Shared-use services at U-Haul
U-Haul is in the shared-use business. This company was founded on the fundamental philosophy that “the division of use and specialization of ownership” is good for both our customers and the environment. Our shared-use strategy has continually helped us focus on caring for our customers instead of simply providing products. Our sustainability practice is to increase the shared use of our resources and promote sustainable local communities by helping more families move with U-Haul products and services.
Truck sharing and car sharing
Truck-sharing refers to truck-rental services intended to substitute for private, large-capacity vehicle ownership. It makes occasional use of a truck affordable, even for lower income households, while providing an incentive to minimize driving and turn to alternative travel options (e.g. public transit) as much as possible.
U-Haul also provides a car-sharing service – membership-based UhaulCarShare® – which allows members access to a vehicle by the hour without the hassles of gas, insurance, parking fees and maintenance costs. Today, car sharing is widely accepted as a critical element of the transportation network in many cities and universities, enabling residents, students and businesses to get rid of their cars and still meet their transportation needs.
Box sharing
Since 2007, U-Haul has launched two box sharing initiatives: Take a Box, Leave a Box®, offering a drop location in all Company stores where customers can drop off their reusable moving boxes for other customers to take and use, and our Online Box Exchange®, an Internet-based message board that anyone can use to trade, sell or buy reusable boxes and moving supplies. These initiatives aim to promote and encourage our customers to share and reuse moving boxes and other supplies. Box sharing helps reduce paper consumption significantly, which in turn reduces the consumption of energy and natural resources such as wood and water, while eliminating waste at the source.
Storage sharing and Re-Use Center
Corporate citizenship is U-Haul Company’s commitment to being accountable to the communities in which we live and serve. With more than 1,200 self-storage facilities conveniently located in North American communities, the U-Haul storage-sharing strategy is an innovative solution to shared-living communities. Through careful planning and shared-use of storage space in these communities instead of their own houses, residents are able to live comfortably in a more compact area, utilizing common services which create substantially reduced living expenses. Shared use of U-Haul self-storage facilities also helps reduce construction of over-sized residential and commercial buildings, saving tons of concrete and other building materials, and preventing greenhouse gas emissions and waste generation.
U-Haul Storage Re-Use Centers in every U-Haul storage facility have been developed to provide a redistribution network for gently used household goods, materials, furniture, sporting equipment, bikes, and clothing that were formerly destined for landfills.
These storage-sharing initiatives are serving the needs of people of varying incomes, not only in providing tangible shared facilities but also by building a sense of community and a feeling of support and respect.
