With the way U-Haul advertises its pricing—“as low as $19.95”—the ubiquitous rental truck brand might seem like your most affordable option at first glance, but how does it really stack up against other rental truck companies like Penske?

We recently rented a Penske truck for the same local move for which we rented a U-Haul, allowing us a rare opportunity for a mostly apples-to-apples comparison.

What happened? Hint: The answer to the question “is Penske more expensive than Uhaul” isn’t super obvious, but we’ve got some tips to figure out which is the better option for your move. 

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Penske Vs. U-Haul Price Comparison

Let’s just get down to brass tacks.

For the exact same local move using the smallest size truck, we came to the conclusion that Penske is generally more expensive than U-Haul for short-distance local moves. 

However, when you crunch the numbers:

• Penske is generally the more affordable choice for local moves over a certain number of miles, as well as
• Situationally more affordable for long-distance/one-way moves (read on)

In my mid-market region of Tampa, we calculated the magic number where Penske becomes the better option to be 107.7 miles. Sounds specific? That’s because we did a little math based on both Penske’s and U-Haul’s current 2022 mileage fees (more on that later, too).

Here Are My Penske and Uhaul Bills

I did two identical 8-mile moves with U-Haul and Penske, and I included the most basic insurance coverage you can buy.

Not including gas (which will definitely matter the more you drive), here was the bill:

U:Haul: $44.89 

Penske: $61.17 

 

“Penske trucks average 17% more fuel efficiency than U-Haul for their regular unleaded vehicles, and are up to 23% more efficient than U-Haul with their larger diesel trucks.”

 

Before we REALLY break down these numbers, here’s what our final bills were based on:

• It was a local move (a total of 8 miles)
• We rented the smallest rental trucks available (10-foot model for U-Haul, 16-foot for Penske)
• We bought the cheapest basic insurance options

Note: Wondering why you see a 16-foot Penske up there?

In order to make an accurate comparison for a small move, we tried to rent the 12-ft. Penske box truck, as this is their smallest box truck size (they don’t have a 10-footer like U-Haul does). However, the Penske dealer nearest us only had the 16-ft truck available. However, they claimed it was the same price anyway as the 12-footer ($29.99 per day), so we’re laying out all of the following as if we had rented a 12-foot truck.

 

 

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Penske Vs. Uhaul: The Basic Cost Difference in Fees (Local Move)

	Penske 12-Ft. Box Truck (Smallest Size)	U-Haul 10-Ft. Box Truck (Smallest Size)
Starting Price	$29.99*	$19.95
Cubic Feet	450 ft3	402 ft3
Mileage Fee	.79 per mile	.99 per mile
Vehicle Licensing Recovery Fee	$2.50	$0.00
Environmental Fee	$4.00	$1.00
Most Basic Insurance	$20.00	$14.00
Total Starting Price (Before Driving)	$56.49	$34.95

*Starting prices vary regionally for Penske. The ones you see above are based on the Tampa Bay region pricing, a mid-market. We’ve seen as much as a $20.00 difference (starting at $49.95 for the 12-ft. truck) in places like Buffalo, New York.

 

Note that the difference in the total starting price—the barebones cost before you drive off the lot and start racking up miles—is $21.54. Yes, U-Haul was $21.54 cheaper than Penske… to start with. 

U-Haul continues to have the price advantage up until a certain point, depending on the mileage cost difference. (That’s because U-Haul’s cost per mile was 20 cents more expensive.) But up to what point does this start to matter?

When does U-Haul’s more expensive mileage fee start to matter?

We calculated when the distance driven in a U-Haul starts to overtake the price savings, which is $0.20/mi. ($0.99/mi. – $0.79/mi.).

So $21.54 ➗ $.20/mi. = 107.7 miles.

I get it, math is hard. But what this means is that once we hit 107.7 miles driven for our move, Penske started to have a competitive advantage price-wise with respect to the MILEAGE RATE (the added fee per mile driven).

But note that this doesn’t even account for any miles per gallon savings. Uh, so what does that mean?

Penske trucks are generally more fuel efficient

Guess what? Penske trucks by and large are more fuel efficient than U-Haul trucks!

