Archive for the ‘Moving Truck Rentals’ Category
April 12th, 2011 | 
Author: When you’re planning a move a long distance, it can be a bit intimidating. Do you bite the bullet and pay a moving company to pack and move your stuff, or do you rent a truck and move it yourself. You might just find that it can be surprisingly cheap to rent a one way moving truck.
When you use a full-service service moving company, you can often get them to pack most everything, inventory it, load it in the truck, and unpack it for you on the other end. However, this can be a very expensive way to go, especially if you don’t have enough to fill a full truck. This can be really painful, since you usually pay for the entire truck, even if what you’re moving only fills the truck two-thirds of the way.
A great alternative is to pack and load everything yourself. While it may not sound fun, having done it myself, it isn’t as bad as you might think. It is a cheap way to move compared to a full-service moving company, and you can control your schedule more than when you set up a time with a mover. You’ll also always know exactly where your stuff is.
You can usually choose from several sizes of trucks, from a pickup truck to a 21 foot truck, and can even get something to tow a car behind the larger trucks. One recommendation I would make is to get the car carrier trailer if you’re towing a car. On one move, I used the car dolly that only hooks up to two wheels. Towing that car cross-country by the front wheels actually messed up the alignment of the rear wheels, which added to the cost of the whole move. The car carrier does cost more, but may end up saving you money at the end of your trip.
Keep in mind that if you use the blankets that usually come in the trucks, you’ll be charged for them, and may even be charged to use the dolly to put your items on the larger trucks. In most cases, you’re charged by the mile or the number of days you keep the truck.
You may have to park in a strange way to be able to load the truck, which can sometimes cause problems if you’re only allowed to use a certain number of spaces, like at an apartment. You may want to check with management first to prevent inconveniencing other tenants.
Driving the truck across the country, or even across town, can be an adventure if you have the right attitude, and keep in mind that you’re probably saving a ton of money compared to having someone else do all the work for you.
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If you have been looking around on this blog you will already know that I have moved a lot in my adult life. An affordable moving company is the best way to move if you are cheap and/or you are broke.
There are numerous posts here to steer you in the right direction when you are ready for that cheap move. Instead of making you read them all here is a list of the best suggestions I have.
1. The Less You Have The Less You Will Need to Move. Streamlining your belongings to those things that you really need and really love will make your move easier and cheaper. Less boxes to carry, less hired help, less rental truck, and less gas you will need to spend money on. The best part is that you can sell many of your discards to make some moving money.
2. Get Your Friends and Family to Help. Whenever possible get those closest to you to help with the move. They can carry boxes and furniture to a rental truck, lend you there truck, or watch your kids while you are doing the heavy lifting. I know it can be hard to ask, just make sure you help them out when they ask. Don’t forget to supply some refreshments during the move and a party when all is done. Of course going overboard here could use up all of your savings.
3. Hire Locals to Pack and Unpack Your Truck for You. You would be surprised how inexpensive the teen age boys down the street are if you just ask them. Just be prepared to supervise when not hiring professional movers. O.K. You need to supervise the professionals to if you want everything to go well.
4. Rent Your Own Truck or Moving Pod. Full service moving companies are really convenient and you pay a lot for that convenience. If you are trying to save money on moving then you are going to have to go to the hassle of renting your own truck or pod from an affordable moving company.
I know most of these tricks are fairly obvious, but sometimes we all need to be reminded of them when saving money with an affordable moving company.
There are a lot of ways to move. You can hire a full service moving company, or rent a moving truck, or even rent a moving pod. Unless you are moving in town in one day there a lot of parts of a moving rate. To help you understand what you are getting into before you move here are the main parts that make up a moving companies moving rate.
Miles
The number of miles is a large part of a moving rate. If you are driving a rental moving truck then you will need to add the cost of gas to your overall cost, they will not charge it. If you are going with a moving company where they do the driving like a full service rental company or a container moving company then they are going to add the gas to your quote.
