eb2143
Top Post Dawg
I wanted to share the experience I had on my first long distance move (May 30 - June 4, 2018). I rented a 26' Penske with tow dolly and received a 2018 model with 2,315 miles on the odometer with no-cost upgrade to a car carrier. My girlfriend and I had a friend moving to Denver so actually moved three people.
I have rented the 26' before (see my post here). There have been a lot of positive updates in the last 8 years to these trucks.
These International Durastar 4300 Trucks now have air brakes and suspension, air-ride driver's seat with adjustable lumbar support (quite comfortable), cruise control, and modern headunit with bluetooth. They are powered by the ubiquitous Cummins B6.7L ISB, of course now with particulate filter and SCR. I suspect Penske specs the base output version of this engine, meaning I had just 200 hp and 520 lb/ft on tap. I believe there is an integrated exhaust brake on this engine, but it's not particularly strong.
Why I rented this truck: I probably could have gotten away with a tightly packed 16' gas model (before I knew I was also moving my friend), but I didn't want to be aware of the trailer: As I hoped, this truck pulled the car carrier straight and true in cross-winds, rough roads, and heavy braking and gave me the impression of a much safer option. Also, trip reports from the gas engines indicate 8 mpg is typical when towing, so diesel saved me money on fuel. And the upcharge was only about $400 over the 16'.
Also, I considered PODS/Pack-Rat or similar -- several downsides: Price was $2700 and I still had to get our car out there on my own ($1000 with fuel, lodging, and food if I drove it myself). Additionally, in many city locations, they can't drop the POD so you need to rent a truck to move yourself from the distribution center. You don't even want to know what a professional move would cost.
Other specs:
Rig as loaded numbers:
The trip numbers:
The route:
The experience driving the International 4300:
I was a CDL holder and bus driver for about 6 years (you just need normal operating license to rent this though...somewhat scary). Other than backing up with a dinky trailer on a big vehicle (hard), I found the vehicle easy to drive. Its turning radius is very good because its wheelbase isn't too bad (much better than a 40' 2-axle city transit bus). Honestly, the engine is pretty anemic, especially at higher speeds, in a vehicle with the aerodynamics of a brick (over the road tractors have much better aerodynamics with lower fairings and smoother flow over the box). With my relatively light load, I was seeing 35-40 mph up the 6-8% grades on I-70 and I-15 between Denver and Los Angeles, similar to the slower semis. The transmission was good and I had options to disable 6th gear as well as to make it hold 4th. There was also an ECON mode that would hold gears long and upshift at a lower RPM. On the highway my typical strategy for an upgrade would be to disable 6th gear and get a running start wide open. For mild downhills, I would get some engine braking by again disabling 6th gear. For the steepest downgrades of the trip, I would keep it in 4th gear. Because of the terrible aerodynamics, this rig really didn't gain much speed downhill and was easy to control in steep downhills without getting the sense of overworking the brakes. For the majority of the trip, I would keep cruise at 65 mph. I would estimate up to 1/3 of my time was spent utilizing 2.5-3 second following distance, aka "light drafting" of semis, which netted approximate 1.5 mpg bump on truck's instant fuel economy readout, so keep that this in mind for my fuel economy numbers.
I-15 was really pretty extreme duty, with the engine wide open for long stretches in 90-110 degree heat. The water temp would creep up to about 215 and then the cooling fans would kick onto high (very loud), and quickly bring her back down to 190. So a more-than-adequate cooling system.
As far as the exhaust aftertreatment, I did not experience a single active regeneration (definitely never got the "high exhaust temp" light, so I am presuming that passive regen on the highway with a hard working engine was enough).
What I learned about packing a moving truck and driving cross-country:
Penske experience:
Overall, it was good. Price including taxes, cargo insurance, liability insurance, collision/loss damage insurance, and towing insurance was $2433.10. They give you a minimum 10 day rental period for cross-country moves. To get the best price from Penske, I started with an online quote using my AAA discount and then called and a rep decreased it another 10%. The price I paid seemed a lot better than U-haul and Budget. I also knew I would get new diesel equipment with Penske. They also have extremely low-hassle reimbursement for any DEF, windshield washer fluid, or oil you add to the vehicle as long as you save receipts (I added $53 in DEF and was paid back in cash upon drop-off).
