- U-Haul was one of the first moving truck companies established in the United States. In the summer of 1945, a man named Sam Shoen was discharged from the Navy. Sam and and his wife, Anna, wanted to move from Los Angeles to Portland, Oregon, but weren't able to rent a trailer to pack up their belongings. They ended up moving to Portland with only the belongings they were able to fit into their car. Assuming that many other families had needs similar to theirs, the Shoens decided to create a company that would allow users to rent trailers that could be picked up in one location and left at a second location. This was the beginning of U-Haul.
- U-Haul allowed people more freedom to change their home location without worrying about how to transport their furniture and belongings. According to Sam Shoen, there were trailers available for rent in a few lots in Los Angeles, but this business had not been formalized into a company, nor was this service available in the northwest.
- Today, U-Haul trucks are available from over 13,700 U-Haul franchises and over 1,300 company-owned U-Haul stores. The company has also expanded its business to include self-storage facilities and moving materials. At most U-Haul stores, various sizes of moving boxes, moving tape and cutting materials are available for purchase.
- As of 2009, there were many moving truck companies available besides U-Haul, including Ryder, Budget Truck Rental and Penske Truck rental. They are all nationally available moving companies, but most cities also have local truck rental companies.
- Renting a moving truck can be expensive. According to the U-Haul website, rates for the 10-foot moving truck are $19.95 per day plus $0.99 per mile you drive. If you were making a 500-mile trip that took 2 days, this would add up to about $540, not including taxes or other costs.
