U-Haul

U-Haul started in 1945 when Leonard Shoen and his wife Anna Mary Carty Shoen built a trailer from military surplus in Ridgefield, Washington. The idea was simple: rent out trailers so families could move their own belongings without hiring professional movers. The first trailers were painted bright orange, and the message on them read "U-Haul Co. Rental Trailers $2.00 Per Day," turning every rental into a mobile advertisement.

Growth came fast through a clever franchising model. Shoen partnered with gas stations, letting them rent U-Haul trailers alongside fuel. This let the company expand without owning its own retail locations. By 1969, AMERCO became the public parent company, and in 2022 it changed its name to U-Haul Holding Company, reflecting that the brand is the core of the business. Today, U-Haul is headquartered in Phoenix, Arizona, and operates over 23,000 locations across the U.S. and Canada.

Beyond trailers, U-Haul now rents trucks, offers self-storage, portable moving containers (U-Box), moving supplies, and even hitch installation. It's the largest installer of permanent trailer hitches in the automotive aftermarket. The company also runs a network of independent dealers, with more than 17,000 active dealers across the country. U-Haul's tone is practical and no-nonsense, built for do-it-yourself movers who want control and savings. [edit]