Truck Troubles
June 23, 2019 8:46 AM Subscribe
Tomorrow we were to move the last of the furniture from our apartment that we can only fit in a rental truck. We made a rental truck reservation weeks ago. They called today to tell us actually, there's no truck available. What do we do now?
No, there are no pick-up trucks to borrow from friends and even so, it's a 2.5 hour drive from old apartment to new, and that's a lot to ask. I don't even know if the furniture in question (mattress, box spring, couch and two bikes) could all fit in a pick-up. None of the surrounding small towns have trucks to rent either (even though most of the leases in the area end in August, but okay). What's your One Weird Trick? We need to get the stuff out tomorrow, if at all possible, to avoid fees. Also my wife and I are teachers and we make very little money. Thanks!
Bonus question: this exact circumstance of trucks not being available keeps happening to us no matter when we make a rental reservation, even months in advance, budget or uhaul, doesn't matter. Why, to what end??
No, there are no pick-up trucks to borrow from friends and even so, it's a 2.5 hour drive from old apartment to new, and that's a lot to ask. I don't even know if the furniture in question (mattress, box spring, couch and two bikes) could all fit in a pick-up. None of the surrounding small towns have trucks to rent either (even though most of the leases in the area end in August, but okay). What's your One Weird Trick? We need to get the stuff out tomorrow, if at all possible, to avoid fees. Also my wife and I are teachers and we make very little money. Thanks!
Bonus question: this exact circumstance of trucks not being available keeps happening to us no matter when we make a rental reservation, even months in advance, budget or uhaul, doesn't matter. Why, to what end??
Where are you and who did you use to reserve the truck? It looks like Uhaul should pay you something if they can't come through. Maybe look under services>moving on Craiglist, though you'd end up paying more since you'll have to also pay for labor...
posted by pinochiette at 8:53 AM on June 23, 2019 [1 favorite]
posted by pinochiette at 8:53 AM on June 23, 2019 [1 favorite]
What's your One Weird Trick? We need to get [mattress, box spring, couch and two bikes] out tomorrow, if at all possible, to avoid fees.
My One Weird Trick in these circumstances would involve good strong over-width roof bars, acres of plastic sheeting and miles of tape, careful and thorough roping, and driving at half the usual speed. It might be illegal in your jurisdiction.
posted by flabdablet at 9:20 AM on June 23, 2019 [1 favorite]
My One Weird Trick in these circumstances would involve good strong over-width roof bars, acres of plastic sheeting and miles of tape, careful and thorough roping, and driving at half the usual speed. It might be illegal in your jurisdiction.
posted by flabdablet at 9:20 AM on June 23, 2019 [1 favorite]
Around our area the are several versions of "guy with a truck trying to make a buck. Probably if that was a thing in your location, you wouldn't be asking.
Can you rent a round trip truck at your destination?
posted by SemiSalt at 9:20 AM on June 23, 2019 [2 favorites]
Can you rent a round trip truck at your destination?
posted by SemiSalt at 9:20 AM on June 23, 2019 [2 favorites]
Response by poster: Unfortunately our starting point and end point are truckless.
posted by wellifyouinsist at 9:34 AM on June 23, 2019
posted by wellifyouinsist at 9:34 AM on June 23, 2019
One option would be to get a storage unit near the apartment temporarily. Then the problem becomes how to get the items 5 minutes across town instead of 2.5 hours down the highway--a potentially easier problem to solve.
posted by flug at 9:39 AM on June 23, 2019 [1 favorite]
posted by flug at 9:39 AM on June 23, 2019 [1 favorite]
You may have tried this already, but car rental places (eg Enterprise, Hertz) often have vans. Sometimes cargo vans, but a minivan with the seats folded down might work (depending on the size of the boxspring). The car rental places also usually have pickups, again depends on the size of the boxspring how well that would work.
posted by Dip Flash at 9:40 AM on June 23, 2019
posted by Dip Flash at 9:40 AM on June 23, 2019
Best answer: Also my wife and I are teachers and we make very little money.
