Its not a companies job to protect people from themselves. U-Haul shouldn’t have to ask people what they are towing. If you are seeking out towing equipment, and have a car or truck equipped to tow, you should know something about how to tow, including the weight limitations, changes in handling characteristics, and suseptibility to cross winds. Other retailers don’t ask how you will be using their product. If you really think this is U-Haul’s fault, then every purchase of every item will become a 45 minute interview. You buy a cup of coffee on your way to work: Will you be throwing this at your coworker ? Will you be pouring it in an electrical outlet ? will this coffee be a distraction from driving ? …..please sign here.
The article points out some tragic circumstances, but some people are idiots, and some times unfortunate things happen and …..here comes a real shocker…..there is no one to blame ( or sue ).
You’re right, GB, not doing timely maintenance on the vehicle is absolutely the fault of the consumer. It’s just like if you purchase food that is tainted with E-Coli, it’s also your fault. Give me a break!
We all need to take responsibility for our actions. U-haul is a terrible company that puts dangerous equipment on the road all the time. About 10 or 15 years ago 60 Minutes had a 15 minute feature on the equipment showing tires with large holes in them but that were not visible to the average consumer because the tires were on the inside (the rear axles of many trucks have two tires on each side).
I moved from Florida to Seattle last summer and rented a 6X12 U-Haul trailer that made a noise like glass breaking every time I hit a bump (no, there was no broken glass in the trailer). U-Haul did not correct the problem mid-way through the trip and I drove over 1000 miles with the trailer that way. The lights also did not work for about half of the trip.
All this is true. However, I am about to move again (this time local) and will use a U-Haul truck. Why? Because I don’t want to pay the higher prices that the competition changes. I know if I use U-Haul I’m taking a risk because they do not maintain their equipment. However, I accept that risk knowingly. I’m taking personal responsibility for my choice to use dangerous equipment. If something happens, I am not a victim.
There’s more to this than personal responsibility. IF you read the LA times article, it will clearly show that the things that UHaul permits goes against the recommendations of auto manufacturers.
If you go to Uhaul with a 4000 lb car, and they say you’re allowed to tow 4500 lbs, when the manufacturer says 1500, is that safety? Is that conservative?
Strange. 7 or 8 years ago I wanted to rent a small trailer to pull with my 2,000 lb Honda CRX. The local U Haul would not rent me the trailer, they said my car was to light to pull it.
And when I went back with my wife’s Saturn (1,000 lbs heavier) they would only rent me their smallest trailer, AND gave me a manual on how to load and how to tow, including slow down if there are high cross winds.
But many years before they rented me a large truck which swayed dangerously on the interstate. Turns out they never checked the tire pressures before letting me take it for a cross country trip. After I corrected that, it broke down, late on a Friday in Tn when everything closed early because of a snow storm. The Ford dealer said I should come back Monday morning.
The U Haul rep on the phone kept asking me to please stop screaming. He ended up sending a truck which towed the broken down truck 150 miles to my apartment, then they left it parked there until I was through unloading it.
The sound like broken glass was the chain dragging.
And you load it a little heavy on the tongue to help prevent swaying. Load it evenly, front to back, or heavy in the back, and it will sway at the slighest provocation.
I should have been clearer in my original post. Yes, the vehicles should be maintained properly, and negligence in that area would be the fault of U-Haul.
However, who is more responsible for knowing the towing ability of YOUR vehicle: some 18 year old counter clerk at the local Gas Station or You, the owner and about to be tow vehicle operator ? You have an obligation and responsibility to use your vehicle in a safe manner. That includes not towing more than you should. If Hertz rents you a car and you drive 100 mph, would Hertz be responsible for that ?? Of course not. If someone uses a trailer irresponsibly, its the same thing.
As far as only towing something less than the weight of the vehicle, that is ridiculous. Most pick-up trucks weigh 4-5000 pounds and are rated, by the manufacturer, to tow up 10,000 pounds in some cases.
How about this crazy proposal: UHaul maintains its equipment properly; has some basic signage in the trailer that shows how to load, drive, and weight restrictions; and drivers take responsibility for their own behavior?
To U-Hauler: If Budget truck rental is available in your area, try them. I found their equipment is well maintained and much less expensive that U-Haul.
I read a few of your comments, not all of them.. Almost lost my lunch reading a couple of them.. The e-coli comparison,, now that was a great analogy.. And the fellow that claims to have read how unsafe U-haul equipment is/was and went ahead and rented something REALLY takes the cake. But then, admits he is going to do it again because he does not wish to pay a higher price for a rental unit from another company! Good grief!
We have became a nation of morons and some are showing up here!
