What is the Gas Mileage of a U-Haul Rental Truck?
Aug 15, 2025
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What MPG can you expect from a U-Haul® truck?
If you’re considering renting a U-Haul truck, it’s important to know that your quote won’t include an estimate for fuel costs, which you’ll pay out of pocket. While personal cars average 24.4 miles per gallon, you won’t get near that many in a fully-loaded U-Haul truck.
Let’s review the gas mileage you can expect with U-Haul and learn about U-Pack® — an alternative for moving long distance with no extra fuel costs.
U-Haul trucks’ average miles per gallon
All U-Haul moving truck sizes take unleaded gasoline and average 10-12 miles per gallon. Keep in mind that exact mileage can vary based on truck size, your driving style, the weight of belongings and whether you’re towing.
How big are the fuel tanks?
Tank sizes start at 31 gallons for 10-ft trucks and increase to 40 gallons for trucks 15, 17 and 22 ft. The largest tank size is 60 gallons for 26-ft trucks.
Gas mileage and driving distance per truck
The chart below shows the average miles per gallon (according to U-Haul’s website), the tank size and miles per fuel tank for each truck size.
| Truck size | MPG | Fuel type | Tank size (gallons) | Driving distance per tank (miles) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10-foot | 12 | Unleaded gasoline | 31 | 372 |
| 15-, 17-, and 22-foot | 10 | Unleaded gasoline | 40 | 400 |
| 26-foot | 10 | Unleaded gasoline | 60 | 600 |
What can affect gas mileage in a U-Haul?
Because U-Haul’s estimated MPG is based on empty trucks, it’s important to know that a loaded truck or one towing a personal vehicle will use more fuel.
Here are some other factors that can decrease fuel efficiency during a move:
- Climate control: Using air conditioning causes the truck to consume more fuel.
- Driving style: Aggressive driving with quick acceleration and heavy braking decreases gas mileage.
- Terrain: Driving a U-Haul truck in mountainous areas can reduce fuel economy because it must work harder to pull the load up hills.
- Towing: This adds weight to the truck, causing it to use more fuel while accelerating.
- Vehicle maintenance: Trucks with dirty air filters or under-inflated tires can have decreased fuel economy.
How much will fuel cost for a U-Haul?
Let’s look at examples of potential out-of-pocket fuel costs for a move with a U-Haul 26-ft rental truck. These estimates are just examples, and the truck’s actual MPG may vary depending on driving style and the weight of belongings.
| DISTANCE | Estimated fuel cost for 26-ft U-Haul truck (10 MPG) |
|---|---|
| 700 miles | $222 |
| 1,250 miles | $396 |
| 1,800 miles | $571 |
| 2,500 miles | $793 |
Gasoline costs are based on AAA’s average gas price of $3.17 per gallon at the time of posting, using the truck’s estimated MPG according to U-Haul’s website.
Estimate the cost of gas for your move with this fuel calculator.
Would you rather not drive a rental and pay extra for fuel?
U-Pack rates include equipment, delivery, transportation and standard liability coverage — with no extra charges for fuel. Plus, you can get a cheaper rate without the hassle of driving a rental truck out of state. Request your free, no-obligation quote online or call 844-362-5303844-594-3077 to compare costs.
Let us know in the comments if you have questions about rental truck gas mileage or how to move with U-Pack and skip paying extra for fuel.
U-Haul® is a registered trademark of U-Haul International, Inc. Use of third-party trademarks or registered trademarks does not imply any affiliation with or endorsement by such third party.
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