Truck rental costs
What a rental truck really costs
In-town rentals are a day rate plus miles, and one-way rentals are a route quote with a set number of days and miles. Ask what extra days, extra miles, fuel, late charges, cleaning, and coverage add before you compare brands.
Anthony BaleMoving industry professional, author and writerReviewed 2026-09-28
In-town and one-way are priced differently
That per-mile line is where a short local rental adds up.
In-town rentals bill a day rate plus miles. U-Haul prints $19.95 for a pickup, cargo van, or 10 ft truck, $29.95 for 15 ft, $39.95 for 20 ft, and $49.95 for 26 ft, then adds a per-mile charge set by the location. Penske adds a per-mile fee when you return to the same location. Budget charges for the actual days and miles. That per-mile line is where a short local rental adds up.
One-way quotes bundle days and miles. U-Haul prices a route, then charges $1.00 a mile and $40 a day past that allowance. Penske one-way includes unlimited miles inside a set number of days, and the rate includes an environmental fee. Budget extras run $70 a day and $0.70 a mile before pickup, $85 and $0.85 at or after pickup, or $100 a day and $1.00 a mile with no advance buy.
How each brand prices a rental, from its own pages, read 28 Sep 2026. The rate itself is quoted per route and date.
| 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. |
| One way | A route quote that comes with a set number of days and miles. | Unlimited miles within a set number of days. | A route quote with days and miles included. |
| 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. |
Sources: U-Haul truck rentals; U-Haul: truck rental price vs cost; U-Haul: fuel before returning; Penske important rental information; Penske coverage; Budget truck return policies; Budget damage waivers.
The fees that land after the move
Fuel is usually the biggest cost you control on a long move.
Fuel is usually the biggest cost you control on a long move. U-Haul requires return at the pickup level. If short, you pay fuel plus a service fee, and under a quarter tank adds $30. Penske charges nothing if returned on time, full, at the same level. Budget adds a refuelling service charge plus the fuel. The table uses $4.48 gasoline and $6.53 diesel, week of 21 Sept 2026, at each brand's low end mpg.
Late returns, cleaning, and no-shows are separate from the quote. Budget charges an extra day at the full day rate for a local late return, gives no refund for coming back early, and bills $25.00 or more if the truck is not clean. Penske charges $250 for late changes or no-shows, and extra drivers are $10 each, with family members free. Check compare trucks before you book.
Fuel, late, cleaning and driver rules. 'Not printed' means the brand's pages we read do not say; ask the location.
| U-Haul | Penske | Budget | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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. |
| Late, early, no-show | Not printed on the pages we read. | Late changes or no-shows: $250 charge to the card. | Local late return: an extra day at 100% of the day rate. Early return: no refund; the quoted rate is the minimum. |
| Cleaning | Not printed on the pages we read. | Return in the same condition; no fee printed. | $25.00 or more if not returned clean. |
| Drivers | Not printed on the pages we read. | 18 or older, two forms of ID, a physical US or Canadian licence. Extra drivers $10 each, family free. | Not printed on the pages we read. |
Sources: U-Haul truck rentals; U-Haul: truck rental price vs cost; U-Haul: fuel before returning; Penske important rental information; Penske coverage; Budget truck return policies; Budget damage waivers.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| U-Haul 9' cargo van | Gasoline | 18 mpg | $249 |
| U-Haul 10' truck | Gasoline | 12 mpg | $373 |
| U-Haul 15' truck | Gasoline | 10 mpg | $448 |
| U-Haul 20' truck | Gasoline | 10 mpg | $448 |
| U-Haul 26' truck | Gasoline | 8 mpg | $560 |
| 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).
Coverage and equipment
A damage waiver covers the truck and is not insurance.
None of the three prints coverage prices; they show up at booking. A damage waiver covers the truck and is not insurance. Supplemental liability covers claims from other people. Cargo cover pays for belongings in transit, and Penske's does not cover loading. Most personal car policies and credit cards do not cover a rental truck, Penske says, so ask your insurer which truck sizes it covers.
Equipment is a small add-on, easy to forget. U-Haul's utility dolly is $7 a day in town and furniture pads are $5 for half a dozen. Haulest is not a truck rental company and earns nothing from any brand. Your dresser will not thank you for skipping pads. See truck sizes, the DIY calculator, and towing if you are towing.
Coverage types, in plain words. Prices are shown at booking, not published.
| 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 |
Coverage and towing gear by brand.
| U-Haul | Penske | Budget | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Coverage | Sold as optional coverage at the counter; prices not published. | Bundles (Basic, Standard, Value, Plus) of LDW, SLI, PAI, cargo and towing cover; prices at booking. | PDW ($0 responsibility) or LDW (first $500), SLI to $1 million, cargo and accident, auto tow to $20,000; prices at booking. |
| Towing | Tow dolly, auto transport, cargo and utility trailers. | Tow dolly and car carrier, only with a 16' or larger truck. | Tow dolly and car carrier, only with a 16' or 26' truck. |
Haulest is not a truck rental company and earns nothing from any brand. Drafted with grok-4.7-medium via cursor-agent on 2026-09-28, then edited.
Ask out loud
Questions people ask
- How is an in-town rental priced versus a one-way?
- In-town rentals bill a day rate plus miles. One-way rentals are a route quote with a set number of days and miles. U-Haul charges $1.00 a mile and $40 a day past its one-way allowance, and Penske one-way includes unlimited miles inside the set days.
- What if the truck comes back low on fuel?
- U-Haul charges the fuel plus a service fee, and a tank under a quarter adds $30. Penske charges nothing if the truck was picked up full and comes back on time at the same level. Budget adds a refuelling service charge plus the fuel.
- Will my car insurance or a credit card cover the truck?
- Most personal car policies and credit cards do not cover a rental truck, Penske says. Ask your insurer which truck sizes it covers. The three brands do not print coverage prices; those appear at booking.
- What does each coverage type pay for?
- A damage waiver covers the truck and is not insurance. Supplemental liability covers claims from other people. Cargo cover pays for belongings in transit, and Penske's does not cover loading.
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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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