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for it at the rental store.

Some companies offer an on line reservation service. All you need is a credit card, and typically, when you reserve on line, you will be given preferential rates and expedited service once you arrive to pick up the truck.

When you get the keys to the truck, check it over carefully for damage and leaks by giving it a good walk-around. Make sure the company knows about discrepancies and makes a note of it on the contract somehow. You could be liable for anything you overlook, and something as simple as a leaky power steering pump could leave you stranded. Also be sure that the cargo area is clean - they can charge you 25 bucks if they have to sweep it out for you upon return, so it's better to start off with a clean truck.

They'll try to sell you insurance. Check your existing auto insurance policy or talk to your agent to see if you have a rider which covers rentals and, specifically, moving van rentals - most likely you will not need the insurance the moving van company is offering you. Be sure to check your policy for coverage on accidental damages to cargo. If you're hauling great-grandma's estate, chock full of priceless antiques, do yourself a favor and call somebody like Mayflower or Allied. The professionals have experience, equipment, and a million bucks in insurance.

When you get on the road, drive defensively. If you're hucking it like A.J. Foyt on every on-ramp, you'll break the truck and throw your crap around the back like so many lottery balls in a Power ball jackpot. Not only that, but you'll be dangerous, and there are families with little kids sharing the highway with you. Plus, you're driving a vehicle that's probably bigger than anything else you've ever driven. So be careful.

Minimize your mileage by taking the shortest route between where you're moving from and where you're moving to, because you're most likely paying for mileage. Find a gas station on that route - driving across town for a price that's three cents cheaper will save you, what, fifty cents? If that? You'll need to return the truck with the same amount of fuel in it that it had when you rented it unless you feel like popping for over five bucks per gallon for the rental company to do it for you.

Have the house packed and ready to go, including any appliances you're taking. When you get it all moved to where you're going, concentrate on getting the truck back to the rental company as quickly as possible - don't pay for a mobile storage shed. If you've labeled and grouped the boxes by what rooms they belong in, you should be able to minimize both time and work.

By the time the truck is safely back in its snug parking space at (name your rental company here), you should have enough time to get back home for pizza on the living room floor and a cartoon movie with the kids - or even for yourself. Enjoy, follow it up the next day with a good back rub, and be safe out there.

Learn more about this author, Chris White.
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