William LipovskyA hydraulic liftgate is a convenient way to load heavy items into the bed of a truck. The steel liftgate lowers to the ground with an electric hydraulic system. With a push of a button, the liftgate rises up to the back of the truck or lowers to the ground for ease of loading and unloading your items. There are several rental companies — both national and local — that rent out trucks with liftgates.
For moving truck purposes, you will most likely rent either a truck with a cantilever lift or a tuck-away lift. A cantilever lift can tilt and provide a ramp to quickly load items into the back of a truck. There are typically three buttons that are used to tilt, lower, and lift the gate. With a tuck-away lift, you have the option of not using the lift at all. However, if you know you won’t be using the lift, it will most likely be cheaper to rent a moving truck with a manual pull out ramp. You can inquire with the truck rental company to compare rates.
Whether you rent a truck with a cantilever lift or a tuck-away lift, you will want to ensure you are properly instructed on how to use this feature before you drive away from the rental location. If you aren’t comfortable using a truck with a liftgate feature, several of the rental truck locations listed below offer trucks with manual load ramps. Manual load ramps are typically steel ramps that slide out from underneath the truck manually. Manual load ramps still offer a way to get items up and into the back of the truck, it will simply take a little more effort and physical exertion.
Table of Contents
What We Recommend
For nationwide availability, Penske is likely your best bet for renting a truck with a liftgate. You only need to be 18 to rent, and you can rent as long as needed, even if you need to travel out of the state. Ryder has similar offerings for trucks with liftgates, but note that neither company will allow a one-way rental for a truck with a liftgate. Budget Truck allows one-way rentals, but it will only allow you to rent trucks with liftgate for commercial use (not personal).
There are also several good regional options — such as Rentals Unlimited in Maryland and Virginia or CC Rentals in New York — that offer trucks with liftgates. These companies may allow one-way rentals, but you will need to confirm this with the company.
Comparison Table
See the table below for a quick comparison of the companies that rent trucks with liftgates, then click any company or scroll for more details.
| Company | Service Area | Trucks With Liftgates | One-Way Rentals? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Penske | Nationwide | 22' and 26' box trucks | No |
| Ryder | Nationwide | 22' and 26' straight trucks | No |
| Enterprise Truck Rental | Nationwide | 16', 24', and 26' trucks | No (with some exceptions) |
| Budget Truck | Nationwide (commercial use only) | 16' and 24' straight trucks | Yes |
| Rentals Unlimited | Maryland and Virginia | 18' trucks | Unspecified |
| CC Rentals | New York | 14' and 20' trucks | Unspecified |
| Timp/Move-It Rental | Utah | 14' and 26' trucks | No |
| City Rent a Truck | Kansas | 14' box trucks | No |
| Just4Wheels | New York City and New Jersey | 14' and 26' box trucks | No |
| Suppose-U-Drive | Southern California | 14' to 26' trucks | Yes |
| Longhorn | Austin and Victoria, TX | 15' to 26' box trucks | Unspecified |
| Empire RAC | New York City | 12' to 24' trucks | Yes |
| Avon | Los Angeles, CA | 12', 16', 20', and 24' trucks | Yes |
| ChicagoLand Truck Rental | Chicago, IL | 16' to 26' box trucks | Yes |
| Elite | Chicago, IL | 16' and 24' trucks | Yes |
| Del's Truck Rental | Seattle, WA | 16' to 24' trucks | No |
The List
The following rental businesses offer online reservations or quotes and a variety of truck types suited for your individual needs. Most truck fleets offer an automatic transmission, air conditioning, power brakes, and power steering to make handling of a large truck a little less difficult.
When renting from one of these companies, be sure to understand the company’s policies and fee structure before confirming a reservation. Note that many truck rental locations have the right to restrict the allowance of one-way rentals, even if the company’s policy typically allows them. You should contact your intended rental location to make sure that it will allow a one-way rental. We’ve ordered the list below starting with the best overall options (specifically those with nationwide availability).
