My wife and I recently moved into a house and moved in two phases (a short distance and a long distance), we used both UHaul and Penske for the move and wanted to share our thoughts.
We used UHaul for the local move and Penske for the Cross country long distance move (SC to AZ). We rented 26′ trucks for both moves.
Cost
We compared cost, and UHaul and Penske were comparable for the long distance move. Penske was a little cheaper after we called them and they gave us a discount over the phone (They always do this, so don’t place your reservation online, call them.)
For the local move, UHaul was significantly cheaper. At just $29.99 for 24 hours. Compared to Penske’s $69.99 for 24 hours.
The Trucks
The Penske truck was considerable newer than the UHaul truck. It was an International Diesel truck (Penske doesn’t have an large gasoline trucks, diesel is more effeceint and the engines are easier to maintain). The AC Worked extremely well. The bench seat was comfortable and not stained. Penske washed the truck thouroughly before I picked it up and it shined. The International truck is designed to be easy to drive. It has huge mirrors that make it easy to perform safe lane changes and cover your blind spots. One set of mirrors is magnified which was extremely helpful when backing the truck. The hood of the truck is curved in such a way that it makes it easy to keep the truck between the lines of the road and also avoid hitting things in close quarters. The clearance height of the truck is very clearly marked on the windshield, and there aren’t any of those stupid warning messages like “Warning, driving while intoxicated may be hazardous to your health.”
Penske also guarantees a truck for you. Unlike UHaul, if you reserve a truck, you will get what you reserved. They have drivers that do nothing but run trucks from one location to another to ensure you get what you reserved. The one downside to the Penske truck was that the deck height was significantly higher than the UHaul. This wasn’t really a problem though.
The UHaul was old. It was clean on the outside and looked new, but when I got in it the dash was dirty, writing was faded, the gauges were weird, and the truck was just plain old. The steering wheel shaked and had a lot of play in it. I don’t know how old exactly, but the shifter on the steering wheel was of a design I havn’t seen since I drove an old Ford Van. The truck was also a gasoline truck instead of a diesel. It was quieter, but slower and didn’t inspire confidence. Unlike the Penske truck he visibility was poor, and the mirrors were almost useless.
Service
When I picked up the UHaul there was a single person in the store and he was busy. There were three of us inline. He was nice though, and I chatted with him and made friends. He even let me borrow some blankets a few weeks later at no charge. I really don’t have any first hand experience with UHauls roadside assistance but I have two friends that have related some to me.
My sister Erin and her husband rented a small UHaul to move from NC to DC. On their way there, the truck broke down. UHaul came out and said the truck needed to go to the shop, so they gave them a new truck. BUT they left it up to them to unload the old truck and load the new truck. In case you haven’t loaded a truck before, it sucks. Especially on the side of a busy interstate in the summer heat.
My good friend and previous co-worker Jacob Allred rented a truck to move from SC to VA. First of all, they didn’t have the size truck he asked for and was forced to rent a 20′ truck instead of a smaller 12′ truck. This significantly decreased the gas mileage and cost him a hundred dollars extra in Gas. On the way to VA the truck’s AC went out and he had to wait for over 6 hours at a service station to get it repaired before he could continue on his trip.
On our cross country trip in our Penske Truck the car carrier we rented got a flat tire. I called their roadside service line and Patrick (the cs rep) was extremely helpful and kind. He dispatched a truck with a new wheel and let me know they were on their way and that he would check back with me. 15 minutes later the truck pulled up with a spare tire and 5 minutes later I was on my way again. This was amazing! Patrick called me back an hour later but I missed his call. An hour or so after that he called me again and asked how it was going and if they got the tire changed. I told them they had and that I was really impressed with the speed which they changed the tire. Other than that the truck performed perfectly and all equipment was in excellent condition.
Conclusion
I would recommend Penske hands down for long distance moves, the trucks are better, service is better, and it will give you one less thing to worry about in an already stressful activity.
For local moves, UHaul is probably an ok alternative. They have more rental locations and cheaper rates. If you are willing to deal with an older truck you should be fine.
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