the Price of Renting a Pickup Truck

We needed to move items from one storage facility to another location about 8 miles down the road, and I checked prices for renting a box truck and a pickup truck, and it was a better deal for the pickup, so it was a one-day rental at a total cost of $103.80. The daily rental was $68, we paid an additional 25 cents for each mile (74 miles = $18.50), and the taxes and other charges were $17.30. The vehicle was a standard bed Ford with a regular cab that carried three people.

It would have been easier and faster to rent a box truck to move everything, but the cost of the pickup truck was very reasonable and the distance between the location was close enough that it made sense for this type of rental. The truck ran fine and we did not have any problems with the rear gate or the truck carrying the weight that we loaded so I was satisfied with the vehicle. The price was fair but I was not aware until I first called that pickup truck rentals do not include any free mileage like car rentals do, so that was a little surprising. Overall, it was a good value for the service that we received and the rental company was open late enough that I could return the truck.

Take the time to figure out your expected mileage and really do the math to figure out if a pickup truck is the right deal for you, or if a box truck or some other rental will be better. Also, call at least 3-4 places to compare prices; there can be a pretty big difference in the base price and the mileage charge.