U-Haul Trailer Practices Raise Car Accident Risk, Newspaper Reports

June 26, 2007

  • June 26, 2007 at 8:28 am
    GB says:
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    Its not a companies job to protect people from themselves. U-Haul shouldn’t have to ask people what they are towing. If you are seeking out towing equipment, and have a car or truck equipped to tow, you should know something about how to tow, including the weight limitations, changes in handling characteristics, and suseptibility to cross winds. Other retailers don’t ask how you will be using their product. If you really think this is U-Haul’s fault, then every purchase of every item will become a 45 minute interview. You buy a cup of coffee on your way to work: Will you be throwing this at your coworker ? Will you be pouring it in an electrical outlet ? will this coffee be a distraction from driving ? …..please sign here.

    The article points out some tragic circumstances, but some people are idiots, and some times unfortunate things happen and …..here comes a real shocker…..there is no one to blame ( or sue ).

  • June 26, 2007 at 8:38 am
    Jeff says:
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    You’re right, GB, not doing timely maintenance on the vehicle is absolutely the fault of the consumer. It’s just like if you purchase food that is tainted with E-Coli, it’s also your fault. Give me a break!

  • June 26, 2007 at 11:15 am
    U-Hauler says:
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    We all need to take responsibility for our actions. U-haul is a terrible company that puts dangerous equipment on the road all the time. About 10 or 15 years ago 60 Minutes had a 15 minute feature on the equipment showing tires with large holes in them but that were not visible to the average consumer because the tires were on the inside (the rear axles of many trucks have two tires on each side).

    I moved from Florida to Seattle last summer and rented a 6X12 U-Haul trailer that made a noise like glass breaking every time I hit a bump (no, there was no broken glass in the trailer). U-Haul did not correct the problem mid-way through the trip and I drove over 1000 miles with the trailer that way. The lights also did not work for about half of the trip.

    All this is true. However, I am about to move again (this time local) and will use a U-Haul truck. Why? Because I don’t want to pay the higher prices that the competition changes. I know if I use U-Haul I’m taking a risk because they do not maintain their equipment. However, I accept that risk knowingly. I’m taking personal responsibility for my choice to use dangerous equipment. If something happens, I am not a victim.

  • June 26, 2007 at 12:52 pm
    LLCJ says:
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    There’s more to this than personal responsibility. IF you read the LA times article, it will clearly show that the things that UHaul permits goes against the recommendations of auto manufacturers.

    If you go to Uhaul with a 4000 lb car, and they say you’re allowed to tow 4500 lbs, when the manufacturer says 1500, is that safety? Is that conservative?

  • June 26, 2007 at 12:57 pm
    Darwinette says:
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    Yes folks, its called “the natural thinning of the herd – survival of the fittest”. Or in this case, “survival of the less stupid”.

  • June 26, 2007 at 1:02 am
    Temblor says:
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    Strange. 7 or 8 years ago I wanted to rent a small trailer to pull with my 2,000 lb Honda CRX. The local U Haul would not rent me the trailer, they said my car was to light to pull it.

    And when I went back with my wife’s Saturn (1,000 lbs heavier) they would only rent me their smallest trailer, AND gave me a manual on how to load and how to tow, including slow down if there are high cross winds.

    But many years before they rented me a large truck which swayed dangerously on the interstate. Turns out they never checked the tire pressures before letting me take it for a cross country trip. After I corrected that, it broke down, late on a Friday in Tn when everything closed early because of a snow storm. The Ford dealer said I should come back Monday morning.

    The U Haul rep on the phone kept asking me to please stop screaming. He ended up sending a truck which towed the broken down truck 150 miles to my apartment, then they left it parked there until I was through unloading it.

    The sound like broken glass was the chain dragging.

    And you load it a little heavy on the tongue to help prevent swaying. Load it evenly, front to back, or heavy in the back, and it will sway at the slighest provocation.

  • June 26, 2007 at 1:04 am
    GB says:
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    I should have been clearer in my original post. Yes, the vehicles should be maintained properly, and negligence in that area would be the fault of U-Haul.

    However, who is more responsible for knowing the towing ability of YOUR vehicle: some 18 year old counter clerk at the local Gas Station or You, the owner and about to be tow vehicle operator ? You have an obligation and responsibility to use your vehicle in a safe manner. That includes not towing more than you should. If Hertz rents you a car and you drive 100 mph, would Hertz be responsible for that ?? Of course not. If someone uses a trailer irresponsibly, its the same thing.

    As far as only towing something less than the weight of the vehicle, that is ridiculous. Most pick-up trucks weigh 4-5000 pounds and are rated, by the manufacturer, to tow up 10,000 pounds in some cases.

  • June 26, 2007 at 1:07 am
    Hmmm says:
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    How about this crazy proposal: UHaul maintains its equipment properly; has some basic signage in the trailer that shows how to load, drive, and weight restrictions; and drivers take responsibility for their own behavior?