Does anyone who works at your school(s) have a truck? You mentioned friends but I wonder whether a colleague or even a colleague's neighbor or friend or relative would be able to help out.
posted by mdonley at 9:44 AM on June 23, 2019 [2 favorites]
Does anyone who works at your school(s) have a truck? You mentioned friends but I wonder whether a colleague or even a colleague's neighbor or friend or relative would be able to help out.
posted by mdonley at 9:44 AM on June 23, 2019 [2 favorites]
Expanding a little on Dip Flash's comment, just for example Enterprise has both pickup trucks and cargo vans.
If there are two of you, one option would be to rent both a van and a truck, which together would (maybe, sort of?) hold about the same as a single box truck.
posted by flug at 9:47 AM on June 23, 2019
If there are two of you, one option would be to rent both a van and a truck, which together would (maybe, sort of?) hold about the same as a single box truck.
posted by flug at 9:47 AM on June 23, 2019
Unfortunately our starting point and end point are truckless.
Why are you limiting your search to your starting and ending points? Go to the nearest large city and you will find hundreds of trucks available.
posted by JackFlash at 9:54 AM on June 23, 2019 [1 favorite]
Why are you limiting your search to your starting and ending points? Go to the nearest large city and you will find hundreds of trucks available.
posted by JackFlash at 9:54 AM on June 23, 2019 [1 favorite]
Best answer: What you are describing should fit in a large covered trailer. Most of these will be within the weight limit of a medium or large SUV with a trailer hitch receiver. These may be more readily available to rent or borrow. There are also actual moving companies. Some, especially on small towns may have a service for small loads not in a hurry where they will split the truck between customers.
There are also services like PODS that drop off a small container, you fill it up, then they transport it to the new place or store if needed.
posted by Short End Of A Wishbone at 9:57 AM on June 23, 2019 [1 favorite]
There are also services like PODS that drop off a small container, you fill it up, then they transport it to the new place or store if needed.
posted by Short End Of A Wishbone at 9:57 AM on June 23, 2019 [1 favorite]
I am so sorry this has happened to you. Moving is a bitch as it is and then this. Calm down, take a deep breath. Everything will be fine.
For some odd reason, I can't see the other replies so forgive me if these are repeats:*
- Home Depot
- Lowes
- Check for local "guy with a truck". Craig's list used to have those kind of listings.
- Do you work with anyone who has a truck?
- Somebody from church that has a truck?
- How much do you have to move? Can you make several trips in your car, get a roof rack and cram the rest of
the car.
- You said your both teachers. Call the school and beg them to borrow a truck/van. They must have one. Try the same thing on the other end.
- My brother had to vacate asap one time, so he flagged down a pickup truck and offered money for help. This kid
was over the moon for the money.
I can't think of anything else. Good luck to you both and let us know how you got on.
*I hope you get this. My machine is dying, video card keeps flashing on and off, so I typing in the dark. I hope I hit the posr button!
posted by james33 at 10:01 AM on June 23, 2019 [7 favorites]
For some odd reason, I can't see the other replies so forgive me if these are repeats:*
- Home Depot
- Lowes
- Check for local "guy with a truck". Craig's list used to have those kind of listings.
- Do you work with anyone who has a truck?
- Somebody from church that has a truck?
- How much do you have to move? Can you make several trips in your car, get a roof rack and cram the rest of
the car.
- You said your both teachers. Call the school and beg them to borrow a truck/van. They must have one. Try the same thing on the other end.
- My brother had to vacate asap one time, so he flagged down a pickup truck and offered money for help. This kid
was over the moon for the money.
I can't think of anything else. Good luck to you both and let us know how you got on.
