[64speed]

I have to rent a U-Haul trailer to get the car down to the body shop. I tried to get some information on the service yesterday but the U-Haul place won’t just let you drop it off anywhere. I have to name a specific location where I will be making the drop. If I provide an address can anyone tell me the nearest U-Haul store cause they could not/would not.

[steve25]

You might do better posting this in the members helping members section?

[The Champ]

Why not just use the Uhaul locations locator?

You can plug in a zip code, address or city. You can also specify locations for trailers.

https://www.uhaul.com/Locations/Trai...pa-FL/Results/


Looks like there are 6 locations in Tampa with trailers.

Take your pick...

[64speed]

Originally Posted by The Champ

Why not just use the Uhaul locations locator?

You can plug in a zip code, address or city. You can also specify locations for trailers.

https://www.uhaul.com/Locations/Trai...pa-FL/Results/


Looks like there are 6 locations in Tampa with trailers.

Take your pick...

I used it and it gave me like 15 locations. I called U-Haul because I have rented a trailer so many times for this car I have a direct number. The “help” I got couldn’t tell me what was nearest to the address. I don’t want to pull a U-Haul over Tampa if there is one right across the road. Plus I have to tell them where I’m dropping it off. I was hoping someone who knew the area would know if I gave them the address

["QUICK-SILVER"]

Just looked at a list of 50 u-haul dealers in and around Tampa. 31 of those did trailers.

If you can't post the address here.. At least post a zip code so this can be narrowed down.

Main roads you're taking, getting to the paint shop, would help in searching for a drop off point as you're leaving/heading home.

Could compare u-hauls location map to a google map of the paint shop.

Clay

[The Champ]

Originally Posted by 64speed

I used it and it gave me like 15 locations.

You do realize that the list's default order is by distance - so the first one listed would be closest to the city center of Tampa, don't you?

So do a zip code search using the zip code of the shop that you are going to, or to be more precise, use the street name of the location of the shop as I suggested.

The locator will give you a list of shops closest to that zip or street.

Once you get a refined list, take option #1 and click "driving directions" and input the address of your shop and you'll have a map giving you turn by turn directions to get there.

Either that or call your shop down there and ask them for the nearest Uhaul dealer to their shop. If they don't know, they can google "Uhaul dealers near me" and get an answer for you.

[Chris65LeMans]

Google maps.

Also - beware. I’ve heard a lot of body shop horror stories that start with “My car is at a body shop one state over.” (Except it’s 2 states over and 600 miles for you.)

[Sirrotica]

FWIW, In November 2020 I rented a U haul trailer in Scottsdale and was to drop it off at a garage in the town I live in Ohio. When I got there they were closed, so I went to the next nearest U Haul location (10 miles from the first place where I was scheduled to drop it off). When I got there I went inside, and asked if I could drop it there as the other place was closed. They punched the trailer number in to their system, and it allowed me to drop it off at the alternate location.

In my experience it wasn't a big deal to drop it off in the same general area, YMMV.

[64speed]

I asked the owner of the shop and he said he had no idea but that he was in a huge industrial area so tgere “had to be one” I called my 1 800 number they gave me and the foreigner I spoke too had no idea what I was trying to convey, just that I couldn’t drop it anywhere. I called the regular 1 800 number and asked to speak to a supervisor and they said in a “pinch” I could leave it at any of them so I’m just gonna do an “around me” with Siri once I get there and take it. My initial contact with U-Haul was adamant that I had to drop it where scheduled but I guess it can’t hurt to try. I will rent it with my AMEX anyway. They always side with their customers and will make U-Haul take it wherever if it gets ugly.

[GTO_6970]

Is the shop in the industrial area near TIA airport? If so, look for a drop off location on West Hillsborough Ave.

["QUICK-SILVER"]

I can see why U-Haul wants to know where there stuff is going to be. Be hard for a store to schedule another rental, when they may or may not have a trailer to rent.

Would you want this done to you?

Clay

[Sirrotica]

They don't schedule a rental based on when someone is going to return equipment, they only schedule based on actual physical inventory. This happened when I rented my trailer in AZ, small enclosed trailers were at a premium when I rented it out west. I had to call 3 stores to reserve one. The guy managing the store I bought the hitch from, urged me to find, and reserve a trailer before I needed it because of the shortage of that particular trailer at the time.

When you rent a trailer, across country you have 7 days to return it. If you take 4 days or 7 days to return it, they have no idea what day it's coming back. I took the full 7 days, but for some reason, the place selected to return it was closed in the middle of the afternoon. Since it was the last day to return it without a extra charge, I went to the next closest dealer (10 miles away) and they accepted it with no problem. This was in November of last year, so I'm guessing the policy is still the same.

