U-Haul vs AKA Moving · Montreal
U-Haul or movers?
What a Montreal move really costs
U-Haul is American and DIY. AKA Moving is Canadian and done for you. U-Haul advertises $39.99; our real one-way rental to Calgary came to about $5,160. Here is the honest math on when to rent the truck, and when to let us do it.
The honest truth
Why is U-Haul so expensive once you add it up?
U-Haul shows you one number, $39.99. Your day is certainly not $39.99. Here is what a short local move really adds up to, before you even count the value of your own time:
The only reason it lands even this low is the $0.00 on the labour line, and labour is the most expensive part of any move. Bring friends and they are not really free: you feed them, about $80 in pizza, and you owe them a favour. Put a real value on the lifting and a small U-Haul move sails past $450, with amateurs carrying your things up the stairs. AKA includes professional movers in one fixed price at movers' rates, so we are often cheaper once the real labour is counted, done for you and insured.
Small moves and deliveries
One item or a small load: is a U-Haul cheaper?
Usually not. A real short U-Haul move across Montreal comes to about $247 once you count the truck, mileage, gas, waiver, fees and tax, and the lifting is still on you. Our small delivery is a fixed $150 to $300, done for you and fully insured. That is often cheaper than the U-Haul, even before you count the value of your own day.
Fixed $150 to $300, no hidden fees. Two experienced movers, the truck, gas, kilometres and tax, all in one price. Real covers and straps, and free insurance at double coverage.
On small deliveries we often consolidate your item with other stops on the same route, so AKA Delivery can come in under renting a truck for the day. You can even hire us with a U-Haul you already rented.
Bought something on Facebook Marketplace? We will grab it.
You do not need to rent a truck for one couch, a dresser or a fridge you found online. We do the pickup and drop-off for you, cheaply, from $150. A few small things to move across town? We handle the whole small move for less than the price of a day of your own time, done and insured.
AKA usually wins Often cheaper than the U-Haul, and it is done for you, insured, with nobody risking their back.
Residential moves, mid and large
A house or a big apartment: this is where movers win
A one-bedroom you can maybe do with a truck and two friends. A two-bedroom-plus with real furniture, appliances and Montreal staircases is a different job. That is where a U-Haul turns into a long, risky day, and where AKA wins outright.
We also handle the pieces a U-Haul cannot: pianos, marble, lab and medical equipment, artwork and antiques, wrapped, padded and protected the way trained movers do it. See how a full home move works on our residential moving page.
AKA wins Mid and large moves are safer, faster and usually cheaper once the real day is counted.
Long distance
Moving across Canada: this is where the gap gets huge
Here is what a one-way U-Haul from Lachine to Calgary actually cost us in December 2024, contract #19418881, 8 days and 2,710 miles at $1.00 a mile, before anyone lifted a single box:
That is about $5,160 just to move the empty truck, and you are the one driving 3,400 kilometres in winter.
Honest trade-off. Consolidation shares a route, so delivery is scheduled rather than same-hour. Need a hard deadline? A dedicated move costs more, but for most long-distance loads the consolidated price wins by a wide margin.
Renting a U-Haul anyway? Let us pack and load it.
A trick we have done for long-distance customers for years: you rent the U-Haul for the cheap one-way drive, and our crew professionally packs and loads it before you leave. Everything gets wrapped and strapped so it survives the long, bumpy road without breaking, and expert loading fits far more in, often your whole move in one trip. You save your back, without paying for our truck or a driver. It is the same idea as our U-Haul loading help, which loads or unloads any rental truck by the hour.
The truck-size trick
A U-Haul "20 foot" truck is not 20 feet of space
U-Haul counts the full length, but about two feet of that is the overhead loft above the cab. A U-Haul "20 foot" holds closer to a real 15 feet of usable box. AKA trucks run high cargo ceilings and ride wider, so the same length holds far more, often your whole move in a single trip. Fewer trips means less gas, less time, less of your day gone.
