Cheapest Moving Truck Rentals 2024

If money is tight for your next move, a cheap rental truck is far more affordable than hiring a professional mover. Finding the cheapest box truck rental can leave room in your budget for unexpected expenses or more exciting purchases like home decor. 

Just be sure to read the fine print before you agree to a cheap truck rental. Some companies offer low quotes but high final prices. The cheapest one-way truck rental may not be as cheap for moving out of state.

While this list covers the cheapest moving truck rentals, they're just a taste of the best truck rental companies around.

Budget Truck Rental is typically the cheapest company to rent a truck from, even cheaper than U-Haul—especially when it comes to interstate moves.

For shorter moves (between 30 and 100 miles), Budget comes in slightly above industry averages, but for longer moves (we got quotes for a 400-mile move) it was between $200 and $400 cheaper than Penske and U-Haul.

To compare truck rental prices, we searched for results using three hypothetical moves, each with a 16' truck booked two weeks in advance.

To get a better idea of their long-distance and one-way prices, our moving routes began in the same zip code and extended 30, 100, and 400 miles away. 

From what we found, add-on services, pick up and drop-off locations, and total mileage have the most effect on final truck rental prices. 

U-Haul's biggest competitor is Penske, which outperforms U-Haul in customer reviews, reservation reliability, and pricing for large trucks and long-distance moves.

Because of its superior marks in these categories, Penske outclasses U-Haul in our book.

Finding the best deal on a moving truck can save you money, but price isn't the only thing to consider.

If you're moving to a one-bedroom apartment, you won't likely need the biggest rental truck in the fleet. Finding the right rental truck size can help you move what you've got while staying within your budget. 

The best truck for your move will meet your budget and the size of your home. When looking for a cheap rental truck, think about how much you're moving. Factor in large items like furniture and big boxes of items.

Many cheap truck rental services offer moving supplies and add-on services. Depending on your needs, this may be helpful or an unnecessary temptation.

 While you can find free moving boxes or borrow other items like trailers or dollies, it's nice to be able to book extra supplies along with your rental truck.  

In addition to moving supplies, companies like U-Haul can connect you with roadside assistance, insurance, and even local movers to help you at your destination.

You can get the best deal after comparing truck rental prices when booking online. Just be sure to read the fine print that comes with your final quote.

Taxes and fees are standard, but you'll want to find a service that gives you a quote as close to the final price as possible. 

Many of these services charge by mile, so the farther you move, the more expensive they'll be. Sometimes, a rental truck company will provide a low quote but a higher final price. Be sure to ask about other expenses like gas, insurance, and mileage before booking a cheap rental truck.

On average, Budget Truck Rental was the cheapest for moving truck rentals, even cheaper than U-Haul, especially when it comes to interstate moves.

Per trip, it was only slightly above the average prices for our 30- and 100-mile moves but was $200 to $400 cheaper than Penske and U-Haul for our 400-mile move. 

We like Budget's flexible pick-up and drop-off dates option because, as we all know, there's always something that changes your plans. When you book a shorter move, you can get a day and up to 59 miles included in your price, making it one of the cheapest box truck rentals around. 

One thing to remember with Budget is its many locations offer different services. Some locations provide extras like moving supplies and rental cars. And you can add-on items like furniture pads, hand trucks, moving help, protection packages, and roadside safety for those long hauls. 

Learn more in our Budget Truck Rental Review.

Penske specializes in cheap rentals from cargo vans to box trucks. While it isn't cheaper than U-Haul or Penske, at least from our test, it's staying high on our list because it provides accurate quotes from the start. 

When you book a Penske rental truck online, you'll see an itemized list of everything included in that quote. From the truck itself and a mysterious environmental fee, to taxes—it's all spelled out for you there. 

Penske, automatically gives you a set number of days when you book your truck rental. This number changes with the truck size you rent—from one day for smaller trucks and cargo vans up to four days for a 26' truck. If you need more time for a move, you can add extra days to your rental for $100 per day. 

We love Penske's honest approach to pricing, but if you need assistance moving or supplies like a dolly or trailer, you'll need to try a different service. Because it only specializes in cheap moving trucks, we didn't see as many add-on services from Penske compared to other truck rental companies on our list. 

Learn more in our Penske Truck Rental Review.

U-Haul is probably the most well-known cheap box truck rental services. In our searches for 30-mile and 100-mile moves, it had the lowest prices, which were around the average (or under) for the prices we found for individual trips. 

