Moving trucks add a pretty significant cost to any move, so if you want to save some money on your next move, it is worth looking over these tips. It doesn’t matter whether you are moving across town or across the country, transportation is expensive. When you are trying to move on a budget, the cost of transportation becomes cringe-worthy, but by just taking a few precautions, you’ll be able to save a tiny bit of extra money.
Call in Some Favors
Ask friends, family, or even acquaintances to haul a load of stuff over to your new home for you. This will not only save you some time and energy, but it could also save you on gas. Well, that is, unless they ask you for some gas money, so make sure to ask people you know who probably wouldn’t ask for compensation.
Rent a Smaller Truck
The smaller the truck, the less gas you use. Try to make sure that you don’t end up getting way too big of a truck just because you are nervous that not all of your stuff will fit because most of the time people tend to overestimate the size truck they need. Go with the size the moving truck rental company recommends, or even better yet, measure out your stuff so that you can figure out what size of truck you need yourself.
Don’t Move During Prime Time
Weekends, the end of the month and summer are all extremely busy times for moving truck rental companies. This can mean multiple things for those of us trying to rent a moving truck. First off, the company may run out of the size of moving truck that we need for the move, so we could end up with too big of a moving truck. The other thing is that you probably won’t be able to barter the price with moving truck rental companies because they are already over-booked as it is.
Drive Slow
When we drive fast we may get somewhere ten to fifteen minutes faster, but we burn a lot more gas. Try to follow the speed limit or even skirt five miles below it whenever possible to save some money on gas. This tactic is especially useful in long distance moves.
Know all Terms of Moving Truck Rental
It is important if you are opting to rent a moving truck that you know all the terms and conditions of the contract. Some moving truck rentals will charge you extra for each additional mile while others won’t. Small details in the contract like this can make all the difference in your transportation expenses, so shop around for different moving truck rental company options.
Avoid Rush Hour
Stop and go traffic isn’t only annoying, it also sucks up a lot of gas. Before moving, consider the traffic patterns of where you are going. If at all possible, avoid times when you know that a bunch of traffic will be out.
Plan Your Route
Don’t just type in your new address into GPS, then hope for the shortest route. Investigate what is the most fuel-efficient route to your destination, so that you don’t end up going the long way and burning up gas.
Use Gas Apps
There are multiple Smart Phone Apps out there, like Gas Buddy, which will show you where the cheapest gas is around your location. If you don’t have a smartphone, you can also google for the best gas prices in certain areas to plan out a route based on the cheapest gas. If you are moving far enough that you will need to fuel up, this could save you a pretty significant chunk of change.
Avoid Multiple Trips
The more trips you make, the more gas you burn. It is simple as that. Try to pack up everything as tightly as possible, so that you don’t have to end up going back for yet another trip.
Get Rid of a Bunch of Stuff Before You Move
Heavy furniture? Old books? Old workout equipment? Getting rid of lots of stuff before you move cannot only purge your life of unwanted items, but if the stuff weighs a lot it can save you on some gas. Not to mention, you could try selling these items with a yard sale or Craigslist to get a little money that you could put towards the cost of transportation.
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