Damsel and I are expecting some fixtures we ordered to be delivered to our California residence. Since the fixtures need to go to the Arizona residence for installation, we will need a way to transport them when they get here.
I looked into renting a trailer from U-Haul for a one-way trip. We only need a single day rental, but they say all rates are for up to three days of use. U-Haul quoted an on-line rate of $101 for their smallest cargo trailer one-way from the L.A. area to Wickenburg.
Image: 4′ x 8′ Cargo Trailer – courtesy U-Haul®
We’re not yet convinced that renting a trailer is the most inexpensive way to get the packages to the new house. We’re considering alternatives such as hauling the packages on the SUV’s cargo rack under a tarp and secured with bungee cords.
I remember someone blogging about U-Haul being a good indicator for migratory trends. Because of the law of supply and demand, it should be less expensive to rent a one-way trailer (or truck) in the direction that is less popular. Sure enough, when I reversed the route on the website, the rate dropped from $101 to $67 for the three day period to go from Wickenburg to the L.A. area.
I didn’t test the U-Haul migration theorem any further than this one comparison, but the results told me what I expected – people are leaving more than they are arriving. After the recent election results in California, who could blame us?