Though you might see a low daily rate for a truck rental, it might not be the true rate that you'll end up paying. Find out about some of the usual extra fees that you'll pay.
If you're new to the truck rental industry, you might be confused by the different price offerings you see advertised in the paper or online. Some truck rental companies might offer unbelievable prices while others seem exorbitant. But before you decide upon choosing the cheapest priced truck rental, there are a few things you should know about how they calculate the daily rate.
What you see is not what you get
In the truck rental industry, there are no standard pricing structures. In other words, a company can advertise the lowest daily rate in the city but it might not include all of the extras or hidden costs that exist. So how do you know what extras might show up on your final bill? Listed below is a sampling of the some of the extra fees that might surprise you.
Mileage
Some truck rental companies charge for any extra mileage above a certain daily amount. For instance, you might be charged 15 cents for any miles over 100 miles per day. Or you could be charged a certain amount per mile, no matter how many miles you drive. The best piece of advice is to read the fine print on an ad and double check the contract before signing.
Insurance
Most truck rental companies require that you have insurance coverage, either through your existing car policy or through your credit card company. But since most car insurance policies do not cover rental trucks, you'll probably end up spending money on the daily insurance rate. Inquire about the different coverages, since some daily insurance quotes might include Supplementary Liability Insurance, Limited Damage Waiver insurance and even cargo insurance (protects you against damage or theft of your belongings), while other daily insurance rates might just include one or two of those types of coverage. Just remember that the quote you see advertised in the paper or online usually does not include the insurance portion.
Cost recovery fees
Some truck rental companies will add on a daily cost recovery fee (usually less than $5 per day) to recover some of the cost of the truck rental purchase. Though it might not seem like a lot, if you rent a truck for a week, it can quickly add up.
