<PAGE>

                                                                   Exhibit 10(E)


                    Amendment No. 1 to Employment Agreement
                    ---------------------------------------

     Reference is made to the Employment Agreement dated as of October 10, 1997
(the "Agreement"),  between United Rentals, Inc. (subsequently renamed United
Rentals (North America), Inc.), a Delaware corporation (the "Company"), and
Robert Miner ("Employee").  The Company and Employee agree that the Agreement
shall be amended and supplemented as set forth below.  Except as specifically
set forth below, the Agreement remains unmodified and in full force and effect:


1. Modification to Paragraph 2

     1.1. The following new subparagraph shall be added following Paragraph
2(d):

                    (e)  The Company and Bradley S. Jacobs ("Jacobs") are
               parties to an Employment Agreement dated September 19, 1997 (the
               "Jacobs Agreement"). Paragraph 6(a)(iii)(D) of the Jacobs
               Agreement provides that Jacobs may terminate the Jacobs Agreement
               for "Good Reason" (as defined in the Jacobs Agreement). If (1)
               Jacobs terminates the Jacobs Agreement for Good Reason (as
               defined in the Jacobs Agreement) (2) the circumstances
               constituting such "Good Reason" are described in clause (i) of
               the definition of such term in the Jacobs Agreement, and (3)
               concurrently therewith or during the 90-day period that commences
               on the date of such termination, Employee resigns as an employee
               of the Company or his employment with the Company otherwise
               terminates for any reason, the Company shall be obligated to pay
               to Employee a severance payment equal to 7.46 times the sum of
               (x) the Employee's annual base salary in effect at the time of
               termination plus (y) the highest annual cash bonus (if any) paid
               by the Company to Employee during the three-year period preceding
               the date of termination. Such severance payment shall be payable
               in a lump sum payment within fifteen (15) days of the termination
               of Employee's employment.

2.  Addition of New Paragraph 12 Relating to Taxes

     2.1. The following new Paragraph 12 is added after Paragraph 11.

            12.  Taxes
                 -----

                    (a)  The payment of the base salary and any bonus or other
               incentive compensation to Employee hereunder shall be subject to
               all federal, state and local withholding taxes, social security
               deductions and any other required payroll deductions.

                    (b)  If all or any portion of the payments and benefits
               which Employee is entitled to receive pursuant to the terms of
               this Agreement or any other plan, arrangement or agreement in
               respect of the Company or its affiliates (the "Payments")
               constitutes "excess parachute payments" within the meaning of
               Section 280G of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended
               (the "Code"), that are subject to the excise tax (the "Excise
               Tax") imposed by Section 4999 of

                                       1
<PAGE>

               the Code (or similar tax and/or assessment), the Company (or its
               successors or assigns) shall pay to Employee an additional amount
               ("Gross-Up Payment") such that the net amount retained by
               Employee, after deduction of (i) any Excise Tax on Payments, (ii)
               any federal, state and local income tax and Excise Tax upon the
               payment provided for by this paragraph 12(b), and (iii) any
               interest and penalties imposed in respect of the Excise Tax shall
               be equal to the full amount of the Payments. For purposes of
               determining the amount of the Gross-Up Payment, Employee shall be
               deemed to pay federal income taxes at the highest marginal rate
               of federal income taxation in the calendar year in which the
               Gross-Up Payment is to be made, and state and local income taxes
               at the highest marginal rates of taxation in the state and
               locality of Employee's residence on the date the Gross-Up Payment
               is to be made, net of the maximum reduction in federal income
               taxes which could be obtained from deduction of such state and
               local taxes.

                    (c)  The Gross-Up Payment for any Payment made shall be paid
               to Employee within ten (10) days after the Imposition of Excise
               Tax, unless the Company undertakes to indemnify him as provided
               in paragraph 12(d). The "Imposition of Excise Tax" shall mean the
               earliest of: (i) the issuance by the Internal Revenue Service of
               a notice stating in effect that an Excise Tax is due with respect
               to the Payment; (ii) Employee's delivery to the Company of an
               opinion of tax counsel selected by Employee that all or a portion
               of the Payment is subject to the Excise Tax and the amount of the
               Excise Tax on the Payment; or (iii) the Company's delivery to
               Employee of an opinion of tax counsel selected by the Company and
               acceptable to Employee that all or a portion of the Payment is
               subject to the Excise Tax and the amount of the Excise Tax on the
               Payment.

                    (d)  In lieu of paying the Gross-Up Payment for any Payment,
               the Company may elect to undertake, at its sole expense, the
               defense and settlement of any assessment by the Internal Revenue
               Service of the Excise Tax on any Payment. If the Company so
               elects, the Company shall protect, defend, indemnify and hold
               Employee forever harmless from and against the Excise Tax on such
               Payment and payments pursuant to this paragraph 12(d) and any
               federal, state or local income tax (determined pursuant to the
               last sentence of paragraph 12(b)) upon payments pursuant to this
               paragraph 12(d) and any and all liabilities, demands, claims,
               actions, causes of action, assessments, losses, costs, damages or
               expenses, including attorneys' and accountants' fees in
               connection with any thereof, and any interest and penalties
               sustained by Employee as a result of or arising out of or by
               virtue of the Company's undertaking.

                    (e)  If the Excise Tax is determined to be less than the
               amount taken into account in determining the Gross-Up Payment
               paid pursuant to paragraph 12(c), Employee shall repay to the
               Company, within ten (10) days after the time that the amount of
               such reduction in Excise Tax is determined, the portion of the
               Gross-Up Payment attributable to such reduction plus interest on
               the amount of such repayment at the rate provided in section
               1274(b)(2)(B) of the Code for debt instruments with a maturity
               after issuance equal to the period beginning on the date the
               Gross-Up Payment was made and ending on the date of repayment

                                       2
<PAGE>

               required by this sentence. If the Excise Tax is determined to
               exceed the amount taken into account in determining the Gross-Up
               Payment paid pursuant to paragraph 12(c), the Company within ten
               (10) days after the time that the amount of such excess Excise
               Tax is determined shall make an additional payment to Employee of
               an amount equal to such excess plus an amount equal to any
               interest and penalties payable to the Internal Revenue Service
               with respect to such excess and any Excise Tax on payment
               pursuant to this sentence and any federal, state and local income
               tax (determined pursuant to the last sentence of paragraph 12(b))
               upon payments made pursuant to this sentence.

     3.   Amendment and Restatement. This Amendment No. 1 amends and restates in
its entirety any amendments heretofore executed to the Agreement.

     In Witness Whereof, the parties have on August 2, 2000 executed and
delivered this Amendment No. 1 to the Agreement.


UNITED RENTAL (NORTH AMERICA), INC.


By ___________________________



______________________________
Robert Miner

                                       3