Home Depot vs U-Haul Truck Rental Prices and Mileage Costs
In the Home Depot vs U-Haul choice, U-Haul is usually cheaper for a local move under about 100 miles, and Home Depot wins a quick 75-minute run or a very long day.
U-Haul’s $19.95 grows once mileage and fees are added. U-Haul’s own comparison puts a 30-mile day in Dallas at $69.75, against $163.90 at Home Depot.
Home Depot rents its own Load ‘N Go fleet, not U-Haul trucks, and its biggest vehicle is a 12-foot box truck.
Prices and Rules Side by Side
Both companies price by location, so treat these as starting points. The Home Depot column comes from its vehicle pages and rental FAQ, with more detail in the Load ‘N Go fees and sizes guide.
| Detail | Home Depot | U-Haul |
|---|---|---|
| Starting rate | $19 for 75 minutes | $19.95 a day plus miles |
| Full day | $129 to $170 | $19.95 to $49.95 plus miles |
| Mileage | Unlimited | Charged per mile |
| Deposit | $150 on a credit card | None on a major credit card |
| Minimum age | 21 | 18 |
| Largest truck | 12 feet | 29 feet |
| One-way moves | Through Penske | Yes |
| Locations | 2,300 to 2,600 | 25,000+ |
Home Depot’s $19 rate and deposit sit on its vehicle pages, shown here for the flatbed.
The day rate is harder to pin down. This Old House’s June 2026 check found $129 for a flatbed or van. The box truck runs higher, with U-Haul’s comparisons quoting $149 in Dallas and $169.61 in Phoenix.
The location range is U-Haul’s count too, and it notes that not every Home Depot has rental trucks. U-Haul’s base rate moves with truck size, always with mileage on top.
What U-Haul Adds to $19.95
The price on the side of the truck is the floor of the bill. Truth in Advertising, the consumer group known as TINA.org, argued in May 2025 that nobody actually pays it.
Its review listed these on top of the base rate:
- Mileage, which U-Haul says averages 59 to 99 cents in town. TINA.org found higher rates, including $1.99 a mile for a 10-foot truck in the Bronx.
- An environmental fee, generally $1 in town and $5 one-way.
- A vehicle cost recovery fee, generally $1 to just over $5.
- Safemove damage coverage from $15, which is optional but preselected at checkout.
Here’s my math on a 10-foot truck driven 20 miles, at the top of that mileage average.
That’s about $42 to $46 before tax, roughly double the advertised rate, or $57 to $61 with Safemove.
TINA.org sent its complaint to the FTC and 20 states plus Washington, D.C. It went to New York City in January 2026, citing facility fees of up to $15.95 at some city locations, and said no public action had been taken.
A complaint isn’t a ruling, and U-Haul’s price list does say “plus mileage and fees.” Home Depot has add-ons too, including a $20 administrative fee on each toll it pays for you.
Break-Even Miles on a Full Day
U-Haul’s meter keeps running and Home Depot’s doesn’t, so the two bills cross at some mileage. U-Haul’s price comparison has the numbers to test it, from a one-day Dallas rental at 30 miles.
U-Haul built that table to make U-Haul look good, but the inputs are plain enough to run the math. Past about 99 miles, Home Depot’s flat $149 is the cheaper day.
A van moves the crossing. At about $129 for Home Depot’s van, against $20.95 plus 99 cents a mile at U-Haul, it lands near 109 miles. At 59 cents a mile, it’s about 183.
Most local moves never get close to that. The flat rate pays when you’re making several trips between towns, or hauling to a job site an hour away.
U-Haul also gives you more truck in that match, with 764 cubic feet in its 15-footer against 515 in Home Depot’s 12-footer.
Short Hauls Under 75 Minutes
This is the job Home Depot’s pricing is built for. A flatbed or van costs $19 for the first 75 minutes with miles included, so a 10-mile round trip for drywall stays $19 before tax and fuel.