*I hope you get this. My machine is dying, video card keeps flashing on and off, so I typing in the dark. I hope I hit the posr button!
posted by james33 at 10:01 AM on June 23, 2019 [7 favorites]
Are you willing to share your trip? We might have more local ideas. Alternatively, memail me!
posted by chesty_a_arthur at 10:03 AM on June 23, 2019
posted by chesty_a_arthur at 10:03 AM on June 23, 2019
Are you doing a one way Rental? In small towns, rental places may be loath to give up a truck that they may not know when they are getting back. (Or they have to pay through the nose to have u-haul move a truck) You still may be able to rent the truck tomorrow if you also return it the same day to the same place.
posted by rockindata at 10:07 AM on June 23, 2019
posted by rockindata at 10:07 AM on June 23, 2019
If you're in the US, check Craigslist and Yelp for "man with a van", "local movers", "movers". Make phone calls (it's too late for any other form of contact, unless you find listings that have a number for text messages). You may want to plan to offer to pay cash.
The distance is probably going to be a problem, so this may be when you have to get a storage unit near your current location just to get the stuff in there and truck it to the other place next weekend (and then you can try making the place that stiffed you do it at a discount), but movers get cancelled on at the last minute too and you just need to find the place that was all queued up and now doesn't have a gig.
posted by Lyn Never at 10:16 AM on June 23, 2019
The distance is probably going to be a problem, so this may be when you have to get a storage unit near your current location just to get the stuff in there and truck it to the other place next weekend (and then you can try making the place that stiffed you do it at a discount), but movers get cancelled on at the last minute too and you just need to find the place that was all queued up and now doesn't have a gig.
posted by Lyn Never at 10:16 AM on June 23, 2019
Response by poster: We have a possible plan in place with the trailer idea, and our school allowing us permission to use a vehicle with a tow hook up. So thanks everyone!
And just for posterity, we are in a primarily rural state and we ARE in the biggest towns around. That's why all the trucks are used, because it's where all the people are to use them. The hardware stores wanted 1k for the next day use. Also, the safety of stranger on craigslist who faces no oversight is a very different calculation when you are two young queer women in a primarily rural place.
Hopefully we've got it figured out and I appreciate all the advice! It has been unnecessarily stressful and someday we can hopefully just afford movers. Thanks!
posted by wellifyouinsist at 10:25 AM on June 23, 2019 [16 favorites]
And just for posterity, we are in a primarily rural state and we ARE in the biggest towns around. That's why all the trucks are used, because it's where all the people are to use them. The hardware stores wanted 1k for the next day use. Also, the safety of stranger on craigslist who faces no oversight is a very different calculation when you are two young queer women in a primarily rural place.
Hopefully we've got it figured out and I appreciate all the advice! It has been unnecessarily stressful and someday we can hopefully just afford movers. Thanks!
posted by wellifyouinsist at 10:25 AM on June 23, 2019 [16 favorites]
I'm not sure why your reservations keep getting cancelled last minute, although my cynical side suspects that you are booking in advance to get a good rate, and they are cancelling and renting the truck out from under you in order to give it to someone who is paying more as the result of last-minute booking. Hard to say for sure, but that's consistent with truck-rental places. They are universally shady AF in my experience.
I would probably hire a service--somebody who will come and include the truck rental with labor. Unfortunately this will be expensive compared to just renting a truck and DIYing it.
You could also go on Craigslist and look for delivery services. Maybe you could get the truck+driver service without the moving labor. You don't want a formal LTL logistics trucking service, because they will expect palletized cargo, but a more informal pickup-and-delivery service. Worth asking around, anyway.
After that, I would probably find a vehicle capable of towing a trailer, and rent a U-Haul cargo trailer.
posted by Kadin2048 at 10:40 AM on June 23, 2019
I would probably hire a service--somebody who will come and include the truck rental with labor. Unfortunately this will be expensive compared to just renting a truck and DIYing it.
You could also go on Craigslist and look for delivery services. Maybe you could get the truck+driver service without the moving labor. You don't want a formal LTL logistics trucking service, because they will expect palletized cargo, but a more informal pickup-and-delivery service. Worth asking around, anyway.
