Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Moved to Iowa City from Tulsa, Oklahoma last month. Had everything in a U-Haul trailer that my boyfriend pulled behind his truck while I drove my car filled with plants and the dogs. Boyfriend considers speed limits beneath him and we drove through some harrowing weather (we were on the exact stretch of I-80 that a tornado warning was being reported and kept going even though it was so dark, windy, and rainy that we couldn't even see if there WAS a tornado). Trailer made it just fine...everything intact, no problems at all whatsoever. My family has always used U-Haul and we've never had a problem. Only time I ever worried about it was when I read this thread just before leaving. last month!
Good news: U Haul FINALLY bought some new trucks. BAD news: They are cab-forward trucks, which means you'll be the first one to arrive at the crash scene. (Cab forward trucks have no hood in front to protect you in a crash...)
I used a 17ft U Haul at the beginning of August to move from Reno, Nv to Lancaster, Ca about 410 miles. The truck was practically brand new only had a little over 15,000 miles on it and againg to move my mom from Reno to Lancaster at the beginning of Sept in a 14ft U Haul with a little over 27,000 miles on it. Both trucks were great to drive and has no problems at all. They both drove very nicely.
I just completed an almost 3,000 mile cross-country trip in a 12' Penske, and was very pleased. The truck was full to the brim, and even though I drove 65+ most of the time (with the A/C on full blast), I averaged 11-12 mpg (more than what their website predicts).
With the 10% online booking discount, plus the 12% AAA discount, the truck cost less than $900 for 10 days/unlimited miles.
Consider me another happy Penske customer.
I can say the same thing for a 600 mile move. Same type truck, same mileage, same discounts.
We made our move (well, 1/2 our stuff) the Thursday before Labor Day in our 26' Penske truck. Was a very nice truck, very clean and only 14,000 miles on it. We loaded it pretty full, plus towed a mid-size car which was also full.
We got a good price using online reservations and AAA discount and were very pleased with the service. The only thing that I can say is that we didn't get the mileage that they claimed. Guy at the pick-up place said it would be about 12 MPG, but we only got 8-9. But in all fairness, the website did quote lower than the guy said. Plus we also had the factor of having to travel through the mountains of PA, WV and VA. I followed hubby and most of the time if the hill was pretty steep he could only go about 35-40 MPH, which was totally annoying to me!! He claims that he had the "pedal to the metal" all the way.
When we have to move the rest of the stuff, we will probably again use Penske. Although I would love to talk him into having someone else do the packing and moving! I'm just too old for all this garbage!!
I have moved many times, and prefer Penske over Uhaul any day. Penske might cost a little more, but it is worth it. If I remember correctly, Penske offered a better mileage plan (maybe unlimited?) than Uhaul, and that difference alone might make them even price-wise.
I am an assistant manager at a storage facility in upstate new york, and a local college student. We offer Uhaul rentals, and while many here are quick to dog Uhaul in general, and I agree many smaller back country Uhaul dealerships are not run correctly. However there are a great many that do, and if you go to a reputable Uhaul dealer you will see the difference. Upon every return I do a full inspection, fluids, brakes, plugs, lights, oil, tire tread, dash indicator lights, check for leaks, and thats EVERY return. In addition our marketing company comes about every 5000 miles to pick up the truck and inspect it further. While in the past Uhaul has not had a great reputation I can honestly say that they have phased out all of their old vehicles. The majority of our 10ft trucks are model 2007 GMC's the one I have on site has 12,800 miles on it, the majority of the 14ft trucks are 2007 Ford's, and 2008 GMC's the one i have right now has 11,600 miles on it, and the majority of 17 foot trucks are 2007 Ford's I just sent my last one out and it had about 21,000 miles on it. In addition the large 26 foot trucks are new GMC's and the one I have has almost 24,000 miles on it, but the one i sent out one way yesterday had just over 400 miles on it. In addition Uhaul WILL match any price, and the only truck without a ramp is the 10 foot, and that deack is lower than any penske you will EVER find. I recently had a customer come in saying that they had to call penske roadside assistance who told them they would have to wait until someone could get there. Did I mention this is where Penske's "unlimited mileage" comes in handy the nearest shop was over 4 hours away, but Penske said it wouldn't be until the next day. Lucky for the customer a nice state trooper got on the phone and made it clear that he would not allow them to strand these people. Its like Mac and Windows, you hear more Uhaul problems than penske, just as you hear more windows viruses than mac, because more people use windows than mac. Don't listen to me, but remember next time your on the side of the road in your "Brand new Penske," calling roadside assistance, and think "I should have listened to that guy, afterall he is the one who maintains these vehicles." Uhaul has managed to really turn it around, during the last few years the Uhaul were just at the end of their run, and Uhaul was preparing to phase in a whole new fleet of vehicles.
Never in my life has a Penske left me sitting on the side of the road. U-Haul on the other hand has left me sit for hours on the side of the road the last 2 times I used them. I have done work in those main U-Haul inspection and repair facilities and can assure you I have never seen one of them do a good through inspection on any vehicle that they rolled through the doors. I also just drove by a large U-Haul dealer yesterday and the smaller trucks they had on their lot sure wasn't 2007 and newer, maybe 1997, the large ones did look like new units though.
Like your name though: konzem is that pronounced "Cons Them" perhaps?
I've used both, and was much happier with Penske. Their trucks seem to be better maintained and for an 800 mile move, Penske was more reasonably priced.
remember next time your on the side of the road in your "Brand new Penske," calling roadside assistance, and think "I should have listened to that guy, afterall he is the one who maintains these vehicles."
Well, all I'll say is that on my recent 3,000 mile cross-country trip, I had no mechanical issues with my Penske. But the day I drove through the desert, I did pass a broken-down U-Haul on the side of the road. Its driver and passenger were sitting, in the hot sun, waiting for assistance. I have no way of knowing how long they'd been there, but they certainly didn't look happy.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