Time
Every day your things are moving you are going to have to pay for. That also means the days you have them store your belongings to. If you are driving than you won’t be paying for the labor because you are the labor. If they are driving then you will be paying extra for the labor
Extras
You are going to pay for any extras you get like boxes, people to pack and load, and extra rented equipment. These extras depend on what type of moving company you decide to go with.
Don’t be afraid to ask about any charge both on your quote before you move and your bill after.
Moving can be so expensive these days, so saving money on truck rentals one way is smart. There are numerous companies that you can rent your one way truck from. Last time I rented one the lady helping me said that the brand new moving trucks are for in town moves only so they can get broken in and become more reliable for people moving a long distance. When you do find your truck rentals one way be sure to ask how old it is and when it was last given a full inspection. Now you just need to know where to find long a distance moving truck for your move.
Yellow Pages
It is important to use a moving company that is available in your local area. If you plan to move very far then pick one of the larger moving truck rental companies, because you need a company that also has location where you are moving to. I know that most of us no longer bother looking in the phone book for anything anymore, but this is one case you should. You would be surprised how many rental moving truck companies are actually in your area. You could miss out on the one with the best price.
Internet
I’m pretty sure that if you can’t find what you are looking for on the internet it doesn’t exist. If you don’t have your phone book handy or just refuse to use it try the yellow pages site instead. I don’t think that the listings are as comprehensive and the ads can be confusing, but it is still a good place to start. If you already know what company you want to use then go straight to there website to make a reservation. Just remember to call the location you plan on using to make sure the reservation in good.
Alternatives
There are a few other alternative you might want to consider before deciding to use truck rentals one way. Moving pods and moving containers are a great way to move if you need more convenience and you don’t mind paying the higher price for it. You could also hire full service moving company if you want everything to be taken care of for you.
There are so many reasons to save money these days so saving money while moving is a must. Some would say this is a bat time to move, but I disagree. This is as good a time to move as any. In fact if you are able to get a new house this is the perfect time. The housing bubble has burst and many houses are down right cheap. If you have to move then you just need to be economical and get transport cheap. Here are a few things to think about.
Get Rid of Extra Weight
The fact is that the more stuff you move the more expensive it is going to be. Minimalists have the cheapest moves because they just don’t have much. First thing you need to do is go through everything you have and get rid of as much as possible. Give your excess things away of sell them at a moving sale. You just need to lighten your load.
Be Patient and Plan Ahead
If you are in a hurry to move you will not get the best moving rates or the best movers for that matter. You need to find your movers as far ahead of time as you can and ask them what there cheapest days for moving are. If they wont tell you than try using there reservation wizard on there website. Just keep entering different possible dates to determine which are the cheapest. This also works for getting cheap airline tickets.
Call Around
Get a quote from several moving companies to know which is the cheapest quote. Just keep in mind that the cheapest isn’t always the best. Taking the time to do this is going to be worth it.
Its moving day and you have worked hard to get everything ready to go. You have had your moving sale and told the kids what is going on. You have found a great new home that you can’t wait to settle in and start enjoying it. You are tired and stressed out because there is so much to do before you get there. You just realize that you need something and you can’t move forward until you get it. GRRR this situation is so annoying when you just want to get your move over with and get on with life. Here are a few items to have on hand before you get to moving day. So, before moving buy these items.
Moving Blankets
You don’t want your furniture to get dinged and scraped. Why bother moving them if you are just going to destroy them in the move. If you don’t plan on using moving blankets then just go ahead and sell everything in that moving sale.
Hand Truck
Save your energy and your back by investing in at least one heavy duty hand trucks. I would actually recommend getting two to make things go faster. You will need a hand truck for moving heavy furniture and stacking boxes on. I have moved with and without this piece of equipment and I can tell you it is easier with the hand truck.
Boxes
You will actually need to get moving boxes, packing tape, and markers just after you know you are moving. You will also need boxes and garbage bags for the things you aren’t keeping for throwing away, selling, or donation.
