OT: U-Haul advice?
We're moving within 35 minutes of Ann Arbor next Friday. I'm from Utica which is a 1hr 10 min drive from A2 so we're gonna rent a U-Haul to move our stuff. I've never driven a truck bigger than an F150 before so how much different is it since it's a larger vehicle?
Just looking for general advice for U-Haul renting too.
January 13th, 2020 at 12:33 AM ^
What size truck? Anything under 24 won’t feel too different. Just try to avoid being on the roads when they are real busy. The biggest adjustment will be not having a rear view mirror.
January 13th, 2020 at 12:38 AM ^
It's not a big deal. They guzzle gas and they don't stop on a dime or anything. Not a huge deal. Swing turns wide.
January 13th, 2020 at 1:52 AM ^
In terms of guzzling gas, you're right if a U-Haul is compared to, for instance, a Kia. But I moved my daughter to Peoria, IL this past August and I needed only to fill up the tank when I arrived there (around 25 gal, I think). The truck was much more fuel efficient than I thought it would be.
January 13th, 2020 at 12:38 AM ^
Know your clearance.
January 13th, 2020 at 4:20 AM ^
I worked for a moving company while in college. Took the top off a truck on that low bridge on Washington.
January 13th, 2020 at 7:24 AM ^
Sorry for your misfortune, but... thanks for the laugh, sounds like something from a cartoon.
January 13th, 2020 at 9:18 AM ^
This. I once took down a balcony while backing out of my brother in-laws condo complex near the U hospital.
January 13th, 2020 at 9:41 AM ^
Also know your route, so you can make sure that the truck can safely get under any bridges you may encounter.
I had a big U-Haul when I moved to Madison many years ago; somehow the order got screwed up and I wound up with a 24-foot truck instead of whatever the next size down was. I nearly took out a low street lamp on my street, but I very scrupulously avoided a low bridge on Park Street (?) on the way in. I later saw some poor bastard get stuck under there.
One final tip is to make sure you put the right goddamn gas in the tank. A few years ago we had just loaded a friend's U-Haul when we discovered that it wouldn't start. Turns out whoever had it last had used regular gas when he should have used diesel (or vice versa) and my friend was "lucky" to have gotten it to his apartment.
On the bright side, after we ran around like crazy to get my friend moved, they refunded his credit card for the rental seven times. (This may have even been on purpose--I forget whether or not he had graduated from law school at the time.)
January 13th, 2020 at 10:16 AM ^
How true that is https://youtu.be/yvlvfY6lOyg
January 13th, 2020 at 12:40 AM ^
Not sure what you're looking for here. A Uhaul truck drives like a bigger truck, but I guess it depends on what exact truck you rented since there are like 5 model sizes. The bigger the truck, the slower and more unwieldy it will be. Just drive slow and cautious and you'll be fine.
As far as Uhaul renting advice, there isn't any I can think of. You put stuff in the truck, drive it to the destination, then unload the stuff out of the truck. Return the truck after you're done.
January 13th, 2020 at 12:45 AM ^
Honestly, It's not too much different than driving a full size truck. Just use your side mirrors and you should be fine.
Advice:
Do the math: Many times (Flint to Royal Oak) (Royal Oak to Tecumseh) (Tecumseh to A2) It's been cheaper to rent and return to the same place. Generally, You would want to rent in AA and then drive back to Utica.
ALWAYS get the bigger truck: ALWAYS. You have more shit than you realize. You're not as good at Tetris as you think. Get the bigger truck.
Take wide turns: Drive slow and take wide turns. It's beneficial to be the first guy turning. Take your time. You're enormous! Swing wide and avoid the light pole/stop sign/innocent pedestrian. Once you take 4-5 corners, you'll have the hang of it.
Stop moving!: AA is an incredible town and moving sucks. Houses are expensive here for a reason. Just add on to your existing house if you run out of room. Dealing with subcontractors is WAY better than packing all your shit up, hauling it, and then unpacking it again.
