Budget Truck Rental Review: Costs & Service Options for Moving
Overall Opinion: What Budget Truck Rental offers is all in the name. This company really tries to give you the most budget-friendly moving option out there, offering bottom-dollar base rates combined with a ton of discount programs. Budget is a solid option if you’re moving on, well, a budget.
Budget Truck Rental has been a part of the moving scene since 1998 a relative newcomer compared to companies like U-Haul, which has been in business since the 1940s. In 2002, Budget merged with Ryder Truck Rental, and today, its nationwide network of 32,000 moving trucks is managed by Avis car rental — there are a lot of familiar names involved in this company.
Budget offers DIY moving options, which means they provide the truck, but all of the work — like packing, loading, driving, unloading, and unpacking — is up to you. DIY moving options are generally the most affordable types of moves, which means if you want to move on a budget, renting a truck and doing the heavy lifting yourself is probably your best bet. Even among DIY moving companies, Budget strives to be one of the most affordable, so it’s a great choice if you’re really trying to keep costs down.
Overall, Budget is a solid option that more than keeps up with its competition, so we rated it 4 out of 5 stars. Read on for our full review.
Budget Truck Rental Review: The Good and the Bad
Budget’s pricing is what we love and what we don’t love about this company. Here are our favorite and least favorite features, plus all the pros and cons you should consider before booking with Budget.
What we love: The prices! Budget really lives up to its name by offering super low base rates, plus a discount program that offers deals to AARP members, military members, students, Motor Club members, and more. Budget really tries to live up to its name and be the most budget-friendly moving company out there, and we love that they make such an effort to make moving affordable for anyone.
What we don’t love: Also the prices. While Budget’s base rates are extremely affordable, if you add on any extras to your moving order, like moving supplies, insurance, or loading and unloading help, they’ll likely cost more than if you added those services on to an order with a competitor. That means Budget is only the most budget-friendly moving option if you’re truly DIY-ing your move and handling all the work and logistics yourself.
| Budget Truck Rental Pros | Budget Truck Rental Cons |
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Budget Truck Rental Services: What’s Included In the Cost?
With DIY moves, or moving truck rentals, you get the most benefit if you plan on doing most of the work yourself.
That means you head to the truck rental agency on moving day to get the keys for your truck, and then you’re responsible for all the packing, loading, driving, unloading, unpacking, and returning the truck.
It’s a lot of work, sure, but it gives you ultimate control over the entire moving process, and you save a lot of money by being the labor and the transportation yourself instead of hiring professionals.
Here are all the services Budget Truck Rental offers.
| Local, round-trip moves | Yes |
| One-way moves | Yes |
| Multiple truck sizes | Yes |
| Trailers | Not available |
| Moving and packing supplies | Available at an additional cost |
| Packing and loading/unloading help | Available at an additional cost |
| Roadside assistance | Available at an additional cost |
| Vehicle shipping | Yes, you can tow your car behind several of their trucks |
| Insurance Included | No |
| Insurance Available to Purchase | Yes |
| Free Cancelation or Modification | Up to 48 hours before your reservation |
And here’s what’s included in your quoted price.
| Included | Not included |
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When you book with a DIY company like Budget Truck Rental, here’s how the process works.
Budget Truck Rental Availability: Where Can You Rent a Truck?
Here’s some good news: Budget has great nationwide coverage. You can find a Budget Truck Rental agency in all 48 continental United States, plus across Canada. If you live in Alaska or Hawaii, though, you’re out of luck.
Budget Truck Rental: What Truck Sizes Can You Get?
While Budget boasts a fleet of more than 32,000 trucks nationwide, its size options are more limited than the average moving truck company — there are only three truck sizes available. However, those three sizes do cover a wide range of space, so you should be able to get a truck that fits your needs.
One feature we love is that Budget’s largest truck size uses diesel fuel, which makes it a little more fuel-efficient than a gasoline vehicle. That helps you save on fuel costs, and is better for the environment. Win-win.
Here are the trucks Budget has available.
| 12-foot truck | 16-foot truck | 26-foot truck | |
| Best for | 1-2 rooms | 2-3 rooms | 5-8 rooms |
| Dimensions | 11’ 8” x 6’ 3” x 6’ 1” | 16’ x 6’ 3” x 6’ 7” | 26’ x 8’ 1” x 8’ 1” |
| Cubic footage available | 443 cf | 658 cf | 1,698 cf |
| Weight limit | 3,610 lbs. | 4,460 lbs. | 10,000 lbs. |
| Fuel type | Gasoline | Gasoline | Diesel |
| Ramp included? | No | Yes | Yes |
| Towing available? | No | Yes | Yes |
It’s worth noting here that while all three truck sizes should be pretty widely available, this might vary from location to location. You should check with Budget Truck Rental agencies that are near you to make absolutely sure they have the type of truck you want on hand.
