A U-haul manager shared with us his tips for having a better experience when you rent with them:

• Book well in advance( at least a week) with a MAJOR credit card
• If you reserve through the 1800 number, get your reservation number and call back a day or 2 before to find where to pick up your equipment. Do not wait for someone to call you.
• When you pick up, bring your drivers license and credit or debit card. It makes things easier for everyone.
• If you know a location that you prefer to pickup or drop off, let uHaul or the dealer know.
• Take the insurance, but only if you are not covered by your auto policy. No credit card will cover damage.

What about all those tales about broken and poorly maintained trucks? His thoughts, inside…

“I have read many of the horror stories on the web and consumerist, and have this to say… Every situation is different, when you get a good or bad experience it can be isolated to a single person or location. We think we have a partnership with Uhaul, we let them repair the equipment, we take care of the customers. Speaking for our location, I honestly never want to send someone out on a rental if I feel the equipment is unsafe, and with our primary business, there is NEVER a need to lie or treat people poorly.

“Overall, their equipment is in much better shape than when we were a dealer a few years ago, we are contributing to our bottom line with their product on our lot, and I would not say they are a bad company. Their software could use some streamlining and their intractable attitude as well.”

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