Renting a moving truck costs about $20-$40 per day plus roughly $0.79-$1.19 per mile and fuel for a local move, or $130-$2,900 for a one-way long-distance rental in 2026. A local in-town move typically totals $80-$250 all-in; a one-way cross-country rental ranges from a few hundred dollars for a small truck to about $2,900 for a 26-foot truck coast to coast, plus fuel. Truck size, distance, season, and local-versus-one-way are the four big price drivers.
| Rental type | How it's priced | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Local (round-trip) | Low daily base ($20-$40) + per-mile ($0.79-$1.19) + fuel | In-town moves; return truck to the same location |
| One-way (long-distance) | Bundled flat price (no per-mile) + fuel; drop off at destination | Interstate/cross-country moves |
This distinction matters: for local moves you pay per mile, so short trips are cheap; for one-way moves the mileage is baked into a flat rate that varies by route popularity and season.
| Truck size | Fits | Daily base | Per-mile | Typical 25-mile local total* |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10-12 ft | Studio / small 1-BR | $20-$30 | $0.79-$0.99 | $80-$140 |
| 15-16 ft | 1-2 BR | $30-$40 | $0.89-$1.09 | $110-$180 |
| 20-22 ft | 2-3 BR | $40-$50 | $0.99-$1.19 | $140-$220 |
| 26 ft | 3-4 BR | $40-$60 | $0.99-$1.19 | $160-$250 |
*Includes base, ~25 miles of mileage charge, and fuel. The advertised "$19.95" headline rate is just the base; mileage and fuel always add to it.
Estimate your rental. Choose local or one-way, truck size, distance, and rental days.
One-way rentals bundle the mileage into a flat price that rises with distance and truck size. Representative 2026 one-way rates (truck only; fuel extra):
| Route example | Distance | 15-16 ft | 20-22 ft | 26 ft |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Short (e.g., Chicago→St. Louis) | ~300 mi | $250-$450 | $350-$600 | $450-$750 |
| Medium (e.g., Dallas→Denver) | ~800 mi | $550-$950 | $750-$1,300 | $900-$1,700 |
| Long (e.g., Atlanta→NYC) | ~880 mi | $600-$1,000 | $800-$1,400 | $1,000-$1,800 |
| Cross-country (e.g., LA→Miami) | ~2,720 mi | $1,100-$2,000 | $1,500-$2,500 | $1,900-$2,900 |
One-way prices are directional: popular outbound lanes (leaving high-demand origin cities) cost more, and you'll sometimes find a cheap one-way going against the prevailing flow. Booking 2-4 weeks ahead and avoiding the 1st/last weekend of the month helps.
Moving trucks are thirsty. Approximate fuel economy and the fuel bill for common distances at about $4.00 per gallon:
| Truck size | Approx. MPG | Fuel for 300 mi | Fuel for 800 mi | Fuel for 2,720 mi |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10-12 ft | ~12 mpg | $100 | $265 | $905 |
| 15-16 ft | ~10 mpg | $120 | $320 | $1,090 |
| 20-22 ft | ~9 mpg | $135 | $355 | $1,210 |
| 26 ft | ~8 mpg | $150 | $400 | $1,360 |
You must return the truck at the same fuel level you received it, or pay a refueling fee plus a premium per-gallon rate well above pump prices. Always refuel just before drop-off.
| Add-on | Typical cost |
|---|---|
| Damage / collision coverage | $15-$40 per day |
| Furniture pads (per dozen) | $5-$10 |
| Utility dolly / appliance dolly | $7-$15 |
| Furniture dolly (4-wheel) | $7-$12 |
| Tow dolly / car trailer | $50-$160 |
| Environmental / fuel surcharge | $1-$5 + variable |
| Extra day or mileage overage | Daily base + per-mile |
Alex rents a 20-foot truck for a one-day local 2-bedroom move, driving about 30 miles round trip total.
| Line item | Detail | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Daily base | 20-ft truck, 1 day | $45 |
| Mileage | 30 mi × $1.09 | $33 |
| Fuel | ~30 mi @ 9 mpg | $14 |
| Damage coverage | 1 day | $28 |
| Dolly + pads | Rented | $22 |
| Total | $142 |
| Line item | Detail | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| One-way truck rental | 26-ft, 800 mi bundled | $1,300 |
| Fuel | ~800 mi @ 8 mpg | $400 |
| Damage coverage | 3 days | $90 |
| Furniture pads + 2 dollies | Rented | $35 |
| 1 night lodging | Mid-route | $150 |
| Total | $1,975 |
Even fully loaded with add-ons, the one-way DIY truck (~$1,975) is far below a full-service interstate quote for the same 3-4 bedroom load on this lane.
