Rent A Car Near Me

Anyone flying or traveling a distance knows the importance of renting a car to get around town. With few towns offering public transportation in the US, often times there is no choice after arriving to your destination but to rent a car or SUV to help you get around and see the sights. For individuals who want to travel a distance without putting wear and tear on their own car, renting a car is also a great and affordable option.

Are you interested in renting a car near you? Simply browse rent a car near me on the map below and find a list of car rental agencies located in a close proximity to your current location. Need a bit more information on renting a car? Read on for facts, trivia, and tips on car rental.

Rent A Car Near Me – Find it on the Map

Rent A Car Near Me – Rent A Car Trivia

When did US car rental agencies first begin?

In the modern age, you can find car rental agencies in just about every town, city, and inlet that you pass through. They’re in every airport and near most major hubs that an out of towner (or resident) would surely be visiting while around town. Of course, this wasn’t always the case. Just like in any industry, the US car rental industry had to start somewhere. According to historians, the US car rental industry began way back in 1916 when an ingenious Nebraska resident named Joe Saunders thought it would be wise to lend out his Ford Model T to local and visiting businessmen in need of a car. Saunders believed that anyone traveling or simply who needed to run a long distance errand would greatly benefit from the rental service. To make his idea a reality, this early entrepreneur affixed a mileage meter to the left front wheel of the vehicle and charged renters a total of 10 cents per mile. The cost covered any wear and tear to the car and also gave Saunders a bit of profit. Before long, Saunders realized that he’d stumbled onto a very lucrative business. By 1925, he had a full fledged car rental company that had grown to include operations in a total of 21 states. Saunders also began to diversify the vehicles he was offering. Ford was no longer the only game in town. Saunders began to add Chrysler’s into the mix in the mid 1920s. As you search rent a car near me, consider how this humble idea turned into a billion dollar industry in the span of a few decades. Now it’s difficult to imagine not being able to rent a car should the need arise.

rent a car near me

Avis is just one of many top notch car rental companies.

When did the car rental industry truly begin to boom?

Like so many fledgling industries in the United States, the car rental industry truly found its footing after World War II. This is when the rental car industry finally matched the growth rates of the second most popular transportation method- airlines. As the number of airline passengers grew, so too did the need for a greater degree of rental vehicles. As with railroads, it didn’t take long for rental car companies to begin opening rental locations inside every major airport. Hertz is largely credited with opening the first airport rental car franchise in 1932. Located in Chicago’s Midway airport, Hertz allowed travelers from all over the world to select from a huge range of top notch rental vehicles all at a low cost. While searching rent a car near me, think about how a post war world would begin to invest in rental cars and travel rather than staying put.

Rent A Car Near Me – Rent A Car Facts

Disposing of Used Cars

Did you know that in addition to buying cars that many rental companies such as Hertz have taken to selling many cars as well. Well as a general rule of thumb, many rental car companies buy a large number of cars subject to repurchase and depreciation programs with the vehicle manufacturers themselves. Under contract with these programs, every manufacturer who commits agrees to repurchasing the vehicles for a specific price or in a certain number of years. Of course, the depreciation rate is taken into account during the holding period. In 2011 alone, nearly half of all cars being sold by Avis and a quarter of those being sold by Hertz were considered “program” cars that were subject to these agreements. Dollar Thrifty, which is one of the smaller car rental agencies never utilizes this option, instead relying on selling the cars outright to patrons who are interested in buying them. Rental car companies have also taken to selling used vehicles to wholesalers who then sell them outright to used car companies or to customers themselves. This can be a great way to get a used car with fairly low mileage and that has been meticulously maintained both inside and out. As you search rent a car near me, consider if you would purchase a used car from a rental agency or not.

Purchasing Insurance

Anyone searching rent a car near me knows that there comes a moment at the agency when you are asked whether or not you will be purchasing insurance. It’s a costly addition to the package which can bring you peace of mind but isn’t necessarily always a good idea. Experts agree that rental insurance can be great in some circumstances, but in many situations your personal auto insurance will cover any issues or problems that may arise with the rental car. If you have “full auto coverage” rather than just the minimum legally permissible coverage, you likely don’t need add on insurance. In general, the rule of thumb is that the coverage that you have for your main everyday vehicle also extends to your rental vehicle, as the rental is considered a replacement vehicle under most car insurance policies. If you’re one who has what is called comprehensive coverage on your own car, your policy would also extend this level of coverage to your rental vehicle. Many will also cover you even if the rental car is considered to be a more valuable car than the one you are driving. Keep in mind that this all depends on your specific car insurance. If you’re looking to save some money while searching rent a car near me, call up your insurance company prior to renting and find out if your coverage extends to a rental car. If it does, you don’t need the costly add on insurance that is offered by the rental agency. Rental insurance is a good idea if your everyday car insurance doesn’t extend to a rental.

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