A U-Haul "20 ft"
AKA's 20 ft
Side by side
U-Haul vs movers, line for line
| U-Haul (DIY) | AKA Moving | |
|---|---|---|
| Where it is from | American company | Canadian, Montreal-based |
| What it is | A truck rental. You do the rest. | A done-for-you move, crew included. |
| Labour | You and your friends | Two or three experienced movers |
| Insurance | Waiver you buy, first $250 on you | Free, double coverage |
| Covers, straps, dollies | Bought or rented extra | Included |
| Packing & loading | Buy supplies, pack and load it yourself | We pack and load, even into your own U-Haul |
| Who drives | You, in a 20+ ft truck | We do |
| Gas | You fill the tank and return it full | Included in the price |
| Hidden fees | Mileage, waiver, enviro, day fees | None. One fixed price |
| Small delivery | ~$247, you lift | From $150 to $300, done for you |
| Montreal to Calgary | ~$5,160 empty, before lifting | From $800, consolidated |
| Specialty items | Piano, art, lab gear: you risk it | Wrapped, padded, protected by pros |
| Best for | Tiny local move, free friends, a spare day | Small delivery, any real house move, any distance |
The honest concession
When a U-Haul is genuinely the right call
We will say it plainly: for a small, local move, with free and able friends, a spare day and a strong back, a U-Haul can be the cheaper choice. If that is you, rent the truck. But the moment you would pay for help, or you are going any real distance, or you value your weekend and your back, the math flips to us, and we can even work with a U-Haul you already booked.
U-Haul is American. AKA Moving is Canadian, and local.
U-Haul is a United States company. AKA Moving is a Montreal business: our crews live here, our trucks are on your streets every day, and your money stays in the local economy. For a little more than a truck rental, you get a done-for-you, fully insured move, no risk, no wrecked back, and you support a Canadian company doing it right.
Questions
U-Haul vs movers: frequently asked questions
Q Is it cheaper to rent a U-Haul or hire movers?
For a tiny local move with free friends and a spare day, a U-Haul can be cheaper. For anything bigger, or any real distance, hiring movers is usually cheaper once you count the truck, mileage, gas, the damage waiver, fees, materials and your own labour. A real short U-Haul move runs about $247 with you doing the lifting; our small delivery is a fixed $150 to $300, done for you, and often cheaper.
Q Why is U-Haul so expensive when you add it up?
The advertised $39.99 is only the truck for a few hours. On top come mileage, gas, the Collision Damage Waiver, an environmental fee, a trouble-free trip fee, tax, and materials. Our real one-way Montreal to Calgary rental came to $3,758.54 on the card plus about $1,400 in gas, roughly $5,160 for the empty truck before anyone lifted a box.
Q Can AKA move me long distance for less than a U-Haul?
Usually, yes. As a transport company AKA consolidates your goods with other freight on the same route, so Montreal to Calgary starts from $800, against the roughly $5,160 that renting a one-way U-Haul actually cost. It is loaded, driven, insured and delivered, and you are not the one driving across the country.
Q Does the U-Haul damage waiver cover everything?
No. U-Haul's own contract states that even with the Collision Damage Waiver you are responsible for at least the first $250 of any collision damage, and the protection provided is the minimum required by the province. AKA includes free insurance at double coverage, and if something is damaged it is on us.
Q What are the red flags with movers?
Watch for a quote that will not be put in writing, no proof of insurance, a deposit demanded in cash, a price that balloons on moving day, and no real reviews you can read. AKA gives a detailed written quote, carries insurance, and has real, named Google reviews.
Q Can I hire AKA if I already rented a U-Haul?
Yes, and it is one of the smartest ways to save on a long-distance move. Rent the U-Haul for the cheap one-way drive, and our crew packs and loads it before you go, protecting your things and fitting far more in the truck, so it is often your whole move in one trip. You get professional packing and the covers, straps and technique, without paying for our truck or a driver.
Q Can I hire movers just to load or unload my U-Haul?
Yes. That is labour-only help: you keep the cheap rental truck, and we bring the crew by the hour to load it, unload it, or both. Because a professional load also packs more in, it often turns two trips into one. Our U-Haul loading help and moving labour page covers exactly how it works and what it costs.
Q What is the cheapest way to move in Montreal?
The honest cheapest option for a tiny move is a U-Haul with free friends. For most people the cheapest safe option is a fixed AKA quote, because you avoid mileage, gas, the waiver, materials and a second trip, and nobody gets hurt or damages the building. Get our fixed quote, then total what a U-Haul really costs, and compare the two real numbers.
Q Is AKA Moving Canadian?
Yes. AKA Moving is a Montreal-based Canadian company. U-Haul is a United States company. Hiring AKA keeps your money in the local economy and puts a local, insured crew on your move.
Do the real math
Get our fixed quote. Then total what a U-Haul really costs: truck, waiver, taxes, kilometres, gas, and something for your friends. Put the two real numbers side by side, and do not weigh the $39.99 sticker against our quote.
