When you rent a U-Haul, you have a good amount of flexibility. While you may have to pick up the truck at a specific time, you have more options regarding the return time.
Luckily, U-Haul has a special procedure for after-hours returns.
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Should You Drop Off a U-Haul After Hours?
You should drop off a U-Haul after hours if you’re ready to get the truck back. U-Haul does require that you have an account to complete the return process at any time. However, the process is quick and easy and great if you don’t want to wait until business hours.
Dropping off a U-Haul after hours is great if you have a busy schedule. You can drop it off before you start your day or after the end of a long day.
How to Return a U-Haul After Hours
If you want to drop off your U-Haul after hours, you should consider the steps. That way, you can make sure everything is in order.
Here are the steps you should take if you want to return a rental truck outside of business hours.
Set Up an Account
If you don’t already have a U-Haul account, you’ll need to set one up. Your account is where you’ll input information about your rental and pay for everything.
Unfortunately, you can’t just drop the keys in the drop-off box and leave. Be sure you set up the account and that you bring a device that can access the internet when you return the truck.
If you already have an account, you should figure out your login details. Then, you’ll be able to save time once you arrive at the U-Haul center.
Return My Truck
Once you get to the U-Haul location, you will go into your account and hit “Return My Truck” to get started. Your account will take you through a series of steps on how to return the truck successfully.
Of course, you’ll need plenty of battery in your device. That way, you can go through all of the steps without worrying about your phone dying in the middle.
Park the Truck
When you got to the U-Haul center, you may have parked the U-Haul where it needed to go. If not, your account will tell you where to park the vehicle. In that case, you can get in the truck and move it to the right spot.
Be sure you don’t park in front of exits, entrances, or other important spots. If you need to park on the street, follow any parking signs to avoid a ticket. U-Haul will send you the bill if the truck gets a ticket, so take care to avoid that.
Take Plenty of Pictures
Once you get the truck in the right place, you’ll need to take some pictures. First, you should take a picture of the truck itself to identify where you parked it.
You’ll also want to take photos of the inside of the cab as well as the truck bed. Get a photo of the odometer as well as of the fuel gauge. If any damage occurred after you picked up the truck, you’ll need to take pictures of that.
The U-Haul account will ask you for all of those images. Taking them all at once can help you save time when you go through the return steps. If you happen to take extra photos, you can keep them for your reference in case U-Haul tries to send you extra charges.
Upload any photos that the return screen asks for. Stay in or near the truck while you do this in case you need a better image.
Remove Your Items
As you finish up your return, make sure you don’t leave any of your belongings behind. Of course, you’ve probably unloaded the truck bed. But if you brought your phone, a purse, or a water bottle with you to the return, grab those.
You’ll also need to put any other rental items in the U-Haul. If you borrowed containers or other moving supplies, make sure those are in the cab or the bed of the truck.
The return screen will ask if you had any issue with the truck in regards to electrical stuff or braking. Consider if you had problems and note them in your account.
Review Your Charges
You’ll have a chance to review any pending charges in your account. While you will pay for your rental when you pick it up, you may have other costs.
Maybe you’re returning the U-Haul a day late, so you have to pay for that. Or perhaps the odometer reading went over your allotment. Another reason you may have to pay now is if you didn’t fill the U-Haul with enough gas.
No matter the reason, enter your payment details. Then, you can complete the checkout and rental return process. You’ll need to double-check that you don’t have any personal items still in the truck.
Drop the Key
After you verify the truck is clear of your stuff, you can lock it up. Then, you’ll need to find the drop box location for that U-Haul center.
Consider doing one last check of the truck. It never hurts to be extra careful, especially if the U-Haul center won’t open for multiple hours.
Once you’re sure you have what you need, you can drop the key in the box. Make sure you have someone to give you a ride home or wherever you need to go. Then, you’re free to leave.
Why Use U-Haul Night Drop Off
If you’re considering using the U-Haul night drop, it can be a good option. U-Haul makes it easy for customers to get the trucks back on time.
The night drop can be especially useful for late at night or early in the morning. However, it comes in handy at any time.
Consider a few reasons why you may want to use the night drop off option.
Quick
As long as you already have an account and can take good pictures well, the night drop off is pretty quick. You won’t have to wait in line for an available employee to help you return the truck.
If you just finished unloading and are ready for a break, you might not want to stand in line. You also might not want to wait until the next day. Then, you’d have to get up early and potentially still have to wait a while before getting the truck back.
The night drop off option is great if you don’t have any questions about the rental. Even if you have questions, you can always contact U-Haul during business hours to get your answers.
Straightforward
U-Haul lays out all of the return steps in your account. Once you start the process, you can read the screen and do what it tells you.
That way, you won’t have to question if you’re forgetting anything. The screen will even tell you where you should park the truck. If you’re returning the U-Haul to a location you don’t know well, that can be an amazing help.
The first time you return a truck after hours, you may want to go slowly. You can keep from skipping any important steps. Still, the process isn’t very hard to follow.
Convenient
Imagine you finish unloading your truck and want to take it back. However, you look up the hours of the local U-Haul center to find that it’s about to close. Instead of rushing to get there before close or waiting until the next day, you can return the truck after hours.
You can take your time getting to the location and not worry about traffic delays. Plus, you won’t feel like you have to rush to unload the truck to get it back to U-Haul in time.
If you want to free up space in your driveway, take the truck back whenever you can. Then, you’ll be able to get it off your hands. You don’t have to stress out about paying for an extra day or finding time to take it back during your own work hours.
Will You Drop Off a U-Haul After Hours?
Dropping off a U-Haul after hours is an excellent choice for many people. You can do it at any time, and you don’t have to wait in a long line. Just make sure you have a U-Haul account so that you can follow all of the right steps.