DIY
How to save on a truck rental: miles, days, fuel, and the fees you can avoid
A local truck rental is often cheap by the day and expensive by the mile, and a one-way rental costs more when extra days and miles are bought late. Haulest is not a truck rental company and earns nothing from any brand.
Anthony BaleMoving industry professional, author and writerReviewed 29 September 2026
Where the bill grows, by brand, from each brand's own pages, read 28 Sep 2026.
| U-Haul | Penske | Budget | |
|---|---|---|---|
| In town | Day rate plus a per-mile charge set by the location. Printed day rates: $19.95 for the pickup, cargo van and 10'; $29.95 for the 15'; $39.95 for the 20'; $49.95 for the 26'. | Day rate plus a per-mile fee, for rentals returned to the same location within 25 miles. Rates include an environmental fee. | Day rate plus mileage; you pay the actual miles and days used. |
| Extra one-way days and miles | Extra miles $1.00 a mile; extra days $40 a day. | Extra days $200 a day on the policy page; its comparison table says up to three at $100 a day. Ask which applies. | Bought before pickup: $70 a day and $0.70 a mile. At or after pickup: $85 a day and $0.85 a mile. Not bought in advance: $100 a day and $1.00 a mile. |
| Fuel | Return at the pickup (dispatch) level. Short: fuel plus a service fee; under 1/4 tank adds $30. Or prepay EZ-Fuel at a per-gallon price on the contract. | Picked up full; no charge if returned on time with the same fuel level. | Picked up full. Short on return: a refuelling service charge plus fuel at the location's price or a per-gallon rate. |
Size it once
A second trip means another day on the clock and another set of miles
Pick the truck that finishes the job in one load. A second trip means another day on the clock and another set of miles, which is where a local rental adds up. Penske notes that an extra 100 pounds can cut fuel mileage by 1 to 2 percent, so leave behind what you do not need before you load. Use the size calculator and the size guide before you book.
Equipment is cheap next to a second truck. U-Haul's utility dolly is $7 a day in town, and furniture pads are $5 for half a dozen. Rent both if stairs or tight corners would otherwise force another loaded trip. Plan one loaded trip, not several, and check the DIY calculator if you are weighing a rental against hiring help.
Miles are the price in town
the per-mile charge set by the location is where a local rental adds up
The day rate is the small part in town. U-Haul prints $19.95 to $49.95 a day by size, and the per-mile charge set by the location is where a local rental adds up. Map one route with the truck full, then return it. A second loop repeats the mile charge on the same boxes.
Plan one loaded trip, not several. Each extra pass is another mile bill on top of the day. If the first truck cannot hold the load, step up a size instead of booking a second run. Read the cost breakdown before you commit so the mile charge is part of the plan.
Buy one-way days and miles early
Estimate the miles once, buy that block early
Buy extra days and miles before pickup. Budget's extra days and miles cost $70 and $0.70 bought before pickup, $85 and $0.85 at or after, and $100 and $1.00 if not bought in advance. U-Haul's extra miles are $1.00 and days $40. The gap between early and late is large enough to plan the route first.
Unused days are not a refund. Budget does not refund extra days and miles bought in advance, and Penske does not refund extra days once they are paid at pickup, so add a day only if the drive or the load truly needs it. Estimate the miles once, buy that block early, and skip the higher rate that hits at the counter or after you are already on the road.
Fuel and the return
Penske makes no charge if the truck is returned on time at the same level
Return the truck at the pickup fuel level. U-Haul charges fuel plus a service fee, and under a quarter tank adds $30. Budget charges a refuelling service charge plus the fuel. Fill near the return lot so the gauge matches the start and you are not paying the company to do it.
On time matters as much as the gauge. Penske makes no charge if the truck is returned on time at the same level. A late Budget local return is a full extra day, and Penske late changes or no-shows are $250. Set the return time before you start so a slow unload does not buy a fee you can skip.
Discounts and small fees
Penske extra drivers are $10 each, and family is free
Check the discount before you compare day rates. Penske publishes 12 percent for AAA members, 15 percent for active and veteran military, and 10 percent for college students, with no underage surcharge for renters 18 to 23. Shell Fuel Rewards is at least 5 cents a gallon. Ask which of those you can use before the total is set.
Small fees are easy to skip. Budget cleaning is $25.00 or more, so sweep the box out before return. Penske extra drivers are $10 each, and family is free, so name the right people at booking. If a rental still looks heavy next to hiring a crew, read truck rental versus movers before you decide.
Before you hire
Four checks before a deposit
Written estimate after a look
Interstate movers must give the booklet and a written estimate after a survey or a full description. A $499 ad is not an estimate.
FMCSA Protect Your MoveLegal name matches SAFER
USDOT on the paper, the truck doors, and the census. A different name is the walk.
USDOT / Companies House lookupWalk from cash and blank paper
FTC: unregistered interstate, huge deposit, cash only, or a blank contract. Photograph and leave.
FTC: hiring a mover110% on a COD non-binding job
Pay up to 110% plus agreed extras and they must hand over the load. Not a cap on extras you signed.
US interstate rules
Reviewed 29 September 2026 by Anthony Bale. Numbers on this page carry their own dates.
Ask out loud
Questions people ask
- Why does a local truck rental cost more than the day rate?
- In town, the day rate is the small part. U-Haul prints $19.95 to $49.95 a day by size, and the per-mile charge set by the location is where a local rental adds up. Plan one loaded trip, not several.
- When do extra one-way days and miles cost less?
- Budget's extra days and miles cost $70 and $0.70 bought before pickup, $85 and $0.85 at or after, and $100 and $1.00 if not bought in advance. U-Haul's extra miles are $1.00 and days $40. Budget does not refund extras bought in advance.
- What happens if the truck comes back low on fuel?
- Return it at the pickup level. U-Haul charges fuel plus a service fee, and under a quarter tank adds $30. Budget charges a refuelling service charge plus the fuel, and Penske makes no charge if the truck is returned on time at the same level.
- Which discounts does Penske publish?
- AAA members get 12 percent, and active and veteran military get 15 percent. College students get 10 percent with no underage surcharge for renters 18 to 23. Shell Fuel Rewards is at least 5 cents a gallon.
- Which fees can I avoid on the rental?
- Budget cleaning is $25.00 or more, and a Budget local late return is a full extra day. Penske late changes or no-shows are $250, and extra drivers are $10 each, with family free. U-Haul's utility dolly is $7 a day in town and furniture pads are $5 for half a dozen.
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About Anthony Bale
A moving industry professional, author and writer. Anthony has been at different positions in the industry for the last 10 years, gaining significant knowledge on the relocation process. He himself has moved 6 times already, which helped him explore the other side of the moving process.
At Haulest he writes the US cost, hiring, and rights pages, reading the licensed review file every week so the numbers on the page are the numbers people reported.
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