Penske Negatives: The woman I rented from knew nothing about the truck or trailer and no manual was provided for the vehicle. I had to learn about the equipment as I went: They have a video for the car carrier so I loaded it correctly, but no video for education on the trucks. I didn't realize I could lower the air suspension until after I had loaded the truck, for instance. I was also delivered a car carrier with 10 psi in one tire and a truck with the low DEF warning light on. I pumped the tire back up to the recommended 50 psi and it didn't lose appreciable air the rest of trip so it must have been a very slow leak and been low for a long time (questionable maintenance on Penske's part). The car carrier also had cheap quality steel for the ratchets.
Overall, it was a smooth trip with no mechanical mishaps or close calls on the road. I didn't need to honk at anyone, and no one honked at me. It's relaxing being able to stay in the right-most lane or middle lane and let other people do the work of lane changes. I found the most challenging driving to be I-80 in PA, which I expected from my experience driving it in a car.
Photos:
Pulled nose-to-nose with adjacent semi for scale:
If you are considering a long-distance DIY move, feel free to PM me if you have any questions.
If you like my detailed trip reviews, you can read my Ireland trip here
I have rented the 26' before (see my post here). There have been a lot of positive updates in the last 8 years to these trucks.
These International Durastar 4300 Trucks now have air brakes and suspension, air-ride driver's seat with adjustable lumbar support (quite comfortable), cruise control, and modern headunit with bluetooth. They are powered by the ubiquitous Cummins B6.7L ISB, of course now with particulate filter and SCR. I suspect Penske specs the base output version of this engine, meaning I had just 200 hp and 520 lb/ft on tap. I believe there is an integrated exhaust brake on this engine, but it's not particularly strong.
Why I rented this truck: I probably could have gotten away with a tightly packed 16' gas model (before I knew I was also moving my friend), but I didn't want to be aware of the trailer: As I hoped, this truck pulled the car carrier straight and true in cross-winds, rough roads, and heavy braking and gave me the impression of a much safer option. Also, trip reports from the gas engines indicate 8 mpg is typical when towing, so diesel saved me money on fuel. And the upcharge was only about $400 over the 16'.
Also, I considered PODS/Pack-Rat or similar -- several downsides: Price was $2700 and I still had to get our car out there on my own ($1000 with fuel, lodging, and food if I drove it myself). Additionally, in many city locations, they can't drop the POD so you need to rent a truck to move yourself from the distribution center. You don't even want to know what a professional move would cost.
Other specs:
- 70 gallon fuel tank
- ~10 gallon DEF tank
- 6-speed automatic Allison transmission
- Governed to 70 mph
- Seats three
Rig as loaded numbers:
- Rig with trailer is about 55' long, 8' wide, and 12'7'' high.
- Trailer (1 ton, 2-axle car carrier with 4-wheel disc brakes) plus car (Camry) was approximately 5,000 lbs
- Box was about 80% full, not a particularly heavy load, I estimate about 5,000 lbs of cargo (max payload is 10,899 to keep gross vehicle weight under 26k)
The trip numbers:
- Miles driven: 3038
- Fuel burned: 303.89 gallon
- Average price per gallon: $3.35 ($1,017.44 for the trip)
- MPG: 10 mpg on the nose
- DEF used: approximately 9 gallons or 335 miles per gallon
The route:
The experience driving the International 4300:
I was a CDL holder and bus driver for about 6 years (you just need normal operating license to rent this though...somewhat scary). Other than backing up with a dinky trailer on a big vehicle (hard), I found the vehicle easy to drive. Its turning radius is very good because its wheelbase isn't too bad (much better than a 40' 2-axle city transit bus). Honestly, the engine is pretty anemic, especially at higher speeds, in a vehicle with the aerodynamics of a brick (over the road tractors have much better aerodynamics with lower fairings and smoother flow over the box). With my relatively light load, I was seeing 35-40 mph up the 6-8% grades on I-70 and I-15 between Denver and Los Angeles, similar to the slower semis. The transmission was good and I had options to disable 6th gear as well as to make it hold 4th. There was also an ECON mode that would hold gears long and upshift at a lower RPM. On the highway my typical strategy for an upgrade would be to disable 6th gear and get a running start wide open. For mild downhills, I would get some engine braking by again disabling 6th gear. For the steepest downgrades of the trip, I would keep it in 4th gear. Because of the terrible aerodynamics, this rig really didn't gain much speed downhill and was easy to control in steep downhills without getting the sense of overworking the brakes. For the majority of the trip, I would keep cruise at 65 mph. I would estimate up to 1/3 of my time was spent utilizing 2.5-3 second following distance, aka "light drafting" of semis, which netted approximate 1.5 mpg bump on truck's instant fuel economy readout, so keep that this in mind for my fuel economy numbers.
