DIY
Moving truck rental insurance: what your own policy covers, and what the counter sells
Most personal auto policies and major credit cards do not cover a moving truck, so call your insurer before you book and ask which sizes, if any, they will cover. At the counter, a damage waiver, liability, cargo, accident, and towing covers are separate products, and none of the three brands publishes a price until booking.
Anthony BaleMoving industry professional, author and writerReviewed 29 September 2026
Coverage types sold at the rental counter, in plain words, read 28 Sep 2026. Prices show at booking.
| Coverage | What it covers | Sold by |
|---|---|---|
| Damage waiver (LDW, PDW) | Damage to the rental truck. Not insurance; a waiver of what you would owe. Budget excludes overhead damage and curbed tyres from its LDW. | U-Haul, Penske, Budget |
| Supplemental liability (SLI) | Claims from other people for injury or property damage. Penske: to $300,000 injury and $50,000 property. Budget: $1 million combined. | Penske, Budget |
| Cargo | Your belongings in transit. Penske: to $15,000 per rental, $100 deductible, not during loading. | U-Haul, Penske, Budget |
| Personal accident | Accidental death and medical cover for you and passengers in the cab. | Penske, Budget |
| Towing | Your own car on the dolly or carrier. Budget: to $20,000. | Penske, Budget |
Your own policy first
personal policies often exclude trucks by size or weight
Call your insurer before you reserve. Penske says most major credit cards and personal auto insurers do not cover rental trucks, and personal policies often exclude trucks by size or weight. Ask which truck sizes it covers, if any. Budget says to ask whether you are covered for a rental truck over 10,000 lb gross vehicle weight. U-Haul says most personal insurance will not cover damage to a rental truck.
A yes on your car policy is not a yes on the truck. Get the answer in writing if you can, including the size or weight cutoff and whether damage to the rental truck itself is included. If the answer is no, or the truck sits over the weight your insurer names, the counter products are what stand between you and the repair bill. Truck rental costs are a separate line from this cover.
The damage waiver
curbed tyres are not covered by any Budget product
A damage waiver is not insurance. It waives what you would owe for the rental truck. Budget sells a PDW with $0 responsibility and an LDW where you owe the first $500. Budget excludes overhead damage from the LDW, and curbed tyres are not covered by any Budget product. Penske gives an example of parking damage estimated at $2,100 that would have cost the renter nothing with its LDW.
Read the exclusions before you initial the box. Overhead damage and curbed tyres can fall outside what a waiver covers, so a low clearance garage or a tight curb can still land on you. U-Haul, Penske and Budget all sell cover at the counter, and none publishes a price; the figure shows at booking. If a car rides behind the truck, read the towing rules too.
Liability for other people
Supplemental liability covers claims from other people
Supplemental liability covers claims from other people. It is separate from the waiver that deals with the truck you rented. Penske offers up to $300,000 bodily injury and $50,000 property damage, and the renter and drivers must be 21 or older. Budget offers up to $1 million combined. Those caps are the published limits, not a promise about your crash.
The waiver and the liability product answer different bills. The waiver limits what you pay for the truck. Supplemental liability responds when someone else is hurt or their property is damaged. Age rules matter: Penske requires the renter and drivers to be 21 or older for its supplemental liability. If a helper will drive, confirm they meet the rule before you leave the lot. See how truck rental compares with hiring movers if the driving burden is the real problem.
Your things and your car
it does not apply during loading or unloading
Cargo cover pays for belongings in transit. Penske offers up to $15,000 per rental with a $100 deductible per occurrence, and it does not apply during loading or unloading. That gap is when boxes are most likely to drop. Your household goods need their own plan for the driveway and the ramp, because the cargo product is silent there.
Towing cover pays for your own car on the dolly or carrier. Penske sells that cover, and Budget offers it up to $20,000. It does not replace cargo cover for the boxes in the truck, and it does not replace the damage waiver for the truck itself. If a professional mover will haul the goods, their valuation is a different contract, spelled out under released value versus full value.
What to buy
None of the three brands publishes coverage prices
Match the product to the hole in your policy. If your insurer will not cover the truck, start with the damage waiver, then supplemental liability if you want cover for other people. Add cargo cover if the boxes matter, and towing cover only if your car rides on a dolly or carrier. Penske sells these in bundles named Basic, Standard, Value, and Plus. Compare the truck rental options on equipment, not on a price that shows only at booking.
Haulest is not a truck rental company and earns nothing from any brand. None of the three brands publishes coverage prices, so the figures appear only when you book. Ask your insurer before you book, then read the waiver exclusions, the liability limit, and whether cargo cover stops during loading. A larger bundle name is not a reason to buy it. Pick the gap your own policy leaves open.
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
- Does my own auto policy cover a rental moving truck?
- Penske says most major credit cards and personal auto insurers do not cover rental trucks, and personal policies often exclude trucks by size or weight. Ask your insurer which truck sizes it covers, if any. Budget says to ask whether you are covered for a rental truck over 10,000 lb gross vehicle weight, and U-Haul says most personal insurance will not cover damage to a rental truck.
- Is the damage waiver insurance?
- A damage waiver is not insurance. It waives what you would owe for the rental truck. Budget sells a PDW with $0 responsibility and an LDW where you owe the first $500, and Budget excludes overhead damage from the LDW, while curbed tyres are not covered by any Budget product.
- What does supplemental liability cover?
- Supplemental liability covers claims from other people. Penske offers up to $300,000 bodily injury and $50,000 property damage, and the renter and drivers must be 21 or older. Budget offers up to $1 million combined.
- Are belongings and a towed car covered by the truck waiver?
- Cargo cover pays for belongings in transit, and Penske offers up to $15,000 per rental with a $100 deductible per occurrence, but not during loading or unloading. Towing cover pays for your own car on the dolly or carrier, with Budget offering up to $20,000. Personal accident cover, from Penske and Budget, pays accidental death and medical costs for you and passengers in the cab.
- Can I see coverage prices before I book?
- None of the three brands publishes coverage prices. They show at booking. Penske sells the covers in bundles named Basic, Standard, Value, and Plus.
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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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