This means, for example, if you’re renting the 12-ft. or 16-ft. regular-unleaded Penske trucks—which once again are more fuel efficient than U-Haul’s—you might save over 25% on gas (way more about this later). 

You can imagine how much of a difference it would make if the gas mileage jumps up even just $.20/mi. for U-Haul. In this hypothetical case, it would divide the number of miles you’d need to drive in order to start saving from Penske in half. 

 

“Besides its size, truck availability in your area will heavily affect the price of your Penske truck.”

 

Don’t forget to factor in doing local round-trips

All this being said, our personal rental journey was a very small move. Eight miles total is teeny-tiny! But keep in mind it’s usually not too difficult to rack up more miles than that.

For example, say you’re moving 15 miles away, but need to make three round trips to get everything. Those three roundtrips can add up to at least 90 miles, and that doesn’t even include your little detour to Chick-fil-A for lunch.

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Penske Vs. U-Haul Truck Rental Costs

How much are Penske rentals? Well, for starters, average Penske truck rental prices typically go between $30-40.

As of this writing, Penske and U-Haul advertise the following sizes, from smallest to largest.

 

Penske vs. U-Haul Truck Prices
Penske*	U-Haul
Cargo Van – ~$39.95	Pickup Truck – $19.95
12’ Box Truck –  ~$29.95	Cargo Van – $19.95
16’ Box Truck – ~$29.95	10’ Box Truck – $19.95
22’ Box Truck – (Price not advertised)	15’ Box Truck – $29.95
26’ Box Truck – ~$299.99	17’ Box Truck – $39.95
	20’ Box Truck – $39.95
	26’ Box Truck – $39.95

*All starting prices are based on monitoring one mid-market region.

 

 

U-Haul offers roughly 2-3 more options than Penske does depend on your location—a pick-up truck and a ~17-ft. box truck. The sizes are different, so an exact comparison is kinda tricky. But we can say that Penske trucks generally have between 1-2 extra feet of truck compared to every U-Haul option, except for the larger 17-ft. U-Haul truck.

Remember, starting prices for rental trucks vary regionally for Penske. Meanwhile, local U-Haul truck costs are typically consistent everywhere.

Yes, we tried, but we couldn’t get a clearer picture of all the Penske truck rental prices for our area… and Penske keeps it vague on purpose.

Penske Truck Prices Vary Daily

Why do Penske prices vary?

Besides its size, truck availability in your area will heavily affect the price of your Penske truck. Most importantly, this means it’s gonna be more expensive in the summertime when everyone is moving. (We’ll break down the logic of this pricing policy in the long-distance section down below.)

When we asked Penske how much the day rate was for their 22-ft. truck, they told us they had none available that day, but they reportedly could be “Sometimes $59.00, sometimes $69.00, sometimes $100.00.”

Well, how much is the biggest Penske truck?

Upon further digging, the day rate quote for the 26-footer in Buffalo, New York was $299.99! In Columbus, Ohio, it was also $299.99!

 

“…Penske trucks generally have between 1-2 extra feet of truck compared to every U-Haul option, except for the larger 17-ft. U-Haul truck.”

 

It seems $299.99 tends to be the standard pricing across the board for the massive truck size, at least during the busy season. But remember, as people stop moving so much, these larger trucks won’t need to be schlepped around city to city to accommodate the high demand, driving down their price.

Can you rent a Penske truck for more than one day?

If you’re doing an in-town move and dropping off the truck at the same location, you can rent a Penske truck for as many days as the truck is available.

The same per-day rate would apply for each day. The same goes for U-Haul. You can rent your truck for as long as you need, as long as it hasn’t been reserved by someone else.

Note: Make sure you drop off your Penske at the same location if you’re doing a local move. Just as with U-Haul, you may be charged a convenience fee or more (this can vary by location, as there is no universal rule).

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Penske’s Trailer Rental Options

Penske offers just two trailers, and they’re both for towing vehicles, not stuff.

If you’re moving and need to tote your car along, you might be wondering which you should choose.

In terms of functionality, they both get the job done in their own way. Also, there is a notable difference between Penske and U-Haul’s trailers: no hitch installation is necessary with Penske! But unlike U-Haul, there are no utility trailers, cargo trailers, or motorcycle trailers for rent from Penske.

