Explore car towing options

There are essentially two options for towing your car during a move — behind a rental truck or with another one of your vehicles. The rental truck option can get expensive since you’ll pay for the towing equipment, damage protection and the moving truck. But some companies may not allow you tow behind your vehicle. Compare the options and prices from different truck rental companies to see how much it might cost and then explore an affordable alternative.

How much is it to tow a car during a move?

Let's start with towing behind a rental truck. The easiest way to get an idea of towing costs is by looking at real prices from companies who offer one-way trailer rental, like U-Haul®, Budget® and Penske®. Compare rates for a sample move from Seattle, WA to Nashville, TN (2,391 miles), towing a 2016 Nissan Altima. Since each company has different rules, we've used the smallest truck with towing capabilities for these examples.

Note: These prices were based on current rates at the time of posting. Prices will differ depending on the details of your move.

U-Haul^®

• 10’ rental truck: $1,754
• U-Haul car trailers: $218 for the tow dolly or $433 for the auto transport trailer
• Damage protection: $70-130, depending on the package

For this move, U-Haul quoted  $1,972 (for  a truck, car carrier and no damage protection) or $2,317 (for a truck,  transport trailer and maximum coverage).

Budget^®

• 16’ truck: $1,759.50
• Budget car trailers: $219 for the dolly or $438 for the car carrier
• Damage protection: $98.55

The quote from Budget was $1,978.50 (for a truck, car dolly and no coverage) or $2,296.05 (for the truck, car carrier and tow protection).

Penske^®

• 16’ truck: $2,788
• Penske car trailers:  $218 for the dolly or $433 for the car carrier
• Damage protection: $60

Penske quoted this move at $3,006 (for the truck, dolly and no coverage) or $3,281 (for the truck, car carrier and towing insurance).

What would it cost to tow behind a personal vehicle?

There are many situations where you might need to transport a vehicle but not use a rental truck. Maybe you’re moving with U-Pack  and have more vehicles than drivers. Or perhaps you don’t want your teenage driver behind the wheel for such a long trip. U-Haul is the only company that lets you pull their car trailers behind your own vehicle.

To check towing costs, we took the example above of a 2016 Nissan Altima going from Seattle to Nashville being towed by a 2015 Toyota Tundra.

For this situation, U-Haul quoted:

• Tow dolly: $524
• Auto transport trailer: $1,040
• Trailer rental coverage: $70-130, depending on the policy

Save money by driving, not towing!

U-Pack is a moving service where you do the packing and loading, and we deliver your belongings door to door. Not having to drive a rental truck frees you up to drive your vehicle (or ship it) — helping you save on towing costs. And once you factor in extra fees like fuel, you may find that U-Pack is an even more affordable and convenient way to move.

Get a free moving quote online or by calling 844-362-5303844-594-3077 to compare.

U-Haul^® is a registered trademark of U-Haul International, Inc. Budget^® is a registered trademark of Budget Truck Rental, LLC. Penske^® is a registered trademark of Penske Truck Leasing Co., L.P. Use of third-party trademarks or registered trademarks does not imply any affiliation with or endorsement by such third party.