Skip to main content

Rental Truck Fuel Calculator:

How to estimate gas costs for a rental truck

Did you know that when moving long distance in a rental truck, it may cost more for fuel than it does to rent the truck? It’s true! While truck rental may seem like the most affordable option, adding in the cost to fill it up may make it more expensive than you planned. To help you check this cost in advance, U-Pack has an easy-to-use gas cost estimator. Find out how to use this online calculator, what factors contribute to fuel costs in a rental truck and how to move without paying extra for gas.
fuel cost estimator

Using the fuel cost estimator

Put the pencil and paper away — there’s no math required. This rental truck fuel calculator takes your origin and destination (either zip code or city and state) and determines costs based on average fuel prices, the distance and the average MPG of a rental truck. 
If you want to double check the math, use this equation:
Total Miles ÷ Moving Truck MPG x Price of Gas per Gallon = Total Cost to Fuel the Rental Truck

What impacts rental truck fuel costs?

Once you get an estimated cost from the calculator, remember that it is just that — an estimate. Many factors determine fuel consumption in a rental truck, which can impact costs. These include:
  • Vehicle specifics. While our fuel cost estimator uses an average MPG, rental trucks can get anywhere from 6 to 12 miles per gallon. And on a long distance trip, that difference can add up to hundreds of dollars.
  • Fuel type. Some trucks require diesel, which is typically more expensive than unleaded gas.
  • Weight. While loading the truck, keep in mind that heavier loads will require more fuel. Consider getting rid of unwanted items before the move to reduce the load.
  • Maintenance. A well-tuned vehicle with properly inflated tires is best for MPG. Ask about maintenance practices before reserving a truck, and check the tires before hitting the road.
  • Towing. Towing a vehicle or a cargo trailer also impacts fuel use because extra weight requires more gas to pull it. 
  • Driving habits. Driving faster increases wind resistance, which requires the truck to work harder and therefore use more gas. Some rental truck companies recommend driving at lower speeds for safety, but it’s also smart for better MPG.

Don't worry about gas costs — move with U-Pack

If you’re worried about the costs of fuel, you can avoid paying at the pump by moving with U-Pack®. It’s a different type of moving service where you do the packing and loading, but we handle the driving. U-Pack rates include fuel, transportation, taxes and liability coverage.
Get a quote for U-Pack and see how the price compares to truck rental. Or if you prefer to talk to someone, a helpful moving consultant can help — just call 800-413-4799.

Have questions?

If you have any questions about rental truck fuel calculations or moving with U-Pack, leave a comment below. We’re always here to help. 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

City To City Movers: City To City Moving Checklist:

There can be plenty of reasons why you’re contemplating a house move right now. There’ll probably be one major reason to trigger the household move (like the end of a lease or a new job offer out of town, for example), and sometimes that main culprit may be accompanied by a number of smaller yet still significant reasons (like dissatisfaction with your current job or problems in your personal relationships). But whatever the primary cause for the big change ahead of you, the final result is that you’re moving to another city soon and you still need to get ready for the Big day. And by getting ready, you should understand  completing a ton of important tasks if you wish to have a successful move. As you will find out soon enough, careful planning and meticulous preparation are everything when it comes to city to city moving – EVERYTHING! Don’t leave anything to chance but organize your time perfectly and make your new city move one for the books. City to city movers: why ...
1 comment
Read more

Here’s Some Advice For Your Long Distance Move:

If you’re going to be making a long distance move, you have to decide if you’re going to handle it yourself or have the movers do everything for you. That’s your big decision, as it dictates how you plan out everything else. As you move forward with your plan, these long distance  moving tips  that can help you be sure that there aren’t any hitches along the way. Let’s assume that you’re going to handle the move by yourself. Even if you were to hire a moving company, there is the option to save money by hiring one that has you do the packing. That doesn’t mean you pack all the heavy furniture onto the moving truck. The movers will do that for you of course, but that still leaves you with a lot of packing and organizing to do. Think about whether or not you need to get your boxes and packing supplies together. When deciding to do your packing of the small stuff, you don’t want to go over budget on supplies. If you’re going to do that, you might as well spend the extra mo...
Post a Comment
Read more