Advertised daily truck rental rates might seem reasonable, but be aware of hidden costs. These can include additional cost for young drivers, additional drivers and early return fees.
When renting a truck rental for your next move, you can save lots of money when compared to a full-service move. But just because you save money doesn't mean that you should choose just any truck rental company with reasonable daily rates. That's because there could be hidden costs that are not included in the daily rate figure. So how do you know which hidden costs to be aware of? Listed below are some of the more common hidden charges to be aware of.
Young drivers
If you're under 25, you may have to pay more for your truck rental. Fees might climb as much as $25 more per day, especially if you're under 21.
Older drivers
Some truck rental companies penalize older drivers as well. If you're older than 70 years old, check the fine print to see if there's an additional daily charge.
Additional drivers
If you sign up an additional driver on your truck rental contract, you'll probably end up paying a higher daily rate, even up to $25 extra per day. However, some companies permit a spouse or partner to drive as an additional driver at no extra cost.
Environmental fees
Believe it or not, most truck rental companies attach an environmental fee to the daily rate. This rate can be as high as $5 per day extra. It's tacked on to help recover some of the costs that truck rental companies have to pay to dispose of harmful waste products.
Early return fees
If you return your truck rental in earlier than you had signed up for, you might have to pay an early return penalty of up to $15 per day. And if you signed a contract for a special weekly rate and you return your vehicle before the end of that period, don't be surprised to find out that you're being charged an even greater early return fee.
Drop-off fees
If you drop off your vehicle at a different branch, you might be charged a minimal fee. With cross-country moves, that drop off fee will probably be much higher for that convenience (if the company does in fact have national branches; otherwise, expect steep return trip fees).
