U-Haul 2011 Annual Report Download - page 8

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As of March 31, 2011, our rental fleet consisted of approximately 101,000 trucks, 82,000 trailers and
33,000 towing devices. This equipment and our U-Haul brand of self-moving products and services are
available through our network of managed retail moving centers and independent U-Haul dealers.
Independent U-Haul dealers receive rental equipment from the Company, act as rental agents and are
paid a commission based on gross revenues generated from their U-Haul rentals.
Our rental truck chassis are manufactured by domestic and foreign truck manufacturers. These chassis
are joined with the U-Haul designed and manufactured van boxes primarily at U-Haul operated
manufacturing and assembly facilities strategically located throughout the United States. U-Haul rental
trucks feature our proprietary Lowest DeckSM, which provides our customers with extra ease of loading.
The loading ramps on our trucks are the widest in the industry, which reduce the effort needed to move
belongings. Our trucks are fitted with convenient, padded rub rails with tie downs on every interior wall.
Our Gentle Ride SuspensionSM helps our customers safely move delicate and prized possessions. Also,
the engineers at our U-Haul Technical Center determined that the softest ride in our trucks was at the
front of the van box. Consequently, we designed the part of the van box that hangs over the front cab of
the truck to be the location for our customers to place their most fragile items during their move. We call
this area Mom’s AtticSM.
Our distinctive trailers are also manufactured at these same U-Haul operated manufacturing and
assembly facilities. These trailers are well suited to the low profile of many of today’s newly manufactured
automobiles. Our engineering staff is committed to making our trailers easy to tow, safe, aerodynamic
and fuel efficient.
To provide our self-move customers with added value, our rental trucks and trailers are designed with
fuel efficiency in mind. Many of our newer trucks are fitted with fuel economy gauges, another tool that
assists our customers in conserving fuel. To help make our rental equipment more reliable, we routinely
perform extensive preventive maintenance and repairs.
We also provide customers with equipment to transport their vehicle. We provide two towing options;
auto transport, in which all four wheels are off the ground and a tow dolly, in which the front wheels of the
towed vehicle are off the ground.
To help our customers load their boxes and larger household appliances and furniture, we offer several
accessory rental items. Our utility dolly has a lightweight design and is easy to maneuver. Another rental
accessory is our four wheel dolly, which provides a large, flat surface for moving dressers, wall units,
pianos and other large household items. U-Haul appliance dollies provide the leverage needed to move
refrigerators, freezers, washers and dryers easily and safely. These utility, furniture and appliance dollies,
along with the low decks and the wide loading ramps on U-Haul trucks and trailers, are designed for easy
loading and unloading of our customers’ belongings.
The total package U-Haul offers the “do-it-yourself” household mover doesn’t end with trucks, trailers
and accessory rental items. Our moving supplies include a wide array of affordably priced U-Haul brand
boxes, tape and packing materials. We also provide specialty boxes for dishes, computers and sensitive
electronic equipment, as well as tape, security locks, and packing supplies. U-Haul brand boxes are
specifically sized to make loading easier.
We estimate that U-Haul is North America’s largest seller and installer of hitches and towing systems.
In addition to towing U-Haul equipment, these hitching and towing systems can tow jet skis, motorcycles,
boats, campers and horse trailers. Our hitches, ball mounts, and hitch balls undergo stringent testing
requirements. Each year, more than one million customers visit our locations for expertise on complete
towing systems, trailer rentals and the latest in towing accessories.
U-Haul has one of North America’s largest propane refilling networks, with over 1,060 locations
providing this convenient service. We employ trained, certified personnel to refill all propane cylinders and
alternative fuel vehicles. Our network of propane dispensing locations is one of the largest automobile
alternative refueling networks in North America.
Our self-storage business was a natural outgrowth of our self-moving operations. Conveniently located
U-Haul self-storage rental facilities provide clean, dry and secure space for storage of household and
commercial goods. Storage units range in size from 6 square feet to over 1,000 square feet. We operate
nearly 1,115 self-storage locations in North America, with nearly 411,000 rentable rooms comprising 36.3
million square feet of rentable storage space. Our self-storage centers feature a wide array of security