Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I have plans in the future to drive an empty trailer across country (Nor Cal) to pick up some personal cargo and return it to TN.
I would prefer to have some kind of load in the trailer going out to CA to limit bouncing around.
Is there some kind of forum or marketplace (besides U-Ship, they require professional movers only) where I can connect with someone that wants to move some furniture or boxes or whatever across country?
That appears to be the only options, however limited they are. I mean, what if there was something in Little Rock, AK that is on my way that they want taken to Denver, also on my way?
I'm surprised with all the gazillions of websites catering to everything on earth, there isn't one for crowd-sourced shipping or transport needs.
What if you had a chair or a toolbox you wanted to get to your cousin who lived 1000 miles away? There are literally dozens of pickups with empty truck beds going from where you are through or to that location your cousin lives. While it would be prohibitively expensive to ship that chair UPS or USPS, someone would probably take it for you for $20 or $50 - essentially covering the gasoline for their trip they are already taking.
Good ideas StealthRabbit. I looked at CL in a major east coast metropolitan area (Atlanta) and couldn't find a good category that was intuitive to post in or had other similar ads in it. It seemed to be a lot of spam posts from small businesses or rideshares from people who wanted to pay nothing and seemed sketchy.
It would be exhaustive to post ads in every single region in-between my origin and destination.
=CrosbyStills;66138389I'm surprised with all the gazillions of websites catering to everything on earth, there isn't one for crowd-sourced shipping or transport needs.
This is because the interstate moving of goods is a regulated industry. If you are a licensed DOT/FMCSA individual or company, you have many "Load Boards" you can use. If planning to transport animals, don't forget your USDA registration.
Now, if you're just Joe off the street with a old Chevy van or Vista Cruiser station wagon with an old U-Haul trailer and want to take some stranger's grandma's couch with original vinyl clear covering a couple states away to the waiting-for-god home, it has to be a private transaction. Advertise the service with a fee attached and expect DOT enforcement to be knocking at your door. This sis why so many "appear" as if its a free offering, they are hoping for a voluntary tip or some "coffee on me money" which kinda makes it legal.
This is because the interstate moving of goods is a regulated industry. If you are a licensed DOT/FMCSA individual or company, you have many "Load Boards" you can use. If planning to transport animals, don't forget your USDA registration.
Now, if you're just Joe off the street with a old Chevy van or Vista Cruiser station wagon with an old U-Haul trailer and want to take some stranger's grandma's couch with original vinyl clear covering a couple states away to the waiting-for-god home, it has to be a private transaction. Advertise the service with a fee attached and expect DOT enforcement to be knocking at your door. This sis why so many "appear" as if its a free offering, they are hoping for a voluntary tip or some "coffee on me money" which kinda makes it legal.
I see your point, and it is well taken. However, there are many similar industries that were "well regulated" that were opened up to crowd sourcing. Obvious big one was the monopoly taxis held before Uber came along. I mean they had to be regulated, inspected, permitted, insured, etc. Another one is the rental car industry. I've rented through Turo a few times with zero issue and great satisfaction. How about VRBO and AirBnB that broke open the hold leasing agencies and agents held on the market? Day trading stocks is another big well regulated federal-micromanaged industry that was opened up to "Joe Schmoe." Websites like Redfin and Zillow broke wide open the iron-fisted monopoly Realtors held on the Multiple Listing Service (MLS).
No real reason moving / transport cannot be as well with the plethora of precedents. Just takes a brave, dedicated, and motivated soul to crack open that money-maker.
I see your point, and it is well taken. However, there are many similar industries that were "well regulated" that were opened up to crowd sourcing. Obvious big one was the monopoly taxis held before Uber came along. I mean they had to be regulated, inspected, permitted, insured, etc. Another one is the rental car industry. I've rented through Turo a few times with zero issue and great satisfaction. How about VRBO and AirBnB that broke open the hold leasing agencies and agents held on the market? Day trading stocks is another big well regulated federal-micromanaged industry that was opened up to "Joe Schmoe." Websites like Redfin and Zillow broke wide open the iron-fisted monopoly Realtors held on the Multiple Listing Service (MLS).
No real reason moving / transport cannot be as well with the plethora of precedents. Just takes a brave, dedicated, and motivated soul to crack open that money-maker.
Lets understand this better.
