# Ride Hailing for Trucks/Trailers?



## Jsaxophone (Nov 9, 2017)

So I use Lyft/Uber part time in my Truck, I also own a car trailer and an enclosed trailer. I get asked the following 2 questions:

Q: Why a truck, doesn't it eat all your profits? 
A: I only Uber/Lyft part time, I'm a Mechanical Engineer full time. Also Fuel costs are only a small fraction of overhead costs. Switching from an F150 to a Prius would yield the average driver about $50-70 extra per week, which isn't worth the cost of buying/owning/insuring another car. Also, Trucks are more robust and easier to fix.

Q: Do customers ever ask you to haul stuff?
A: Sometimes. I've had a few Uber riders ask if I could haul something or pick up a large item. I scheduled a time/day and they paid me decent money to do it.

So my question to the community: Is there a ride-hailing app that would let me do this more often as a truck-for-hire? I don't intend to lift anything, but I would be responsible for securing/strapping.


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## TomTheAnt (Jan 1, 2019)

Not really. Closest thing would probably be Uship, but pretty sure they require commercial insurance etc. Or just post on your local Craigslist.

I have yet to have anybody ask to transport anything. Then again, everybody in Texas knows somebody with a pickup, so the chances are kinda slim. If asked, I'd do it, for sure. As long as I don't have to lift anything.


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## Pax Collector (Feb 18, 2018)

There is Uber Freight, but it would require you to have a semi trailer and a CDL.


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## PlanoGuber (Feb 14, 2019)

Jsaxophone said:


> So my question to the community: Is there a ride-hailing app that would let me do this more often as a truck-for-hire? I don't intend to lift anything, but I would be responsible for securing/strapping.


Yes. I believe the app is called "Pickup" and allows people to do Uber-esque pickup/van hauling of stuff with their personal pickup/van. I think the team is based out of Dallas.

They've been around a number of years. I found them 4-5 years ago when I was doing research for a similar concept with a group of software guys I know. They seem to have stalled/stopped because I never hear anything about it. The website is still up though.

It's a killer idea, I'm shocked no one has jumped on this. The list of companies that would be ready to acquire even a half baked, but live, version of this service is a hell of a lot longer than the list of people who would have been interested in Uber/Lyft early on.


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## TomTheAnt (Jan 1, 2019)

PlanoGuber said:


> Yes. I believe the app is called "Pickup" and allows people to do Uber-esque pickup/van hauling of stuff with their personal pickup/van. I think the team is based out of Dallas.
> 
> They've been around a number of years. I found them 4-5 years ago when I was doing research for a similar concept with a group of software guys I know. They seem to have stalled/stopped because I never hear anything about it. The website is still up though.
> 
> It's a killer idea, I'm shocked no one has jumped on this. The list of companies that would be ready to acquire even a half baked, but live, version of this service is a hell of a lot longer than the list of people who would have been interested in Uber/Lyft early on.


Good catch! :thumbup: I remember seeing them quite some time ago. Just forgot about it. The person with the pickup and/or trailer would also be doing the lifting work, though. At least I am too old to carry other people's heavy stuff around. I barely want to carry any of my own stuff. LOL!!! I don't mind securing and transporting them for people, but no carrying for me.


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## doyousensehumor (Apr 13, 2015)

Jsaxophone said:


> So my question to the community: Is there a ride-hailing app that would let me do this more often as a truck-for-hire? I don't intend to lift anything, but I would be responsible for securing/strapping.


 Yeah. Its called ROADIE


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## Dammit Mazzacane (Dec 31, 2015)

Roadie. Dolly. Uship. Not sure if any others are around.
Dolly has you load/unload.


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## OldBay (Apr 1, 2019)

There are so many of these that never gain traction, leads me to believe there are insurance/liability issues. They would have to provide commercial insurace that covers the item being shipped. If truck gets damaged, who is responsible? Who loads? What if driver is injured while loading or unloading? Etc, etc.

Its a good idea that the big players have steered clear of. There has to be a reason.


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## Joethemechanic (May 20, 2019)

Actually that would make you a motor carrier of property and open up a lot of new regulations to be complied with. Starting with a MC# for interstate hauling, and if your state, or the state you are hauling in requires it a PUC# for intrastate hauling. 

Would you get away hauling without complying to the regulations? Probably, it's done all the time. If you had deep pockets and had an accident with a school bus causing it to turn over and decapitate the driver and all 66 children, with severed heads rolling around on the highway, cars swerving to miss the heads, and all of it on the evening news courtesy of dash cam and traffic cam footage,,,,

I wouldn't even want to be the person who sold you your morning coffee and bearclaw let alone be the one responsible for hooking you up with a customer via an app


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## krbjmpr (Mar 12, 2019)

I was asked during a ride if I would trsnsport his mother. Area transport busses are becoming too small and they dont like the ramps.

Yeah, ramps. What i thought was for kids skateboard at his house is actually for his mother to ingress/egress out of larger vehicles. There is a similar at her apt complex setup in her assigned carport.

Further info from pax yielded she is ADA, requires a big scooter since she is a +P+ size woman.

It would have paid well, wouldnt have had to transport scooter, but declined on practicality. My back seat is split, 60/40 style, so each side lifts up independently. I didnt think it would be safe to have a wide load spread across the "seams", seatbelt would not have reached. Pax understood, thanked me for considering it, and gave me $5 for talking with him about it. Not sure if tipped in app for the ride. Pro'bly not.


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## njn (Jan 23, 2016)

uship. there is a tv show based on this idea.


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## Wonderwall2 (Jan 30, 2020)

doyousensehumor said:


> Yeah. Its called ROADIE
> View attachment 318952


Wait $13 DOLLARS???? I made $80 for two hours of work on Phlatbed......


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## AstonNC (Jan 27, 2020)

Joethemechanic said:


> Actually that would make you a motor carrier of property and open up a lot of new regulations to be complied with. Starting with a MC# for interstate hauling, and if your state, or the state you are hauling in requires it a PUC# for intrastate hauling.
> 
> Would you get away hauling without complying to the regulations? Probably, it's done all the time. If you had deep pockets and had an accident with a school bus causing it to turn over and decapitate the driver and all 66 children, with severed heads rolling around on the highway, cars swerving to miss the heads, and all of it on the evening news courtesy of dash cam and traffic cam footage,,,,
> 
> I wouldn't even want to be the person who sold you your morning coffee and bearclaw let alone be the one responsible for hooking you up with a customer via an app


It comes down to who controls the whole process. What gets these folks is they control pricing, job details, routing, and every part of it as a way to squeeze every dollar out of each transaction.
I saw a Roadie load for 13 dollars earlier.....waste of time. Other apps that let you pick your own loads, set your own price and not control the process won't have this problem.
Big companies staying away is because they want to be able to control the entire transaction.


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