Choosing a container
Container or rental truck: which costs less?
Updated July 27, 2026
Short answer
The rental truck wins for a small clear-out: under 12 m³ of light debris, an écocentre nearby, and you're willing to load and unload yourself. As an agglomeration resident your first 12 m³ per year at the écocentre are free — the truck then becomes your only cost. The container wins as soon as the volume passes that allowance, the debris is heavy, or you'd need more than two trips. Watch one decisive detail: a 26-foot truck is 7.9 m and exceeds the length limit at most écocentres.
What does the truck cost, kilometres included?
This is where the two big rental companies differ most, and the difference is structural. Home Depot Canada rents with UNLIMITED kilometres: the large cargo van is $160 per day with no meter. U-Haul bills per kilometre and does not publish the rate — it is disclosed only inside the booking flow, after you enter your details. So the two cannot be compared on their advertised prices: U-Haul's headline rate from $20 excludes kilometres.
Add what Home Depot requires: 21+, a $500 deposit, and your own liability insurance covering a non-owned vehicle — it does not sell coverage.
What does dumping the debris cost?
- Agglomeration resident: free up to 12 m³ per year, then $31 per excess cubic metre, max 15 visits per year
- Construction business: $31 per cubic metre from the first — no free allowance
- Vehicle length: most écocentres accept under 7.3 m; five sites go to 11 m
How many trips will it really take?
A 20-yard is about 15 m³. That is already more than the free 12 m³ annual allowance, in a single container. By truck it would take several trips, loaded and unloaded by hand, during opening hours that exclude Mondays. The truck doesn't cost money under the allowance; it costs time.
Sources
- Home Depot Canada — location de véhicules, kilométrage illimité — verified July 27, 2026
- Ville de Montréal — dépôt à l'écocentre, tarifs et limites de véhicule — verified July 27, 2026
Rates observed on 2026-07-27. U-Haul's per-kilometre rate is unpublished and appears only at booking — we do not estimate it.
Frequently asked questions
What is U-Haul's per-kilometre rate in Montreal?
U-Haul bills per kilometre but does not publish the rate: it appears only at the booking step. Don't rely on the US per-mile figures circulating online — they don't apply here.
Will a 26-foot truck get into the écocentre?
At five sites only. At 7.9 m it exceeds the 7.3 m limit most écocentres apply. Check yours before booking the truck.