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Penske vs Budget: which rental truck fits your move
Penske and Budget both rent a cargo van and box trucks, but Penske adds a 22 foot diesel and treats one-way miles differently. Compare both quotes on the same dates, read the Penske Truck Rental 0, Budget Truck Rental 3 reviews this page lists, and note that Haulest is not a truck rental company and earns nothing from any brand.
Anthony BaleMoving industry professional, author and writerReviewed 2026-09-28
The real differences
Penske one-way rentals include unlimited miles within a set number of days.
Penske lists more lengths. Both brands offer a cargo van plus 12 foot, 16 foot, and 26 foot trucks. Penske also offers a 22 foot truck. Budget has no 20 to 22 foot size. Penske runs the 22 foot and 26 foot on diesel. Budget runs the 26 foot on diesel. Specs vary by model year and location.
Rules on miles and towing. Penske one-way rentals include unlimited miles within a set number of days. Local round trips are a daily rate plus a per-mile fee. Budget one-way trucks use a route quote. Its round trips are a daily rate plus mileage, and pickups stay local. Both put a 1,000 lb ramp on 16 foot and up. Penske lets those tow a vehicle. Budget starts tow dollies and car carriers at 16 foot.
How each brand rents, from its own pages. Prices are quoted per route and date, so compare quotes for the same dates.
| Penske Truck Rental | Budget Truck Rental | |
|---|---|---|
| One-way | Yes, unlimited miles within a set number of days | Yes for trucks; pickups are local only |
| How it prices | Local round trips: a daily rate plus a per-mile fee. One-way: unlimited miles, a set number of days. Fuel is extra. | Round trip: daily rate plus mileage. One-way: a route quote. Fuel is extra. |
| Watch for | The 22 ft and 26 ft trucks run on diesel, which not every station sells. | Fewer sizes than U-Haul or Penske. |
Sources: Penske: moving truck sizes; Budget: 16 ft truck.
What each brand rents in each size class. Read 28 Sep 2026.
| Size class | Fits | Penske | Budget |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cargo van | A dorm, a studio, or a few big items | cargo van, 404 cu ft | cargo van, 323 cu ft |
| 10 to 12 ft truck | A studio or a small one-bedroom | 12' truck, 450 cu ft | 12' truck, 380 cu ft |
| 15 to 16 ft truck | A one or two bedroom apartment | 16' truck, 800 cu ft | 16' truck, 658 cu ft |
| 20 to 22 ft truck | A two to three bedroom home | 22' truck, 1,200 cu ft, diesel | Not offered |
| 26 ft truck | A three to five bedroom home | 26' truck, 1,700 cu ft, diesel | 26' truck, 1,698 cu ft, diesel |
Which one fits which move
A couch will not fold to save you a size.
A short local move can use either. Both rent a cargo van, a 12 foot truck, and a 16 foot truck on a daily rate plus mileage. Use the truck size calculator before you book a length. For a cross-country one-way, Penske includes unlimited miles within a set number of days. Budget quotes that trip by route and does not offer a 22 foot truck.
Towing and a full house need bigger trucks. Penske says 16 foot and up can tow a vehicle. Its 22 foot and 26 foot carry up to 10,000 lb. Budget starts a tow dolly or car carrier at the 16 foot. Its 26 foot is the diesel truck for a large load. Check truck sizes before you guess. A couch will not fold to save you a size.
Reviews in our licensed file that name each brand. Self-reported, not a ranking.
| Brand | Reviews | Mean rating |
|---|---|---|
| Penske Truck Rental | 0 | Too few |
| Budget Truck Rental | 3 | 3.30 |
Fuel for 1,000 loaded miles, at the US average price for the week of 21 Sept 2026. Uses the low end of each brand's mpg estimate, because a loaded truck does worse than the brochure.
| Truck | Fuel | Loaded mpg | Per 1,000 miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| Penske cargo van | Gasoline | 12 mpg | $373 |
| Penske 12' truck | Gasoline | 12 mpg | $373 |
| Penske 16' truck | Gasoline | 12 mpg | $373 |
| Penske 22' truck | Diesel | 13 mpg | $502 |
| Penske 26' truck | Diesel | 13 mpg | $502 |
| Budget cargo van | Gasoline | 8 mpg | $560 |
| Budget 12' truck | Gasoline | 8 mpg | $560 |
| Budget 16' truck | Gasoline | 6 mpg | $746 |
| Budget 26' truck | Diesel | 8 mpg | $816 |
Source: US Energy Information Administration, weekly retail prices (week of 21 Sept 2026).
How to compare quotes fairly
Same dates and same size class are the fair test.
Match the dates and the size class. Each brand quotes by route and date, so run both on the same days and the same length. Do not treat a 16 foot Penske quote as equal to a 26 foot Budget quote. Note days, miles, fuel policy, coverage, and equipment such as the ramp. Penske one-way miles are unlimited within a set number of days. Budget one-way is a route quote.
Read the line items, then the reviews. Check days, miles, fuel policy, coverage, and equipment before you call a quote fair. Open Penske and Budget and read the Penske Truck Rental 0, Budget Truck Rental 3 reviews this page prints. Skip any claim about which brand is cheapest in general. Same dates and same size class are the fair test.
Haulest is not a truck rental company and earns nothing from any brand. Drafted with grok-4.7-medium via cursor-agent on 2026-09-24, then edited.
Ask out loud
Questions people ask
- Does Budget rent a 22 foot truck?
- Budget has no 20 to 22 foot size. It lists a cargo van plus 12 foot, 16 foot, and 26 foot trucks. Penske lists those and also a 22 foot truck.
- Which trucks run on diesel?
- Penske runs the 22 foot and 26 foot on diesel. Budget runs the 26 foot on diesel.
- How do one-way miles work?
- Penske one-way rentals include unlimited miles within a set number of days. Budget one-way trucks are a route quote, and Budget pickups are local only.
- Which trucks can tow a car?
- Penske says 16 foot and up can tow a vehicle, and those trucks have a 1,000 lb ramp. Budget says the 16 foot is its smallest that can use a tow dolly or car carrier, and the 16 foot and 26 foot have a 1,000 lb ramp.
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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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