There is no way around it moving is expensive. Unless you get rid of all of your stuff so you don’t have to move it. Most of us aren’t going to go to that extreme to save money on our moves. So what can you do to make your move with a one way truck cheaper? Here are a few ideas to save money on your next move.
Move against the Grain
Moving against the grain isn’t something that you can control it is just that you are moving in a direction that is opposite of the direction most everyone else is moving during that time. For a long time now most people in the US have been moving south. This means that if you happen to be moving north you might be able to get your one way truck cheaper because the company needs to get more of there moving trucks back north for those that are moving south.
Shop Around for Drop off Locations
This made a difference of at least a couple hundred dollars in my last move. We rented a one way truck to move from one state to another. Because we had a person at the company that was willing to look at our entire truck drop off options we were able to save money by driving about an hour from our new home. We paid more in gas and miles, but saved even more. It was worth it.
Be Flexible With Your Dates
If you are really firm on your moving dates that you will have to pay a premium. If you can shop some dates to see what is the least expensive than you will save money on your one way truck. Don’t be afraid to ask if some dates or days of the week are less expensive. If the person on the phone is unwilling to work with you than ask to talk to someone else or just go to a different moving truck company. Customer service is an indicator of how a company is going to be to work with.
Moving Cheap is always a great idea especially now. I have hit this particular point numerous times, but it is so important that we will take another shot at it.
Pack Rats Have The Most Expensive Moves
Most of the time the most expensive part of a move is the moving of your stuff. If moving cheap is a priority to you than hanging onto unnecessary objects is going to bust your budget. If you don’t need it or you haven’t used it for the last 6 month then get rid of it before you move. Of course there are exceptions like seasonal and Things that mean a lot to you.
Even better than just throwing your unneeded things out you can sell them. Think about listing those objects on Ebay, Creags List, Yahoo Auctions, Your local want ads, or having a garage sale. You could help pay for your move with the things you sell.
Most of us do not have the choice of what time of year they can move. Usually there are outside factors that dictate when we move like; a new job, the sale of a house, kids schools, and getting evicted. I hope you are not moving because of eviction, but it does happen. If you do have the choice of when you move and need to be moving cheap then pick winter.
Many places around the country have a ton of ice and snow during certain months. You should probably avoid those times. Moving trucks usually don’t have studs or snow tires. But you will have to use your own judgment on that. Moving cheap is also quite possible in the early spring and late fall. Just avoid the summer.
Why should you avoid the summer if at all possible? Everyone and there dog is trying to move during the summer. You are going to be competing with a lot of other people for movers, moving trucks, and those containers for container moving. Just remember the law of supply and demand. The demand is higher than the supply in the summer so they can charge a premium. In the winter the demand is much lower than the supply so they are more likely going to give you a discount to get your biasness. Moving cheap in the winter is definitely the best way to go if you can.
Winter can also be a better time to get a rental or buy a home. Since most people are not looking in the winter so you might get to work with a desperate seller or land lord. This of coerce depends on the housing market. It does not hurt to try.
Moving in this economy can be tricky. Most of us out there are very interested in saving every last penny that we possibly can. Moving is generally down right expensive and can cause a lot of stress. Saving money by moving cheapis simply a must to ensure we can enjoy our new home instead of just being overwhelmed by all the money it took to get there. Here are a few things to do to keep your move cheap.
Move less Stuff
If you are moving cheap than this is the best way to save money. When you move your biggest expense is moving your stuff. You pay a lot to get your belongings from point A to Point B. Call a moving company or self moving truck rentals to get a quote for moving all of your stuff. Now with that quote in hand make a list of your things and how much it would cost to replace them or if you could easily live without it. This will be your biggest indicator of what to sell or give away. The time you spend doing this will be worth it in the end.
Do your own Heavy Lifting
Movers charge a lot for the convenience of loading and unloading the truck for you. If you are moving cheap than do your own heavy lifting. Also skip having your furniture and breakables packed and unpacked for you because it is going to cost a bundle. If you really need the extra help than call in some fevers from family and friends. You could also hire a shout group or some neighborhood kids to help. Then get a rental moving truck or a moving container.