Looking To Rent a Moving Truck?
Your Guide to Cutting Costs on Your Truck Rental
Everyone wants cheap. Not necessarily poor quality cheap but rather inexpensive pricing cheap. That concept holds true when using a truck rental service. The lower the price, the happier a truck renter will feel. With gas prices soaring and less money in the household budget, using a budget truck rental service is enticing to most people. But when thinking about cheap, be aware of certain factors that may make your budget truck rental an expensive proposition.
Safety
Cheap does not mean poor quality with truck rental services. Safety plays a huge role in choosing a moving truck rental, If the truck rental company is not properly licensed and has known safety issues, the low price isn’t worth it. Stay away from these fly-by-night types of truck rental locations. Inquire as to when the truck rental vehicle was last serviced. If the truck rental agency’s inspection certificates and licenses are not prominently displayed in the truck rental sales office, ask to see the valid certificates.
Insurance
Today, most credit cards and even some debit cards offer insurance protection for truck rental services. Before hiring a budget truck service. Read your credit card policy agreement to determine whether you qualify for their free insurance program. In addition, some auto insurance policies cover you as well if the feature is part of their package. Always check in advance before hiring the truck rental service and save yourself the insurance fee if possible. This way you might be able to substantially lower the costs of your move. Never cut costs by neglecting to acquire truck rental insurance because you feel you will not have an accident. You are putting yourself at risk of having to face much larger expenses if you are responsible for accident damages.
Clean Vehicles
Look over the inside of the vehicle to see if it has been cleaned and ready for use. Inspect the cargo hold of the truck rental to ensure the garbage from previous truck rental users has been removed. Also, if the floor is stained, check to ensure the stain is dry. You want to protect your own property and do not need the added expense of replacing any belongings when it becomes damaged from residue in the truck rental vehicle. Check out the cab of the truck rental to ensure you are not sitting on a dirty area especially if this is a long drive. You want to drive in comfort.
Damaged Vehicles
Inspect the truck rental vehicle for any dents and scratches. This damage needs to be clearly documented on the budget truck rental agreement in order to absolve you of any costs related to these damages. Furthermore, when inspecting the truck rental vehicle, check the wiper blades for proper running condition and check the signal lights and braking lights to make sure bulbs are not burned out. Also, check the air conditioning on the budget truck rental in the summer and the heater and defroster in the winter. Nothing is worse than starting off your trip to find out things do not work properly.
Reserve in Advance
Due to the fact that Budget truck rental companies are so busy at particular times of the month, its best to book your truck rental in advance. Call ahead and reserve your budget truck rental to ensure fulfillment on your required day. By reserving in advance, you may also be able to take advantage of special offers that are expiring. Save money by booking the truck rental for an “off” period. Premiums are paid for peak periods. Lastly, by reserving the truck rental vehicle in advance, you may save money because they have a vehicle on site. If you require a special vehicle or if the truck rental location needs to bring in a vehicle from another location, there may be fees attached to these services. Never book the truck rental on short notice if you can reserve in advance.
Return Vehicle on Time
Truck rental service companies usually discourage users from keeping the vehicles longer than agreed by charging heavy late fees. Normally, even if you are only one or two hours late, you may be required to pay for a whole extra day. This is done so they can maintain their schedule for other costumers. Many people are under the misconception that the charge for the time will be pro-rated. Further, if your received a discount for using the truck rental during a particular time period, in order to benefit from the discount privileges, you may need to follow certain guidelines. By returning the truck rental late, you may be responsible for paying the full fare instead of the discounted rate.
Return with a Full Gas Tank
Before you return the truck to the rental location, go to a gas station and fill the gas tank yourself. Returning the vehicle with an empty gas tank or one that is not topped up will ultimately result in extra charges. Not only do you pay for the tank of gas, but also, you pay a premium rate on gas because the truck rental location needs to send an employee to gas it up. Save yourself the unnecessary expense by filling the gas tank before you return the vehicle.
Return Vehicle to Same Location
Some people may only need a truck rental service for a one-way haul. Inquire before booking this type of service to ensure there are no extra fees for leaving the vehicle at another location. Sometimes, the vehicle may have to be sent back to the original truck rental location and you may end of paying for getting it back.
Look for Discounts and Coupons
The budget truck rental business is competitive. Watch the advertisements and you won’t have trouble noticing the fierce price competition between the companies. This results in huge price savings for you, you can easily find bargain prices if you look around, listen to the radio, review coupons delivered to your mailbox and read community newspapers for available discounts and money off coupons. Avoid paying full price for budget truck rentals by booking advance, booking in off periods, using coupons and watching for time sensitive savings. Some truck rental agencies even offer free days with the use of a pre-determined number of days. For example, if you take the truck rental for three days, you might get the fourth day free of charge.