Truck Rental Tips - Self Service

There are so many self service truck rental companies to choose from, all with their different pros and cons. Please use these tips to make sure you choose the right self service truck rental company for you.

Shop around for the best truck rental deal

Always make sure that you shop around for the truck rental company that best suits your needs. Write down all the information the different truck rental companies give you, so that you can properly analyze the pros and cons of each.

What are the truck rental costs and does the quoted price include everything?

Cost is a big factor when renting a truck, but beware of hidden costs. Some companies are upfront with all of their costs and can at first sometimes look more expensive. Whilst others may not inform all of the costs and you only find out when it comes time to pay. We can not stress enough how important it is to research all of the costs before renting the truck. By reading the rest of this article, as well as other articles at TruckRental.com then you should have a good grasp of all the factors that can influence price.

Don't be afraid to ask any questions you may have. It will ensure that there are no unpleasant surprises at the end of your truck rental experience.

Will the truck be the right size for you?

It is important to make sure ahead of schedule that you rent the right sized truck for your own personal requirements. Ask the dimensions and sizes from the truck rental company and if the dimensions mean little to you, perhaps go to the truck rental deport to look at the sizes they offer.

If you are just moving across town then there may be no problem with doing multiple journeys with the truck and therefore you won't have to fit everything you have into the truck. If you are moving further then you will want to ensure that you can fir everything you have into the truck.

Will the truck be available for when you require?

Don't just assume that you will be able to rent a truck whenever you want it. It pays to book in advance the truck you require, so that you can ensure you can rent the truck when you want it.

Does the price include a hand trolley, packing blankets or other things to assist or are they extra costs?

Some truck rental companies will include with every rental, the use of a hand trolley, packing blankets and sometimes other items such as boxes. But this isn't always the case and often will cost extra or not be available from some truck rental companies. Before moving, always think about what you are moving in your truck and whether or not you or the truck rental company have everything you need.

Does your truck rental company require return of the truck with a full fuel tank?

Many truck rental companies require that you return the truck with a full fuel tank. Some fuel tanks in trucks are different to cars in that to fully fill the tank you have to partly remove the nozzle from the tank. For this reason, often the tanks will not be completely full when leaving the depot. It is always important to check before leaving the depot, how full your fuel tank is. If the tank isn't full and it is a requirement that you return it full, then always ensure that you show the staff from the truck rental company and have something in writing to say how full your tank is. This will avoid paying unnecessary fuel fees when return the truck.

If you have to return the truck with a full fuel tank or at least at the same level when you first rented the truck, then it is always much better to do it yourself. If you return the truck without filling the fuel, then the truck rental company will do so themselves and charge you a rate that is usually well over the current market rate.

Have you chosen the right insurance for your truck rental?

Whenever you rent a truck you must get insurance. Most truck rental companies makes sure you do take out some kind of insurance, but if they don't then you must do so. The cost of a truck is very expensive and as it is most likely that you as a driver isn't used to the way a truck handles then the risk of accident is greatly increased.

When getting your insurance there are often many options to choose from. You can pay more up front to reduce the excess (the amount you have to pay if an accident or damage occurs) and often you can insure for different kinds and levels of damage. As a general rule, always try and take out the most insurance you can.

As far as excess is concerned then you should think about how much the different excess amounts are and decide what you can afford to pay if something does go wrong. If you can't afford a large excess then it is always best to pay a little extra up front to reduce the excess.

If you are driving to a location other than where you initially rented the truck, are there other costs involved?

When renting a truck to drive short distances it is likely that you will return the truck to the same depot the you originally rented the truck from. For people who are moving long distances, then it is important to find out whether or not you can return the truck to another depot closer to where you unload the truck.

Some truck rental companies will just not allow this. Others will at no extra cost and others will charge you for them to return the truck to where you originally rented the truck from. These charges can be significant as the truck rental company will often charge you for fuel above market rate, as well as the labor cost of having 1 or 2 people drive the truck back. Other companies may well come up with some other ways of charging you for not returning the truck to the depot you originally rented the truck from. So again, please make sure you ask about all the details before you rent the truck.

Check the condition of the truck before leaving the depot

Most truck rental companies will go through a condition report before leaving the depot. During this process make sure that they are very detailed in what they write down. If you don't write down damage that is on the truck, you run the risk of having to pay for it or the insurance excess when you return the truck.

Do you have the required license to drive the rental truck?

There are different trucks available from the many different truck rental companies. In most cases, the truck rental company will only discuss renting a truck to you that can be driven with a car license unless you state that you have a truck license and prefer something bigger. It is still worth checking when you first call, to make sure the truck you are renting is suitable for your license type.