Pickup Truck Rental in Charleston: Sierra vs a Moving Van

Most people searching for a truck rental in Charleston are doing one of three jobs: moving a few pieces of furniture, hauling materials for a project, or running a boat-launch or hunting weekend. For those jobs a pickup is often a better fit than a box van, and it is also a normal car for the drive home. This guide covers what our pickup is, what it costs, and how to compare it with a moving-van rental before you book.

The truck: 2022 GMC Sierra 1500 Limited

We have one pickup, the 2022 GMC Sierra 1500 Limited. It is $80 a day on Turo, seats five, and has a 5.0 rating across 30 trips. It averages about 17 MPG and the listing calls for premium fuel, so budget for that on a long day of driving. It is a full-size pickup, so it rides and parks like one: fine on the interstate, tighter in downtown garages and on narrow peninsula streets. You can see the live calendar and price on our Turo host profile.

When a pickup beats a moving van

• Small moves. A couch, a mattress or a dresser from a Mount Pleasant apartment is a one-trip job for a pickup bed. A box van is more truck than you need.
• Hardware-store runs. Lumber, mulch, flooring and appliances ride in the bed without tying up an afternoon.
• Dock and ramp days. If you are heading to a boat ramp, you want a truck, not a van.
• Everything else. After the haul you still have a comfortable five-seat vehicle for the rest of your trip.

A box van wins when you are moving a whole house, need items kept out of the weather, or have more than a pickup bed can hold. Be honest about the load before you book.

How to compare the real total

A daily rate is only part of the cost, whichever company you rent from. When you compare our pickup with a moving-van or truck-rental counter, line up the same things:

• Daily rate or flat rate. Our price is per day. Some counters quote a low base rate and charge separately for time.
• Mileage. Our mileage allowance is stated on the Turo listing, so read it for a long haul. Some truck-rental quotes add per-mile charges, so ask for the total.
• Fuel. Add what the truck will burn. Ours is a premium-fuel pickup at about 17 MPG.
• Fees and protection. On Turo, protection options and fees appear at checkout. Compare the checkout total to the counter's out-the-door quote, not the headline rate.
• Extras you may need. Dollies, blankets and moving equipment are counter add-ons. Bring your own straps if you have them.

We wrote a longer breakdown of this method in Is Turo Cheaper Than Enterprise in Charleston? The same rule applies to trucks: compare checkout totals.

Picking it up in Charleston

You can pick the truck up at our Mount Pleasant location, or ask for delivery within 10 miles of Mount Pleasant. Delivery to Charleston International Airport (CHS) is $100, free on trips of 5 days or more. If you are flying in for a project weekend, our CHS delivery guide explains how the handoff works.

What we cannot promise

We are a small fleet, so we are not a moving company. We do not list a hitch, a bed liner or a towing rating on the website, and we do not promise any of them. If you are towing a boat or trailer, message us through Turo with what you are hauling and we will tell you honestly whether the Sierra fits, and point you to a better option if it does not.

Cheaper options if you do not need a bed

Plenty of hauling jobs fit in an SUV with the seats folded. The Chevrolet Equinox is $55 a day and the Jeep Cherokee is $60. If you are moving boxes rather than furniture, either will do the job for less. Our SUV rental page lists them all.

Frequently asked