by "TheRealBicycleBuck" (therealbicyclebuck)
Published 11/28/2017 at 09:27
by "TheRealBicycleBuck" (therealbicyclebuck)
Published 11/28/2017 at 09:27
No Tags
STARS: 11
For those that missed it, I rented a U-Haul trailer last week so I could haul some stuff. Before the rental period was over, I was hit from behind by a fellow who should have been paying more attention to the road.
It was fortunate that I splurged for the insurance. Here’s why.
On the day of the accident, U-Haul sent someone out to disconnect the trailer and tow it back to my house. The day after, they sent someone out to hammer out the pillar enough to get the door open, then they paid for two separate tows to get the trailer from my house to our storage unit so I could finish unloading it ,and from the storage unit to the U-Haul facility to turn it in. Louisiana regulates the towing rates, so each of those tows cost about $150. I have no idea what the charges were for the emergency “repair” to open the door.
Once it was turned in, I received a bill for two extra days, so I called U-Haul to get that straightened out. After all, it wasn’t my fault the extra days were required so I figured the insurance should pay for it. They agreed! They said the manager at the facility where the trailer was returned would have to update the paperwork, so I asked who that might be so I could give him a call.
Here’s where things took a disturbing turn.
The manager wasn’t even aware that the trailer was damaged. Whoever inspected it when it was processed didn’t note that there was any damage. Even though there was an active claim on this trailer number and they already had four interactions with it (three tows and one emergency repair), U-Haul’s trailer management system didn’t note that this trailer was involved in an accident and should be sent to their local repair facility.
The manager thanked me at least three times for making him aware of the situation. I got the impression it was scheduled for another rental that day. That would have been bad for both the renter and U-Haul, especially if something had gone wrong.
The lessons learned?
INSPECT EVERY TRAILER BEFORE YOU RENT IT! I can’t emphasize this enough. Do a thorough inspection and take note of any and all damage you see. Look for doors that operate smoothly. Look for parts that are out of alignment. Check the fluid level if it is equipped with a trailer brake. Look for unusual wear on the tires. Look for a smooth floor (the floor in mine was buckled after the wreck). Look for good wiring. Check to make sure all of the lights work properly. A thorough inspection will help protect you.
PAY FOR THE INSURANCE! I’ve rented many trucks and trailers over the years, but this is the first time I’ve had an incident. I’m sure that U-Haul has already spent more on just towing costs than I spent on insurance for all my rentals. The insurance is worth the additional cost.
KEEP ALL OF YOUR PAPERWORK! You will need it if something goes wrong. Take pictures when you rent the equipment. Take pictures if an incident occurs. Take pictures when you turn it in. The pictures I took have already saved me a lot of time and trouble while dealing with U-Haul and the insurance company.
GIVE YOURSELF EXTRA TIME! If you miss an issue during the inspection, it may show up when you are loading or somewhere during the trip. If you are involved in a wreck or have a problem with the equipment, especially when far away from home, you will need the extra time. I go into every rental expecting to have the equipment for at least one day longer than what they allow and pay for it up front. Keep in mind that there are other people out there who may need it. I’ve been on the other side of that fence, waiting for equipment that was turned in late.
STAY SAFE! People who don’t tow often are the ones most likely to make a mistake. Trailers are downright dangerous if loaded improperly. Trailers require wider turns. Drivers have to think ahead when towing so they don’t drag the trailer over curbs, into bollards, into other cars, etc. Planning ahead can keep you out of sticky situations.
Stuff happens even if you are being careful. Being prepared will help you make the best of it.
"RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht" (ramblininexile)
11/28/2017 at 09:40, STARS: 1
Short summary: U-Haul can be the best thing going and has a lot of nice people involved. It also has a lot of lazy or inattentive people involved and some system quirks. As with any interaction, the two keys are not being a dick (and offering other people time/space to also not be a dick), and checking *everything*. The old Trust But Verify.
I’ve interacted with U-Haul on both sides (working at dealer, renting) and everything here is so consistent with everything I saw that it gives me flashbacks.