Here’s how the two Penske trailer options compare.

Penske Tow Dolly

A tow dolly operates by having the front wheels of the vehicle strapped onto the hitched dolly, while the back wheels of the vehicle are pulled along the road. 

• A tow dolly cannot be safely reversed, so you’re committed to forward motion only
• A tow dolly cannot safely or easily tow four-wheel or rear-wheel drive cars

Note: If you’re using a tow dolly and your vehicle is rear-wheel or four-wheel drive, the drive shaft must be disconnected—otherwise your transmission may be badly damaged! 

For a full “tow-dolly” instructional, watch the video below. 

 

Penske Car Carrier

A car carrier carries all four of the vehicle’s tires on its bed. 

• A car carrier can be reversed
• A car carrier safely tows any vehicle within its size/weight restrictions

 

Here are the technical specs of both of these trailer options, per Penske’s website.

Since Penske doesn’t allow the towing of non-Penske trailers, carriers, or dollies, and because their hitches are specifically engineered for their own proprietary equipment, you have to rent a Penske truck if you rent a Penske tow dolly or car carrier. This would also mean that “4 down towing” (that is, four wheels down) isn’t an option with Penske because they don’t have the equipment for it (that said, 4 down towing isn’t as safe, anyway).

If you’re looking to rent a trailer for your OWN vehicle to tow, your better bet is U-Haul. With U-Haul, however, you still need to make sure you have the proper hitch on your vehicle, so if you don’t have one, you’ll need to include hitch installation in your budget, which can be pricey!

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Penske Vs. U-Haul Mileage and Gas Fees

In general, for U-Haul, the added price per mile for in-town fees (i.e., local moves) seems to be region-specific, while Penske’s is always the same.

U-Haul

We’ve seen U-Haul’s mileage fees as low as $0.79 (e.g., Buffalo, New York), and as high as $1.19 (e.g., Portland, Oregon). U-Haul’s mileage fees tend to be more expensive than Penske’s mileage fees.

Penske

However, with Penske, at least for now, the mileage fee remains consistent across the country: $0.79 per mile

For shorter moves, U-Haul’s higher mileage fee doesn’t make much of a difference, cost-wise. But once you get up into the 80+ mile range, you can see it really adds up.

Penske Local Move Mileage Fees (the Tacked-on Cost Per Mile)

Check out this chart for our own mid-market move in Tampa Bay:

Miles Driven	Penske Mileage Fee	U-Haul Mileage Fee
8	$6.32	$7.92
20	$15.80	$19.8
40	$31.60	$39.60
80	$63.20	$79.20
160	$126.40	$158.40
200	$158.00	$198.00

This chart is based on Penske’s $0.79 mileage fee and U-Haul’s $0.99 mileage fee for the mid-market Tampa Bay region, as of 8/7/2022. 

 

That’s a savings of $40 by using U-Haul!

Now let’s see what it looks like if we do the same thing with the higher Portland, Oregon prices (Penske: $0.79, U-Haul: $1.19):

Miles Driven	Penske Mileage Fee	U-Haul Mileage Fee
8	$6.32	$9.52
20	$15.80	$23.80
40	$31.60	$47.60
80	$63.20	$95.20
160	$126.40	$190.40
200	$158.00	$238.00

When mileage fees contribute more to your bill, you’d save a whopping $80 by choosing Penske!

With a price differential this big, this is where you begin to see substantial savings from Penske on a longer mileage move with same-location drop-off. Not to mention the added miles per gallon (MPG) gas savings.

How do Penske’s gas fees work?

Gas fees simply refer to any costs associated with how much gas needs to be in the tank when you return the truck.

Penske estimates how many miles you will go and charges you for estimated gas usage ahead of time.

For example: For same-location drop-offs (i.e., local moves), the $0.79 per mile fee is tallied up after you return the vehicle. For us, they included 50 miles already baked into our rental quote. From there, however many miles you go under or over this number will be credited or debited from your final bill.

So if the quote seems more than expected, this could be because they automatically estimated a 50 miles minimum. There is, however, no actual minimum mileage fee! Keep this in mind if you collect local move quotes from other truck companies, such as U-Haul or Budget.