Budget Truck Rental: Do You Need Insurance?
The short answer is yes.
You’re driving the truck yourself, which means at the very least, you need good liability insurance in case you cause an accident on the road. Budget offers a number of plans that you can add on to your order (for an extra cost) that will help protect you as you move.
None of these insurance options are included. You must purchase them as an add-on if you want coverage through Budget. Budget Truck Rental insurance cost will vary based on the distance you’re traveling, the size of the truck, the value of your belongings, and other factors. You should be able to get insurance quotes along with your truck rental quote when you book your move.
| Damage Waivers (PDW & LDW) | This covers you for any damage done to the truck or other rental equipment due to vandalism or theft. It doesn’t cover damage due to your own mistakes or negligence. |
| Supplemental Liability Insurance (SLI) | This covers you for the cost of bodily harm or damage if you get sued for causing an accident. |
| Personal and Cargo (PAC) | The covers injury or damage to the driver, passengers, and cargo in the truck during the move. |
| Auto Tow Protection (ATP) | This covers damage sustained by a vehicle that you’re towing behind your rental truck in case of an accident. |
| Roadside SafetyNet (RSN) | This covers 24/7 roadside assistance should you need it during your move. |
Budget Rental Truck Reviews: Are They Reputable?
Online reviews for Budget Truck Rental are pretty mixed, but it’s important to note that that’s true of pretty much every moving company out there. Moving is stressful, so when things go wrong, people are often quick to leave harsh reviews even if the company isn’t fully at fault.
With that said, you might want to do some research into Budget’s reputation in your area before you book. Budget operates as a franchise with individually owned locations all over the country. Because of that, there are different Facebook profiles, Yelp review pages, Better Business Bureau profiles, and other sites for each individual Budget location. It makes it tough to get a gauge on how people feel about this company overall, or whether most people’s experiences are positive or negative.
Your best bet is to look up those review sites and profiles for the locations near you and carefully read reviews to get a better idea of what you’re going into before you book. Some locations might offer better service and have better reviews than others.
How Much Does Budget Truck Rental Cost?
If money were no object, we’re willing to bet everyone would hire a full-service moving company and kick back while a team of professionals handled their entire move. But that’s not the world we live in, and if you’re considering DIY moving companies, it’s likely that you’re trying to keep your moving costs within a certain budget.
Budget Truck Rental can certainly help with that. It’s pricing is some of the lowest in the industry. But with that said, there are some things to look out for to make sure you’re getting the best possible deal.
First, whether you get Budget Truck Rental unlimited mileage or a per-mile rate in your quote can make a huge difference. Most long-distance moves include unlimited mileage, but if you’re moving a medium distance, make sure to check this so you don’t get stuck paying a huge per-mile fee.
Additionally, moving truck rental companies are pretty notorious for advertising low base rates, and then jacking up the final cost with hidden fees. Fuel fees, environmental fees, per-day fees, late-return fees — they can really add up. Make sure to read all the fine print, get every agreement in writing, and watch out for avoidable fees like the ones you get for returning your truck late.
With all of this in mind, here are the base rates Budget advertises for different types of moves in different sizes of trucks. Before you make any decisions about which moving company to hire based on price, you should talk to representatives from Budget and other truck rental companies to get personalized quotes with extra costs for insurance, fees, and other add-ons included. That way you’ll know for sure you’re accurately comparing prices across the board.
| 12-foot truck | 16-foot truck | 26-foot truck | |
| Local, round-trip move (under 50 miles) | $29.99 per day, plus $0.79 per mile | $29.99 per day, plus $0.79 per mile | $39.99 per day, plus $0.79 per mile |
| Medium-distance move (~250 miles) | $252 with unlimited mileage | $265 with unlimited mileage | $330 with unlimited mileage |
| Cross-country move | $1,287 with unlimited mileage | $1,287 with unlimited mileage | $1,287 with unlimited mileage |
Is Budget Truck Rental Right For Your Move?
Choosing the right moving company takes some work, research, and careful consideration of all your options. Only you know what your move requires and what you need from a moving company, so you’re the only one who can decide of Budget Truck Rental is the right choice.
To help you get started with all that research, we compared Budget Truck Rental with some of the top competitors in the DIY moving industry, so check that out to compare our Budget review with U-Haul truck rental reviews, Penske truck rental reviews, and Enterprise truck rental reviews.
Or, branch out and compare instant online quotes from all kinds of different moving companies, including DIY truck rental companies, container moving and storage companies, and full-service movers. Compare prices from multiple movers you can trust — all in one place — to see where you should start your search for the perfect moving company.
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