"Rust and Dust - Oppositelock Forever" (rustanddust)
11/28/2017 at 09:40, STARS: 5
!!! UNKNOWN CONTENT TYPE !!!
So much this, and vehicles too.
Flew to Maine to visit family a few years back, landed at the airport, went to the rental desk to pick up my car. They handed me the keys and told me which parking space it was in, no employee came out to the car with me.
Their paperwork had it marked as undamaged. Once I loaded my luggage into the back and took a quick walk around, I’d identified at least three separate incidents that had damaged the vehicle. Marked all of them on my paperwork and went back inside to discuss with an employee. “Oh, don’t worry about that” was the reply.
I had the manager initial and date my damage inventory of the vehicle before pulling off their lot. My head would’ve exploded if I’d returned the vehicle (again, no review by an employee) and been billed for damages three or four days later.
"TheRealBicycleBuck" (therealbicyclebuck)
11/28/2017 at 09:51, STARS: 3
I should also add that it’s best to rent from a place that is a main hub or has lots of volume. I felt terrible for the poor fellow where I picked it up. His main business is being a mechanic, so it took him forever to do the rental paperwork. It didn’t help that he was having computer issues too. I think his normal receptionist was out for the day. It was clear he’d rather have been working on the cars.
"RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht" (ramblininexile)
11/28/2017 at 09:54, STARS: 1
A good backstop even so (renting from a dealer instead of a hub) is to see what the business’ reviews are for their main line of work. If they do what their main interest is competently, then they will probably be diligent in getting you the trailer, if slow.
"crowmolly" (crowmolly)
11/28/2017 at 10:00, STARS: 1
For what it’s worth a number of OPPOs are in the “fuck U-Haul” camp. Poorly run, broken equipment, run arounds on pick up location, etc.
I’ll use them if there is no other option, and that’s it.
"TheRealBicycleBuck" (therealbicyclebuck)
11/28/2017 at 10:02, STARS: 0
The fellow was definitely diligent. I just felt bad for tying him up on a low-profit task when he could have been in the garage making better profit margins.
"MonkeePuzzle" (monkeypuzzle)
11/28/2017 at 10:14, STARS: 2
The manager wasn’t even aware that the trailer was damaged.
not surprising, as you say, inspect before you pickup. I think a lot of this sort of damage is likely not repaired or actually claimed on insurance, its just a loss and they ignore it. I have certainly rented some janky looking equipment from various rental companies.
"TheRealBicycleBuck" (therealbicyclebuck)
11/28/2017 at 10:17, STARS: 0
I’ve had great service from them so far. The one time I had an issue was when I had to wait on a moving van, but that was because the previous renter was running late. Now that they are partnering with small businesses, I can find a place to rent a trailer just about anywhere.
Their next big step needs to be streamlining their rental process. They could learn something from the car rental companies.
"Takuro Spirit" (takurospirit)
11/28/2017 at 10:20, STARS: 1
The last time I rented a U-Haul truck it had no 3rd gear, and a 40oz of malt liquor rolled out from under the seat when I came to the first red light.
Umm, yeah, never again.
"TheRealBicycleBuck" (therealbicyclebuck)
11/28/2017 at 10:24, STARS: 1
There were lots of minor dings and scratches on the last trailer I rented. Each was marked with a small sticker, but none of them affected the function of the equipment. They may have charged the customer for the damage, but they certainly didn’t repair it!
The worst piece of rental equipment I’ve had was a portable metal brake. Someone attempted to bend metal that was too thick and bent the brake in the process. I was bending aluminum trim for my house and screwed up a couple of pieces before I realized the problem. After that, I added a spacer to increase the clamping force and finished the job. To their credit, when I reported the problem, the rental company refunded my money and marked the brake for repair.
"MonkeePuzzle" (monkeypuzzle)
11/28/2017 at 10:32, STARS: 1
may have charged the customer for the damage, but they certainly didn’t repair it!