 

“…you have to rent a Penske truck if you rent a Penske tow dolly or car carrier…(i)f you’re looking to rent a trailer for your OWN vehicle to tow, your better bet is U-Haul.”

 

Do I have to fill my Penske truck with extra gas?

Regardless of how much you use, you are expected to return your truck with the gas tank filled to where it was when you picked it up.

But a word to the wise: All of these trucks have pretty enormous gas tanks, so don’t overfill! This could cost you. Bring the gas gauge up to full, and stop there. It might be best to fill based on the miles you drove. Just take a look at the gauge! Otherwise, it could cost you another $20 or more to top it off. This is actually what happened to us! We drove 8 miles and spent $17 in gas topping it off (oops!).

Click here to learn more about how to save gas money on your Penske truck.

How much mileage do Penske trucks get?

Penske trucks are actually well-known for their fuel efficiency. Compared to U-Haul, Penske gas mileage stacks up quite well.

Penske trucks average 17% more fuel efficiency than U-Haul for their regular unleaded vehicles, and are up to 23% more efficient than U-Haul with their larger diesel trucks. 

This is another factor that works in the consumer’s favor for medium to long same-location moves (meaning you pick up and drop off the truck at the same location). The downside is that the two largest Penske trucks are diesel, and diesel gas prices are on the rise. So, a clear picture of actual savings becomes difficult, since U-Haul has no diesel trucks—here, it’s apples to oranges.

Sources: https://www.uhaul.com/Truck-Rentals/15ft-Moving-Truck/https://www.pensketruckrental.com/commercial-truck-rental/commercial-trucks/one-way-fleet/12-foot-truck/

 

Does regular unleaded vs. diesel matter?

It depends on the economy!

At the time of this writing, diesel fuel price per gallon is slightly over $1.00 more than regular unleaded in our neck of the woods (Central Florida). In the 2000s they were basically neck and neck, whereas, in the 1980s and 1990s, diesel was up to 50% cheaper. But since gas prices are so volatile right now in 2022, prices could still change at any moment.

It’s important to check your local gas prices before moving day, as the more miles you rack up, the more dough you might save… or lose! If you want to know an exact cost difference, weigh the price of diesel against the vehicle’s MPG (mileage per gallon) to get a true comparison.

U-Haul (Unleaded) Vs. Penske (Sometimes Diesel)

U-Haul has no diesel trucks, while only Penske’s two largest trucks use diesel (as of this writing). This theoretically could matter for your final truck cost.

For example, let’s say you travel 40 miles for your move in a 20-ft. U-Haul truck (which gets 10 miles to the gallon). You would need four gallons of regular unleaded gas, totaling $15.56 in unleaded fuel.

Now, let’s say you drive the same 40 mi. in Penske’s 22-ft diesel truck, which gets 13 mpg. This is 40 ÷ 13 = 3.08 gallons needed.

3.08/gal. x $4.99 per gallon = $15.36 in diesel fuel. 

So even at the current, absurdly high rate of diesel fuel, you still miraculously save about $0.05 per gallon because of Penske’s decent MPG. This means absolutely nothing to a short- to medium-distance move. But if diesel ever goes back down (or up!), it could still make a difference there.

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One-way Drive: U-Haul Vs. Penske Long-Distance Moving

We’ve talked a lot about local moving with Penske vs U-Haul. Now let’s dive into long-distance moving for a bit.

Long-Distance Move Mileage Fees (i.e., the Tacked-on Cost Per Mile)

If you’re driving a rental truck “one-way” (meaning you’re leaving it somewhere different than you picked it up), rental truck companies almost always charge a different mileage fee for that.

Here are Penske and U-Haul’s long-distance mileage fees:

Penske: None!

U-Haul: $0.40/mile for anything beyond the expected mileage that U-Haul declares is necessary

Does Penske truly have unlimited miles? 

Yes.

Sure, with U-Haul, there’s no limit to the number of miles you’re allowed to drive either—but you have to pay for each mile. But Penske’s huge selling point is that you get “free” unlimited miles with one-way (i.e., long-distance) rentals.