1. Penske
- Available trucks with liftgates: The 22-foot and 26-foot box trucks come with power liftgates.[1]
- Minimum renter age: 18, with a valid driver’s license[2]
- Truck features: Air conditioning, automatic transmission, power steering, anti-lock brakes[1]
- One-way trips available? One-way trips are not available for trucks with liftgates. A truck with a pull out (manual) ramp can be rented for a one-way trip.[3]
- Out-of-state travel permitted? Yes, applicable fees will apply (per day rental fee plus per mile).[4]
- Manual loading ramps available? Yes[1]
- How long can these trucks be rented? A truck can be rented for as long as necessary. You will be charged for each day the truck is rented.[1]
- Find out more or book online
2. Ryder
- Available trucks with liftgates: The 22-foot and 26-foot straight trucks come with power liftgates.[5]
- Minimum renter age: 18, with a valid driver’s license[6]
- Truck features: Air conditioning, automatic transmission, power steering, and AM/FM radio with CD[5]
- One-way trips available? No, vehicles must be picked up and dropped off at the same location.[7]
- Out-of-state travel permitted? No[7]
- Manual loading ramps available? Yes[5]
- How long can these trucks be rented? Trucks are rented on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis.[6]
- Find out more or book online
3. Enterprise Truck Rental
- Available trucks with liftgates: The straight trucks (24-foot and 26-foot) and 16-foot cabover trucks come with tuck away liftgates[8]
- Minimum renter age: 21; renters age 21 to 24 will pay an additional surcharge.[9]
- Truck features: Air conditioning, automatic transmission, power steering, power brakes, AM/FM stereo, diesel engine[8]
- One-way trips available? With limited exceptions, trucks must be returned to the same branch it was picked up. When trucks are returned to a different location, it should be within the same metropolitan area. Call 1-(888) 736-8287 for more details.[10]
- Out-of-state travel permitted? Yes, the state(s) to be driven to will be noted in the contract and you should return the truck to the same location.[10]
- Manual loading ramps available? No[8]
- How long can these trucks be rented? A minimum two-hour rental time applies but most customers pay by the day.[9]
- Find out more or book online
4. Budget Truck
Note: Liftgates are only available to commercial (business) customers. If you are not renting on behalf of a business, you can rent a Budget truck with manual loading ramps.[11]
- Available trucks with liftgates: 16-foot and 24-foot straight trucks come with liftgates[11]
- Minimum renter age: At least 18. Renters age 18 to 23 will pay an additional surcharge.[12]
- Truck features: Air conditioning, automatic transmission, power brakes, power steering, AM/FM stereo[11]
- One-way trips available? Yes[12]
- Out-of-state travel permitted? At most locations, interstate travel is permissible with a Budget rental truck.[12]
- Manual loading ramps available? Yes, these are rented to non-commercial customers.[11]
- How long can these trucks be rented? You can rent trucks as long as needed, but you will pay a daily rental fee agreed upon when you sign the contract. Your estimated return date will also be noted in the contract. If a truck isn’t returned on that day, Budget may put a hold on your credit card until the truck is returned.[13]
- Find out more or book online
5. Rentals Unlimited (Maryland and Virginia)
- Available trucks with liftgates: The 18-foot truck comes with a power liftgate[14]
- Minimum renter age: Unspecified online
- Truck features: Automatic transmission[14]
- One-way trips available? Unspecified online
- Out-of-state travel permitted? Unspecified online
- Manual loading ramps available? Yes[14]
- How long can these trucks be rented? Hourly, daily, weekly, and monthly rates available[15]
- Find out more or book online
6. CC Rentals (New York)
- Available trucks with liftgates: 14-foot and 20-foot trucks come with optional liftgates[16]
- Minimum renter age: Unspecified online
- Truck features: Air conditioning, automatic transmission, AM/FM stereo, power steering, and power brakes[16]
- One-way trips available? Unspecified online
- Out-of-state travel permitted? Unspecified online
- Manual loading ramps available? Yes[16]
- How long can these trucks be rented? One day, daily, weekly, and monthly rates available[17]