By my math, a U-Haul van on that trip comes to about $27 to $31 before tax and the cost recovery fee. That’s $19.95, the $1 environmental fee and 10 miles at 59 to 99 cents.
The catch is the clock. Home Depot’s vehicle pages don’t publish the charge for running past 75 minutes, so ask before you sign. U-Haul quotes a day rate, with in-town rentals scheduled for up to 24 hours.
Sizes and Payloads Compared
| Vehicle | Home Depot | U-Haul |
|---|---|---|
| Flatbed or pickup | 3,000 lbs, 77.3 cu ft | 2,280 lbs, 76 cu ft |
| Cargo van | 3,000 lbs, 277.7 cu ft | 4,030 lbs, 246 cu ft |
| 10-foot truck | Not offered | 2,850 lbs, 402 cu ft |
| 12-foot truck | 3,500 lbs, 515 cu ft | Not offered |
| 15-foot truck | Not offered | 6,385 lbs, 764 cu ft |
| 26-foot truck | Not offered | 12,859 lbs, 1,682 cu ft |
For lumber or pavers, Home Depot’s flatbed is the stronger truck, with 720 more pounds of payload than U-Haul’s pickup. U-Haul’s van flips that, carrying 1,030 more pounds than Home Depot’s.
For a move, the size gap decides it. Home Depot’s listing says its 12-footer holds one to two rooms. U-Haul rates its 15-foot truck for a 1-bedroom home or 2-bedroom apartment, and its fleet runs up to a 29-footer.
One-Way and Long-Distance Moves
Every Home Depot Load ‘N Go vehicle goes back to the store it came from, and one-way moves go through its Penske partnership.
U-Haul runs one-way rentals itself, with a set allowance of days and miles in the price. Extra miles cost $1.00 each and extra days cost $40.
A February 2025 U-Haul comparison quoted a 26-foot truck from a Phoenix ZIP code to an Austin one at $1,998, against $3,587 for Penske. Those are U-Haul’s own quotes and they’re dated, so price your route with both.
Rental Rules and Pickup Hours
- Age. Home Depot requires every driver to be 21. U-Haul’s minimum is 18.
- Payment. Home Depot holds $150 on a credit card and won’t take debit or gift cards for it. U-Haul skips the deposit on a major credit card and takes cash with a deposit, though vans and pickups still need a card at pickup.
- ID. Home Depot asks for a government-issued photo ID. U-Haul wants a driver’s license plus a second ID.
- Extra drivers. U-Haul doesn’t charge for them. Home Depot’s agreement covers the renter, a spouse and drivers named on it.
- Hours. Home Depot’s rental desk keeps store hours. U-Haul’s Truck Share 24/7 offers self-service pickup by phone, with a card.
Dollies and Boxes
The small rentals lean toward U-Haul too. Its comparison lists a utility dolly at $7 a day in town, against $18 for 4 hours or $25 a day at Home Depot. Home Depot’s 12-foot truck includes a dolly, so that only matters on a flatbed or van, where you’d rent one at the Tool Rental desk.
U-Haul also keeps take-a-box bins at company-owned centers and buys back unused supplies with a receipt. Set those against the moving box prices at Home Depot.
My Pick by Trip Type
I’d use Home Depot to haul things and U-Haul to move, and I wouldn’t move a household in a Home Depot truck unless it’s a room or two close by.
- Pick Home Depot for lumber, mulch or an appliance near the store, when you can be back inside 75 minutes.
- Pick U-Haul for an apartment or house move inside one town.
- Pick Home Depot’s day rate if you’ll clearly pass about 100 miles in a day.
- Pick U-Haul if you’re under 21, need a truck over 12 feet, or want to go one-way.
Price your own date before you decide. U-Haul says its rates usually climb from April to August and run lowest Sunday through Thursday. Lowe’s rents trucks too, on different terms, as the Lowe’s comparison shows.