Unfortunately, U-Haul's quotes aren't always accurate. The online reservation form has lots of add-on services and extras that fall into your cart at checkout if you aren't careful to remove them, leaving you surprised when you finally pay for your rental truck.

That said, if you're looking for all those bells and whistles, U-Haul can connect you with local movers to help you lift heavy items at one or both destinations. It has a huge range of moving supplies to add to your truck rental.

U-Haul offers two different insurance plans for its rental trucks: Safemove at $15 and Safemove Plus at $28, both of which have a flat rate.

A U-Haul truck is typically cheaper than a moving pod, but it depends on how many items you’re moving, gas prices, and how many miles you travel. If you only have a few large items, you can get a smaller container for just those items and then move everything else with a rental truck to try and save some money.

Learn more in our U-Haul Review.

With Home Depot, you can rent an affordable truck for local transport and one-way moves. They offer 8 ft. flatbed trucks, 10 ft. flatbed trucks, cargo vans, and 12 ft. HD moving trucks. Each option is available to rent for 75 minutes, daily, or weekly. Home Depot offers unlimited mileage on all moving vehicles.

A local reservation for a few hours may cost around $180 for a cargo van, which includes insurance and taxes. Unfortunately, Home Depot doesn't have a fleet of larger moving trucks of their own. Any rental larger than 12' will be through Penske. 

All of this makes Home Depot best for shorter one-way trips to pick up furniture or move large single items.

You may know Enterprise for its car rental services at the airport. But Enterprise truck rental services focuses on local moves. With options for pickup trucks, cargo vans, and box truck rentals, it leans cheaper than U-Haul for moving within 100 miles. 

But with its specialty in passenger rental cars, you won't find as many add-on services or moving supplies. We also found that you might be unable to book the truck you want at the nearest location, which may not be an issue if your move keeps you within the same area. 

Enterprise has great reviews with many praising the its customer service reps. So, if you’re looking for a cheap box truck rental that you can rely on, Enterprise is a contender. Amongst its top features are moving coverage, roadside assistance, and used vehicle sales.

Learn more in our Enterprise Truck Rental review.

Compared to professional movers or using your own vehicle, cheap truck rentals can save you money on labor, fees, and time, especially if you don't have a large vehicle of your own. 

You can rent cheap moving trucks over a window of time, so you can work on your schedule, adding or subtracting days for drop off. Whether that's loading over several days or taking a week to complete the drive, it gives you more flexibility on your own time. 

While we love professional movers for large cross-country, multi-room moves, they aren't always necessary if you're moving into a one-bedroom apartment or small home. These companies also tend to have all the extras you need without any high sales pressure.

While the exact price can vary due to many factors, there are a few hacks worth to help make your truck rental cheaper. 

Sometimes, a move can be a surprise. But for the times that you see it coming months in advance, try to book your moving truck rental early. Penske's website recommends booking a rental truck at least 24 hours in advance to make sure they have the truck you reserved ready on the lot. 

In our tests, we looked at booking two weeks from the current date. This window gives you plenty of time to shop around after you reserve a truck. Many services, like Penske or U-Haul, don't require payment until the day of your move. So if you find a better rate, you can switch to that lower price.

Booking a rental truck for moving is like booking a flight. Online searches can change rates based on how often you search, and rates can differ depending on location and date. Try a few options for different pick-up and drop-off spots. 

You can also try price matching for some of these services. It doesn't guarantee that it will work, but offering proof of a better rate gives you some solid leverage to get a better price elsewhere.

Weekends are the most popular time to schedule a move, which means truck rental companies have the upper hand with pricing. Try booking your truck rental for a weekday, and you may find that rates drop from Friday to Sunday dates.

Packing the truck efficiently can save you time and space, especially for local moves. With fewer trips, you'll burn less gas and rack up fewer miles for your final price.

Learn how to pack a moving truck like a pro for your next move. 

In many cases, teachers, military personnel, or public servants may get a discount on their move. If any of these apply to you, call your local moving truck rental and see what you can get. 

The cheapest moving truck rental overall is Budget. We found that Budget offered the lowest average price, but it wasn't the cheapest every time. The cheapest price won't always come from the same company. 

When booking a rental truck for your move, consider the load size and the distance you're traveling. Getting a truck that fits all your big items for one trip will save you money and time. While we like Home Depot and Enterprise for shorter, one-way moves, the most affordable truck rental companies overall are Budget, Penske, and U-Haul. 

If you have the time and flexibility to choose when you move, consider picking off-season or weekday moves to save money. You can also book early, ask about discounts, and shop around to find the best prices and save the most money. 

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