  • June 26, 2007 at 1:08 am
    Recommender says:
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    To U-Hauler: If Budget truck rental is available in your area, try them. I found their equipment is well maintained and much less expensive that U-Haul.

  • June 26, 2007 at 1:16 am
    Patriot says:
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    I read a few of your comments, not all of them.. Almost lost my lunch reading a couple of them.. The e-coli comparison,, now that was a great analogy.. And the fellow that claims to have read how unsafe U-haul equipment is/was and went ahead and rented something REALLY takes the cake. But then, admits he is going to do it again because he does not wish to pay a higher price for a rental unit from another company! Good grief!
    We have became a nation of morons and some are showing up here!

  • June 26, 2007 at 1:21 am
    Rolf Neu says:
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    The ‘U’ in U-Haul should stand for “Unsafe”. I think you only need to look at U-Haul’s trucks and trailers to see that much of it is old and not well maintained. U-Haul’s only real value is its trademark. The best thing that can happen is someone will buy the brand and make the much needed capital investment.

    The millions the Shoen family spent over the years fighting amongst themselves should have been spent on maintenance, repairs and replacement of their fleet of trucks and trailers.

    The good news is there are other rental firms including Penske, Ryder trucks and now even Enterprise.

  • June 26, 2007 at 1:23 am
    Chad Balaamaba says:
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    most folks with their eyes open can note U-Haul equipment is usually not the cleanest, newest, or appears downright wornout. But they get business, most likely because they offer competitive pricing vs the competition.

    Let’s say U-Haul requires their ee’s to question everyone about how they are going to use the trailer; does that mean the renters will tell the truth?

    Let’s face it: when you rent one of these items, you are trying to cut costs. The safest thing to do is hire movers to complete the move; if something goes wrong, it’s usually limited to the property being moved, and that’s a separate insurance issue.

    U-Haul should maintain their fleet; if they don’t, whack em’. However, that doesn’t seem to explain some of the stories noted in this piece. I’m sorry about the paralysis noted in this piece, but I’m still trying to figure out why the negligence of the husband was excused: towing something too heavy, being cheap, obviously driving too fast…where does common sense take over? An earlier poster made an excellent point: Does McDonalds have to ask how you intend to use the coffee? Sure, this may seem extreme, but when does common sense takeover?

    Too many people in the country refuse to take any responsibility for the actions, and outright stupidity; it’s always someone elses fault: someone should save me from my own stupidity!!!!

    Just change the name to ‘Renter Beware-Haul’…

  • June 26, 2007 at 2:06 am
    GB says:
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    Regarding the accident in the Ford Explorer: First, we all know that there were other problems with those vehicles flipping on the highway….and then a little research turns up that the woman who suffered the spinal injury had unbuckled her seat belt and was turned around to attend to her kid in the back seat. Below is a quote from an article on the topic:

    However, those amounts were reduced by 10 percent, to about $9.9 million, because the jury apportioned 10 percent of the fault to the Burkes. It found that she either failed to exercise ordinary care or her husband failed to ensure that she was wearing a seat belt.

    Court documents show that a state trooper said that Christopher Burke told him several hours after the accident that Corry Burke had “taken her seat belt off and was turned around in her seat tending to the baby” at the time of the accident.

  • June 26, 2007 at 2:14 am
    KLS says:
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    This article references “breaks” on trailers.

    “Bad breaks are a recurring problem with the company’s large trailers and its midsize trailers have no breaks at all.”

    Brakes are still brakes, right? Even on a trailer? Or are ‘breaks’ some trailer-part lingo I’ve never heard before?

    I’m surprised the Associated Press made that kind of error.

  • June 26, 2007 at 2:46 am
    Cat says:
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    All I know is I moved 1700 miles with towing a UHaul and the trailer would start swaying VIOLENTLY while going about 45 downhill in New Mexico and Arizona.

    On the same trip our brake lights for the trailer kept going out and we had to jerry-rig them to keep them on at night!!!

  • June 26, 2007 at 3:57 am
    U-Hauler says:
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    Funny how people get so charged over these things. This country needs more people who are willing to take personal accountability over their actions. If 16 year olds were able to rent cars, trucks, etc I can see the fuss over the company’s lack of safety. However, my whole point in my posting is that I weigh the costs and risks and make an informed decision that I take ownership over. Just wish society would do more of the same. First tobacco, then mold, now U-Haul? Somebody please stop blaming others for their own irresponsibility!

    By the way, the sound that resembled glass breaking was the suspension bearings that were completely worn out. I’ve been towing trailers long enough to know what a chain dragging sounds like (though it does not happen when I tow as I know what I’m doing from that perspective).

  • June 26, 2007 at 4:18 am
    rolfneu says:
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    I’m all for personal responsibility but the expose the LA Times undertook regarding U-Haul showed numerous instances where U-Haul or its authorized dealers failed to maintain the trucks and trailers.