Hope this helped!
January 13th, 2020 at 2:08 AM ^
It is NOT cheaper to rent and return the same place. You get charged a base mileage moving from x to y. If you exceed that mileage you not only pay for the gas you guzzle, but you pay by the miles.
January 13th, 2020 at 4:46 AM ^
This is probably there best advice I've seen. People get sucked in by that $29 price which can really add up. Just make your reservation to pick up in Utica and drop off in A2.
January 13th, 2020 at 9:01 AM ^
U-Haul is really deceptive with their pricing and they're often more expensive than other truck rental companies.
Budget is usually the cheapest.
January 13th, 2020 at 9:37 AM ^
Budget is the cheapest, but keep in mind you get what you pay for. I was moving from LA to Cincinnati a few years back with a Budget rental and pulling a car behind. The Truck broke down in the middle of the CA desert. Budget left me stranded for 18 hours.
They finally towed me to Flag Staff, AZ and hired movers to move everything from one truck to the other. In the process of moving everything from truck to truck they walked all over my couch staining it beyond repair, didn't use any of the furniture pads and put an metal baseball bat against the front of my stainless steel fridge marring the finish, broke the lid on my washer, broke almost every picture frame I had, and the list goes on and on.
Their initial offer for the damage was $800. The damage was estimated at over $9k. Ultimately, after 6 months and many threats of lawsuits, i accepted a $2k settlement for the damage to just be done with it.
I personally will never do business with Budget again.
January 13th, 2020 at 11:25 AM ^
That's a long haul though. WD is moving like 60 miles.
January 13th, 2020 at 1:27 AM ^
I rented a 20' U-Haul to drive all of our stuff from NYC to Nashville, on a Friday, in rush hour - and it was nuts. I had never driven anything bigger than a van before. I couldn't drive over 55 or else the entire truck would shake. I thought we were going to stay the night at a hotel somewhere on the way, but when we stopped, I was way too amped up so we drove straight through.
Your trip is very short and you won't be on a time crunch - so definitely take your time. One good thing we did was hire a moving team to load our truck and another team to unload our truck. It was worth the money. Get plenty of moving 'blankets' and a dolly if you don't have one. They will rent all of that to you.
Good luck. Be safe.
January 13th, 2020 at 1:45 PM ^
I drove 2,100 miles with a friend while towing a car with one over three days. Fun times. Amped up on so much caffeine.
January 13th, 2020 at 1:37 AM ^
You have to get your commercial operator's license first.
January 13th, 2020 at 1:44 AM ^
Google says otherwise
January 13th, 2020 at 6:34 AM ^
??
Not for a standard rental truck. They’re specifically permissible for non-CDL drivers. The whole business model of the rental truck companies depends on it.
January 13th, 2020 at 9:11 AM ^
In Russia you don’t get commercial operators license, commercial operators license gets you
January 13th, 2020 at 1:42 AM ^
With the UHual, it's harder to drift through corners, especially in the snow, but if you make sure the load is top heavy it should still be doable.
January 13th, 2020 at 1:50 AM ^
Don't know if its still true but State Police transit cops (the ones who pull over trucks and man the weigh stations) used to pull over a lot of rental moving trucks.
Apparently it is or was a popular way to transport drugs. Hide it in among the furniture I guess.
They were also looking for businesses using them to transport goods as a way to avoid licensing fees and taxes.
Anyway that was a weird stop on my list of times I've been pulled over.
January 13th, 2020 at 3:22 AM ^
Hire an in-town moving company. After you account for the truck, pizza and beer for your friends you will probably come out ahead. Plus you probably won't burn a bunch of favors.
I'm not in A2, but it cost me $120 for two guys and a truck for 2 hours where I live. It's totally worth it.