- Find out more or book online
7. Timp/Move-It Rental (Utah)
- Available trucks with liftgates: 14- and 26-foot trucks come with power liftgates[18]
- Minimum renter age: Unspecified online
- Truck features: Automatic transmission[18]
- One-way trips available? No, vehicles must be picked up and dropped off at the same location[19]
- Out-of-state travel permitted? Unspecified online
- Manual loading ramps available? Yes[18]
- How long can these trucks be rented? Unspecified online
- Find out more or book online
8. City Rent a Truck (Kansas)
- Available trucks with liftgates: 14-foot box truck comes with a liftgate (other trucks up to 28 feet do not have liftgates)[20]
- Minimum renter age: 21 years old for light-duty trucks and vans; 25 years old for medium to heavy-duty trucks.[21]
- Truck features: Cruise control[20]
- One-way trips available? No[21]
- Out-of-state travel permitted? Unspecified online
- Manual loading ramps available? Unspecified online
- How long can these trucks be rented? Minimum rental is one day. Daily, weekly, and monthly rental terms available.[21]
- Find out more or book online
9. Just4Wheels (New York City and New Jersey)
- Available trucks with liftgates? The 14-foot and 26-foot box trucks come with power liftgates[22]
- Minimum renter age: 21, but Just4Wheels’ website states that additional charges apply to all renters under 25.[23]
- Truck features: Unspecified online
- One-way trips available? No[23]
- Out-of-state travel permitted? Unspecified online
- Manual loading ramps available? Yes[22]
- How long can these trucks be rented? Hourly, daily, weekly, and monthly rates available[22]
- Find out more or book online
10. Suppose-U-Drive (Southern California)
- Available trucks with liftgates: Trucks from 14 feet to 26 feet come with liftgates[24]
- Minimum renter age: Unspecified online
- Truck features: Air conditioning, automatic transmission, power brakes, and power steering[25]
- One-way trips available? Truck rentals can be picked up and dropped off at multiple locations[26]
- Out-of-state travel permitted? Unspecified online
- Manual loading ramps available? Unspecified online
- How long can these trucks be rented? Daily, weekly, monthly, and long term leasing rates available[26]
- Find out more or book online
11. Longhorn (Austin and Victoria, TX)
- Available trucks with liftgates: The 15- to 24-foot box trucks come with power liftgates.[27]
- Minimum renter age: 18[28]
- Seating capacity: Unspecified online
- Truck features: Air conditioning, automatic transmission[27]
- One-way trips available? Unspecified online
- Out-of-state travel permitted? Unspecified online
- Manual loading ramps available? Unspecified online
- How long can these trucks be rented? Unspecified online
- Find out more or book online
12. Empire RAC (New York City area)
- Available trucks with liftgates: 12- to 24-foot trucks come with optional liftgates[29]
- Minimum renter age: 21[30]
- Truck features: Air conditioning, automatic transmission, AM/FM radio[29]
- One-way trips available? You can rent from one Empire location and drop it off at another but all locations are in the New York City area.[30]
- Out-of-state travel permitted? Yes but you will need written permission from the location manager[30]
- Manual loading ramps available: Unspecified online
- How long can these trucks be rented? Daily, weekly, and monthly rental terms available.[30]
- Find out more or book online
13. Avon (Los Angeles, CA)
- Available trucks with liftgates: The 24-foot crew cab box truck, the 12-foot crew stake truck, and the 16-foot and 20-foot cube/box trucks come with liftgates.[31]
- Minimum renter age: Must be 21 with a valid driver’s license and 25 years of age to rent “specialty vehicles”[32]
- Truck features: Air conditioning, automatic transmission, AM/FM stereo with CD player, child and booster seats are available with rental[31]
- One-way trips available? Yes; additional pickup locations in Hollywood, Santa Monica, and Beverly Hills[32]
- Out-of-state travel permitted? No, trucks are not to be taken out of the state of California or additional surcharges may apply.[32]
- Manual loading ramps available? Yes[31]
- How long can these trucks be rented? Avon does not state on its website a maximum amount of time trucks can be rented. Please call for daily, weekly, or monthly rates.[32]
- Find out more or book online