    When brakes don’t work, it doesn’t matter if you loaded the trailer correctly. The consumer should have an expectation when they rent a truck or trailer that it has been maintained and that the critical elements of the vehicle are working.

    I don’t see any connection between a person lighting up a cigarette knowing the health hazards and someone renting a U-Haul with defective breaks, etc..

    As a side note, I wonder if all the people in this country who are so hip on ‘personal responsibility’ ever gave thought that we’ve allowed the creation of corporations in order to shiled owers from ‘personal responsibility’. I wonder if they ever thought that the ability to purchase insurance to pay for your own negligence also is a way to avoid ‘personal responsibility’. Much of the unnecessary litigation in this country is because someone or some corporation doesn’t want to accept responsibility. Insurance policies force the claimant to first establish that the other party was ‘legally liable’.

    Personal responsibility is something that seems to be in short supply and certainly U-Haul has tried their utmost to shirk their responsibility.

  • June 26, 2007 at 4:40 am
    wudchuck says:
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    here’s my problem with the whole thing:

    1) responsibility of driving is the driver. did he ever tow a veh before, does he know that driving downhill should be at a slower speed, did he know the amount allowed to be towed by his veh according to mfg spec’s? again, in society we try to fend of any responsibility for anything to everyone but urself. just like that case of the gun case that was locked in the basement and the new temporary occupant undid the door to get to the gun and have an incident. i used to be a truck driver for long haul (48 states and canada), and i was responsible for my bobtail and the trailer. i can’t blame the anyone because i am supposed to check the gear/trlr before i leave. this is especially important when pulling hazmat loads.

    2) maintanence on veh/trlrs is important and maitain proper records. this means that the company shud create records for such. the military does this all the time with it’s equipment. i used to be in the navy as a support equipment technician (yellow gear, as we call it). with today’s technology, u can xfer records and files for any vehicle via computer.

    ***
    so, i conclude that the mr was not very familiar with towing equipment. from someone good research, found out that the family even violated the law by not wearing a seatbelt. so the possibility she definately could have suffered less injury. but also, knowing your equipment how to properly use it makes a difference. as a renter to a rentee, i shud make sure that all things i give/rent is in good condition. its just a matter of the rentee being familiar with the equipment and how it is used.

  • June 27, 2007 at 7:32 am
    DWT says:
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    A trailer swaying violently is usually due to 1 of 3 things.

    It was loaded wrong or overloaded. A vehicle is rated for a given maximum towing weight. However even a pickup rated for 10,000 lbs. might not be able to handle that load due to the hitch that was put on the vehicle. A hitch is rated for a maximum load as well as a tongue weight. For passenger cars, the tongue weight of the trailer is usually rated for around 100 lbs. If you don’t know what I am talking about when I say tongue weight, you shouldn’t be renting a trailer.

    Another common problem is how the weight is distributed in the trailer. Too many times I’ve seen the heaviest things either loaded first or last. Well put the heaviest things too far forward and your tongue wieght goes up. Put the weight too far back and you have no tongue weight. Bottom line, the weight should be distributed slightly forward of or over the wheels as much as possible.

    The final reasons trailers sway is that the drivers have no idea what they are doing. Ever look at the message on the fender of a U-Haul? If not you should. You can’t (well you shouldn’t) be driving 70 or 80 MHP when pulling one of those trailers. Another tendacy is to brake like you do when you’re not towing, and by this i am saying that you do not anticipate. When you’re towing, you should break gradually and remember that you have that trailer back there.

    Finally… if I have a complaint with U-Haul, it is that they will rent their trailers to anyone and that is dangerous.

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  • February 25, 2008 at 7:18 am
    lulu says:
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    my cousins were moving from los angeles to new orlens … going thur texas the trailer fliped over and killed my cousin… his son was injured…. uhaul never took responsiblty and we have not gotten any of his belongings.there is alot of harrasment from uhaul…and still no belongings and no settlement …

  • November 9, 2009 at 9:49 am
    Bob says:
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    We rented two tandem U-Haul trailers and we are experienced towers,the one trailer started whipping violently and if you press brakes it got worse,all we could do is accelerate to straighten the hitch/load to bring it under control. We now know that the hitch assembly is loose and worn and with hitch assisted brakes(are to week) that only work when you apply the vehicle brakes it is almost impossible to control. Ask this question: Is a F-250 superduty with a long crewcab wheelbase enough truck to tow this little trailer safely,I think not when the hitch has play in it causing the trailer to whipp and both trailers have a serious amount of play in them. It says tow them 55 miles per hour and I say 35 is too fast safely.
    The day after our near loss a U-Haul tandem was in a roll over accident on I-75 south of Dayton Ohio they say load shifted but guess what!! So will U-Haul see this post and do something about loose hitches or continue to rent them and say its the vehicle or loaded too much or too little in the front???



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