Moving Companies Truck Options: How to Choose Between Rental, Full Service and Containers
Make a confident moving decision with practical comparisons, clear costs and helpful planning tools.
Search moving companies truck and you land on two very different kinds of pages. Some belong to rental brands that hand you keys and a contract. Others belong to movers who arrive with the truck, the crew and the insurance paperwork already included. Both are real ways to get a truck. They cost different amounts, put the risk on different shoulders, and suit different moves.
This moving companies truck guide sorts them out for people moving between states. You will see who supplies the truck in each model, what public 2026 pricing looks like, how to match truck size to your home, and how to confirm a company is legitimate before a deposit leaves your account.
Moving companies truck options: the quick answer
Four business models put a truck in your driveway. Van lines and full service movers bring the truck, the crew and the driving. Franchise movers such as Two Men and a Truck do the same, mostly for local and regional jobs. Truck rental companies like U-Haul, Penske and Budget lend you the vehicle while you load and drive. Container companies such as PODS and U-Pack deliver a container or trailer space, you load it, and they transport it.
| Model | Who drives | Who loads | Best fit | Examples |
| Van line or full service mover | Mover | Mover | Long distance and international moves | United Van Lines, Mayflower, Allied, Atlas |
| Franchise mover | Mover | Mover | Local and regional moves | Two Men and a Truck, College Hunks Hauling Junk |
| Truck rental | You | You, or hired labor | Budget moves where you can drive | U-Haul, Penske, Budget, Enterprise |
| Container or trailer space | Company | You | Skipping the drive without paying for a crew | PODS, U-Pack, 1-800-PACK-RAT |
How each type of truck arrangement actually works
The moving company business covers everything from packing and loading to transport and unpacking, while DIY moving, where a family rents a truck or trailer itself, sits at the budget end of that range. Where a company sits on that range tells you what its price includes.
Van lines and full service movers
A full service mover sends a crew and a truck, loads your belongings, drives them, and unloads at the new address. Van lines run that model across many states through a network of local agents. By fleet size, moveBuddha lists United Van Lines first with 7,510 trucks, then ABF U-Pack with 3,848, Atlas Van Lines with 3,759, Mayflower Transit with 3,128 and Allied Van Lines with 2,199. Fleet size shows reach, not price or crew quality, so use it as a first filter only.
Pricing starts with an estimate. A binding estimate fixes the price for the inventory listed. A non binding estimate is the mover’s best guess, which means a longer job can cost more than quoted. Ask which one you are getting and get it in writing.
Franchise movers
Brands like Two Men and a Truck operate through independently owned franchises. The company lists locations in 48 states plus Canada, Ireland and the UK. For long distance work it offers an expedited service on a dedicated truck with a guaranteed arrival date, and a cheaper crated service where your items travel in crates on a third party carrier.
Truck rental companies
U-Haul, Penske and Budget rent the vehicle and little else by default. You load it, drive it and return it. Labor is a separate purchase. On HireAHelper, for example, labor only help means loading or unloading muscle while you supply your own truck, whereas its full service listings include the truck, equipment and crew. That split is how many people build a hybrid move.
Container and trailer companies
With a container company, the empty unit arrives at your door, you fill it on your own schedule, and the company hauls it to your new address. Pricing is a flat rate tied to the number of containers. It suits people who do not want to pilot a large truck down an interstate but are happy to pack everything themselves.
Is Two Men and a Truck a good moving company?
It can be, but the answer depends on the franchise you hire rather than the brand name. Each location is independently owned and operated, so prices, crew quality and service levels differ from one office to the next. Treat the national logo as a starting point and judge the local branch on its own reviews, its written estimate and its USDOT registration if the job crosses a state line.
What about a man and a truck moving company?
Small independent operators with one or two trucks are common for local moves, and many do honest work at hourly rates. The risk rises with distance. Household goods carriers moving across state lines need federal registration, and the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration runs a free Registered Mover Database you can search before you commit. If an operator cannot show a USDOT number for an interstate job, treat that as a stop sign. Ask what happens if the truck breaks down, since a tiny company may have no backup vehicle.
