I'm moving from CO to MO at the end of the month, and I don't have too much stuff to move.  I've been quoting prices for the last two weeks, and everyone seems to want $600-700 for the smallest truck in the inventory!  That's for a 15 foot truck.  Add gas and a tow dolly for my car, and we are talking well over $1000 to move about 900 miles.

Heck, I could probably move everything with a cargo van, but noone will rent those for one-way moving.

I've tried UHaul, Ryder, Budget and Penske.  Can anyone think of a company I left out?

In 93 moved my wife from KC Mo to other side of ST Louis and it was around 400 for the truck then.It was the biggest one they had.how do you get that much crap in a 1 bedroom apt.In 95 we moved into a 2300 sq ft house and we didnt have to buy any furniture.

I won't bother to rent a U-haul anymore.  The last one I did broke down halfway.  Had to loose a day and move all the crap into a replacement truck they sent out.  Stuff like that happens, but it's also happened to alot of other folks I know, so there's a pretty bad track record.  

The next time I move I will do one of the following:

1)sell all my crap and buy new stuff at the other end.  Considering all the time and work of moving, and the truck rental, fuel, time for all that, and just the hassle it may be worth it.  Whatever won't fit in my 76 Dodge M880, will just get sold.

2)buy a truck here and sell it at the other end.  If you can fit it in a van, buy a van for $1000 that will make the trip and sell it at the other end.  It really only has to get you there.  Heck, you could even spring for a nice one for $2000 and sell it quick for $1000 and still break even.

3)pay someone to move me.  The most expensive, but really the most convienient if I intend to move alot of stuff.

I have a large gun collection (nearly half my guns) in another state right now.  I have to figure out the best way of getting them across country to here someday.  They're all safe and legal where they are, but I miss them [:(]  There's a bunch of other junk, but really the guns I want to handle myself.  I'll probably go with option #2 for that one.  I just can't afford the time off work right now.

One option would be to just rent a trailer and pull it with your car.  The trailer would be cheaper, and it would save you the cost of the dolly.  Overall fuel cost would be less as well.  

Good luck with the move.

Ross

[url]http://uhaulsuxsweb.www6.50megs.com/[/url]

It's the one-way thing that's killing you.  Probably cost $200 for round trip.

Uhaul HAS to charge high prices ---->   They keep losing their damn trucks in terroristic activities by whackos!

I remember
renting a U-Haul
when I was at my first arty school
in Fort Sill, OK.

We had a 96 and wanted to go to Dallas
for a few days and drink real beer.
Unfortunately,
Marines there for their primary MOS
school were instructed not to rent cars
by the CO soooooo.....

Find 2 friends from AR-15.COM who live close by and have trucks.  

Offer to pay for GAS, 500 RND ammo, and take them to a titty bar + drinks.

This formula works out to about $400/person, so you save $200 and have a helluva time!!!

You know, let them take in the scenery, explore the mountains, ect....


(o)(o)   ( O )( O )    UU    (o)(o)    
                            (o)(o)

Yeah, I asked the lady on the phone how many 55gal drums the 15' truck held, and she freaked out and hung up on me.  What's wrong with these people???

That IS a good idea, but I'm moving so soon, I don't think I could set it up.  Besides, that's about a 14 hour trip (one way) so that's a lot to ask, but it would be a lot of fun.

The latest update, I reserved a Budget truck, for the low, low price of $550.  I need a tow dolly for the car, but they don't have one.  The lady tries to tell me there's one in Ft. Collins (about 1.5 hours away) and I can pick up (gee, thanks).  She argues with me that Ft. Collins is only 13 miles away according to her computer!  

I'm paying $550 for a damn truck and another $120 for the dolly, the least you can do is have the tow dolly brought to the same store as the truck.  I'll call again tomorrow.[:(!]

Ha, ha!  Funny you mention Coors, I did a brief little stint there in the labs.  But naw, I have to admit, I'm a Bud type of guy when it comes to domestics.

I think I'll be there on the 1st or 2nd of August, depending on how the drive is.  I don't have much to unload, but I won't pass up a beer!

You're gonna get screwed by them again when you go to turn the truck in.  When you first check the truck out they'll say "aw, so you're moving from point A to point B, hmmm, let's see, you're alloted 675 miles for this distance".  Well what you'll find out is that the real distance for you to move is about 750 miles (most people don't have a clue as to how many miles they have to drive when they're moving).  So at the other end when you go to drop it off, they screw you so badly because you're 75 miles over the alloted amount.  You'll pay hundreds of dollars for those extra miles (you didn't read the fine print???).  You know, it's just easier and cheaper to get a low cost moving company to do it for you.  Save yourself the hastle of f-ing with Ryder, U-Haul and all the other rip-off artists.

when i moved from el paso (ft biss) to lawton (ft sill) i did this...called u haul got a quote called ryder told them the quote they beat it called u haul kept doing this till i got the price down to $375....had a friend move form lawton to south dakota only $400 for thier largest truck from ryder he did the same thing with the quotes...get quote both from local managers as well as the 1-800 numbers

I'll try that.

I swear, they hire the least-educated, and meanest folks to work the phones that these places.

I had an old lady scold me for wanting to switch to a different location that had BOTH the truck and the tow dolly, because the rate I had was SO great.  What the heck am I going to do with a truck and nothing to tow my car with???

Definitely work one against the other. Uhaul often will give a lower quote, but I don't like their maintenance, Ryder matched it and we went with them. I figured out the mileage before hand and I ask for extra free miles (about 20% if I recall) and they agreed. If they won't give you any or enough free miles consider paying for them before you leave. They charge more, like double, at the destination.
Check with your own auto policy about insurance, it's cheaper.
If when you go to pick up your truck they don't have the 15' you ordered and offer a larger truck "for the same rate" get a gas allowance, the trucks range from about 15 mpg to less than 8, the price of gas will quickly overcome the advantage of a little more room.
If you don't have a wheel lock, get one and use it! Theft of trucks is fairly common.
Keep your contract! I ended up with a dispute at the drop off location and used it and my credit card to fight it, I won.
We picked up the truck in Detroit, destination Los Angeles. I got enough extra miles we were able to see Mt Rushmore and the Grand Canyon as side trips. The drop off location was a "franchise" or contractor, they tried to charge me more than the contract. I disputed it with Visa and made calls to Ryder. Visa asked for a copy of the contract and charges and gave Ryder 90 days to supply it. They didn't make it and Visa refused the charge. So I got the truck for the price of gas and a BIG hassle at the end.
BTW, I wanted a truck with an access door between the cab and box which Ryder has. I set up a full size bed right at the door and we spent every other night in the truck, saved money and extremely convenient.