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Truck Rental Guide

Guide to Renting a Budget Truck Rental on the Cheap

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, especially when it relates to the soundness of a vehicle. Safety plays a huge role in truck rental as your life and others’ lives may be in danger. If the truck rental company is not properly licensed and has known safety issues, cheaper is never cheaper. 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.

Never believe the budget truck rental sales person that says everything is in order without seeing documentation. Your life may depend on that information.

Insurance – Today, most credit cards and even some debit cards offer insurance protection for truck rental services. Before hiring a budget truck rental company, read your credit card policy agreement and 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 using the truck rental service and save yourself the insurance fee if possible.

Never “not” pay for truck rental insurance because you feel you will not have an accident. You may find yourself in an expensive situation where 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 your property 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.

Never leave the budget truck rental property until you have inspected the cargo area of the truck rental. You do not want to be paying dump charges for someone else’s garbage.

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. Further, 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.

Never leave the budget truck rental property until you have inspected the condition of the truck rental. You do not want to pay later for damages for which you are not responsible.

Reserve in Advance – Because budget truck rental places are so busy and at particular times of the month, they are even busier, try 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 a whole extra day. This is done so they can keep to their schedule for other truck rental users. 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.

Never keep the budget truck rental vehicle longer than stated in your rental agreement. Unless an emergency prevents you from returning the vehicle in a timely manner, ensure that it gets back to the truck rental location on time.

Fill the Gas Tank – Before you return the truck to the budget truck 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.

Never return the truck rental vehicle with an empty tank of gas. Save yourself the money by filling the gas tank or topping up what you have used.

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 destination. 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.

Never leave the budget truck rental vehicle at a location other than the location where you picked up the vehicle unless you have made arrangements in advance with the truck rental agency.

Free Mileage – Inquire about whether free mileage comes with the budget truck rental. Several companies offer free mileage in order to attract customers. But be careful about free mileage and higher rates per day. Calculate the true cost of the truck rental before you choose a particular company.

Never base your budget truck rental decision on free mileage alone. It is best to calculate the full price for the truck rental for all companies involved and ascertain which way is the cheapest method.

Watch for Discounts and Coupons – The budget truck rental business is competitive. Watch the advertisements and you will find fierce price fighting between the companies. This results in huge price savings for you. If you know you will be using a truck rental agency in the near future, listen to the radio, review coupons delivered to your mailbox and read community newspapers for available discounts and money off coupons. Try not to pay 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.

Never pay full price when using a truck rental agency if it is not necessary. Plan ahead and find yourself some money saving discounts and coupons.

Finally, nobody likes to spend money and there is a little bit of a miserly streak in everyone. Employing a truck rental service may be an added burden to many who require the budget truck rental for moving their belongings, so hopefully this guide to budget truck rental will help you to save your hard earned money and spend less with the truck rental agency.