14. ChicagoLand Truck Rental (Chicago, IL)
- Available trucks with liftgates: 16-foot to 26-foot box trucks come with liftgates[33]
- Minimum renter age: Unspecified online
- Truck features: N/A
- One-way trips available? Yes[34]
- Out-of-state travel permitted? Unspecified online
- Manual loading ramps available? No[33]
- How long can these trucks be rented? Hourly, daily, weekly, and monthly rates available[34]
- Find out more or book online
15. Elite (Chicago, IL)
- Available trucks with liftgates: The 16-foot and 24-foot trucks come with liftgates[35]
- Minimum renter age: Unspecified online
- Truck features: Automatic transmission; Elite uses Penske for its fleet of trucks[35]
- One-way trips available? Yes[35]
- Out-of-state travel permitted? Yes[35]
- Manual loading ramps available? Unspecified online
- How long can these trucks be rented? Daily, weekly, and monthly rentals.[35]
- Find out more or book online
16. Del’s Truck Rental (Seattle, WA area)
- Available trucks with liftgates: 16-foot to 24-foot box trucks come with liftgates[36]
- Minimum renter age: Must be at least 21 years old to rent equipment.[37]
- Truck features: Automatic transmission, cruise control[36]
- One-way trips available? No[37]
- Out-of-state travel permitted? Yes, as long as the truck is returned to the original location.[37]
- Manual loading ramps available: Yes[36]
- How long can these trucks be rented? Daily, weekly, and monthly rental terms available.[37]
- Find out more or book online
Companies That Don’t Offer Rental Trucks With Liftgates
In the course of our research, we found that the following car and truck rental companies don’t rent out trucks with liftgates:
- Alamo
- Avis
- Sixt
- U-Haul (Note: U-Haul does offer trucks with manual loading ramps)
For more about moving equipment that you can rent with trucks, see our list of rental companies that rent out car tow dollies.
Loren Eaton
Sonya Bateman
Erika Crawford
Cathy Desmet
Lindsey Desmet
Joseph Cho
Maria R. Riegger, Esq.
Kait Scirri
For a one-way rental where you really need a lift gate, I found the (second) best choice is to rent a smaller truck with a much LOWER deck height + ramp. That would be the dreaded U-Haul. I say dreaded because U-Haul has a spotty reputation and the dealers are just as unpredictable. I happen to have a couple of really good ones locally. If you are loading heavy items – in our case file cabinets and bankers boxes, that lower height is both a convenience and a safety factor. Loading file cabinets up a steep, high ramp is a risk I’d rather avoid.
The situation is important enough that we considered just buying an Isuzu NPR with a lift gate and reselling it after the office move is over!
The lift gate nonsense
As of October, 2017 – I just contacted both Penske and Budget regarding One Way Lift Gate rental in-state(California). The answer I just got from several calls to 4 different agents was “NO !, No! No! and No”.
I wanted a one way 26′ truck with a lift gate.”No,No,No & No!” It is for a lucrative 1 week rental and I even offered to open a business account with them. “No,no, ……”
Penske had this specific explanation for their shortsightedness – “each truck+lift gate is owned by a specific location.” But so too is every other truck, I reply. What difference does a lift gate or a ramp make? Response is: mumble, mumble.
Then ,from 1 agent I got the ‘we could request it but can’t promise it ‘
Why do they make this so opaque and obstructive ?
I am trying to give them a business rental during their slowest week of the year (Thanksgiving) and the answer is either “No” or worse.
This is a great opportunity for a competitor to step in .
Experience has shown that most people that rent lift trucks for personal moves generally don’t know how to use and are quite susceptible to harming themselves or someone else in the operation of the lift gate. Feet or fingers can get caught in lift gates since are there no safety failsafe systems for the use of lift gates. Couple that with the combined I.Q. Of the “moving crew” gathered together for moving day and it’s a formula for disaster. Then you have to hear all the complaints of “we could have been killed” echoing off the walls. And the one doing the most complaining is probably the one that rented equipment to begin with and swore on a stack of bibles that they knew every thing there was to know about the use of lift gates.
