How to Get a Better Deal on a Moving Truck with a Simple Trick

If you want to get a better deal on truck rental then you have to do some work. Simply go online and start to search for price estimates of top truck rental companies. This will give you different truck rental rates for different companies even if you select same area. These quotes prices are even different from their given prices in advertisements. This is what makes things very difficult for new clients. There are few basic things to know before renting a moving truck.

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You’ve probably seen the ads for cheap moving truck rentals before: “Moves from $19.95!” or “Reserve for just $20!” Inevitably, when you call to actually make that reservation, it turns out the cost is often twice that much, maybe more. When you start looking for a more extended trip, like cross-country, the price differences get even larger.

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I ran into this problem myself when I was pricing out moving trucks for a cross country move. U-haul quoted me at $1,400. Penske was about $900, and Budget was considerably cheaper at $600. The price difference was large enough that I decided to figure out why. So, I called U-haul with my Budget quote in hand, and asked for a deal. The U-Haul representative couldn’t do it, and it turns out, it was mostly because the dates I’d picked were popular days. The U-Haul representative helpfully explained that it was all about supply, and the dates I’d requested were high traffic weekends.

What gives? Like airlines and hotels, truck-rental companies have adopted complex algorithms that help them manage inventory. While that means more efficient use of vehicles — savings which can theoretically be passed on to customers — it adds a lot of complexity.

Rental companies say in-town and cross-country trips are priced differently for a variety of reasons. Customers do tend to pay higher rates for one-way rentals, according to Budget, because of the extra costs involved in getting trucks to and from popular pickup locations and to compensate for additional wear and tear.

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Likewise, the U-Haul representative told me I’d also just picked a crappy week to move. The end of the month is when everyone needs a truck. Combine that with the fact it’s also right around Labor Day weekend and that means they can charge me whatever they want because they know I need the truck. Essentially, an algorithm chooses the price of a truck. The less demand, the cheaper. The more demand, the more expensive. It has nothing to do with rate quotes in ads, and like an airline ticket, it’s entirely possible you’ll pay a different price for the same company in the same city at different times of the year. It’s obvious when you think about it, but how often do any of us actually think about it?

So, why was Budget so much cheaper? It turns out, it’s likely because I’m doing them a favor. They had a lot of stock in Denver, not that much in Seattle where I’m taking it. That means I move their inventory for them, someone else gets to use the truck in Seattle, and we all win.

So tips to save big is very simple: You must compare prices for all moving companies. While making comparison do not forget to play with dates and locations. Prices on some other dates than your ones can be cheaper as well as different locations in your city can cost you less. Always avoid moving during summer and weekends or on special days like memorial day. One more thing to keep in mind is about your last rental experience, Never ever think that you will get better deal on your previous provider rather make your comparison as other providers can be even cheaper on the required day. Good luck!

Article Source: http://lifehacker.com/how-to-get-a-better-deal-on-a-moving-truck-with-a-simpl-1084235787