Home Depot Truck Rental Review 2019

Bottom line: With up-front hourly pricing and no hidden fees, Home Depot makes its truck rental costs clear, so you know exactly how to budget for your local move.

Home Depot has more than just hammers and home appliances—it also offers moving truck rentals for local moves. Home Depot’s rental trucks come in several sizes to fit your needs, whether you’re moving a studio apartment down the street or a 3-bedroom house across town or simply hauling equipment for your latest home improvement project.

Of course, Home Depot’s truck rental services aren’t perfect. Local truck rentals can get pricey fast with surcharges added every 15 minutes you go over your base rental time, and you can’t pre-book a truck for local moves.

But the flexibility to pick up a truck when you need it and pay only for the time you use it is convenient, especially because it’s hard to always estimate moving time perfectly.

How much do Home Depot truck rentals cost?

Rates for Home Depot’s local truck rental option, called Load ’n Go, vary from $19 to $29 for the first 75 minutes plus $5 for each additional 15 minutes you need your truck.

Home Depot truck rental pricing

Home Depot offers three different types of moving trucks for local moves:

• Pickup trucks
• Cargo vans
• Box trucks

Home Depot’s pickup trucks and cargo vans match in price and capacity, so it’s more of a matter of if you want a roof over the things you’re moving. If you have lots of oddly shaped furniture, you might choose the pickup truck, but if you’re moving boxes of clothes and fragile items, the cargo van might be a better fit.

The Home Depot box truck is slightly larger, making it $10 pricier at the outset. But all three trucks cost the same additional $5 per 15 minutes after your initial 75 minutes, so that’s not much more money for the extra space.

Plus, your deposit is totally refundable when you bring the truck back in good condition.

The nice thing about the Load ’n Go option is that, unlike other moving truck rental companies, rental rates are hourly. So you don’t have to pay for a whole day if you only need a truck for a few hours.

The downside? Those 15-minute increments add up quickly, especially when you factor in the time it takes to drive home to load your stuff, drive to your new place to unload, and then run back to Home Depot. And that’s not even including things you can’t control, like traffic.

If you only need a truck for a few hours—or if you expect to make a bunch of short trips that add up to a lot of miles—Home Depot may be the least expensive truck rental option. But if you expect loading and unloading your truck (rather than driving) to take up a good chunk of moving day, you may get more bang for your buck with a company that does full-day rentals.

Home Depot truck rental cost factors

There are a few things that determine your total Home Depot truck rental price:

• The size of truck you get
• The amount of time you use the truck
• The gas needed for the distance you travel

Unlike many other local truck rental options, Home Depot gives you unlimited miles (we love that freedom!). However, you still have to consider gas costs for the distance you’re driving. You must fill the tank before you return your truck to Home Depot.

Home Depot does have truck rentals for long-distance moves through a partnership with Penske. Basically, you rent a Penske truck, but your pickup and drop-off location is Home Depot. Penske rental costs vary depending on your truck size, the distance you’re traveling, and how many days your move takes.

 

With Penske, you can make a reservation in advance—we also love that you can get a quote without having to hand over anything more than your name, phone number, and email.

If you’re interested in a rental truck for your long-distance move, we go into a lot more detail on Penske’s service and costs in our full Penske Truck Rental Review.

Moving long distance?
You can pick up a Penske truck at your local Home Depot for your out-of-town trip.

Rent a Penske Truck

Home Depot truck rental features

When you’re renting a moving truck, you’ll probably consider more than just the cost. You’ll want enough space for your stuff and the right features to make your move easy.

Compare Home Depot truck rental features

First things first: Home Depot has thought about driver safety with its rental trucks. All trucks offer help for reverse driving, whether through a backup alarm for the pickup, a rearview sensing system for the cargo van, or a rearview camera for the box truck.

Trucks also include cargo tie-downs to secure your stuff and cargo lights so you can see where everything is if you’re still loading or unloading after dark (we’ve been there). The only extra security feature you may want is a pack of furniture pads, which Home Depot sells right in the store.

Plus, both the cargo van and box truck come with loading ramps, so you don’t have to worry about breaking your back to throw stuff in the truck.

We love that Home Depot thought of everything you’ll need to make moving as easy and secure as possible, no matter how much stuff you have.

The only downside? You can’t reserve Home Depot’s local trucks in advance—they’re first come, first served at the store.

Why we recommend Home Depot truck rentals

We love Home Depot and its variety of rental truck options and clear pricing. The company makes it easy every step of the way, from getting your truck to loading it up to returning it the same day. There are no tricks or trouble here—just easy-to-rent trucks.

Unlimited miles

When you rent a truck from Home Depot, you pay for the time, not the miles. You can make as many trips from your old home to your new one as you need—as long as you can afford the time it takes to get there.

This also means that Home Depot has really competitive prices compared to other local moving companies and moving truck rental companies, which generally charge by the mile for local moves.

Where costs can add up, though, is in fuel. You have to return the truck with a full tank of gas, so pay attention to your fuel light.

Vehicle variety

We love Home Depot’s different truck styles—you can get something as easy as a pickup truck for a quick trip or rent a box truck to haul your whole home across town. This variety means you can find exactly the storage space and time frame you need—and pay only for that.

Plus, all of Home Depot’s trucks are well-maintained, and they average around two years old. When you rent with Home Depot, you know you’re getting a truck that is clean, new, and safe—so you can feel confident as you drive that massive beast down the interstate.

Convenience and wide availability

While it may seem like a bummer that you can’t reserve local trucks ahead of time, it’s also nice to know you don’t have to commit to a moving date until you’re ready to go.

Home Depot has more than 2,000 locations, so renting a truck is as simple as googling your nearest store and mapping your route there.

(If you’re really stressed about availability, you can always plan to be at the Home Depot store first thing in the morning on moving day.)

Plus, when you pick up or return your truck, you can grab that extra box cutter (and any other last-minute supplies) you’ll definitely need.

FAQs about Home Depot truck rentals

Can I rent a dolly from Home Depot?

Yes, you can rent handcarts for hauling your belongings to and from your truck—but you can also book a Dolly, which is an actual human helper for your move. You can hire a Dolly Helper for just about anything, from delivering rental equipment or lumber for your home improvement project to helping you haul a whole home’s worth of stuff.

Dolly Helpers are independent contractors with insurance, so you know you’re covered if your dresser or dryer gets damaged during your move.

This service is only available in 18 cities across the US as of this writing. If Dolly isn’t in your area yet, check out similar moving services from TaskRabbit.

Do I need to reserve a truck in advance?

Short answer: no. In fact, reservations aren’t even an option for Home Depot’s local truck rentals. But you can check the Home Depot website or call your store before you drive over to make sure there’s a truck on hand.

Does Home Depot offer insurance for its rental trucks?

Home Depot doesn’t have coverage plans for its local truck rentals. To rent a truck, you must be 21 years old and have proof of your own insurance. We recommend that you call your auto insurance company to make sure your policy applies to moving truck rentals.

Our recommendation

We like Home Depot’s moving truck rental service for its easy and convenient rental process and its up-front prices. No one wants to add confusion to moving day—and Home Depot’s simple, transparent truck rentals can save you that headache.

Find the right rental truck for your move
Home Depot makes it easy for you to get what you need, when you need it—whether that’s a pickup or a big box truck.

Check Availability

Other truck rental picks

If Home Depot’s pricing structure doesn’t work for your move—or if you want a set-in-stone truck reservation for your local move—consider renting from U-Haul or Budget.

If you’re moving long distance and aren’t quite sold on a DIY move with Home Depot’s Penske partnership, check out our picks for the best long-distance moving companies.