I looking for a truck too rent one way with a lift gate i going from Louisiana too Michigan in the coming months any body knows of any i can see about renting i am having no luck with the lift gate part.Wayne
Hi Wayne,
We published an article that might be of help to you — it’s focused on truck rental companies that offer one-way rentals. You can cross-reference that post with this one about companies that offer trucks with a lift gate. For example, Penske and Budget Truck offer one way rentals, and many locations feature trucks with lift gates for rent. I hope this helps!
Hi thanks i call both them company’s the problem is with a lift gate they want u too return it back too where u rent it i not coming back from Michigan too Louisiana too return a truck but i do thank you very much Wayne
Hi Wayne,
I’m sorry to hear that Penske and Budget Truck didn’t pan out! After doing some further research, it sounds like it can be notoriously difficult to get a one-way rental with a lift-gate. Is a truck with a manual loading ramp at all a possibility for you? It should be significantly easier to secure a one-way rental from Louisiana to Michigan if the lift-gate itself isn’t an absolute necessity. Please let me know if I can answer any more questions for you!
Hi thanks for your answer seems like i not going too have much choice its not what i want but i going too do what i have too do too get move when the times comes Penske is like 5 miles from where i moving too so i will probley go with them unless i get lucky and find a lift gate thanks again Wayne
FYI-I just got off the phone with Penske and they do not offer one-way rentals for lift gate equipped trucks. I need a lift gate truck to move between CA and OR.
Hi Diane,
I’m sorry to hear about your negative customer service experience. Penske does in fact do allow for one-way rentals for their lift gated trucks. The rep you spoke with may have been confused or new because not all lift gated trucks can be rented one-way. If your particular location didn’t have any one-way lift gated trucks, that rep may have taken the option off the table. But I’ve been assured that you can do this. Ask your agency for a time-frame as to when they can get such a truck delivered to your location. This all is possible. It’s just a logistics issue (and poor customer service issue) that you’re having to endure. I’ve updated to state more clearly the Penske policy.
Please reply back if Penske still isn’t making things easy on you. Thanks for letting us know you had an issue, Diane.
I called Penske and they don’t guarantee a lift gate. What they tell is that there are so few in the one way fleet that it’s almost impossible to get. You don’t know until the day of pick up. And they don’t let the lift gate trucks go out of state.
I also called Budget and they say without exception that their lift gate trucks cannot to a one way rental. Any ideas?
Hi Diane,
They sure don’t make it easy on a person. You can still check with your local Thrify and/or United. Though have you considered using loading ramps? You can place them on the steps of a home/business and loading can be done without lifting things (as long as the home/building allows access for this). If you’re okay with ramps, that can broaden your search to U-Haul, Sixt, Avis and many other national companies.
I am moving across the U.S. and have looked into the truck rental companies you mention in this article. I’m disappointed to learn that none of these companies you mention offer liftgate rental trucks for one-way. They all require pick-up and drop-off in the same location. This is a huge disappointment. You should consider adding this information here so others don’t waste time looking for one-way truck rentals with liftgates.
Hi Dee,
Thank you for the comment. You’ve brought up a good point. For people moving a far distance, returning to the same location is a huge pain. Because of your comment, this post is getting revamped – with an emphasis on letting everyone know the return policies (and hopefully finding a few new rental companies that don’t require their vehicles to be returned to the same location). Within a week, this post will be 2.0’d. If you’re subscribed to comments and see this – please check back within a week. Hopefully that time frame works for you. Sorry for any inconvenience. If I can answer any specific questions for you, I’ll be happy to. Thank you, Dee.
Hi Dee,
Please see updated information if you’re still in the market. Budget, Enterprise, Penske all have liftgate trucks that can be rented for one-way trips.
It appears that’s the case when you look at their web pages but when I called to inquire, they were only available for local or in-state use. That was my experience with Penske, renting out of San Diego. When I tried to get a quote from Enterprise online, I found they were not available for one-way out of state as well.
My wife and I are moving my mother in law into a new home and need a truck. We have never rented a moving truck before so we aren’t sure what to look for in one. One with a lift gate like this would be awesome! I just hope that we can find one here locally.
Great list! Thank you!