Do you own a truck? Do you rent a truck do move auction stuff?

Just curious what others are doing. I drive a car so dont got a whole lot of space. Used to borrow my gf's brothers truck but we broke up so can't do that anymore...lol.

Wondering whether you guys own trucks, rent trucks, do the facilities let you use theirs? Do you just buy small units?

I been doing the auctions for a while but still just do it part time. Thinking about buying a truck. I hate when I see a unit for a good price but decide to pass just b/c there's a mattress or couch and dont feel like renting a truck just to move one piece to the dump, its a pain and cuts into profits.

Just curious if you guys have trucks, I know some facilites let you use theirs free if your a regular at the auctions. Just curious what you guys do.

I'd prefer getting an SUV instead of a truck but you can't move a mattress in a SUV which is whats in most units.


I need to buy a new personal vehicle soon, just debating whether its worth getting a truck which I like but probably woudlnt' get if it werent for strage auctions. I'd probably get an SUV instead but kinda limiting myself by getting an SUV instead of a truck.

I have a 1997 Chevy Venture minivan I use to haul stuff. If its a lot, or bigger stuff, my uncle hauls it for me and I slip him a couple bucks for gas and his time. I think renting a truck can be very costly

Well, I'll tell you what I see in my area.  Some guys have a van AND a box truck (like FedEx, UPS, bread delivery).
This way they can load depending on the need. Pricey to have more than one though.

Others use a pickup either by itself or with a trailer of some kind. One guy even has a horse trailer which he uses for big items.

Renting a truck can be about $20 a day but you have to pay for gas and some charge for mileage. I think it's in the 70 cents a mile area.

Some locker places will let you use their truck for free (plus gas) if you rent a locker from them. They usually put a 30 mile cap on it and will charge for mileage above that.

Once again, each person has to decide what will work for them. Buying a vehicle involves licensing, insurance etc.
If you have a car you can pull a trailer. You need somewehre to put it though.

You could probably get by with an large suv mattresses can always go on the roof! I've had a king size strapped to the roof of a minivan before!

I have a Chevy Crew Cab truck and an enclosed 7x14 trailer, and I can get most lockers cleaned out in one trip if I stack it right.  I have actually been considering buying a minivan lately.  I spend $700-$900 each month just on gas!  I figure if I can find a decent minivan for the right price, I can get 10 mpg better than what I get now, I still get to sit up high (can't stand cars!), and I still have a decent covered space to move stuff with the rear seats pulled out.  Oh, and I get to save my truck for the big stuff and quit putting so many miles on it.  Been looking around CL for a van..........hoping to trade for some storage unit stuff!

Wishing I still had an enclosed trailer I had when a buddy and I were running a landscaping company but sold it last summer.

For a personal vehicle I would probably get an SUV however I've been heavier into auctions lately than in past years so was thinking about maybe getting a pickup, I like pickups but would be getting one more for aucitons than b/c I like them.

I know you can rent trailers from uhaul for like $12 a day no mileage charges but its such a nightmare getting in and out of that place they turn a simple thing like renting a trailer into a hour and a half long process.

Most of the auctions I go to I know the workers pretty well so they'd always let me use their trucks free but my fav place recently had some idiot crash their truck so they wont do taht anymore. ALso, occaionally I go to facilites I havn't been to before and sinec they dont know me they wont do taht.

Anyhow, basically considering like a nissan frontier or a ford ranger for a truck or a jeep grand cherokee or toyota 4runner for an suv.  I know the trucks arent huge but at least something you can put a couch or mattress in the back of easily.

If you got the forerunner or cherokee, you could always pick up a cheap 5x10 landscape trailer off CL and haul a lot more stuff.   That's what I started with, and it worked well for a few years until I finally stepped up to the bigger covered trailer.

I use an expedition with a 5X8 foot trailer.  When it rains only junk or weatherproof stuff goes in the trailer. I can get 6 full or Queen sized mattresses in the trailer or 3 mattresses and a couch. Straping them to the roof is a time consuming pain and risky as they may fall off. Before I got the trailer I would rent a truck if I had more then a couple big items.  I will say that hauling stuff in the Expedition beats the heck out of the interior.  I bought the trailer new so it was not cheap but i can haul 3 times as much stuf with the trailer as I can with just the expedition. The trailer is quickly paying for itself in saved time and gas.  When I rented a truck it normally cost $150 top $200 for a day. That included mileage and gas they are gas hogs and a couple trips to the dump would burn up a tank of gas.

What works for me is my Avalanche and a trailer (5x10) and if extra help, my son brings his Dodge Ram pick up. I'd suggest that if you need a new ride anyway, buy an SUV and even a small trailer. That way you get the best of both. My 5x10 cost me 500 new and you can find them for less used. Also, If it's raining, I have a 10x20 gray tarp that I lay partly in the bottom front of the trailer (so water doesn't splash up from the bottom) with the majority of it folded up on the trailer tongue. Then I load the trailer and when it's full, pull the rest of the tarp up the front of the load and over the top sort of like a taco..lol. Easy and keeps stuff dry and when done fold it up for the next run.