undue pressure on my having to secure a trailer to meet deadlines.

A New York Story

We had been booked to play a New York club in January. I had placed an order for a 6’ x 12’ foot trailer with a local U-Haul office two months prior. With an assurance and the promise of a confirmation call, I was certain that we could check that off our to-do list. About a week prior to our engagement, I received a call confirming our order and notification that there was a possibility that we would have to settle for a 5’ x 10’ due to an overwhelming demand. I had rented one before and, while it was cutting it close, it would do in a pinch. Reluctantly, I agreed to the proposal and put the matter to rest.

Upon picking up the trailer, I cringed a little at the thought of cramming our gear in the 230 cu ft of trailer that I was facing. Drum cases would have to be stacked and secured, our pa system would have to be secured as well as it is bulky and the lights would have to placed in hard ATA flight cases which are heavy. This was proving to be a little more work than we really wanted to get involved with.

The technician proceeded to connect the trailer to the U-Haul hitch setup I had installed on our Land Cruiser. I noticed he was having some problems getting the harness to connect in such a manner as to engage our turn signals. He was in the process of installing jumpers which are a cheap fix. I was told that the ground was faulty, at which point I insisted to see a manager. You see, it was at this very facility that I had the hitch installed but a mere 6 months ago after picking up the Cruiser and opted not to have it installed at the factory. To make a long story short, I had them fix it, reluctantly I might add. They suggested I come back at a more convenient time for them to make the 15 minute repair. After placing a Master Lock on the rear door, I brought from home, we were good to go.

On the road, with an empty trailer, I experienced a severely rough ride with the trailer bucking and hopping over each little bump in the road. The ride reminded me of another U-Haul dealer gloating about the proprietary, secret manufacturing process that U-Haul protected by destroying each trailer as it came to the end of its useful life. Perhaps I had gotten one that was near that threshold? It certainly looked like it was held together by patches of good metal trying to avoid patches of rust.

Under a full load, my expectation for the trailer to “settle down,” were dashed as the ride was as harsh and I noticed a marked tendency for the trailer to trail to the right. I made the decision to try and contact another dealer on the way and get another trailer before I caused my Cruiser any damage. After fumbling with the cell phone, making repeated calls, I found a dealer that was willing to change out the trailer for me.

As I drove into his lot, I immediately sensed that I wished I had dealt with him from the beginning. It was clean orderly and had an air of professionalism and caring, lacking from the other dealers I had come in contact with up until then. He (Jason) immediately recognized the problem as spent bearings and a bent axle, which essentially means this trailer was never inspected for road worthiness, and that eventually, on my trip or another unsuspecting consumers, a wheel would have failed or perhaps fallen off if the problem had not been addressed, perhaps causing an accident!

He proceeded to help me with the load/unload process and I was off. He waived a fee for out of town drop off and my trip went uneventfully from there and assured I would make Manhattan unscathed.

Now, one would think that this is an isolated incident and perhaps, I was at the wrong place at the wrong time. I think the point here is that as the U-Haul franchise is open to all that are willing and capable of forking over the franchise fee, you are literally at the mercy of individual discretion and not an enforced or adhered to corporate policy of safety procedures and quality control. The term Caveat Emptor applies to the U-Haul experience in spades here.

Since that experience I have made it my business to seek out a better dealer, and have yet to find one that served my needs professionally to the extent of Jason, who saved my New York trip. Among the further mis-steps were a trailer that had asphalt spilled inside which would have soiled my cargo, bald tires, and a defective weld in the hitch, all circumstances that I discovered and went un-noticed by the dealer.

THE BOTTOM LINE

The purpose of this piece is not to indict all U-Haul dealers. I would think that would be short sighted and irresponsible. As independent franchisees, I feel you need to assess each dealer separately from the glossy television ads and take a hard look at the vehicle or trailer before you drive off the lot. This is a classic case of one bad apple. If I had had the opportunity to deal with Jason every time, perhaps this review would cast a better light on U-Haul. Granted, it is significantly more expensive than a rental $39.00 rental, for my dollar, I am going to proceed with a purchase of a Wells Cargo Trailer and avoid any further hassles of having to scrutinize each U-Haul transaction and have the assurance that my equipment will be serviced routinely and properly.

My experience could have ended a lot worse than it did. So, with that said, considering the cavalier attitude in which that U-Haul dealer rented me a defective trailer and his absolute disregard for my and possibly one of your lives on the Thruway that day, it does attach newer significance to the term CAVEAT EMPTOR. I could not in good conscience recommend U-Haul.

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Tags: trailers