The 7 Best Rental Truck Companies

Renting a truck can be stressful since there are so many rental trucks out on the market. Whether you're moving or just need a vehicle for a project, finding the right one is a chore. We have compiled a list of the best rental trucks and where to get them from.

The best rental trucks are from:

• Budget
• Penske
• U-Haul
• Ryder
• Enterprise
• Lowes
• Home Depot

These truck rentals can be used for moving or for whatever project you have, and the best part about them is that you can finally use a truck without having to ask your friend "Hey, can I borrow your truck" constantly.

Comparing the Truck Rental Companies

A lot of these places have similar trucks. The 12', 16’, and 26’ trucks are all very popular options among the different companies. Home Depot and Lowes are going to be focused more on trucks for short DIY supply runs or small moves.

The Best Truck Rental Companies

Budget Truck Rental

Budget is a great truck rental company for frugal movers. They offer discounts for students, military members, first responders, and even members of the Bar Association. Let’s take a look at some of their prices:

At the Houston location, you can reserve a 26’ truck for $39.99 a day plus $0.79 a mile. That’s right on par with U-Haul and affordable for a move across town. It’s also a good option for longer moves. For an out of state move from Houston, TX to Nashville, TN, a 26’ truck will cost you $1,196.10 with unlimited miles. These rates will vary according to dates and rental pickup/drop off locations.

Pros:

• Affordable prices for moving long distances
• You can get real-time quotes on their website
• Discount options available

Cons:

• Few truck options
• Their add-ons can get pricey
• Rentals are in high demand - are often sold out in many cities

Penske Truck Rental

Although more expensive than most, Penske has a lot of truck options to choose from. They also offer discounts for students, military, and AAA members. During October they also have a 10% or more discount code as well, and they have special offers often to help offset the cost of their trucks. Here’s the cost breakdown:

A pickup and drop off in Houston, TX: $99.99 a day and $0.99 per mile for any vehicle.

For a move from Houston, TX to Nashville, TN:

For a 12’ or 16’ truck, we were quoted $1,158.00, and the 22’ and 26’ truck is $1,447.00 with unlimited miles. So, Penske is definitely more expensive than Budget (and U-Haul).

Pros:

• Many truck options to choose from
• Penske rental places located across the US
• Website prices and quotes don’t require any personal information

Cons:

• Expensive (more than U-Haul and Budget)
• Not all truck sizes are available for one-way or round trips

U-Haul Truck Rentals

U-Haul is one of our top rental picks. With thousands of stores across the United States, finding a store isn’t too difficult. Unlike Budget and Penske, U-Haul does have many discounts, but their rates are fair and are generally standardized from state to state. A rental in Houston, TX and got rates for their pickup, cargo van, and 10’ truck are all at $19.95 a day (plus $0.69 per mile), their 15’ truck for $29.99 a day (plus $0.89 per mile), and their 17’, 20’, and 26’ trucks for $39.95 a day (plus $0.89 per mile). My quotes for a move from Houston, TX to Nashville, TN are below:

• For the 10’ truck we were quoted $1,010.00
  • This includes mileage but does NOT include insurance
• For the 15’ truck we were quoted $1,063.00
  • Not including insurance, mileage is included in the quote
• For the 20’ truck we were quoted $1,169.00
  • This does not include insurance but mileage is included in this price
• Finally, for the 26’ truck we were quoted $1,328.00
  • Not including insurance, but mileage is included

Those prices are incredibly affordable, and all the above rates include miles and 4 days of use. Now, your rates may vary based on mileage and location.

Pros:

• Affordable prices
• Many locations across the U.S.
• Good selection of truck sizes to choose from
• Trailers and hitches are also available for rent

Cons:

• Reservations are not guaranteed
• No unlimited mileage option for one-way moves

Ryder Truck Rentals

Ryder is a rental truck company ONLY for business rentals. That means you cannot use them for your personal use in a move or anything like that. For you business folks out there, their rates are pretty decent. We "reserved" a Sprinter van out of Houston, TX, and were quoted $100.95 but was alerted that the only available vehicle was a refrigerated box truck, which cost $172.95 a day (plus $0.22 per mile). Their 26’ truck was quoted at $137.95 plus $0.23 a mile, but again, we were not able to rent that since it was not available. We ran into this problem checking out rentals in Houston, Los Angeles, and even Chicago.

Is Ryder an option If you are a business that needs a big rig or refrigerated vehicle from them, then yes. If you aren’t a business who just needs to move, then no, it isn’t an option. On their website, they clearly state that “rentals are for commercial business accounts only”. Once upon a time, Ryder was available for personal use, but it seems that since the start of 2020 they changed their business layout.

Enterprise Truck Rentals

Although known for their commercial jingle and car rental kiosks, Enterprise also rents trucks for business and personal use. Their website reservation portal did not return any results for cost comparison – but phone reservations are possible. From Houston, TX, a ½ ton truck (ex. F-150) costs $89.99 a day, and a 1-ton pickup (F-350) costs $109.99 a day.

These rentals include some free mileage (depends on location). Enterprise only allows vehicle returns to the original pickup location – so longer cross-country moves are out of the picture with them.

Pros:

• Large vehicle selection

Cons:

• No online quotes
• No one-way rentals

Lowe’s Truck Rental

Lowe’s offers Chevy Silverado truck rentals for your project. Lowes’ pickup trucks are great for short cross-town moves. If you can be efficient with your loading and unloading time, Lowe’s rental trucks are a bargain. For $19 you get the truck for 90 minutes, or you can rent the truck for $89 for the whole day.

Keep in mind, not every Lowe’s supplies rental trucks, so check your local Lowe’s to make sure this is an option for you. Lowes doesn’t have rental truck information on their website, so your best bet is to call or visit your local store.

Home Depot Truck Rentals

Home Depot also carries rental trucks, but unlike Lowe’s, they offer a wider variety of vehicles. They also serve as Penske rental centers where you can get a Penske rental truck. Their F-250, T250, and cargo van rentals start at $19.99 for 75 minutes and then goes to $129 for the day. Their moving box truck starts at $29.99 for 75 minutes and goes to $139.00 for the day. The mileage is unlimited, but you do have to return it to the Home Depot where you go it from. Much like the Lowe’s rental, if you’re efficient with your moving and truck loading, this is a great option for budget moves across town or for a day-long drive over 114 miles.

Pros:

• They have a large variety of vehicles
• Unlimited mileage
• Affordable hourly rates
• Penske trucks are at Home Depot

Cons:

• If you go beyond 75 minutes in-town it can get expensive
• Availability might be sketchy
• No reservation system

Where Is the Best Place to Get a Rental Truck

After seeing these different options, just where is the best place to get a rental truck from Here’s how we ranked them:

1. U-Haul- this is the best overall truck rental company. They have fair rates, lots of truck options, and they have lots of trailer options in case you need that.

2. Budget- this is the best company to save money with. Their rates are fair, and they have lots of discounts.

3. Enterprise- we like Enterprise because they are very versatile and are good for local moves. They have lots of trucks to choose from, and since you would have to stay local anyway, you might as well take advantage of them.

4. Lowe’s/ Home Depot- we are combining these 2 because they’re both good for short term moves. These moves don’t even have to be moving your home, per se, but it could be focused more on moving bigger items back to your home.

5. Penske- we have found Penske to be good because they have different truck options. However, they are expensive even with offered discounts.

6. Ryder- If you own a business, then Ryder will work well for you to expand your fleet or to help you move. However, they don’t expand their business anymore for residential moves, so this company is not viable for your personal move.