Cars, Trucks & Automotive

There are good reasons why people relocate from their homes to new places. They may be moving to a bigger house or a better neighborhood, or getting closer to their work or their children’s schools. This does not mean, however, that moving is not stressful. And it begins to build up the moment you start packing your furniture, appliances, tools, equipment, and clothing; and it will only ease up when you have taken the last item out of the last packing box.

Choosing the wrong truck rental company to help you move your stuff can substantially aggravate your stress. Thus, you will need to be careful when choosing one. Fortunately, there are a few tips you could use.

As when shopping for any other good or service, visit the website or call a number of truck rental companies and compare their rates, terms, and conditions. Typically, movers offer different types of services. If you have plenty of large items you cannot carry on your own, you can ask the company to provide personnel to help you. You can even ask them to do the packing at an additional cost. On the other hand, you may only want them to just haul your luggage.

Find the time to visit the office of the hauler to inspect their trucks. The way their trucks are maintained says a lot about the company. Dents, scratches, peeling paints, rust, and shaky locks and latches are indicators that you might be better off looking elsewhere.

When moving to a distant destination, it is often better to contract a company with an office near where you are going. Some companies may charge you round trip if they do not expect a load coming back. On the other hand, those with a network of offices are likely to be able to pick up loads on their return trip and thus won’t have to charge you for the two trips.

Most truck rental companies require proof of your identity so be ready with one. Your driver’s license or major credit usually suffices. And don’t forget to get a copy of your rental agreement with the company. You never know when you might need to prove that you rented the truck.

Raptor. Even the name inspires awe. It conjures visions of eagles, falcons, and ospreys diving from the air to seize their prey on the ground with sharp and powerful talons, creating an explosion of dust in the process. Indeed, the Ford F-150 SVT Raptor seizes its competition leaving them to eat its dust as it accelerates beyond their reach.

The Ford F-150 SVT Raptor is a beefed-up variant of the most popular of the 60-year-old Ford F-Series pickup trucks, the F-150. For 24 years, the F-150 has been the best-selling vehicle in the US, and if we consider only trucks, its reign is extended to 34 years. Make sure to get the best car insurance for your SVT Raptor.

Intended for off road adventures, the pickup truck is equipped with a 6.2-liter V-8 engine that can churn out 411 horsepower. Although initially available with a 5.4-liter Triton V-8 engine with a 320-horsepower capacity, this has since been discontinued. Power is transferred to all four wheels via a 6-speed automatic transmission. There are no two-wheel drives for the Raptor.

In order to improve stability, the track of the Raptor is widened by seven inches. With this, the half-shafts are longer resulting in an increased wheel travel. Indeed, the front wheels can move up and down up to 11.2 inches while the rear can even do better at 13.4 inches. To support this movement, the half-shafts have been strengthened and are designed to be more durable than the standard F-150s.

Landing from tall obstacles or from jumps can be jarring to the passengers. For this reason, the truck is fitted with specifically tuned internal-bypass Fox Racing shock absorbers and micro-cellular urethane bump stops.

Standard tires for the Raptor are 35-inch BF Goodrich all-terrain tires which are especially formulated for it. The body has a slight variation from other F-150s. It has a black grille that looks like a stack of bricks in a running bond pattern. In the middle of the stack is the name “Ford” running the entire width of the grille, instead of the more famous Blue Oval. The hood and fenders are also a touch different.