When in doubt, size up. A too-small truck forces a second trip (local) or a second day (long-distance), which costs far more than the modest upgrade. A 26-foot truck is the largest you can rent without a CDL.
Your personal auto insurance and credit-card rental coverage usually do not extend to large moving trucks — most policies cover only passenger cars, and box trucks fall outside that. That means the rental company's optional coverage is often your only protection. The common options:
| Coverage | What it covers | Typical cost |
|---|---|---|
| Damage waiver (collision) | Damage to the rental truck itself | $15-$40/day |
| Supplemental liability | Damage you cause to others | $10-$20/day |
| Cargo / contents coverage | Your belongings inside the truck | $5-$20/day |
| Personal accident / medical | Injury to you and passengers | $5-$10/day |
For a long one-way move, declining the damage waiver to save $30 can be a costly gamble — a single backed-into bollard can exceed the rental price. Confirm with your insurer in advance whether you have any coverage at all on a rental box truck before deciding.
A 20-26 foot truck handles nothing like a car, and most renters have never driven one. Key adjustments:
If you're moving your vehicle along with the truck, you can add a tow dolly (front wheels up) or a car trailer (all four wheels up):
| Option | Typical add-on cost | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Tow dolly | $50-$90 | Front-wheel-drive cars, lighter vehicles |
| Car trailer (auto transport) | $70-$160 | AWD/RWD cars, heavier vehicles, all four wheels off the ground |
Towing adds length, weight, and fuel burn, and makes backing up much harder. For long hauls, compare the dolly/trailer add-on against simply shipping the car via an auto-transport carrier (often $550-$1,700 depending on distance), which lets you drive the truck unencumbered.
For a local move, about $20-$40/day base plus $0.79-$1.19/mile and fuel, totaling $80-$250 in town. For a one-way long-distance rental, the price is bundled (no per-mile) and ranges from ~$130 for a small truck over a few hundred miles to ~$2,900 for a 26-foot truck coast to coast, plus fuel. Size, distance, season, and local vs one-way are the big variables.
The advertised base is about $19.95-$39.95 by truck size, but that's just the start. You also pay ~$0.79-$1.19 per mile and refuel yourself. A real-world one-day local move of 20-40 miles totals $80-$200. Optional damage coverage adds $15-$40. The base rate alone rarely reflects the final cost.
Renting yourself is almost always cheaper. A local DIY truck runs $80-$250 versus $450-$2,600 for movers, and a one-way long-distance truck runs $130-$2,900 versus $2,000-$12,000+ for full-service interstate movers. The trade-off is doing all the driving and lifting. A middle path is renting the truck and hiring labor-only loaders at $50-$90 per mover per hour.
A 10-12 ft truck fits a studio/small 1-BR; 15-16 ft fits a 1-2 BR; 20-22 ft fits a 2-3 BR; 26 ft fits a 3-4 BR house and is the largest consumer truck (~12,000 lbs, ~1,600 cu ft). When in doubt, size up one level — a too-small truck forces a second trip or day, costing more than the upgrade.
Yes. Trucks are provided at a set fuel level and must be returned at the same level, or you pay a refueling fee plus a premium per-gallon rate above pump prices. Trucks get 8-12 mpg, so fuel is a real cost — a 1,000-mile trip at 9 mpg needs ~110 gallons, about $440 at $4/gallon, on top of the rental.
For a budget-conscious move, renting a truck is almost always the lowest-cost option. The keys to keeping it that way are choosing the right size the first time, refueling just before drop-off to dodge premium fees, and deciding honestly whether your insurance covers a box truck before declining the damage waiver.
The one number that surprises nearly every first-time renter is the gap between the advertised base rate and the final bill. A "$19.95/day" headline becomes $80-$200 on a local move once mileage and fuel are added, and a one-way long-distance rental can run from a few hundred dollars to nearly $3,000 before a single gallon of fuel. That is why the calculator above bundles the base, mileage (or one-way flat rate), and fuel into a single realistic estimate — so you compare what you'll actually pay, not the marketing number. Get a live quote from at least two providers for your exact dates and route, factor in the damage waiver, and you'll have a firm budget. Even with every add-on, a DIY truck remains dramatically cheaper than full-service movers; the cost you pay is your own time behind the wheel and on the loading ramp.