Lowest cost moving truck solution (also best).

[JustinH]

Hey Folks.

I'm planning a move from Buffalo, NY to Phoenix, AZ this summer.

I've started just looking around at some of the truck rental outfits.

Its just myself and my girlfriend moving. I would be doing the driving. I don't have a commercial license or anything, I drive alot of econoline vans at work, and a f150 daily.

Nothing bigger.

What would be my best option to rent a truck?

Are there any outfits that rent a economical diesel truck that anyone can drive with a regular license?

I'd like to avoid a gasser if possible.

Honestly, its just the two of us. We won't be bringing too many items at all. No major appliances, we are selling alot of the big stuff.

A regular sized uhaul truck would be just fine. We would need something a little bigger than a econoline van.

Does anyone know where we could rent one of those sprinter vans?

A sprinter diesel would be the exact size that we would need.

Thanks.
Justin

 

[Drew]

Don't know about smaller trucsk but if you do decide to go with something bigger stay away from Uhaul and go with a Penske truck (they have newer diesel powered ones).

 

[JHZR2]

yeah, go with the big but no CDL type truck - 25' and bigger than say, an F-550 - its their medium duty, large size cab chassis type truck

Beware, sometimes youll get a GMC topkick or whatnot with a 454 instead of an IH frontend...

JMH

 

[Sparkman]

I've rented a bunch of these trucks over the years. Uhauls always seem to be ready for the junkyard. Penske seems to have the nicest trucks but they are pricey.

 

[JustinH]

I've been researching this alot.

If anyone has any moving stories, or companies to check out or avoid, that would be very helpful.

From what I can tell, uhaul is junk. Their trucks are old, and they are very expensive.

They quoted me 2700 dollars for the one way move to phoenix.

Penske came in at 1200 dollars for the one way move, with a bigger truck to boot, and newer. I am familar with the penske lot, and all their trucks seem to be newer and in good order. Penske gives you 11 days to make the move (I would only use 3-4 with uhaul), and unlimited mileage.

So figure 10mpg, 2200 miles. Easy 500-600 bucks in gas at the very least.

3-4 nights in a hotel, another 300 bucks at the very least.

Food, we would be eating out every meal, 75 bucks a day probably.

So pretty much I'd be adding around 1000 bucks to any truck rental to actually get it there, plus I'd have to drive cross country in a big truck i'm not overly comfortable with.

I took a look at pods and the like, they wanted 3-4 grand for the service.

Now I'm looking at an outfit called movex.com.

Basically they give you the equivalent to a 12 foot moving truck worth of space on a whole tractor trailer. They bring the trailer to your house, and the driver stays with the truck until you are done loading it. He charges you on a per foot rate. About 168 dollars per foot in my case. The total bill would be around 2100 dollars.

The company moves everything directly to the door of my new apartment, and lets me unload for 6 hours once it gets there.

The only difference in cost between me driving a penske truck from NY to phoenix, with all expenses, and me hiring this movex company to move everything is the cost of 2 one way tickets to phoenix (about 200 bucks on southwest).

There is no way I am even considering driving there right now.

This move might not be scenic for me, but not stressful at all.

I could fly out the day before the truck is scheduled to arrive, get into the apartment, do a little shopping, sleep on an air mattress or whatever, then wait for the truck to arrive the next day, and just unload it.

Far better than me driving a huge truck 11 hours a day for 3 days.

Anyone else have any other tips?

Thanks,
Justin

 

[JHZR2]

That waiting for you to load/unload sounds quite stressful to me. Every time ive moved, it has taken much more time than planned - so I guess it depends how much stuff you have.

No cars to take along???

Id do the Penske truck route if it were me - and have a bit more flexibility. Moving is always rough, always expensive - Id make sure I give myself as much flexibility as possible, given how tough it all is.

Driving might suck, but you can do things at your own rate, and have a memorable trip if you keep an open mind about spending hours on the highway.

JMH

 

[eljefino]

My latest uhaul rant...

A previous time my g/f reserved a Uhaul but the local affiliate disregarded/never got the reservation so he rented the truck out for a day job. Apparantly he never let uhaul know of this... something shady. Hard to find the place, a car repair shop, that was advertised as "so-and-so's texaco" by uhaul. Guy had no gas pumps.

I'm willing to put up with a lot when it's cheap, but uhaul stretches my boundaries.

Diesels are worth pursuing but like cheezy motorhomes, a gas engine has a lower initial investment cost so you'll be strapped to find one.

 

[Kestas]

Just a thought, but perhaps it would be worthwhile to buy a Sprinter or Econoline E350, use it at your leisure, then sell it once you're at your new location.

 

[Steve S]

How much stuff do you have to move? What is the value of the stuff you have to move compared to the cost of moving ?Some times the stuff costs more to move than it is worth or the cost can buy new stuff .There are some freight companies that for a price will drop a 27 foot trailer and give a certain time to load it then they pick up the trailor and deliver it to your new place and so much time for you to unload the trailor.

