By: Jason Kay
Submitted: 2011-12-26 16:41:19 | Word Count: 588
When it comes time to move renting a truck becomes a big priority. While the debate over which company to choose can include Penske, it is most often between Budget and Uhaul. Both companies offer different advantages, so it is important to determine exactly what you want before the comparing the two companies. Here is a quick comparison between Budget and Uhaul rental truck companies.
Budget vs. Uhaul – A Comparison
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1. Price
The first thing that most people look at when comparing Budget and Uhaul is price. If you are just looking for a basic rental truck and that's it, then Budget is normally going to be the winner. Of course, the farther in advance you book your rental, the greater the savings will be. As the date draws nearer, the difference in price becomes fairly small and both will cost about the same.
However, it is important to note that Uhaul often has more miscellaneous fees to take into consideration, which is why their "sticker price" often appears lower than the Budget price. Depending on your situation, you may not incur many of these fees, which would make Uhaul cheaper, however for a majority of situations, Budget seems to consistently be the more affordable option.
2. Safety
There are a lot of horror stories about renting from Budget ranging from leaking roofs to car trailers breaking. However, it is important to make sure that you look at when these complaints actually took place. There were a lot of complaints about Uhaul rental trucks in the early 2000's and since then, it seems like Uhaul has been making a conscious effort to replace their equipment much more often than they used to. With that being said, Budget still has, on average, newer rental trucks available. While this used to be a clear win for Budget, today the difference is much smaller than it used to be. However, there still seems to consistently be more complaints about Uhaul than Budget.
3. Locations/Convenience
If finding a nearby location is essential than Uhaul is going to win this category. There are definitely a lot more Uhaul locations nationwide than Budget locations. This is not only true of standardized locations, but Uhaul also allows individual companies to rent and accept returns of their equipment. Even in small towns, there is usually a garage, autobody shop, or some other small business that will rent and accept Uhaul trucks. Additionally, because Uhauls fleet is so much larger, there is a good chance that they will have what you need. On the other hand, if you do not make your reservation early, Budget may not the truck that you planned on getting, which means renting a larger truck and paying more.
4. Options
When it comes to options, Uhaul is definitely ahead of Budget. Uhaul has more options in regards to rentals, including trucks, trailers, and vans. Additionally, Uhaul has on site storage options that Budget simply doesn't offer. These additional options are really important for some people, however others just need a rental truck, in which case these additional options are of little relevance.
As you can see, there isn't necessarily a clear cut winner. If you are looking for the cheapest most dependable rental truck, then Budget will probably be your best choice. However, if you need additional features or services, and are looking for the nearest location available, then Uhaul will will probably top your list. While both of these companies are in the rental truck business, they approach it in completely different ways.