Uber did not open up any new markets that were closed. All they did was offer an alternative but all the same licensing requirements that existed before Uber exist now. Look at NYC, do you think Uber drivers and vehicles got new lesser rules? No, they still have to conform to all the same rules that previously existed except in the case of Uber drivers, the cost is on each individual driver to get the correct license, insurance and vehicle registration & inspection. The company (Uber) just serves as the dispatch broad. Go tot heir website and you'll see the warning for potential Uber drivers and vehicles are still regulated by the Taxi-Limousine Commission under their livery rules that have existed for 20+ years before ridesharing.
Turo is nothing more than a Hertz without company/franchise owned vehicles and maintenance. They are still required to adhere to all state regulations for rental vehicles. The main differences is many of the risk and capital cost associated with the industry is transferred to the individual vehicle's owner and not the reservation system or corporation. Although with Turo the liability risk are lowered due to Turo provided insurances, it's still a financial boondoggle to the owner when something happens.
Redfin and Zillow would not exist except for the MLS. Their websites make this clear that they get their information from the MLS. Even before Zillow, there were companies that offered listings from the MLS just their marketing wasn't as good as Zillow and they were mostly locally focused. This cause a person to have to hunt down each of the services in each local market, but they existed before Zillow.
The same applies to vacation rentals. These services have existed long before the hyper marketing created a single large area source. In my area, vacation rentals and Airbnb operators often get fined for not registering as a short term rental. They are not exempt from all the previously existing lodging laws.
One thing you'll notice in all those services, they are not geared towards the casual operator, they are geared towards a continuous and longer term relationship. As this applies to shipping, Uber, AirBnB, etc, is no different from how a non CDL IC courier, Expeditor, flex delivery, PU/DO driver, or Hot-Shot operates. They all have various regulatory requirements they must meet for their class of service and be it Franky with his pickup truck dropping off someone's bistro set 500 miles away, all the load boards or dispatch services or connection boards will require the operator meet whatever legal requirements they must meet.
The biggest mistake people make is thinking all these people to people services operate outside the existing regulatory requirements; they don't!
Lets understand this better.
Uber did not open up any new markets that were closed. All they did was offer an alternative but all the same licensing requirements that existed before Uber exist now. Look at NYC, do you think Uber drivers and vehicles got new lesser rules? No, they still have to conform to all the same rules that previously existed except in the case of Uber drivers, the cost is on each individual driver to get the correct license, insurance and vehicle registration & inspection. The company (Uber) just serves as the dispatch broad. Go tot heir website and you'll see the warning for potential Uber drivers and vehicles are still regulated by the Taxi-Limousine Commission under their livery rules that have existed for 20+ years before ridesharing.
Turo is nothing more than a Hertz without company/franchise owned vehicles and maintenance. They are still required to adhere to all state regulations for rental vehicles. The main differences is many of the risk and capital cost associated with the industry is transferred to the individual vehicle's owner and not the reservation system or corporation. Although with Turo the liability risk are lowered due to Turo provided insurances, it's still a financial boondoggle to the owner when something happens.
Redfin and Zillow would not exist except for the MLS. Their websites make this clear that they get their information from the MLS. Even before Zillow, there were companies that offered listings from the MLS just their marketing wasn't as good as Zillow and they were mostly locally focused. This cause a person to have to hunt down each of the services in each local market, but they existed before Zillow.
The same applies to vacation rentals. These services have existed long before the hyper marketing created a single large area source. In my area, vacation rentals and Airbnb operators often get fined for not registering as a short term rental. They are not exempt from all the previously existing lodging laws.
One thing you'll notice in all those services, they are not geared towards the casual operator, they are geared towards a continuous and longer term relationship. As this applies to shipping, Uber, AirBnB, etc, is no different from how a non CDL IC courier, Expeditor, flex delivery, PU/DO driver, or Hot-Shot operates. They all have various regulatory requirements they must meet for their class of service and be it Franky with his pickup truck dropping off someone's bistro set 500 miles away, all the load boards or dispatch services or connection boards will require the operator meet whatever legal requirements they must meet.
The biggest mistake people make is thinking all these people to people services operate outside the existing regulatory requirements; they don't!
Wish I could like this post 100x. Ubers in NYC are easy to spot because they have the same TLC license plate as taxis. Impossible to get a medallion so that's how they operate and they are subject to the same fees etc.
There's no free lunch.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
