Does U-Haul require a thumbprint to rent a van?

Reader Dan writes:

I rented a cargo van this weekend from U-haul in Los Angeles for a local move. In addition to my driver’s license and credit card, they required a thumb print before I could rent the truck. The clerk at the U-haul didn’t know anything about the regulations behind it, only that it was “corporate policy for all cargo vans and pickup trucks.” I reluctantly gave them a thumbprint. The clerk was ignorant, but essentially wouldn’t rent to me without it.

we haven’t rented from U-Haul lately, has this happened to anyone else? We were unable to locate this policy on U-Haul’s corporate website. Do that many people get away with stealing U-Haul trucks? Is there some unseen epidemic that would require such extreme measures? —MEGHANN MARCO

(Photo: cmorran123)

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