What this actually means is this: You get a quote, and that quote includes an estimated number of days you get the truck that’s based on what you told them you are gonna use the truck for. Within that time frame, you can drive as many miles as you want!

As long as you bring it back to the designated location on time, the price stays the same. Indeed, if you are on your way from Florida to California, you may want to take the scenic route and treat it like a road trip, if you’ve got the time. 

 

“When we asked (Penske) how much the day-rate was for their 22-ft. truck, they told us they had none available that day, but they could be ‘Sometimes $59.00, sometimes $69.00, sometimes $100.00.'”

 

Watch out though! For every day you go beyond the agreed-upon contract, an additional $100.00/day will be charged, so make sure in advance of your move that you can stick to the estimated number of days. With U-Haul, you’ll be charged $0.40/mile for anything beyond the expected mileage that U-Haul declares is necessary for your move.

But wait, what’s the standard cost of a long-distance Penske move?

Sure, you get unlimited miles, but what’s your total quote actually based on? We called Penske to get some information on long-distance moves, since there is virtually no pricing information on their website.

Well, the bad news is that there is no standard pricing for Penske long-distance moves; it’s based on unique factors every single time.

Besides the distance between places, Penske explained to me how big of a factor TRUCK AVAILABILITY is during your quoting.

Why does Penske’s truck availability impact a long-distance quote so much?

Penske passes along the cost of truck fleet transportation to its customers.

For instance, at the time of this writing, a trip from Tampa to L.A. in 2022 would cost over $3,000, because there are too many Penske trucks in Los Angeles right now, and they need to get moved to other areas of the country (it would cost Penske more money if they were to drive those trucks back across the country where they’re needed).

On the other hand, a trip from Tampa to Chicago would only cost about $600 (with a AAA discount) right now, because they need more trucks in Chicago.

Ultimately, due to supply and demand, there simply is no fixed rate that you can count on for long-distance moves. It’s all happenstance. In short, you just have to call and get a quote.

Huge Protip: Penske’s AAA discount can save you up to $200 on long-distance moves, so it’s worth it to become a AAA member if you aren’t one already because currently, this discount alone will more than cover the cost of your annual membership (which currently ranges from $59.99 to $119.99).

The Big U-Haul Vs. Penske Long-distance Cost Takeaway

You ultimately need to tally up these four main factors when deciding on taking a U-Haul or a Penske truck for a long drive:

• Current avg. gas prices (it will change along your route)
• MPG for your truck size of choice (Penske is almost always better than U-Haul here)
• The type of fuel required (unleaded or diesel)
• The estimated number of miles you’re going to drive

Only if you know that stuff will you actually know the expected costs between a long-distance Penske and U-Haul trip.

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Other Major Cost Factors

There are other variables besides truck size, local vs. long distance, and gas that will impact your final Penske bill.

Penske Insurance Vs. U-Haul Insurance Breakdown

U-Haul offers two insurance packages, whereas Penske offers four levels of insurance. (We broke down U-Haul’s insurance here; see the chart below for a quick-and-dirty version.)

Do I HAVE to buy rental truck insurance?

No. Both Penske and U-Haul have an opt-out (of insurance) waiver option, which would still leave you with the aforementioned “basic insurance price,” but might also leave you feeling like you’re taking a risk.

Luckily, both companies have a few different insurance packages if you’re worried about cost. Keep in mind that depending on your specific move, some situations may actually require insurance.

 

“Penske advertises that if your truck were to suddenly break down on the side of the road, they’d come and rescue you for free.”

 

For example, if you’re an established moving company in need of an extra truck for the day, there’s a chance your business insurance doesn’t include rentals and therefore you won’t have a choice to opt-out. And in general, an individual’s auto insurance plan likely doesn’t cover moving truck rentals.

What are the different Penske and Uhaul insurance options?

The pricing below was quoted to us based on our single-day in-town move in Tampa Bay with the smallest-size box truck available.

