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Who wants to take on U-Haul?

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Re: Who wants to take on U-Haul?

#21

Post by afs27 »

the_arun wrote: post #16
afs27 wrote: post #3

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm talking about the truck rental business. I've personally never had a good experience using U-haul for a move (truck I reserved not there, long wait times in shop, online reservation flow sucks, etc.). A lot of my friends have had similar experiences too. I know they're entrenched and have a lot of advantages, but they are definitely an incumbent that hasn't innovated almost at all. I think the move would be testi…

Turo for trucks? https://turo.com/

This is definitely along the lines of what I was thinking. There are obviously varying degrees of moves, from a micro I'm moving a couch to an entire house. Maybe the micro case would be the one to start with, where you can get quick and easy access to a pick up truck or small van.

Re: Who wants to take on U-Haul?

#22

Post by afs27 »

twobitshifter wrote: post #11

Have you rented a truck with Uhaul recently? You can actually do the entire return process on your phone.

I have within the last year and tried the on phone contactless pick up and drop off, but it didn't work and I had to go inside. Could have just been the operator/location though.

Re: Who wants to take on U-Haul?

#24

Post by jermaustin1 »

afs27 wrote: post #23
slater wrote: post #10

Ryder's a fairly established competitor? As is Penske?

True. I don't know how often people use those for personal moves, so maybe they do a much better job than U-haul. I haven't ever used them, so I have no idea.

I personally prefer Penske, but they cost more and are not in as many markets.

Their fleet is always newer though, but their boxes are higher up and less accessible as they are built atop a truck chassis instead of a van chassis.

Re: Who wants to take on U-Haul?

#25

Post by mod »

I returned a uhaul, after moving a friend, to a little auto repair shop in Flippin, AR. Population 1,471.

These little places are both one of the big advantages they have, and also the source of a disjointed, poor customer experience.

I still don't think you can disrupt them without their omnipresence. You could slowly build a competitor that focuses on the customer experience, but I don't see you unseating uhaul if that's your focus.

Re: Who wants to take on U-Haul?

#26

Post by afs27 »

mod wrote: post #25

I returned a uhaul, after moving a friend, to a little auto repair shop in Flippin, AR. Population 1,471. These little places are both one of the big advantages they have, and also the source of a disjointed, poor customer experience. I still don't think you can disrupt them without their omnipresence. You could slowly build a competitor that focuses on the customer experience, but I don't see you unseating uhaul if…

For sure. And maybe it's not a direct U-haul model, but more focused on micro moves within certain geographic areas to start.

Re: Who wants to take on U-Haul?

#27

Post by afs27 »

fuzzfactor wrote: post #19

Growing up in what was realistically a retirement community, most of the "children" of the retirees were still up north being independent adults just like they were before their senior parents had retired in quiet old Florida. Only the ones retired at relatively younger ages (or with relatively younger wives) were the ones that actually had school-age kids in the house for us few native kids to interact with. It was…

This is one heck of a story!

Re: Who wants to take on U-Haul?

#28

Post by afs27 »

adventured wrote: post #13

Enterprise, Budget, Ryder and Penske already compete with U-Haul nationally. After that there are hundreds of regional and local competitors, including more specialized offerings. They are not ripe for disruption. The sector is flooded with competition, weak margins and high capital investment requirements. You better have something extraordinary, 10x better than what those giants can already deliver. Something that…

I agree that the solution has to be amazing. But I don't think it's not something worth thinking about. The world would be a pretty boring place if everyone thought they couldn't build something because someone else already did.

Re: Who wants to take on U-Haul?

#30

Post by afs27 »

jermaustin1 wrote: post #24
afs27 wrote: post #23

Earlier quoted context omitted.

True. I don't know how often people use those for personal moves, so maybe they do a much better job than U-haul. I haven't ever used them, so I have no idea.

I personally prefer Penske, but they cost more and are not in as many markets. Their fleet is always newer though, but their boxes are higher up and less accessible as they are built atop a truck chassis instead of a van chassis.

That's interesting that they're built on different chassis. I'm assuming the accessibility is the main reason?
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