Moving truck sizes: what fits in a 10, 15, 20 or 26 foot truck
Rental companies publish their own sizing charts, and they do not agree on every bedroom count. U-Haul lists six truck sizes from 10 to 26 feet. Penske offers 12, 16, 22 and 26 foot trucks across more than 2,500 locations. Budget’s Los Angeles listings show a cargo van plus 12, 16 and 26 foot trucks. The table below gives a middle of the road starting point, so check it against the chart of the company you rent from.
| Truck length | Typical home it handles | U-Haul advertised local base rate per day |
| 10 foot | Studio or small one bedroom | $19.95 |
| 15 foot | One to two bedrooms | $29.95 |
| 20 foot | Two bedrooms | $39.95 |
| 26 foot | Three to four bedrooms | $49.95 |
When you are between sizes, go up. A second trip is easy across town and painful across a state line. The 26 foot class is also the largest size most people can drive on an ordinary license for a personal move, but confirm the licensing rules for your state and the specific truck before you book.
What a moving truck rental costs in 2026
Local day rentals advertise from about $20 to $50 per day, yet a real quote adds mileage, fuel, taxes and fees, and a one way interstate rental can land anywhere from roughly $1,900 to more than $5,000 once everything is counted. The headline daily rate is the smallest part of a long trip.
HireAHelper’s 2026 breakdown notes that the $19.95 rate applies to a local rental of the pickup, cargo van or 10 foot truck, with mileage and fees on top. Price comparison sites put U-Haul’s local mileage charge from just under a dollar to about $1.20 per mile depending on the vehicle and date, so a 100 mile local day can quickly outgrow the base rate.
For long distance moves the published examples vary with route, truck size and dates. This Old House priced a Miami to Chicago move over six days and 1,723 miles at about $1,900 for a U-Haul 15 foot truck and $2,394 for a Penske 16 foot truck with unlimited mileage. U-Pack’s own comparison of a 26 foot one way rental over about 1,700 miles, with liability coverage, fees and fuel included, came to $5,112 for U-Haul, $5,253 for Penske and $6,437 for Budget. Those are different routes, sizes and dates, and U-Pack sells a competing service, so treat them as a realistic range and not a promise. Your own quote is the only number that counts.
| Cost layer | What to expect |
| Daily base rate | Advertised headline, often for local use only |
| Mileage | Charged per mile on many local rentals, usually unlimited or bundled on long one way trips |
| Fuel | A loaded 26 foot truck gets roughly 8 to 10 miles per gallon, so a 1,500 mile trip burns a lot |
| Coverage | In U-Pack’s one way comparison, liability coverage ran from about $206 to $761 depending on the company |
| Environmental fee | About $5 at U-Haul and $15 at Penske, according to U.S. News |
| Equipment | Dollies, pads and straps are often rented per day |
| Trip extras | Tolls, motels, meals and a return trip for anyone who drives you there |
To see your own numbers, run your route through OSG’s moving cost by distance tool and compare the cash costs of both approaches in the DIY vs movers calculator. For the bigger picture on what a state to state move costs, see moving costs explained.
Truck rental or full service: where the money and the risk go
When you compare a moving companies truck quote against a rental, note that a rental truck has the lowest sticker price, but you pay for it in labor, driving hours and responsibility. You load the truck, secure the load, drive an unfamiliar vehicle over long distances, and handle any damage your insurance choices do not cover. A full service move costs more, though the crew, truck, equipment and driving are bundled. One container company estimates that full service rates run two to three times those of a DIY move, and while that comes from a competitor, the direction is consistent across the industry.
Coverage deserves a closer look. HireAHelper notes that movers listed in New York must provide standard repair coverage that reimburses $0.60 per pound for damaged items on local moves. A weight based payout can leave you well short on a flat screen TV or a laptop. Ask every mover what valuation options they offer and what each one pays.
| Your situation | Usually the better fit |
| Studio or one bedroom, short distance, flexible friends | Small rental truck, with hired labor if needed |
| Two to three bedrooms, under a day of driving | Rental truck with labor, or a franchise crew |
| Family move across several states with tight dates | Van line or full service mover with a binding estimate |
| Flexible dates, nervous about driving a big truck | Container or trailer space |
| Tight budget and strong packing skills | Rental truck, loaded carefully, plus storage if the dates slip |
If a hired crew is on your shortlist, our guide on how to hire interstate movers walks through quotes, contracts and moving day.
