Rent a Truck or Hire Movers? New Data Shows Fuel Now Makes Up to 40% of DIY Moving Costs
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FLUSHING, N.Y. - Washingtoner -- Deciding whether to rent a truck or hire movers now depends heavily on fuel prices: new data from Move Price (move-price.com) shows fuel makes up as much as 40% of a do-it-yourself cross-country move, and for a one-bedroom from New York to Los Angeles, movers can cost less than a rental truck.

Using EIA national averages of $6.29 for diesel and $4.15 for gasoline (week of November 2, 2026), Move Price compared rental truck costs, including fuel and tolls, with mover estimates on 10 routes.

Key findings:

- Short moves favor DIY: under about 400 miles, renting a truck cost 55–70% less than hiring movers.

- Fuel's share grows with distance: 9–13% of the DIY cost from New York to Philadelphia, but 33–40% from New York to Los Angeles.

- Cross-country, a one-bedroom move was estimated at $2,664–$3,330 with movers, versus about $3,950 by truck, before hotels.

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Sample routes (two-bedroom home):

New York to Philadelphia (97 mi): truck $476 | movers $1,133–$1,345

Dallas to Houston (241 mi): truck $690 | movers $1,565–$1,777

New York to Los Angeles (2,959 mi): truck $4,395 | movers $4,212–$5,268

"Most people assume renting a truck is always the cheap option," said Bojan Mladenovic, founder of Move Price. "On a short move it usually is. Cross-country, fuel, tolls and hotels add up, and movers can come out ahead for smaller homes."

Compare both options for your route, with live fuel prices, at https://www.move-price.com/rent-a-truck

Methodology: Estimates from Move Price's calculators on November 4, 2026. Truck costs are the cheapest of U-Haul, Penske and Budget, with fuel and tolls, excluding hotels. Long-distance mover estimates are priced by volume and destination region. Actual prices vary.

About Move Price: Move Price (https://www.move-price.com) is a free U.S. moving cost calculator with guaranteed quotes from licensed, insured movers.