Nearly all of us have to move house at one time or another and to do so we need to employ a removal company or hire a van or truck and do it ourselves.

Do it yourself house moves are hard work but hiring a vehicle from a truck rental company for a day or two instead of contracting a removal company can save you a lot of cash at a time when you need to be watching your budget very carefully.

Finding a truck rental company is a fairly straightforward matter. Simply type truck rental into a search engine and you will be presented with a large number of truck rental companies both in your area (assuming you live fairly near to a town or city) and nationally.

Essentially all you need is a driving licence and a current bill as proof of your address. The truck rental company will nearly always sort out insurance and any other incidentals. However you will normally be required to meet the fuel costs incurred.

They will be normally be able to offer a variety of models to suit your needs and will generally help you decide what size truck you will need based upon the amount of furniture or equipment you have to transport.

If you have never driven a truck before there is no need to panic as when you arrive at the truck rental company they will take you through all of the vehicles features and show you where the wipers, indicators, lights etc are.

If you are a particularly nervous person then you may wish to ask them if you can drive the vehicle around their yard to get a feel for it before venturing out on to the open road. Alternatively just stick to less busy routes until you feel confident of your abilities.

Driving a truck is very similar to driving a car except you have to be aware of the increased size of the vehicle. Some trucks do not have a rear view window so always make sure you regularly check the side mirrors especially when reversing.

Normally the truck rental company will inspect the vehicle with you and point out any marks and defects before they sign the vehicle over to you. This is to ensure that both parties are aware of any dents, scratches and general faults the vehicle may have so that everyone is clear of the vehicles condition both before and after you have used it.

Many national truck rental companies offer one-way rentals, which may or may not suit your needs.

Make sure you enlist the help of a friend so that when you get where your going you will have somebody to help you with lifting your furniture. Remember you are only renting the truck and not any removal men.