After that, I would probably find a vehicle capable of towing a trailer, and rent a U-Haul cargo trailer.
posted by Kadin2048 at 10:40 AM on June 23, 2019
My theory about why the trucks get rented out from under you is that they will always rent the truck to the person who is HERE, NOW - if someone flakes out about returning the truck on time, they don't really care (since they get paid), but if you flake out on picking up the truck they don't get paid. It's shitty, and it seems like they could obviously avoid it by letting you pay upfront! But for whatever reason this seems to be the way truck companies (and to some extent car rental companies) operate.
The solution is to reserve and pick up the truck as early as possible - i.e. Friday evening or Saturday morning, never Sunday no matter how convenient it seems. And/or double book yourself (e.g. with Budget and Uhaul).
OR you could trying throwing a total fit at them when they call to tell you your reservation is cancelled, either on the phone or in person ("miss" their message telling you the reservation is cancelled and go down to pick up your truck at the appointed time) - trucks come and go, and it's unlikely that they'll literally be completely out of trucks all weekend. If you make yourself a big enough pain in the ass they might let you take one when it comes back. Emotionally draining option, though!
posted by mskyle at 10:53 AM on June 23, 2019 [5 favorites]
The solution is to reserve and pick up the truck as early as possible - i.e. Friday evening or Saturday morning, never Sunday no matter how convenient it seems. And/or double book yourself (e.g. with Budget and Uhaul).
OR you could trying throwing a total fit at them when they call to tell you your reservation is cancelled, either on the phone or in person ("miss" their message telling you the reservation is cancelled and go down to pick up your truck at the appointed time) - trucks come and go, and it's unlikely that they'll literally be completely out of trucks all weekend. If you make yourself a big enough pain in the ass they might let you take one when it comes back. Emotionally draining option, though!
posted by mskyle at 10:53 AM on June 23, 2019 [5 favorites]
would your manager give you slack if you explained the issue?
posted by brujita at 11:07 AM on June 23, 2019
posted by brujita at 11:07 AM on June 23, 2019
Strap one thing at a time on top of your car, drive it to the closest friend's house, put it in their garage for a week. One trip for the couch, one trip for the mattress and a bike. One trip for the boxspring and a bike.
posted by Vaike at 11:33 AM on June 23, 2019 [1 favorite]
posted by Vaike at 11:33 AM on June 23, 2019 [1 favorite]
I recently used Turo for a pickup truck rental, and it worked well. It's like Airbnb for cars.
posted by Syllepsis at 2:06 PM on June 23, 2019
posted by Syllepsis at 2:06 PM on June 23, 2019
For what it's worth, a mattress, box spring, couch, and two bikes can be made to fit in a 5 foot pickup truck bed, assuming the couch isn't an overstuffed monster. If the couch is that large, you can pull the front wheels off the bikes and put the bikes and the wheels in the back seat of the crew cab, which will likely have seats that fold. (I haven't seen any non-crew cab trucks at Enterprise/Hertz/Avis in a very long time)
With only a 5 foot bed, you may not have room to close the tailgate, but a couple of ratchet straps around the rear of the items will keep things from sliding out if you are accidentally a bit too exuberant with the accelerator pedal. (Having straps over the top of large items is always a good thing in a truck, regardless of the bed length and state of the tailgate)
Hopefully your other plans will work out and you won't need any of this now and you can just file it away as an option for next time.
posted by wierdo at 2:56 PM on June 23, 2019
With only a 5 foot bed, you may not have room to close the tailgate, but a couple of ratchet straps around the rear of the items will keep things from sliding out if you are accidentally a bit too exuberant with the accelerator pedal. (Having straps over the top of large items is always a good thing in a truck, regardless of the bed length and state of the tailgate)
Hopefully your other plans will work out and you won't need any of this now and you can just file it away as an option for next time.
posted by wierdo at 2:56 PM on June 23, 2019
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by JackFlash at 8:52 AM on June 23, 2019 [8 favorites]