JT
Jones Thurman
Jul 31, 2026
I am extremely disappointed with my experience at the Penske Truck Rental location in Sun Valley. Based on how I was treated, I will not be returning once this rental is complete.
I rented a truck for two days and later needed to extend my rental. When Penske attempted to process the payment for the extension, the card on file was declined due to an issue with that particular card. As soon as I became aware of the problem, I immediately contacted the location and provided a different card so the payment could be processed. I was actively communicating with the office and working to resolve the issue.
Instead of handling what is a very common payment issue professionally, Mayra informed me that they could not extend the rental without payment and that if I didn’t pay, the truck would be reported as stolen and the police would be called.
I understand Penske has policies regarding payment and rental extensions, and I am not disputing their right to enforce those policies. What I do dispute is how quickly the conversation escalated to threatening law enforcement when I was cooperating, communicating, and actively providing an alternative payment method. At no point did I refuse to pay, ignore their calls, or indicate that I intended to keep the truck without authorization.
As a Black business owner, I found that especially disturbing. I don’t appreciate being made to feel criminalized over a temporary payment issue that I was in the process of resolving. Companies should recognize that telling a Black customer that they’re going to call the police is something that carries significant weight. Given the history between law enforcement and Black Americans, those words should never be used casually. Whether or not that was the intent, that is how the interaction made me feel.
My company is a new transportation business that’s working hard to establish itself. We’ve already spent over $1,500 with Penske and signed the rental agreement. We weren’t looking for special treatment—we were looking for professionalism, respect, and cooperation while resolving a routine payment issue.
Ironically, I wasn’t even planning to complain about the truck itself. I was simply going to finish my route and move on. However, after the way I was treated, it’s worth mentioning that the equipment hasn’t been impressive either.
The truck I was given has over 150,000 miles on it. The front-end alignment is poor, requiring constant steering correction just to stay in the lane. The truck is governed at around 70 mph, making it extremely difficult to safely pass slower traffic or stay on schedule in a commercial environment. On top of that, the onboard ELD system is overly intrusive, constantly chiming and issuing alerts that are more distracting than helpful while driving.
Instead of providing reliable equipment and treating customers like valued business partners, this experience left me feeling like I was driving worn-out equipment while being treated like a criminal over a payment issue that I was actively resolving.
What makes this even more disappointing is that I am still in possession of the truck and actively completing my route, yet I already know I won’t be renting from this location again. No customer should feel intimidated while simply trying to honor their rental agreement.
Customer service is just as important as the trucks themselves. Unfortunately, this location failed on both. There is a significant difference between enforcing company policy and treating a paying customer with dignity and respect.
I will return the truck as agreed, but I will also be taking my business elsewhere. There are too many other rental companies competing for commercial customers to tolerate this level of service. Penske Sun Valley has lost my business.