One Truck, One Trip: The U-Haul Plus Storage Moving Day Plan
Personal Mini Storage
Quick answer: Rent your U-Haul truck at the same facility as your storage unit and moving day becomes one loop instead of three stops: pick up the truck, load at home, unload into your unit, return the truck where you started. Many Personal Mini Storage locations rent U-Haul trucks and sell boxes, locks, and packing supplies on site.
The Three-Stop Problem
The usual moving day: drive to a truck rental lot across town, stand in line, drive home, load, drive to the storage facility, unload, then drive the truck back across town before the return deadline, with someone following in a car to bring you home. That is four drives, two of them pointless. In Florida heat, with afternoon storms on the radar, pointless drives cost more than time.
The One-Trip Plan
- The week before: rent your unit online, reserve the truck at the same location, and grab boxes and a lock at the office.
- 8 a.m.: pick up the truck and confirm your gate code. Morning beats the heat and the rain.
- 9 a.m.: load at home, heaviest furniture first, boxes stacked to the ceiling in tiers.
- Midday: drive to the facility, pull the truck up to your drive-up unit, and unload straight in.
- Early afternoon: hand the keys back at the same office. No second driver, no cross-town return.
Load the Truck So the Unit Unloads Itself
Whatever goes into the truck last comes out first, so load in reverse of how you want the unit packed. Furniture and appliances go in the truck first and land at the back wall of the unit. Boxes fill the middle. The things you might need soon, the toolbox, the coffee maker, the box of cables, go in last so they end up at the front of the unit near the door. Leave a narrow walkway down the center and you will never have to excavate.
Supplies Without the Extra Stop
Our offices stock moving boxes, tape, mattress covers, and locks, so the roll of tape that runs out at noon is a two-minute fix, not a hardware store run. One property, one loop: truck, unit, supplies, all available on site.
Where to Find Truck and Unit Together
Many Personal Mini Storage locations offer U-Haul truck rental on site, including Orlando, Gainesville, and Dunnellon, with more than 20 facilities across Central Florida. Check your nearest location's page for truck availability, or call the office and ask. Family owned since 1982, and yes, the same manager handles both counters.
Small Wins the Pros Use
- Add furniture pads and a dolly to the truck reservation. Ten dollars of equipment saves two backs.
- Wrap furniture in the air conditioning at home, not on the driveway at noon.
- Measure the couch and the biggest dresser before choosing the truck, not after.
- Load in tiers: heavy and flat on the bottom, boxes in columns, soft items stuffed into gaps so nothing shifts.
- Watch the sky. Central Florida storms build after 2 p.m. in summer, so a morning load and a midday unload beats the weather almost every time.
- Bring water and a spare shirt. This is still Florida.
None of these is clever on its own. Together they are the difference between a moving day that ends at 2 p.m. and one that ends with a flashlight.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I rent a U-Haul and a storage unit at the same place?
Yes. Many Personal Mini Storage locations are U-Haul rental points, so you can reserve the truck and rent the unit at one property and return the truck where you unloaded.
What size truck do I need for a 10x10 unit?
A 15-foot truck fills a 10x10 in one to two trips for most households. A 10-foot truck suits a 5x10, and a 20-foot truck pairs with a 10x15 or 10x20.
Do I need to reserve the truck in advance?
Reserve at least a week ahead, and earlier for the end of the month, which is the busiest moving window. Weekday mornings are the easiest pickups.
Does the truck go back to the same location?
For local moves, yes, and that is the whole point of the loop: you return it where you unloaded. Moving between cities? One-way U-Haul rentals let you drop the truck near the new address instead.
Plan the loop once and moving day gets short. Find a location with truck rental near you and rent your unit online today. Family owned since 1982. Ask about our One Year Rate Lock Guarantee.
Ready for extra space?
Family owned since 1982. Rent online, move in the same day.