Here are U-Haul’s insurance policies:

U-Haul Policy	Included in Coverage	Price
Safemove®	Up to $80,000, with some exclusions; covers medical/life for you and your passengers, damage to truck and belongings	$14.00
Safemove® Plus	Above Safemove® benefits plus exclusion- free damage to truck and $1,000,000 in supplemental liability coverage	$28.00

Compare these to Penske:

Penske Policy	Included in Coverage	Price
Basic	Penske equipment damage	$20.00
Standard	Penske equipment damage, third party and injury claims (up to $1,000,000)	$44.18
Value	Penske equipment damage, third party and injury claims, cargo damage	$49.76
Plus	Penske equipment damage, third party and injury claims, cargo damage, personal accident injury (PAI)	$53.55

Source: https://www.pensketruckrental.com/renting-from-penske/coverage/#coverage-01 

How do insurance coverage for tow dollies and car carriers work?

Penske’s Basic $20.00 plan covers “Penske equipment damage” which covers, well, Penske equipment—the towing equipment and the truck.

But, if you’re towing a car and you get the “Plus” insurance, you still aren’t fully insured because… guess what? Now you have a car trailing behind, which is neither “Penske equipment” nor traditional “cargo.”

 

“…there is no standard pricing for Penske long-distance moves; it’s based on unique factors every single time.”

 

In addition to their four listed policies, Penske also offers TWI (towing insurance). This is to insure your car for towing, and it covers any collisions resulting in damage to the towed vehicle. We were verbally told this policy would cost about $120.00 or more for a long-distance move (from one city to another). If you’re doing a local move with a same-location drop-off, TWI is just $7.50 per day.

Does “Penske Roadside Insurance” cost money?

The short answer is no. Penske advertises that if your truck were to suddenly break down on the side of the road, they’d come and rescue you for free.

But if it turns out there was damage to the truck (such as an accident), then you will probably be on the hook for damages if you didn’t opt for insurance—possibly even if it wasn’t your fault. Still, if a tire blows out or the engine overheats—things that are largely out of your control—Penske has a network of emergency roadside assistance companies and 22,000 qualified service vendors to get you back up and running.

Penske Cleaning, Damage and Other Turn-in Fees

Good news! Penske doesn’t have any standard hidden mileage or turn-in fees.

They make it pretty clear with their vehicle return checklist what you should and shouldn’t do. Out of common courtesy, we know you wouldn’t leave your fast food wrappers lying about anyway, but it’s important to know there are potential fees that may be incurred for vehicle uncleanliness. Overall, as long as the vehicle is returned clean, on time, filled with gas, and without damage, you are in the clear.

Penske Vs. U-Haul: Supplies and Equipment

Penske’s business model seems to involve fewer official brick-and-mortar stores and more authorized dealers compared to U-Haul. You may have seen a few Penskes at Home Depot for instance, as Home Depot is one of Penske’s rental partners.

 

“…U-Haul doesn’t offer any military, business, student, or partnership discounts.”

 

This means if you rent your truck via Home Depot, it is there that you will probably want to rent any moving equipment such as dollies and purchase any materials such as boxes, tape, blankets, markers, etc. If you rent your truck from a different dealer (as we did), it’s up to them what they carry in terms of rentals and materials for purchase. To be sure, it will certainly vary from location to location (our location was an auto mechanic shop and carried no moving supplies), so you’ll have to check your local dealership yourself.

You can always purchase materials from the Penske website here.

U-Haul Vs. Penske Moving Labor

U-Haul, it would seem, simply refers you to moving companies using the U-Haul website. Penske, on the other hand, is partnered with a single company that connects people to people who supply the laborers in your area.

In all transparency … 

Are movers actually worth it?

If you’re on the fence about getting some help moving, here are some reasons to consider hiring movers:

• Primarily, they really know how to pack a truck. They are essentially Tetris Masters. One efficiently packed and properly loaded truck can hold up to three improperly packed trucks. This saves trips, which in turn saves money. And try as you might, most homeowners typically don’t know how to load as efficiently as movers
• They can make a move easy (well, easier). A good moving crew is Johnny-on-the-spot, in and out and wasting no time
• They’re insured (if you hire qualified movers). When you think about it, you yourself aren’t insured to move your things. It’s a bit of a silly thought, but it’s true (although homeowners insurance may potentially cover damage as long as it happens on the insured property, not in transit). On the other hand, most of your items are actually covered when you hire movers in case of damage or loss

In short, movers take the stress off you and save you time and money, and who wouldn’t want that?

