Driving a U-Haul Cross Country: Tips, and the Option to Hire a Driver
Driving a U-Haul across the country is hard. A loaded 26-foot truck is tall, heavy, slow to stop and gets about 8 miles per gallon, or about 5 when towing a car. This guide covers how to do it safely. If you would rather not, Cross Country Driver will send a vetted professional driver to drive it for you: U-Haul, Penske, Budget or Ryder, any size up to 26 feet, with a car in tow if needed.
Can you drive a U-Haul across the country?
Yes, you can. The truck is over 12 feet tall (the exact clearance is posted in the cab), so low bridges and parkways are off limits. It is up to 26 feet long, so turns, fuel stations and hotel lots need planning.
Driving a U-Haul cross country is mostly planning: a truck route instead of a car route, fuel stops every 250 to 300 miles, and a rest stop every two to three hours. The sections below cover each one. If you would rather skip the driving, you can hire a driver to drive your U-Haul and we take it door to door.
Can I drive a U-Haul across states?
Yes. It is the same drive at every state line, except that truck rules, tolls and bridge clearances can change from one state to the next, so check each leg of your route. For the rental terms themselves, check U-Haul’s current rental requirements.
Is it hard to drive a U-Haul cross country?
It is hard, and most people underestimate it. Fully loaded it weighs up to 26,000 pounds, so braking distances roughly double and crosswinds and mountain grades matter. Add a car on a tow dolly and you cannot reverse. None of this is dangerous with experience; all of it is tiring without it.
Are U-Hauls hard to drive?
Yes, harder than a car, and the size of the truck is the reason. A loaded U-Haul is taller, longer and much heavier than anything most people have driven, and it brakes, turns and reverses like it. A cargo van is manageable; a 26-foot truck with a car in tow is not. On a long trip, the hard parts are the hours, the fuel stops, the narrow spots and backing up.
Driving a moving truck through mountains
Downshift before long descents and let the engine hold the speed; riding the brakes overheats them. On the climb, a loaded truck slows down, so stay in the right lane and keep your speed steady. Mountain grades also burn fuel fast, which is one more reason to refuel at a quarter tank.
Backing up, and towing a car
Reversing a U-Haul is the hardest skill, because the truck is long and you cannot see directly behind it. With a car on a tow dolly you cannot reverse at all. Park where you can pull forward to leave, and walk the lot before you commit to it.
Can you pay someone to drive your U-Haul?
Yes. You rent the truck in your name, add our driver to the rental agreement as an additional driver, and we drive it door to door at about 1,000 miles a day. Our drivers are mostly ex-long-haul truckers and former police officers.
Rental trucks are priced per trip, close to our car rates and sometimes slightly more. Tell us the truck size, the route and whether you are towing, and we will quote it exactly: get a U-Haul driver quote.
Planning a U-Haul route: bridges, fuel and overnight stops
Bridges, clearances and weight limits
The truck is over 12 feet tall, and the exact clearance is posted in the cab. Low bridges and parkways that ban trucks are the most common reason a rental gets stuck. Check clearances and weight limits for every leg, avoid roads marked “No Trucks”, and use a truck routing app such as SmartTruckRoute, because ordinary GPS does not know how tall your truck is.
Fuel stops and mileage on a loaded truck
A 26-foot truck gets about 8 miles per gallon on flat ground, less in mountains and about 5 when towing a car; smaller trucks get 10 to 12. It has a 60-gallon tank, so plan fuel stops every 250 to 300 miles. At those rates, about 2,800 miles coast to coast is roughly 350 gallons in a 26-foot truck, and roughly 560 gallons if you are towing a car.
Weather and winter driving
Check the forecast along the whole route before you leave and again each morning. Avoid snow, high winds and heavy rain when you can; a loaded truck is hard to control in all three. Winter driving, November to March, means mountain passes that can close and extra days in the schedule.
Cities and traffic
A U-Haul is not a city vehicle. Tight turns, low bridges and limited parking make downtown streets risky, so use bypass highways and ring roads around major cities, and avoid rush hour on the way through.
Pacing the trip
Long-distance moving is a marathon, not a sprint. Plan each day around fuel stops, rest stops and a hotel whose lot fits the truck, and keep a buffer for weather. Pacing yourself improves both safety and comfort.
Overnight parking
Call the hotel before you book and ask whether a 26-foot truck fits its lot. Many city hotels have garages or tight lots a truck cannot enter. Park nose-out, in a large, lit lot, so you can leave without backing up.
Towing a car behind the truck
A car on a tow dolly or an auto transport trailer makes the combination longer and thirstier, and you cannot reverse. Check the hitch, chains, lights and straps before every leg and every fuel stop, and give yourself more room to turn. We drive trucks with a tow dolly or auto transport attached.
Which U-Haul size do you need?
For a cross country U-Haul move, size is the first decision. Cargo vans (9 to 10 feet) suit a studio or one-bedroom move. Trucks of 15 to 20 feet fit most two- and three-bedroom homes. A 26-foot truck is for large families and full-house moves, and it is the hardest to drive. To size the load, use our moving box calculator to estimate how many moving boxes you have.
Inspecting and loading the truck
Inspect it before you leave the lot
Walk around the truck with the rental agent and note any existing damage on the paperwork, so you are not responsible for it later. Then check:
- Tire pressure, oil and coolant.
- Brakes, wipers and every exterior light.
- The loading ramp and the roll-up door.
- Mirrors, set for the blind spots on both sides.
Ten minutes here prevents a roadside delay later. Adjust the seat and find the controls before you need them.