January 13th, 2020 at 5:37 AM ^
mgomoving party starts in 4 days. be there!
good luck WD. exciting stuff. and yeah, corners and also you won't be used to being as wide as that rig will be so you can't drift as much in your lane. take your time, you'll be fine. and young guys like you have lots of young friends so, kidding aside, beg/bribe some to help the move. it'll go pretty fast. make sure you've got everything already boxed up (you probably already do) so that its just a grab-n-go for the team.
January 13th, 2020 at 7:03 AM ^
Don’t forget to rent the Booster Seat....
January 13th, 2020 at 6:59 AM ^
Plan your route. If you can avoid busy roads do so. Backing up will probably be the hardest part of driving the truck. If you know someone who has driven a bigger truck maybe ask them to drive it for you or maybe ride along.
January 13th, 2020 at 8:30 AM ^
Yeah. Take it slow backing up. Have someone get out and help you from the outside. You need a good feel for what the right rear corner, opposite where you're at in the driver's seat, is doing.
January 13th, 2020 at 7:05 AM ^
Just completed a similar distance move.
First:
ALWAYS get the bigger truck: ALWAYS. You have more shit than you realize. You're not as good at Tetris as you think. Get the bigger truck.
This.
We took a two-pronged approach. First, we rented one of U-haul's enclosed trailers and made a few trips with the trailer full of the smaller things - boxed items up to light furniture and beds. The trailers are flat-rate, about $30 for the 6 x 12' for 24 hours.
Then we did this...
Hire an in-town moving company. After you account for the truck, pizza and beer for your friends you will probably come out ahead. Plus you probably won't burn a bunch of favors.
...to move all of the large, heavy, awkward furniture. That alone was a few hundred dollars but very worth it especially if you have large items (furniture) in a basement or second story.
However, all of this depends on how much $ you want to spend, how quickly you need to get moved and how much manual effort you want to contribute.
Also don't forget to bring your patience - moving is stressful af for everyone involved.
January 13th, 2020 at 7:09 AM ^
Don’t rent uhaul. Their trucks are usually older and in poor condition. I would recommend Penske if it is an option. A box truck works as a good wind stop. If its windy, be ready to hold on.
January 13th, 2020 at 8:55 AM ^
You’re not Penske material!
January 13th, 2020 at 7:17 AM ^
Take your time. Carry a pen. Get a folder to keep all your paperwork in, just in case you need to find it later. Lift with your knees. Drink plenty of water. Spring for pizza & beer afterward. Remember to gas it up before you return it. Make sure your new place has toilet paper. (Trust me on this.)
And call your mother. She worries.
January 13th, 2020 at 7:23 AM ^
Make sure your new place has toilet paper. (Trust me on this.)
Also some hand soap and towels.
January 13th, 2020 at 11:14 AM ^
Also a good idea. I only stressed having TP because of a memory I had of moving into my first place. While wrestling boxes up the stairs, I was struck with intestinal urgency. I made it to the bathroom in time, only to discover that there was no paper, nor any Kleenex. The closest thing I had was a roll of cheap paper towels. The memory of those friction burns ensures that the first thing I take to a new place is a 4-pack of Charmin.
January 13th, 2020 at 12:19 PM ^
Ah, yes. Nothing like a few trips up and down the stairs carrying boxes to activate maximum bowel overdrive.
We had the TP on hand, but nothing to wash up or dry off with after. Luckily there was some emergency hand sanitizer to use as a workaround.
January 13th, 2020 at 7:26 AM ^
My advice? Hire movers.
January 13th, 2020 at 8:07 AM ^
Best money I've ever spent when we bought our house. Plus afterwards I have told my friends who have asked for help moving, remember when I didn't ask you for help?
January 13th, 2020 at 7:41 AM ^
Budget generally has the lowest truck rental prices. U-Haul matches competitors prices. To get a price match at U-Haul, you'll need to present a competitor's quote for the same size truck. The quote will need to include the same rental dates and cities. The price match can be a online. U-Haul can look it up to verify. Prices and availability are better on weekdays and in the middle of the month.
