Driving A U-Haul Cross Country

10 Tips For When You Drive a U-Haul Cross Country
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  • A quarter tank of gas is not equal to a quarter of the miles. Typically a large, loaded UHaul truck can ride 250 miles on a full tank of gas. However, once the gas meter reads 1/4, My recommendation is to seek gas immediately as many times you will not be able to ride an additional 50 miles without running out of fuel.
  • Bring lubricant for eyes. Many drugstores sell a lubricating eye drop that is excellent in keeping eyes feeling fresh. Driving a UHaul cross country is exhausting on the eyes - we recommend putting a few drops of this product into your eyes every time you fill your gas tank.
  • Never plan for putting more than two people in the cab on the truck. Unless you want to make your trip even longer, there simply is not enough room for it.
  • Wash the windshield. Certain areas of the country can be extraordinarily buggy. Especially at night. We recommend cleaning your windshield every time you fill your gas tank.
  • Don't swerve suddenly for small animals. This may sound harsh, but you are not driving a small car. UHaul or Penske trucks, when loaded, are very large and heavy vehicles. Swerving suddenly can cause the shifting of weight inside the truck and potentially cause the truck to flip or swerve radically out of control.
  • Reverse is the tricky part. Without question, the hardest part of driving a U-Haul cross country is driving in reverse. There is no rear mirror, and the total length can be quite deceiving. Also, If you are pulling an additional vehicle behind the truck, this creates a pivot point on the truck making reverse extremely difficult. We would recommend having someone who has experience driving a U-Haul cross country at this time.
  • Check tow straps. When towing another vehicle, we recommend you check your tow straps, at minimum, each and every time you fill your gas tank... they can become loose while riding, or in inclement weather.
  • Check the weather. Often when driving long distances, there are multiple routes you can take to get from point A. to point B. When choosing which route to take, consider whether one of your top decisions influences. You don't want to be driving a 25,000 vehicle in the rain, snow, or high winds.
  • Minimize city driving. When driving long distances, avoid downtown city routes. U-Haul trucks are large and are often difficult to move within city streets. We recommend you use the highway loops that are available in these cities.
  • Potential GPS Issues: There are many highways, bridges, and tunnels throughout the United States that do not allow large trucks on them. We recommend that you use a model GPS that is designed for trucks to avoid these situations. These specialized GPS systems are preprogrammed to avoid areas that may be against the law, or unable to accommodate a large truck.