How to check a moving company before you pay a deposit
Start with the federal database. FMCSA’s Protect Your Move program includes a Registered Mover Database where you can look up a household goods carrier. The agency also says it cannot resolve claims against a mover, which is a good reason to vet the company before the move instead of after.
Ask for the rights booklet. Before an interstate household goods move, movers are required to give you the Your Rights and Responsibilities When You Move booklet and the Ready to Move brochure.
Separate movers from brokers. FMCSA publishes guidance on the difference. A broker sells your job to a carrier, so you may not know whose truck will show up. Ask who will actually load and drive.
Collect three written estimates. Quotes made by phone without any look at your inventory are a classic red flag, so insist on a video survey or in home visit for long distance jobs, then compare binding estimates line by line.
Read the pickup and delivery window. Many long distance movers give a spread of days rather than a fixed date. If your lease or closing date is firm, ask about guaranteed delivery.
Questions to ask any moving companies truck provider
| Question | Why it matters |
| Is the price binding, not to exceed, or non binding? | A non binding quote can rise after loading |
| Who owns and operates the truck? | Tells you whether you are dealing with a carrier or a broker |
| What does the quote include besides the truck? | Fuel, mileage, equipment, packing materials and crew time vary |
| What are the valuation or coverage options? | Default coverage may pay by weight, not by value |
| What are the delivery dates and is any date guaranteed? | Spread dates can strand you without a bed |
| How are cancellations, deposits and delays handled? | Money back terms differ widely |
| Which size do you recommend for my inventory? | A company that never asks what you own is guessing |
Interstate extras people forget
Crossing state lines turns a moving day into a project with its own timeline. MoveBuddha notes that spring and summer are the busy moving season, so book early when your dates are fixed. Use the moving out of state checklist to line up the work in the right order, and build a realistic budget with the moving budget calculator. If your truck arrives before your lease starts, the storage cost calculator shows what a gap could cost.
Once the truck is empty, your new state has its own rules. Use the new resident DMV checklist for license and registration steps, and the change of address checklist so mail and accounts follow you. If you are still choosing a destination, compare prices in our cost of living by state rankings before you reserve any truck.
Mistakes that cost the most
Booking on the daily rate alone. The cheapest advertised price often belongs to the smallest truck on a local rental. Price the whole route.
Choosing a truck that is too small. Two trips across states cost more than one larger truck.
Skipping coverage because the truck looks new. Check what your auto policy and credit card cover for rental trucks, since many exclude them, then buy gaps with the rental company.
Trusting the logo. Franchise brands vary by location, and some online listings are brokers. Verify the exact company that will arrive.
Moving companies truck FAQ
Do moving companies provide the truck?
Full service movers, van lines and franchise movers do. Truck rental companies provide the truck only, and container companies provide a container and transport but not loading.
Is it cheaper to rent a truck or hire movers?
A rental usually has the lower cash price, but fuel, mileage, coverage and your own time can narrow the gap, especially on long trips. Get a rental quote and two mover quotes before deciding.
What size truck do I need for a two bedroom home?
A 20 foot truck is a common match, but a 26 foot truck gives breathing room if you own a lot of furniture. Check the company’s sizing chart and go larger when unsure.
Does a truck rental company rent a moving truck one way?
Yes. U-Haul, Penske and Budget all offer one way rentals, and the price depends on the route, dates and truck size. Reserve early for busy dates.
Is Penske truck rental more expensive than U-Haul?
Penske often costs more, though it includes newer trucks and unlimited mileage options, while U-Haul tends to win on sticker price. Compare a full quote for your exact route.
How do I know a mover is licensed for interstate moves?
Search the company in FMCSA’s Registered Mover Database and ask for its USDOT number. Interstate household goods movers must be registered with the federal agency.