 

[JustinH]

We have a two bedroom apt, one bedroom is used as an office.

I was walking around, most of the stuff will be sold. Its not worth moving. Just buy new stuff at ikea or whatever when we get there.

I would need no more than 12 feet.

 

[Oldmoparguy1]

would boxing up the stuff you really need and shipping it ups ground be out of the question?

I know someone who did that. Sold his car to CarMax. Gave away furnishings bedding and other stuff to friends, relatives and others. Sent the rest to good will. Flew first class to the new city. He already had a apartment rented ahead of time. Said it cost him quite a bit less then to move it all.

Just a thought...

 

[Bret Chase]

I've done the long distance move... twice in 6 weeks back in '04 (don't ask). trip down was a '04 GMC C3500 (6.0l gas)penske cube van towing a izusu rodeo.. got 7-9mpg.. on the way back had a '04 GMC C6500 (7.2l cat C7)24' box truck towing same rodeo... got 8 mpg hauling an additional 2000+lbs of cargo. I was very impressed with the C6500.

 

[TN Tracker]

Try U-Pack by ABF

 

[road_rascal]

I moved from Denver to St.Paul MN back in 1991 with a Hertz truck (I think it was about a 17' with a car dolly). Wasn't too bad but the gas mileage really sucked. The truck blew a fuel pump between Lincoln and Omaha in the middle of nowhere. Friendly Nebraska trooper gave me lift to the nearest truck stop, Hertz towed the truck and car dolly (with car on it) to a repair facility and had me back on the road in a few hours. Did I mention that the gas mileage was really bad?

 

[obbop]

What kinda' vehicle do you have?

Cantcha' pull a small rental trailer? The small ones don't weigh much.

Minimize to the max (is that an oxymoronish dichotomy-like statement?) and buy new stuff when y'all get there.

 

[Master ACiD]

moving is awalys expensive. try to minimise expense by sleeping in the cab of the truck. yeah you wont shower for 3-4 days but its doable to avoid the ripoff rates of hotels for each night.
just go to a mcdonalds or burgerking each morning to brush yer teeth, comb hair etc.
speaking of fast food mcdonalds has a dollar menu and its quite possible to live on a $12 a day food budget per person. i know its not somthing you want to do long term but for 3-4 days its doable just like sleeping in the cab is.
you could drop youre additional expenses by 600-1000 dollars by doing these 2 things.

 

[Kestas]

I once moved CA to IL by shipping much of what I had in boxes. Rather than using UPS I used Amtrak. Much cheaper. Drop it off at one station, and pick it up at another. I believe Greyhound has a similar service.

 

[JustinH]

Quote:

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would boxing up the stuff you really need and shipping it ups ground be out of the question?

I know someone who did that. Sold his car to CarMax. Gave away furnishings bedding and other stuff to friends, relatives and others. Sent the rest to good will. Flew first class to the new city. He already had a apartment rented ahead of time. Said it cost him quite a bit less then to move it all.

Just a thought...

---

We're really close to that reality, but not quite. We have some stuff to bring, but not alot of all. I am selling all my appliances, and most of my furniture. The new apartment already has this stuff, nor would I want to haul around a ratty washer machine.

After reading further, moveX is just a broker for trucks that carry household goods. They could stick you with a non reliable truck, or a good one like broadway express.

I'm going to deal directly with broadway express and just have some of our stuff shipped that way. Should be around 1000 dollars in freight.

We both have cars, we are going to sell them, and buy new ones when we get there. No sense in me driving a 15mpg f150 down there, and even less sense in tugging her rusty 2000 neon.

 

[JustinH]

I would do it this way, and have done it that way on cross country trips during college.

There is no way my girlfriend would go for this though!

If I were single, or if I brought a buddy along to help drive them MAYBE, but with her no chance she would go for that.

Quote:

---

moving is awalys expensive. try to minimise expense by sleeping in the cab of the truck. yeah you wont shower for 3-4 days but its doable to avoid the ripoff rates of hotels for each night.
just go to a mcdonalds or burgerking each morning to brush yer teeth, comb hair etc.
speaking of fast food mcdonalds has a dollar menu and its quite possible to live on a $12 a day food budget per person. i know its not somthing you want to do long term but for 3-4 days its doable just like sleeping in the cab is.
you could drop youre additional expenses by 600-1000 dollars by doing these 2 things.

---

 

[JustinH]

I have a 2wd v8 f150.

It has a tow ball, not a hitch. The rental companies won't rent me a little trailer without a hitch on it, and thats several hundred bucks to do it that way.

That idea isn't out of the question, maybe get a hitch put on it, and drive the truck out there.

But I think selling most of our things and starting over sounds easier, and the way to go.

Quote:

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What kinda' vehicle do you have?

Cantcha' pull a small rental trailer? The small ones don't weigh much.

Minimize to the max (is that an oxymoronish dichotomy-like statement?) and buy new stuff when y'all get there.

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