January 13th, 2020 at 7:47 AM ^
On taking wide turns, good practice in general, but particularly important for right turns. You hug a right turn and the middle of the truck and back wheels WILL go over the curb. Recipe for disaster. Give yourself a wide berth on right turns. Even more important if you're hauling a car trailer.
Give yourself plenty of time and clearance when changing lanes on the highway. Generally, I would just advise staying in the right lane, especially in a bigger truck.
An F150 is anywhere from 17.5' to 20' in length. Uhaul's second longest truck is 20' in length. It's not THAT big of an adjustment, just have to give extra clearance on all sides for the added size.
January 13th, 2020 at 8:08 AM ^
I helped my brother move from Western one summer. We rented a U-Haul and got this ancient 70's Dodge with roll down windows, a metal dash, and an AM radio with one speaker in the dash.
We instantly fell in love. So simple. So old school.
Sorry. That doesn't help you. I agree with the person saying anything under 24 is good. Just make sure you watch your mirrors and be mindful of what you can't see behind you. Enlist alot of help backing up.
January 13th, 2020 at 8:11 AM ^
I haven't driven a box truck since I graduated from college but I honestly don't remember it being a big deal.
One thing I would do if you're not comfortable driving it is pay for the damage waiver. Auto insurance normally transfers to box truck, but this way if you damage it you can just toss them the keys and say it's your problem now, goodbye.
January 13th, 2020 at 8:52 AM ^
I drove a 26' UHaul packed to the gills from DC to Wisconsin. That truck was on its last throes. Gears slipped. The steering wheel shook violently. The brakes were "soft". But what an epic road trip with my dog in the passenger seat. It was the only driving trip that I truly paid attention to the runaway truck off ramps in mountainous terrain.
My advice is simple. Take it slow. Keep plenty of distance between you and the vehicle in front of you. And never take any chances while backing up.
January 13th, 2020 at 8:53 AM ^
When in doubt, gas it.
January 13th, 2020 at 9:08 AM ^
Red means stop, green means go, yellow means go very fast
January 13th, 2020 at 9:10 AM ^
I’ve never driven a big truck and just drove a 15’ with my car in tow for 1000 miles. I was intimidated but it was not much different. Just be aware of your length and stay in right lanes and you’ll be fine.
January 13th, 2020 at 9:59 AM ^
Random thoughts:
-Uhauls are 2- wheel drive and suck in the snow.
- Don’t even attempt to drive the Uhaul into a steep grade driveway, it will get stuck.
-Moving in the winter sucks, especially when snowing. Try to avoid snow day.
-Uhaul battery is located outside the vehicle (near the step) and can freeze and die out.
-Watch your blindspot big time. Cars (morons) will drive there.
-Try to pack the truck as full as possible big stuff first and don’t do 2 runs, mileage is costly. Finish the small stuff in friends’ cars.
January 13th, 2020 at 10:18 AM ^
Lots of good advice here. I’ll add this: know where you’re going so you can have plenty of time to get into the correct lane for whatever turn is coming up. You won’t see the blind spots and those cars don’t think about what you can and cannot see. Also, not one single driver will slow down to let you in when changing lanes/merging. Be prepared for that - it may take some work and travel distance to get over to that turn lane coming up. If your not prepared, you’ll cause a crash or miss the turn. Also, trucks need a long distance to slow down - it’s not going to break like your car.
January 13th, 2020 at 10:26 AM ^
Go slow and be patient. Driving is not hard. Driving in high wind might be. Getting passed by a semi will freak you out.
The big tip I recommend is to tape off a space in your garage that maps to your truck. Pack that space like you would your truck. You can play tetris all you want without the time pressure. Makes loading a breeze. Moved from Minneapolis to Ann Arbor. Loading was like a dream.
January 13th, 2020 at 10:58 AM ^
rent a penske truck instead. will be newer and in much better condition. anything up to 25 feet is going to be a box truck and just a wider turning radius and longer stopping distance.