You may need to rent a U Haul but you are quite young and aren’t sure if you are legally able to rent a U Haul. This article will take a close look at age requirements to learn how old you have to be to rent a U Haul.
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How Old Should You Be to Rent a U-Haul?
What to Do If I’m Not Old Enough to Rent?
If you aren’t old enough to rent, then there are some things you can do. One of those things is get someone else to rent a U Haul for you. Or you could borrow a pickup truck from a relative or friend.
When you are not old enough to rent, you may be able to get someone else to rent the U Haul for you.
Or you may be able to go somewhere else but nine times out of ten, they are going to have the exact same age restrictions. So there really is no way around it.
You have to come up with another way to get your things moved if you don’t have someone that can rent the U Haul for you.
Can I Drive a U-Haul if I’m Not Old Enough to Rent One?
Yes, you can still drive a U Haul even if you’re not old enough to rent one. U Haul requires that you be at least 18 years old to rent a U Haul but you only have to be 16 years old and have a valid government-issued driver’s license to actually drive a U Haul.
Some people are under the impression that if you are too young to rent a U Haul then you must be too young to drive.
Truth is, just because you aren’t old enough to rent a U Haul doesn’t mean you aren’t old enough to drive. As long as you got a license, you can drive a U Haul even if the U Haul isn’t in your name, you can still drive the U Haul. U Haul is not going to have a problem with you driving their U Haul as long as you are old enough and legal.
So if you are the one moving and you have someone who can rent a U Haul for you then do that. You can drive the U Haul on your own. Just make sure you are always legal and have your legal documents on you.
Can I Have Someone Else Rent a U Haul In My Behalf?
As was mentioned earlier, someone else can definitely rent a U Haul in your behalf. I would ask someone that you trust and who also trusts you to drive the U Haul, if that is the arrangement that you have agreed to.
A parent or someone that is of age, can rent the U Haul for you.
All of the information will need to be put in their name. They will be required to show their government-issued photo I.D.
Also, they are going to have to sign a contract stating that they accept responsibility for the U Haul and anything that may happen to it.
You may have to ask a parent or older sibling or anyone that you know who is of age, if they would rent a U Haul for you.
This should not be an issue if it is someone you are in good with. If they really want to help you they will do this for you.
Just make sure you don’t make them regret putting their neck on the line for you. Drive the U Haul carefully or if you don’t know how to drive a U Haul you could ask someone else.
What Happens If I Lie About My Age and Rent a U Haul Anyways?
It is nearly impossible to lie about your age and rent a U Haul in spite of being too young. The rare instance that you would be able to do something like this is if the U Haul employee is being careless and not paying attention to or actually checking the age on your driver’s license.
There are so many ways you can tell a person is underage just by looking at their license.
So if they miss this then that is on them. However, the right thing to do would be not to try to trick anyone into giving you a U Haul rental when you are underage.
This is unnecessary because it is illegal and there are other ways, better ways of going about this. Instead of doing something illegal, just get someone else to rent the U Haul.
U Haul may charge you for any damages and you may be banned from ever renting from your local U Haul in the future. I’m not sure what the consequences would be but I can assure you that it won’t be good.
Lying to get what you want is obviously not the right way to do anything.
Do the Same Age Rules Apply to U Haul Trailers?
No, the same age rule does not apply to U Haul trailers. While you have to be at least 18 years of age to rent a U Haul truck, you have to be only 16 years of age to rent a U Haul trailer.
A U Haul trailer is a lot easier to drive and manage than a U Haul truck.
This is the only reason I can think as to why there is a difference in the age limits. Trailers are very different from trucks and require a lot less maintenance than an entire vehicle.
U Haul trucks are not able to be rented by 16 year olds but a trailer can be.
What Are Some U Haul Alternatives?
A U Haul alternative would be another truck rental company called Penske. I’m not sure if they have the same age restrictions on their trucks but it is highly anticipated that they do. Most places do have age limits as it pertains to operating vehicles.
Vehicles are dangerous machinery and it wouldn’t be right to allow just anybody to get behind the will. If a 16 year old rents out a U Haul and it gets wrecked or damaged, nine times out of ten, they can’t get any money for damages from this underage minor.
This isn’t to say that the same thing can’t happen to a U Haul trailer but the risks are higher when it comes to a U Haul truck compared to a U Haul trailer.
How Old Do You Need to Be to Rent a U Haul?
You need to be 18 years of age to rent a U Haul truck and at least 16 years of age to rent a U Haul trailer. Regardless of if you are 16 or 18 years of age, you will also need a valid non-expired government-issued driver’s license.