If your U-Haul gets stolen, you are personally responsible for the full replacement cost of the truck unless you bought Safemove or Safemove Plus at checkout, and your personal belongings inside are only recoverable through your own homeowner’s or renter’s policy. The first moves are calling the police, calling U-Haul, and figuring out which coverage actually applies. What you paid for at the counter decides whether this is paperwork or a five-figure bill.
Call the Police, Then Call U-Haul
Dial 911 as soon as you realize the truck is gone. Give the dispatcher the last known location, a description of the vehicle, and the license plate number, which appears on your rental contract if you don’t remember it. The responding officers will create a police report and give you a case number. Hold onto that number. U-Haul, Repwest (U-Haul’s insurance carrier), and your own insurer will all ask for it.
Your next call is U-Haul. The rental agreement requires you to notify them of any loss, and the sooner you report it, the less room there is for anyone to question the timeline. Have your rental contract number and the police report number ready. You can also report stolen equipment at uhaul.com/Recovery. After hours, U-Haul’s roadside assistance line operates around the clock, and the number is on your contract.
What You Owe for the Truck
If you declined all optional coverage at checkout, U-Haul’s standard rental terms make you responsible for any loss or damage to the equipment, regardless of fault. That includes theft, even if you did nothing wrong. The rental agreement is blunt: decline coverage, and you agree to immediately reimburse the company for any loss upon non-return of the equipment.1U-Haul. U-Haul Equipment Reservation Terms and Conditions
Replacement cost varies by truck size, but a bill in the tens of thousands is realistic. This is not a depreciated-value calculation. It’s whatever it costs U-Haul to replace the equipment, with no cap on your liability.
Does Safemove or Safemove Plus Cover Theft?
Yes, both plans cover theft of U-Haul equipment, provided your own neglect didn’t contribute to the truck’s disappearance.2U-Haul. SafeMove Damage Protection – Truck Rental Coverage The main difference between the two is the deductible. Safemove Plus carries a $0 deductible on any accidental damage or loss claim. Safemove comes with a deductible.3U-Haul. Damage Coverage Frequently Asked Questions Either way, having a plan is the difference between filing some paperwork and owing the full value of a truck.
Safemove is available for moving trucks, pickup trucks, and cargo vans. Safemove Plus is available only for moving trucks and adds up to $1,000,000 in supplemental liability coverage on top of the damage waiver.3U-Haul. Damage Coverage Frequently Asked Questions
What Counts as Neglect
U-Haul’s theft coverage hinges on one phrase: theft is covered “if neglect did not play a role in its disappearance.”2U-Haul. SafeMove Damage Protection – Truck Rental Coverage The company doesn’t publish a detailed checklist, which gives its claims team discretion. Lock the truck every time you walk away. Take the keys with you. Don’t leave the engine running unattended. Park in well-lit areas overnight. If the adjuster can point to something careless, that’s the opening they need to deny the claim.
What Safemove Does Not Cover
Neither Safemove nor Safemove Plus covers your personal belongings against theft. These plans protect U-Haul’s equipment, not the furniture, electronics, and boxes you loaded into the back. The cargo coverage inside these plans only pays out if your belongings are damaged by a collision, overturn, or fire. Theft of your property is not included.3U-Haul. Damage Coverage Frequently Asked Questions If someone drives off with the truck and everything in it, U-Haul’s plan handles the truck. Your stuff is a separate problem.
Why Your Credit Card and Auto Insurance Usually Won’t Help
Many renters assume the credit card they paid with provides backup coverage, the way it might for a rental car at the airport. Moving trucks are a different category. Most credit card rental vehicle benefits specifically exclude trucks, vans used for moving, and other large or commercial vehicles. The exclusion is based on vehicle type, not value, so even a basic cargo van often falls outside the terms.
Personal auto insurance is similarly unhelpful. Most auto policies set a maximum weight for covered vehicles, and moving trucks exceed it. Even comprehensive coverage that includes theft on your personal car almost certainly doesn’t extend to a rented 26-foot box truck. Smaller rentals like a pickup or cargo van have a marginally better chance of qualifying under your policy’s weight limits, but it’s not guaranteed. Call your auto insurer to confirm before you rely on this, not after the truck disappears.
Getting Reimbursed for Your Stolen Belongings
Because U-Haul’s plans don’t cover your personal property against theft, your homeowner’s or renter’s insurance is where the money for your belongings comes from. Most standard policies do cover personal property stolen from a vehicle, including a moving truck. There’s a catch, though, and it surprises many people.
Homeowner’s and renter’s policies typically cap off-premises coverage at around 10% of your total personal property limit. If your policy covers $100,000 in personal property at home, you may only recover up to $10,000 for belongings stolen while they were away from your residence. For someone moving an entire household, that cap can leave a painful gap. Check your off-premises limit before assuming the full loss is covered.
When you file the claim, your insurer will want the police report number and a detailed inventory: descriptions, estimated replacement values, and any proof of ownership you can produce, such as receipts, photos, or bank statements showing the purchases. If you never took inventory of what went into the truck, you’re reconstructing from memory, which slows everything down and usually results in a lower payout.
If you don’t carry renter’s or homeowner’s insurance, there is no fallback. U-Haul’s rental agreement explicitly states the company is not responsible for cargo and does not accept custody or control of your property.1U-Haul. U-Haul Equipment Reservation Terms and Conditions Without your own policy, the loss of your belongings is uninsured.
Filing the Claim With Repwest
If you bought Safemove or Safemove Plus, U-Haul’s coverage is underwritten by Repwest Insurance Company. File directly with Repwest, either through its online claims portal or by calling 1-800-528-7134 and selecting option 1.4Repwest Insurance Company. File a Claim Have your rental agreement and police report ready to upload.
The adjuster will review the police report, your rental contract, and the circumstances of the theft. They’re looking for two things: confirmation the truck was actually stolen rather than misplaced or simply unreturned, and confirmation you didn’t do anything negligent that contributed to the loss. Assuming both check out, the claim covers the truck’s value minus any applicable deductible.
If you didn’t buy a protection plan, there’s no Repwest claim to file. U-Haul will bill you directly for the equipment, and you’ll be negotiating with the company’s recovery department with limited leverage.
Steps That Protect You Before the Move
The time to prepare for a stolen truck is before you pick up the keys. A few steps meaningfully reduce your exposure:
- Buy Safemove or Safemove Plus. The daily cost is minor compared to the liability you’re accepting without it, and Safemove Plus with its $0 deductible is the safer choice for longer moves.
- Confirm your renter’s or homeowner’s coverage. Ask your insurer specifically about off-premises theft limits. If the cap is too low for what you’re moving, ask about a temporary rider or scheduled personal property endorsement.
- Photograph and inventory everything you load. A timestamped video walk-through of the loaded truck takes two minutes and can be worth thousands if you file a claim.
- Keep the truck locked and the keys on you at all times. A momentary lapse, like running into a gas station with the engine idling, is exactly the behavior an insurer can call neglect.
- Park strategically overnight. Choose a well-lit lot visible from your lodging. Avoid leaving a loaded truck on a dark residential street if you can help it.
None of this guarantees the truck won’t be stolen. It does ensure that if it is, you have coverage that pays out and documentation that supports your claim instead of undermining it.