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Penske Vs. U-Haul: Other Things You Should Know

Believe it or not, there are still other useful things to know!

Can I pay for a Penske truck with cash?

You can pay for Penske in cash at final billing, but you’ll need a credit card to secure the reservation beforehand. You’ll pay cash at the time of pick-up, but no matter what, you need a card (the same goes for U-Haul). Also, Penske doesn’t accept cash payments over $5,000.

Deposits

Even though we were given a quote on the phone for $70, we had to put down a chunky deposit to rent a Penske truck.

In our personal experience, they put a hold on our card for $242.40. This included a deposit of $150, plus Penske’s estimate of what our costs would ultimately be. For some reason, this amounted to $92.40, which is not what our quote was originally.

However, they credited us $181.23 when we returned the truck. So the final bill came to just $61.17, which is about what we expected to pay. At the end of the day, it all squared up, but why the initial deposit was so much is not exactly clear. U-Haul requires a deposit of just $100, which, unlike Penske, includes your estimate.

Are there Penske discounts? Can you haggle with Penske?

Haggling is not for everybody, but if that’s your thing, you’re welcome to give it a try. A lot of us (myself included) just want transparency and consistency with no funny business.

Below is a thorough list of ways to save more money with Penske discounts. Something to keep in mind is that U-Haul doesn’t offer any military, business, student, or partnership discounts.

• AAA discount will save you close to $200 on some long-distance moves (we saved 12% on our local move thanks to our AAA membership)
• Veterans/Military Discount: 10% 
• New Business Customer discount: 20% off light/med-duty moves. 
• Student Discount: 10%
• Partnership discounts, including, yes, one with us at HireAHelper 

Source: https://www.pensketruckrental.com/search/?q=discounts  

 

Are the wheel wells different in Penske trucks vs. Uhaul trucks?

While U-Haul has wheel wells, Penske has none.

Okay, but what are wheel wells anyway, and why should you care? Wheel wells are simply where the wheels come up inside the back of the truck. Wheel wells aren’t by any means a deal breaker, but they can be a mild nuisance. They really only cause difficulty if you’ve packed the truck up to the wheel wells only to find that your next item happens to (unluckily) be a couple mattresses, a dresser, or something bulky that doesn’t quite fit in between or on top of them, creating an unlevel packing surface. It’s a bit of a first-world problem for movers. 

Are Penske trucks nicer than Uhaul trucks?

In my opinion, Penske trucks are a notch above U-Haul trucks. But I mean, a truck is a truck, so does it really matter? They both have cold A/C and AM/FM radio with aux input, and both companies keep their trucks clean and regularly maintained for the road. That’s about all most people ask for.

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The Final Bill: My Total Rental Cost (Including Mileage Fees and Everything)

For two identical 8-mile moves with U-Haul and Penske, we ended up spending $44.89 on our U-Haul truck and $61.17 with our Penske truck, not including gas. This also includes the most basic insurance coverage you can get.

Note: During the time we researched this, U-Haul appeared to lower their local mileage fee from $1.19 to $0.99 for a period of time, which would have doubled the original savings for moves over 53.85 mi. with a Penske truck! Subtle shifts just like this are huge, so be sure to verify mileage fees before you choose one company over the other.

In addition to mileage fees, these ended up being the biggest factors regarding the price of a Penske rental truck move:

• Fuel efficiency: U-Haul trucks get 10 mi. to the gallon, whereas Penske’s trucks get 13 mi. to the gallon. This means you’re saving on gas by opting for Penske, which can add up for a long-distance move
• Insurance: Penske’s insurance options tend to be more expensive than U-Haul’s
• Availability: When it comes to the bigger truck sizes, you may run into availability issues, which will bump up the price for Penske trucks

Bottom Line: Penske Vs. U-Haul

If you’re looking for a cheaper alternative to U-Haul, you’ll find Penske’s mileage rate and fuel efficiency competitive for in-town moves once you hit a certain mile count, and the savings only get better the more miles you rack up. However, if you’re moving something like 12 miles away and you’re making just one trip, U-Haul is probably the way to go.