Load control for U-Haul trucks

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Phil Graham

Honorary PhD
Mar 10, 2011
651
1
18
Atlanta, GA
So, I've got to rent a U-Haul (as opposed to Budget, Ryder, or Penske). Its not a matter of price, but rather that its a one off personal rental (transport of supplies for my wedding) and the other rental houses can't seem to handle our multiple drivers (from multiple states) arrangement.

Anyways,

I know these box trucks don't have e-track, but the last U-Haul trailer I rented had only tiny holes in the wall strips for load control. Are the U-Haul box trucks the same?

If so, what have you done to provide load control in these trucks? Are the wall strip holes large enough to loop a round-sling through them, and then ratchet to the roundsling? Or can I put shackles in the strip holes and ratchet to those?

Creative suggestions are welcome!

-Phil
 
Re: Load control for U-Haul trucks

I tied my own miniature spansets (1' long) out of trick tie and threaded those through the slots in the wall strips. That gave me something to hook standard straps onto. Trick tie is strong enough for that application.
 
Re: Load control for U-Haul trucks

i haven't seen or used a u-haul for a few years, but back then, the trucks had horizontal wood rails with about a 1/2" space behind, to pass rope/straps through. i recall using alot of 1" ratchet straps with S-hooks. drop the S-hook behind the rail and hook it back to the strap. the walls won't allow much tension side-to-side, but attaching something to one wall worked okay. perhaps, a combination of load stays and straps would offer side-to-side support without collapsing the walls?

TruckInside.jpg

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R~
 
Re: Load control for U-Haul trucks

Royce Covington said:
i haven't seen or used a u-haul for a few years, but back then, the trucks had horizontal wood rails with about a 1/2" space behind, to pass rope/straps through. i recall using alot of 1" ratchet straps with S-hooks. drop the S-hook behind the rail and hook it back to the strap. the walls won't allow much tension side-to-side, but attaching something to one wall worked okay. perhaps, a combination of load stays and straps would offer side-to-side support without collapsing the walls?

View attachment 980

View attachment 979

R~
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Where are those load stays from?
 
Re: Load control for U-Haul trucks

The rub rails won't take much of a load from a ratchet strap or a shifting load. (Don't ask)

To attach hook-style ratchet straps to rub rails or to E-track, I use short slings made from 9/16" tubular webbing (bulk webbing and sewn slings are both available from places that sell rock climbing gear).
 
Re: Load control for U-Haul trucks

Slight topic swerve. I'd recommend renting something else besides U-Hell if possible. They're probably the most dangerous and most poorly serviced rental vehicles in the country. Then there's the price fixing issues as well as guaranteed reservations that are systemically not honored. They're bad news all around.

http://www.uhaulsafetyalert.org/U-Haul_in_the_news.htm
 
Re: Load control for U-Haul trucks

Greg Cameron said:
Slight topic swerve. I'd recommend renting something else besides U-Hell if possible. They're probably the most dangerous and most poorly serviced rental vehicles in the country. Then there's the price fixing issues as well as guaranteed reservations that are systemically not honored. They're bad news all around.

http://www.uhaulsafetyalert.org/U-Haul_in_the_news.htm
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I assure you that if any other possible way of avoiding a U-Haul arises, I will take it. I don't like them any better than you, but hopefully you know I've been around enough to know that I chose them out of necessity.
 
Re: Load control for U-Haul trucks

Phil Graham said:
I assure you that if any other possible way of avoiding a U-Haul arises, I will take it. I don't like them any better than you, but hopefully you know I've been around enough to know that I chose them out of necessity.
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Another rental company that may be worth a try if a cargo van is large enough is Enterprise.
 
Re: Load control for U-Haul trucks

Greg Cameron said:
Slight topic swerve. I'd recommend renting something else besides U-Hell if possible. They're probably the most dangerous and most poorly serviced rental vehicles in the country. Then there's the price fixing issues as well as guaranteed reservations that are systemically not honored. They're bad news all around.

http://www.uhaulsafetyalert.org/U-Haul_in_the_news.htm
Click to expand...

Amen.
 
Re: Load control for U-Haul trucks

U-Haul Inc. has anal-cranial inversion. After the Ford Exploder debacale (RANT, stupid drivers combined with perfectly fine but under-pressured tires because they failed to READ the vehicle manual, AND FORD caving, the cowards), U-Haul will NOT rent ANY trailer to be towed by a Ford Explorer, not even a Ford Explorer Sport-Trac. However, they WILL rent to a Mercury Mountaineer or a Mazdz Navajo, built on the same FORD assembly lines as near identical but differently badged vehicles.

Boomerweps
 
Re: Load control for U-Haul trucks

U-Haul definitely has the rattiest, most decrepit trucks I have seen in my area. Bummer that you can't work with Penske (my favorite) on this.
 
Re: Load control for U-Haul trucks

Phil Graham said:
Gents,

Swapped my driver arrangements and went with a real Isuzu from Budget.

Thanks for the help and the load bar links.
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That's good, Budget usually has good trucks.

As others have mentioned, the "truck stretcher" load bars (as pictured in post #3) are bad news.
I still remember many terrible things that happened using them (both to truck boxes and the load they did not restrain) even though I haven't used them since 1978.

Only use load bars that fit into E track, or lightly cinch down ratchet straps or ropes into D rings if you value you and your's cargo.

Best of luck with the move!
 
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