I have no doubt that the accountants have a line item on a spreadsheet somewhere for money saved by not repairing things, and the depreciation in quality and value is probably pretty accurately calculated out too.
tyres and general wear items seem to have been my issue. tyres on the trailers I’ve rented have been garbage. and on a few pieces of light machinery (backhoe, forklift, etc.) from other rental comapnies the fan belts and other maintenance items are always breaking
"TheRealBicycleBuck" (therealbicyclebuck)
11/28/2017 at 10:38, STARS: 0
I wonder how much of that is due to accounting/depreciation, how much is due to poor management, and how much is due to the skills of the guys checking in/out the equipment. I avoid one local equipment company because the guys checking the equipment are boneheads. My preferred equipment rental company seems to be staffed with a bunch of really competent people. They are also my preferred local U-Haul site.
The towing company returned my damaged trailer to a site I’ve never visited, so I can’t comment on their staff.
"Akio Ohtori - RIP Oppo" (akioohtori)
11/28/2017 at 12:00, STARS: 1
Every UHaul I have ever rented has been fucked up in some way. A small list:
Showed up for a tow dolly, but the didn’t have it. Gave us a car carrier instead (at an increased cost, of course). Didn’t give us any loading instructions and... well it didn’t go well.
Changed my reservation to a Uhaul 10 miles away from my original pick-up location. Charged me for the 20 extra miles.
Parked the truck, went to start it an hour later and it wouldn’t start. They used half of the tank repairing it. Was not compensated for gas or time.
Broke down while pulling into a parking spot. Turns out the gas gauge was stuck on full and it had run out. They splashed a gallon of gas in it and called it good.
Did not have the truck I reserved, gave me a larger one. Larger one was full of water (it was raining) so I refused it. Gave me the largest one. (This was actually sort of a win because we grossly underestimated how much shit we had.)
Showed up for my reservation and they didn’t have it, or pretty much anything (there were several others waiting). Ended up having to go to the uhaul in the next town over to pick one up. (Relatively painless, but it was a million degrees out and the whole process took two hours, so that made it slightly worse)
They still think my Saab is RWD.
"cmill189 - sans Volvo" (cmill189)
11/28/2017 at 12:16, STARS: 1
This is a good post. My experiences with my local U-Haul have all been good, thankfully. I still check things over though. The last motorcycle trailer I rented was about to head out on a 1,300 mile trip. The 65 PSI tires had less than 25 and half the lug nuts were loose. I always double check the chains and trailer connection too after having some questionable hookups done at other locations.
"gogmorgo - rowing gears in a Grand Cherokee" (gogmorgo)
11/28/2017 at 18:40, STARS: 1
A timely reminder. I’m planning on renting a UHaul trailer to move my parts stash 1000 miles over the Christmas break. I’ve had enough dealings with UHaul to know I’d rather go with another company, but it’ll be a 150km run to pick one up in rural MB and then I’m 80km from the nearest drop-off place here as it is with UHaul, any other company and I’d be looking at 200+ miles one way on either end to get one I can pick up and then drop off two provinces away. Sometimes you’ve just got to put up with the hassle. But the last couple times I was too cheap to pay for the insurance... Not gonna happen again, especially not on a trip as long as this one.
"ShrimpHappens, née WJalopy" (bakeshake)
11/29/2017 at 10:54, STARS: 1
run arounds on pick up location
Sweet Lord, they did that to me in 2010 and I nearly lost my mind. I made a reservation in person 10 days in advance, and they called ONE DAY in advance to tell me I’ll have to get my equipment at a different place 20 miles away! Furthermore, I made the reservation at a giant Uhaul place that did everything (storage, hitches, rentals, you name it), and my reservation got transferred to a damn western wear store that just happened to also do Uhauls, so it took them at least four times as long to process the rental.
However, I have used Uhaul many times since then and have had good experiences and been lucky enough to get new-ish looking equipment nearly every time. As someone else has said, a lot depends on if you’re renting from Bubba’s Such-N-Such that does Uhaul on the side versus a dedicated Uhaul place.