I-15 was really pretty extreme duty, with the engine wide open for long stretches in 90-110 degree heat. The water temp would creep up to about 215 and then the cooling fans would kick onto high (very loud), and quickly bring her back down to 190. So a more-than-adequate cooling system.
As far as the exhaust aftertreatment, I did not experience a single active regeneration (definitely never got the "high exhaust temp" light, so I am presuming that passive regen on the highway with a hard working engine was enough).
What I learned about packing a moving truck and driving cross-country:
- Our country is beautiful and incredibly varied. People are generally good and friendly no matter where you are
- Your cargo will rub-- pack tightly with padding between anything you care about!
- Car carrier ratchet straps over the wheels WILL LOOSEN, especially after you initially load the vehicle/loosen them
- If the trailer ball won't release, chock the trailer wheels and pull forward with the truck
- The cheapest diesel was rarely at the big name truck stops (Pilot, Loves) -- they seem to be charging an average of a $0.15 premium for all the extra services you can get there (showers, trucker loungers, high flow pumps)
- Weigh stations are still an enigma to me: we pulled over for every open station (probably about 5 in total), but many over-the-road trucks didn't need to because there is some automated detection system prior to the station and large signs that then indicate to you whether you should pull off. I'd be curious if anyone knew more about this system functions
- Some carriers appear to have a strict rule to drive 65 mph or govern their trucks there -- I always knew a FedEx or Xtra truck would be on the slower side, usually on cruise, and that I would be able to catch a little draft, if it was relatively flat. As soon as the road went up, these trucks could maintain close to 65 mph (I couldn't) so they had a lot of power in reserve.
- Be sure to get all insurance offered by your moving carrier, as your personal auto insurance, nor your credit card, will cover large trucks.
- Call ahead to your hotel/motel to see if they offer truck parking and you can even ask if they have a trucker discount. Park your rig in a well-lit area and have a good lock on the box
- State Award for best rest stops along route goes to....OHIO!
- State Award for worst road conditions encountered along our route...I-76 in front range of COLORADO
- State Award for best road conditionals overall along our route...OHIO and UTAH in a tie
- A lot of people self-move with Penske! Can't tell you how many identical rigs with car carriers I saw, especially west of the Mississippi.
Penske experience:
Overall, it was good. Price including taxes, cargo insurance, liability insurance, collision/loss damage insurance, and towing insurance was $2433.10. They give you a minimum 10 day rental period for cross-country moves. To get the best price from Penske, I started with an online quote using my AAA discount and then called and a rep decreased it another 10%. The price I paid seemed a lot better than U-haul and Budget. I also knew I would get new diesel equipment with Penske. They also have extremely low-hassle reimbursement for any DEF, windshield washer fluid, or oil you add to the vehicle as long as you save receipts (I added $53 in DEF and was paid back in cash upon drop-off).
Penske Negatives: The woman I rented from knew nothing about the truck or trailer and no manual was provided for the vehicle. I had to learn about the equipment as I went: They have a video for the car carrier so I loaded it correctly, but no video for education on the trucks. I didn't realize I could lower the air suspension until after I had loaded the truck, for instance. I was also delivered a car carrier with 10 psi in one tire and a truck with the low DEF warning light on. I pumped the tire back up to the recommended 50 psi and it didn't lose appreciable air the rest of trip so it must have been a very slow leak and been low for a long time (questionable maintenance on Penske's part). The car carrier also had cheap quality steel for the ratchets.
Overall, it was a smooth trip with no mechanical mishaps or close calls on the road. I didn't need to honk at anyone, and no one honked at me. It's relaxing being able to stay in the right-most lane or middle lane and let other people do the work of lane changes. I found the most challenging driving to be I-80 in PA, which I expected from my experience driving it in a car.
Photos:
Pulled nose-to-nose with adjacent semi for scale:
If you are considering a long-distance DIY move, feel free to PM me if you have any questions.
If you like my detailed trip reviews, you can read my Ireland trip here
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