wondering if renting a truck ( one way?) would be a good option.
Question:
Tomorrow I hope to check out a price with budget but I was hoping for pointers, what to watch for, hidden charges, places to post for ride-sharing, other companies renting out truck one way, etc. Oh, assuming not speeding, how long would driving time be, and what would we be covered for in case the truck brakes down some place; what are they suppose to do (I doubt they give me all the fact upon asking) Looking to be there Oct. 1, give or take a day or 2. If you prefer to email me: paulav at telusplanet dot net subject toronto move please. thanks for any help anyone can provide.
Answer:
Budget will cost you a lot more than u-haul. I'm not even sure Budget rents
one-way or long haul...
If you decide to rent from u-haul, do not rent in the last 8-10 days of the
month - they increase the rental rate by as much as 30%. Don't bother buying
their insurance - they self-insure through one of their own companies and
will automatically refuse all claims - you will have to sue them to try and
get coverage. I'm in the middle of that process myself.
Inspect the assigned truck carefully. If its old, mileage more than 200,000
km, get another truck. If they don't have the size you want, demand they
give you the next size larger for the same rent.
Negotiate for at least 2 days more than they offer as their "standard time"
to get to Toronto - inevitably something happens, you're late, and you'll
have to pay their daily rental, PLUS additional mileage. Also ask for an
extra 500-750km - they will give you a barely minimal amount in your
contract.
U-haul is very difficult to deal with - be prepared to pay up front for
costs and having to fight for re-imbursement - even to the point of going to
court. I rented a truck from Whitehorse to Calgary. Enroute it broke down on
the weekend. I had a friend with me who helped the move and driving. U-haul
agreed to cover hotel and meals at the time. When I tried to claim
reimbursement, they stone-walled me, saying they will only pay for my
lodging - not my friend's (who was also on the contract as an alternative
driver). They refused to cover more than 1 meal per day for me while the
truck was down for repairs - 4 days.
Oh, they did offer me a replacement truck. BUT, I would have had to unload
the first truck and load everything into the 2nd truck myself - they don't
cover that nor provide labour.
Their "offer" of one month's free storage at your destination is virtually a
myth. It will be up to you to find one of their sites willing to give you a
free month (it comes off the destination site's books - they hate to provide
that); secondly, you will have to book that storage unit yourself - plus
give a deposit (even tho one month free). U-haul itself can't get its
operators to co-operate in honouring the "one month free storage".
One last thing, check the weight of the truck once you've loaded it. If the
weight exceeds the truck's gross weight (loaded), you will need to buy
overload permits for every province you travel through - Alberta, Sask,
Manitoba, Ontario. U-haul never tells you that - there is an ambigious
reference to "all costs" in their contract for which you are responsible.
Overload permits is one of those "costs". If you get caught with an
overloaded truck, it and the contents will be apprehended and you will have
to walk/hitchike to the nearest gov't office to get a permit. If the
weigh-station operator is kind, and you have a credit card, you can
sometimes get a permit faxed to the weigh station - as long as its during
gov't office hours. Not to mention the ticket you'll get from the RCMP or
the police in whatever city or town you get caught.
(Happened to me in Ontario).
On the other hand, they have no real competition; or government regulation.
So you have little choice. And you'd better be prepared to fight every step,
every issue.
You must have had an experienced and friendly counterperson - that is the
exception to the rule. I've rented many times from u-haul, and every time I
had to ask for extra days/mileage - which I got with little or no problem.
But you have to ask.
Same goes with storage. I've never been able to get the on-month free
storage because of "unavailability" in Halifax, Toronto, Vancouver and
Calgary - all over the period of 15 years, and as recently as last year. The
song-and-dance I got in Calgary was that the truck size I had rented only
qualified for a 5'x10' storage unit, all of which were currently rented.
When highway weigh scales signs require "all trucks report", it means
anything over a pick-up/van. Including 5-tons. When scales are operating,
very often an RCMP/OPP car will be stationed at the scales to chase you
down - that's what happened to me. Also, you'll find weight restrictions on
certain highways during particular times of the year - e.g. harvest time in
Sask, or spring thaw in northern Alberta. RCMP can pull you over and ask to
see your scale weight and overload permit if needed. If you don't have one,
you're in trouble, including fines, double-costs, truck-towing/impound
charges. The same goes for municipal police. 4 times out of 5 you'll get
away with it. The one time you get caught, it'll be a nightmare.
- Forget U-Haul all together. They are fourth rate and mostly broken
vehicles before you leave the lot, even in places that require safety
inspections. I rented them at my shop years ago and they are scammers 100%.
Go and look at Calmont Truck Rentals, they rent proper trucks like GMC
7600 with power tailgate at rates even better prices than U-Haul and the
oldest truck in there fleet is 5 years old. When they break down they will
send a service truck directly to you at no charge. I rent one from them a
few times a year when I need a third truck.
The fools telling you about scales are just full of it or have only half
stories as the scales are for all COMMERCIAL trucks (used for profit or
gain) over 12,000kg. If one worries about it, just get a scale print out at
a CAT scale at any truckstop for $20.00. As your private not commercial it's
really pointless. I drive a GMC Kodiak ( crewcab with 10 ton axles) and I
have yet to see or have any of this bull on the highway that of these
guys are yapping about, in the 5 years of driving her daily. My company one
though is another story, but its a commercial truck. Just stay away from
U-Haul (which usually means you have to haul the truck to some garage).
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