I have a storage unit that we rent monthly, and I was telling the owner about renting the U haul, and not being able to return it because he was closed in the middle of the day. He said that they were a U haul dealer at one time, but it was such a pain, and they made very little money from it, that they just quit it.

[The Champ]

Originally Posted by 64speed

I asked the owner of the shop and he said he had no idea but that he was in a huge industrial area so tgere “had to be one” I called my 1 800 number they gave me and the foreigner I spoke too had no idea what I was trying to convey, just that I couldn’t drop it anywhere. I called the regular 1 800 number and asked to speak to a supervisor and they said in a “pinch” I could leave it at any of them so I’m just gonna do an “around me” with Siri once I get there and take it. My initial contact with U-Haul was adamant that I had to drop it where scheduled but I guess it can’t hurt to try.

So instead of just inputting the location of your selected body shop - 2 states away - in advance, you are just going to use your phone to hopefully find a possible drop off location after you get there and hope they accept a trailer?

Can't believe that you wouldn't take a minute or two - before you leave - and utilize Uhaul's extremely easy to use online locator and learn the nearest actual location that will:

Accept the trailer, is open on the day/time you will want to drop it off, know their actual physical street address and have their phone number stored in the memory of your phone so that you can call them if you have any issues while in the Tampa area.

What could go possibly go wrong?

This from the guy that said in his original post:

I don’t want to pull a U-Haul over Tampa if there is one right across the road. Plus I have to tell them where I’m dropping it off

SMH....

[64speed]

Like I said, it gave me a lot of locations based on the zip and the owner was very nice but said he wasn’t sure of where the nearest one was and the U-Haul number was useless. I did google maps and asked Siri and they gave me two. I called them both and they close at 5 which is LONG before I will be able to drop it off. A lot of places will accept after hours drop offs BUT you have to schedule it or at the very least make sure it’s one of the ones with a kiosk station to give out locks. I was again hoping that someone in Tampa could say “hey this U-Haul is near so and so” and I could call rather than sort over 50 places! I have used the after hours drop off one time in the past and it was a pain because they told me it was as simple as getting the lock and taking a picture and it’s not.!

[The Champ]

Originally Posted by 64speed

Like I said, it gave me a lot of locations based on the zip and the owner was very nice but said he wasn’t sure of where the nearest one was and the U-Haul number was useless.

The locator lists them by distance from the location YOU input.

So #1 is the closest, #2 is the next closest, etc...

You really seem to want to make this more difficult than it is.

If the nearest locations close at 5:00 PM, you either need to adjust YOUR time to fit that or continue contacting locations that are further out.

Why make simple things so hard?

[64speed]

I debated on whether I should respond to your continued insistence that I was being difficult. It’s 9 1/2 hours to Tampa. I can’t leave before 7:00 AM. The owner is already staying open to meet me. I CANNOT drop it off before 5 in that time. I did not know it sorted them by distance. I don’t know anything about oneway rentals because I have always brought the trailer back with me to the original location but I do not want to do that from Tampa. I am sorry that I didn’t know it sorted by location but even if it did that doesn’t mean they will stay open or readily accept trailers! That leaves me calling EVERY place on the list till I find one or simply asking if someone on here that LIVES in Tampa knows anything.

[The Champ]

Originally Posted by 64speed

I debated on whether I should respond to your continued insistence that I was being difficult. It’s 9 1/2 hours to Tampa. I can’t leave before 7:00 AM. The owner is already staying open to meet me. I CANNOT drop it off before 5 in that time. I did not know it sorted them by distance..

You should read my posts - the VERY first line of my post on Saturday afternoon:

You do realize that the list's default order is by distance - so the first one listed would be closest to the city center of Tampa, don't you?

I don't know why you can't leave before 7:00 AM - that sounds like more of an excuse than a reason. Are you driving right back to SC as soon as you drop the trailer? That's probably a full 24 hour trip allowing for dropping off the car and then the trailer. Why not leave at midnight so you can arrive mid morning and make life simpler?

You could also leave the day before, spend the night, drop the car off first thing in the morning and return the trailer before noon. Sure this might not be your preferred option, but it would make life much simpler.

Every time we try and help resolve a problem for you, you throw another road block into the picture.

[64speed]

I have kids that I can’t drop off at school before 7:00. I can’t keep the U-Haul in a motel parking lot so I have to drop it off or drive 24 hours. Not excuses just facts. I can only get someone to pick kids up from school and keep them 1 night.

[TAKerry]

Good luck with your trip. Hope everything works out well. I did a straight through round trip from MD to FLA and back when I picked up my car. I too didnt want to stop at a motel for a couple of reasons. I just pulled into a truck stop for a few hours of rest at a couple of spots.

[burd]

Call Reliable transport.