Truck rental advice - Charlotte to Gainesville

I need to get a large sectional sofa, chair and 2 side tables from Charlotte to Gainesville. The timeframe isn't super critical, but I hope to accomplish the move before Thanksgiving. It is a huge sectional sofa.

To facilitate the move, I've looked at Penske and Uhaul rental trucks. Both want ~$450 dollars for a one way rental for a 10' or 14' truck. That is more than I would like to pay.

Given the general thriftiness of this crowd, does anyone have any brilliant suggestions that might be cheaper? If I had a tow vehicle, I would scrounge up an enclosed trailer and use that, but no tow vehicle.

Thoughts?

What about renting a tow vehicle?

In reply to dyintorace:

When we were moving, I called the Penske guys' national phone #. And got a way better deal than their webpage would give me. (As in almost half price on the truck, and $100 off the trailer).

So I don't have a specific suggestions, but it may be worth seeing if you can get a better quote (depending on how you got the one you have) by calling them both.

EastCoastMojo wrote: What about renting a tow vehicle?

This is a possibility. I'll look into the cost.

keethrax wrote: When we were moving, I called the Penske guys' national phone #. And got a way better deal than their webpage would give me. (As in almost half price on the truck, and $100 off the trailer). So I don't have a specific suggestions, but it may be worth seeing if you can get a better quote (depending on how you got the one you have) by calling them both.

Good to know. I will definitely call them and see if I can talk them into a lower price. Thanks!

Would it be an option to just sell the sofa locally and buy another when you get there? If it's going to cost you $450 to move the sofa, and you could sell it for ~$250 the way I see it if you can find a sofa in Gainesville for less than $700 your money a head.

And, no matter what, stay away from U-Haul.. This topic has been beaten to death here, I repeat- Stay away from U-Haul.

nocones wrote: Would it be an option to just sell the sofa locally and buy another when you get there? If it's going to cost you $450 to move the sofa, and you could sell it for ~$250 the way I see it if you can find a sofa in Gainesville for less than $700 your money a head.

I'm in Gainesville and buying the sofa from a friend. My wife is in love with it and we're getting a heck of a deal, based on what retail would be.

cwh wrote: And, no matter what, stay away from U-Haul.. This topic has been beaten to death here, I repeat- Stay away from U-Haul.

Duly noted. Thanks!

how about some movers? Enough people move to florida all the time.. surely somebody has some extra room on a truck they can toss a sectional in for a couple hundred?

Got time to run to Charlotte before the Challenge?

I'll loan you my truck for free. I've got a car I'm interested in in Charlotte.

Pick up my truck and trailer on the way.

Pick up the car, pick up the couch. Bring back my truck to Albany and go home.

I'll bring the couch to the Challenge.

How much do those PODS things cost? They drop a container off and pick it up whenever you call them, then they deliver it whenever you ask for it. Even have different sizes. They'll even store the container with your stuff in it if you want them too.

Great ideas folks, most of which hadn't occurred to me. I knew the GRM'ers would be creative.

SVreX, that would work, other than the timing. I can't make it to Charlotte between now and Challenge time. That is a heck of an offer on your part though. Thank you.

Seriously this has to have occurred to you:

Sell a car to someone up there, buy a truck up there and load it up and drive it home, sell truck to someone down here. Done!

Trust me...I'm close to buying a tow vehicle. I need someone to tow things, hopefully to include a track car in the near future!

dyintorace wrote: Great ideas folks, most of which hadn't occurred to me. I knew the GRM'ers would be creative. SVreX, that would work, other than the timing. I can't make it to Charlotte between now and Challenge time. That is a heck of an offer on your part though. Thank you.

The offer could be open after the Challenge as well, we'd just have to figure out how to get the couch from Albany to Gainesville. I might be able to store it for a while and bring it sometime later.

dyintorace wrote: ....a large sectional sofa, chair and 2 side tables from Charlotte to Gainesville. Thoughts?

Could you fit the items in a Chrysler Mini van with the seats removed? If yes, you could rent a mini van for less than $50 per day

SVreX wrote: The offer could be open after the Challenge as well, we'd just have to figure out how to get the couch from Albany to Gainesville. I might be able to store it for a while and bring it sometime later.

Thanks. I'll keep working on the logistics and keep this in mind.

jrw1621 wrote: Could you fit the items in a Chrysler Mini van with the seats removed? If yes, you could rent a mini van for less than $50 per day

Not a prayer. We have a Odyssey and it wouldn't even be close.

1) AAA gets you discounts on penske.

2) biggest advice I give anyone looking for a moving truck is call uhaul and penske and ask them what equipment needs to go where.

I moved from Martinsburg, WV to Houston, TX, and needed a big truck and at railer. They wanted like $1100.

They had a surplus of equipment at their WinstonSalem NC center, and were willing to rent the same equipment to me for something like $500. So I rode my motorcycle down, rode it into the back of the truck, and drove the truck home. The extra miles ended up costing me $80 in gas but I saved like $600.

andrave wrote: 1) AAA gets you discounts on penske. 2) biggest advice I give anyone looking for a moving truck is call uhaul and penske and ask them what equipment needs to go where. I moved from Martinsburg, WV to Houston, TX, and needed a big truck and at railer. They wanted like $1100. They had a surplus of equipment at their WinstonSalem NC center, and were willing to rent the same equipment to me for something like $500. So I rode my motorcycle down, rode it into the back of the truck, and drove the truck home. The extra miles ended up costing me $80 in gas but I saved like $600.

Thanks for the advice. I'm a AAA member already, so that's an easy one. As is calling them and haggling! I'll take your advice on both fronts.

Its hard to call and ask them because sometimes people don't know what youre talking about, but trust me, they have a list of locations that have too much of the equipment you need, and if one of them happens to be within a short drive it can save you lots. I think uhaul puts theirs on their website (I've even seen them offer free rentals). Like when hurricane katrina hit new orleans and everyone moved to houston- the uhaul places around my house had uhauls parked up and down the streets. Uhaul's website was offering free rental to anyone taking a one way rental within a day's drive.

lol..