Lugg vs U-Haul
Full-service movers vs. DIY truck rental — see how they compare.
What is Lugg and what is U-Haul
What is Lugg?
Lugg is an on-demand moving and delivery service that handles everything: the truck, the movers, and the heavy lifting. Book in under two minutes, and vetted movers with a truck can arrive in as little as 30 minutes. Every job includes professional equipment (dollies, furniture blankets, stretch wrap, straps, tools) and Lugg's Damage Protection Guarantee. From marketplace pickups and store deliveries to apartment moves, junk removal, and labor-only jobs, Lugg covers it all. You get an upfront price the moment you enter your addresses, and you can cancel free anytime before your movers arrive. Sit back while your Lugg movers do the work.
What is U-Haul?
U-Haul is the country's largest self-service truck rental company, with 23,000+ locations across the U.S. and Canada. You reserve a truck online, drive to a pickup location, load your belongings yourself (or hire separate labor), drive the truck to your destination, unload everything, and return the truck with the same fuel level. U-Haul's advertised rates start at $19.95/day, but that base price doesn't include mileage ($0.99–$1.39/mile), insurance ($14–$60/day), equipment rental ($7–$15 per item), environmental fees, or fuel. Customers routinely report that the final bill is 2–3x the quoted price. U-Haul has also faced scrutiny for reservation issues: customers have reported reserving a specific truck size at a specific location, only to arrive and find their truck has been moved to a different city or swapped for a different size. U-Haul holds a 1.3-star rating on Trustpilot, where billing disputes and reservation issues are the most common complaints.
Feature Comparison Table
Core comparisons
How do they handle real-world scenarios?
Moving a studio or 1-bedroom apartment
You're moving across town and need to transport all your furniture and boxes.
With U-Haul, you'd rent a truck ($40–$75/day + mileage), buy insurance ($14–$60), rent equipment ($20–$40), recruit friends to help carry, drive a 15-foot truck through city traffic, unload at the new place, return the truck, refuel it, and somehow get yourself home. That's an entire exhausting day. With Lugg, you book in 2 minutes, Lugg movers with a truck arrive in as little as 30 minutes, and they handle everything — loading, driving, unloading — while you settle into your new place.
Buying furniture on Facebook Marketplace or Craigslist
You found the perfect couch across town and the seller wants it gone today.
For a single item pickup, U-Haul makes no sense: drive to the rental location, fill out paperwork, drive the truck to the seller, wrestle a couch into the truck by yourself, drive to your place, unload it, return the truck, refuel it, and get yourself back. That's 3+ hours and $60–$150 for one couch. With Lugg, two movers arrive with a truck, load the couch, deliver it to your room of choice, and you're done in under an hour.
Getting a new couch or appliance home from the store
You bought a new couch at the store but delivery is a week out — or they don't deliver at all.
Renting a U-Haul truck to bring home one piece of furniture means you're paying the full daily rate, mileage, and dealing with pickup/return logistics for a 30-minute job. You still need someone to help you load and carry. Lugg movers pick up your purchase from the store and deliver it to your room of choice, often within an hour of booking. You don't even need to be at the store. Just share the order details, and your Lugg movers handle the rest.
Loading or unloading a rental truck or storage container
You already have a truck but need strong, reliable help loading or unloading it.
U-Haul offers Moving Help as a separate third-party marketplace with a mandatory two-hour minimum, so you're paying for two full hours even if the job takes 30 minutes. Damage protection ('Safeload') is only available from select providers in select states. If your provider doesn't qualify, your belongings aren't covered at all. With Lugg, book in under 2 minutes, and movers can show up same-day ready to go. You're charged by the minute, so you only pay for the time you actually need. Every Lugg job includes the Damage Protection Guarantee automatically, no add-ons required.
The $19.95 myth
U-Haul advertises truck rentals starting at $19.95/day, but that's just the base rate. By the time you add mileage, insurance, equipment, fuel, environmental fees, and labor, the real cost of a basic local move looks nothing like the ad. Lugg's price includes the truck, professional movers, and all equipment from the start. For the same job, Lugg costs $97.80 all-in. U-Haul's real total: $294–$399+. Here's how it breaks down.
U-Haul pricing
"$19.95/day" + everything else
That $19.95 truck ad?
After mileage, insurance, equipment, fuel, fees, and hired labor, the real cost is $294–$399+ for a basic local move. And that labor? It's booked and paid separately through U-Haul's Moving Help marketplace: $200–$300 for 2 movers with a 2-hour minimum.
Lugg pricing
Truck + movers + equipment included
That's the complete price for truck, movers, equipment, and protection.
If the job goes faster than estimated, you pay less.
Lugg vs U-Haul price comparison
Single item store pickup
Lugg is 53% cheaper than U-Haul for a single item store pickup.
1-bedroom apartment move
Lugg is 23% cheaper than U-Haul for a 1-bedroom apartment move.
Full home move (2-3 bedrooms)
Lugg is 19% cheaper than U-Haul for a full home move (2-3 bedrooms).
User Ratings Comparison
What customers say
Lugg reviews
“[Lugg mover] Annur was A+ - and we sorted all of this on just a few hours notice. I will never rent a UHaul again.”
“Quick and easier than trying to get a UHaul, go across town, pick up the stuff, go back across town, drop off the stuff, fill up the UHaul gas, then drop off the UHaul.”
“Amazing help and very reasonably priced. Way cheaper and much much less hassle than dealing with uhaul and all their unnecessary drama, extra charges, and complete lack of service altogether. Why get ripped off overpaying to rent a truck that always costs more than originally quoted and have to load and unload by yourself when you can just hire a truck that basically loads, unloads, and drives itself for half the price? Goodbye uhaul and hello Lugg, yall definitely have a new regular customer!”
U-Haul reviews
“Like countless others I rarely if ever actually pay what I reserved and paid for. They always have some fee or story to fleece the customer.”
“Wrong size truck, a round trip trailer instead of a one way. Multiple location changes after verification. Extra mileage charges on top of everything.”
“Charged $247.36 for a 10' truck for an in-town one-day rental. The contract info wasn't updated and the district manager was completely unresponsive.”
The final verdict
U-Haul and Lugg serve fundamentally different needs. U-Haul rents you a truck, and you handle everything else. Lugg is a complete moving service: truck, professional movers, equipment, and damage protection included. For the vast majority of local moves, deliveries, and pickups, hiring Lugg's full-service movers costs about the same as a DIY U-Haul rental after all the hidden fees. The difference is you don't spend your day hauling furniture, driving a box truck through traffic, and making a return trip. Your time and your back are worth something. For large, long-distance moves where you want to pack and load at your own pace over multiple days, a truck rental can make sense.
U-Haul may work if:
- You're making a long-distance move and want to pack/load over multiple days
- You're comfortable driving a 10–26 foot truck and don't mind the physical work
- You have friends who can help load and unload for free
Choose Lugg when you need:
- A complete moving service — truck, movers, and equipment included
- Same-day or immediate service (movers in as little as 30 minutes)
- To avoid driving a large truck through city traffic
- Marketplace pickups, store deliveries, or labor only jobs
- Damage Protection Guarantee for your belongings
- A move done in hours, not an all-day DIY project
Disclaimer: The information on this page is provided for general informational purposes only and may not reflect the most current offerings, pricing, or policies of the companies mentioned. We strive for accuracy but make no guarantees. Please visit each company's official website for the latest details. This comparison is not an endorsement of any service.