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Its not a companies job to protect people from themselves. U-Haul shouldn’t have to ask people what they are towing. If you are seeking out towing equipment, and have a car or truck equipped to tow, you should know something about how to tow, including the weight limitations, changes in handling characteristics, and suseptibility to cross winds. Other retailers don’t ask how you will be using their product. If you really think this is U-Haul’s fault, then every purchase of every item will become a 45 minute interview. You buy a cup of coffee on your way to work: Will you be throwing this at your coworker ? Will you be pouring it in an electrical outlet ? will this coffee be a distraction from driving ? …..please sign here.
The article points out some tragic circumstances, but some people are idiots, and some times unfortunate things happen and …..here comes a real shocker…..there is no one to blame ( or sue ).
You’re right, GB, not doing timely maintenance on the vehicle is absolutely the fault of the consumer. It’s just like if you purchase food that is tainted with E-Coli, it’s also your fault. Give me a break!
We all need to take responsibility for our actions. U-haul is a terrible company that puts dangerous equipment on the road all the time. About 10 or 15 years ago 60 Minutes had a 15 minute feature on the equipment showing tires with large holes in them but that were not visible to the average consumer because the tires were on the inside (the rear axles of many trucks have two tires on each side).
I moved from Florida to Seattle last summer and rented a 6X12 U-Haul trailer that made a noise like glass breaking every time I hit a bump (no, there was no broken glass in the trailer). U-Haul did not correct the problem mid-way through the trip and I drove over 1000 miles with the trailer that way. The lights also did not work for about half of the trip.
All this is true. However, I am about to move again (this time local) and will use a U-Haul truck. Why? Because I don’t want to pay the higher prices that the competition changes. I know if I use U-Haul I’m taking a risk because they do not maintain their equipment. However, I accept that risk knowingly. I’m taking personal responsibility for my choice to use dangerous equipment. If something happens, I am not a victim.
There’s more to this than personal responsibility. IF you read the LA times article, it will clearly show that the things that UHaul permits goes against the recommendations of auto manufacturers.
If you go to Uhaul with a 4000 lb car, and they say you’re allowed to tow 4500 lbs, when the manufacturer says 1500, is that safety? Is that conservative?
Yes folks, its called “the natural thinning of the herd – survival of the fittest”. Or in this case, “survival of the less stupid”.
Strange. 7 or 8 years ago I wanted to rent a small trailer to pull with my 2,000 lb Honda CRX. The local U Haul would not rent me the trailer, they said my car was to light to pull it.
And when I went back with my wife’s Saturn (1,000 lbs heavier) they would only rent me their smallest trailer, AND gave me a manual on how to load and how to tow, including slow down if there are high cross winds.
But many years before they rented me a large truck which swayed dangerously on the interstate. Turns out they never checked the tire pressures before letting me take it for a cross country trip. After I corrected that, it broke down, late on a Friday in Tn when everything closed early because of a snow storm. The Ford dealer said I should come back Monday morning.
The U Haul rep on the phone kept asking me to please stop screaming. He ended up sending a truck which towed the broken down truck 150 miles to my apartment, then they left it parked there until I was through unloading it.
The sound like broken glass was the chain dragging.
And you load it a little heavy on the tongue to help prevent swaying. Load it evenly, front to back, or heavy in the back, and it will sway at the slighest provocation.
I should have been clearer in my original post. Yes, the vehicles should be maintained properly, and negligence in that area would be the fault of U-Haul.
However, who is more responsible for knowing the towing ability of YOUR vehicle: some 18 year old counter clerk at the local Gas Station or You, the owner and about to be tow vehicle operator ? You have an obligation and responsibility to use your vehicle in a safe manner. That includes not towing more than you should. If Hertz rents you a car and you drive 100 mph, would Hertz be responsible for that ?? Of course not. If someone uses a trailer irresponsibly, its the same thing.
As far as only towing something less than the weight of the vehicle, that is ridiculous. Most pick-up trucks weigh 4-5000 pounds and are rated, by the manufacturer, to tow up 10,000 pounds in some cases.
How about this crazy proposal: UHaul maintains its equipment properly; has some basic signage in the trailer that shows how to load, drive, and weight restrictions; and drivers take responsibility for their own behavior?
To U-Hauler: If Budget truck rental is available in your area, try them. I found their equipment is well maintained and much less expensive that U-Haul.
I read a few of your comments, not all of them.. Almost lost my lunch reading a couple of them.. The e-coli comparison,, now that was a great analogy.. And the fellow that claims to have read how unsafe U-haul equipment is/was and went ahead and rented something REALLY takes the cake. But then, admits he is going to do it again because he does not wish to pay a higher price for a rental unit from another company! Good grief!
We have became a nation of morons and some are showing up here!