Load it so it drives well
Heavy items such as appliances and furniture go at the front, near the cab, and on the floor. Lighter boxes go on top, and everything is strapped so nothing shifts in a turn or a hard stop. Keep the weight balanced from side to side: a badly loaded truck fishtails in wind and wallows in corners, and it burns more fuel.
Ten tips if you drive it yourself
Whatever the size of the truck, these ten habits keep the trip safe.
1. Refuel early
Never trust the gauge on a rental. Fill up at a quarter tank; in the West the next station can be 100 miles away, and a loaded truck burns through a quarter tank fast.
2. Clean the glass at every fuel stop
Bugs build up fast, especially in the Midwest and the South, and a dirty windshield at night can make it hard to see. Wipe the windshield, mirrors and headlights every time you stop for fuel.
3. Do not swerve for animals
Sudden steering in a loaded truck can shift the cargo and tip the vehicle. Brake firmly and hold your line.
4. Plan a truck route, not a car route
Avoid parkways and anything marked “No Trucks”. Check bridge clearances, weight limits and tolls (trucks pay more). Truck-specific apps such as SmartTruckRoute route around low bridges; ordinary GPS does not.
5. Respect crosswinds
On open plains and exposed bridges, crosswinds push a tall box hard. Slow down and keep both hands on the wheel.
6. Allow double the stopping distance
Follow at least four seconds behind the vehicle ahead, more in rain. Loaded trucks do not stop like cars.
7. Stop every two to three hours
Stretch, check the straps on the load and the connections on the tow dolly, and walk around the truck.
8. Know the rental rules
Check U-Haul’s current rental requirements. Keep the rental agreement and insurance paperwork in the cab. If you tow, double-check the hitch, chains and lights before every leg.
9. Practice before you leave
Ten minutes in an empty lot: turns, backing (without a tow dolly), and finding the controls. Adjust the seat and mirrors before you need them.
10. Carry the basics
Reflective vest, triangles, flashlight, first-aid kit, water, and the phone numbers for the rental company’s roadside assistance.
Or let a professional drive it
Most customers who hire us for a truck are moving a family: one adult drives the car with the kids and the dog, the other would have had to drive the truck. We take the truck. You rent it, we drive it, and both halves of the move arrive the same day.
Flexible scheduling
You rent the truck when your move needs it. Tell us the pickup window and the date you need the truck at the other end, and your quote confirms both.
Every truck size
Our drivers take any rental or moving truck up to 26 feet, from a cargo van to a full-size truck, with or without a vehicle in tow.
Comfort, safety and peace of mind
Every truck driver we send passed the same four checks as our car drivers, criminal, driving record, drug and references, and the trip is GPS-monitored by our office from pickup to your new address. You fly, or you drive the car with the family, and skip the part that is tiring.
A smoother move
By handing over the driving you gain time and a calmer week, and the truck still arrives door to door on the delivery date planned with you.
What to have ready
Your rental reservation and pickup location, the pickup and delivery addresses and who will be there, and the pickup window you prefer. Tell us whether a car goes on a tow dolly behind the truck.
Who hires a driver for a rental truck
Our drivers take U-Haul, Penske, Budget and Ryder trucks to new homes, winter homes, college campuses and military bases across the lower 48 states and Alaska. The people who book a truck driver are usually in one of three situations:
- A family moving house, with one adult driving the car and the other unable to drive the truck 2,000 miles.
- Someone with a car to bring along, on a tow dolly or auto transport behind the truck.
- Anyone who has never driven a 26-foot truck and would rather not learn on the interstate.
How hiring a driver for your U-Haul works
- Request a quote online. Tell us the truck size, the route and whether you are towing. Your quote comes from the owner, who prices your trip personally and replies within one business day.
- Approve the quote, then reserve the truck in your name with the rental company.
- Add our driver to the rental agreement as an additional driver.
- Your driver picks up the truck on the agreed date and drives it door to door at about 1,000 miles a day, GPS-monitored by our office.
- Both halves of the move arrive on the same day, and you meet the truck at the new address.
U-Haul questions
How much does it cost to have someone drive my U-Haul?
Rental trucks are priced per trip, close to our car rates and sometimes slightly more. Fuel is extra, at actual cost with receipts, and a truck uses far more of it than a car. Tell us the truck size, the route and whether you are towing and we will quote it exactly.
Can your driver tow my car behind the truck?
Yes. We drive trucks with a tow dolly or auto transport attached.
Do you drive Penske, Budget and Ryder trucks too?
Yes, any rental or moving truck up to 26 feet.
Can I fly while you drive my U-Haul?
Yes. Many customers fly to the new home, or drive the family car there, while our driver takes the truck. You rent the truck in your name, add our driver to the rental agreement as an additional driver, and we drive it door to door.
Is it safe to drive a U-Haul across the country?
Yes, with preparation. Use a truck route, fuel up early, follow at least four seconds behind the vehicle ahead, stop every two to three hours and park somewhere the truck fits. Most trouble comes from skipping those steps, not from the truck.
What size U-Haul do I need for a two-bedroom home?
A 15- to 20-foot truck fits most two- and three-bedroom homes. A cargo van suits a studio or one-bedroom, and a 26-foot truck is for large families and full houses. If you are unsure, estimate your boxes first with our moving box calculator.
How old do you have to be to rent a U-Haul?
That is U-Haul’s rule, not ours, so check U-Haul’s current rental requirements before you book. If you hire us, you rent the truck in your name and add our driver to the rental agreement as an additional driver.