Ghostruck uses tech to make moving easy and cheap
SAN FRANCISCO — A high-tech moving service called Ghostruck aims to cut down the costs and head-aches of the average move.
The Seattle-based startup, which has been operating in trial mode for the past 10 months, rolls into 12 other major U.S. cities Tuesday, bent on disrupting yet another old-school business with the use of smartphones, algorithms and geolocating tech.
Much like Uber uses an app to link passengers with drivers, or Airbnb connects travelers with homeowners, Ghostruck introduces anyone looking to move something with area professional movers who have truck space to spare.
The on-demand service aims to save consumers money (you pay for what you're moving, not the entire truck) and streamline moving companies' operations. Its proprietary algorithm instantly tells users how much they'll pay to move whatever items have been photographed to a given address.
In that sense, Ghostruck steals a page from Shyp, a startup looking to shake up packing and shipping by sending employees to pick up items photographed by customers, charging a $5 fee that often is offset by discounted shipping rates.
"Our services typically start around $60 for something that a moving company sending over a crew might need to charge you $200 or $300 for," says Ghostruck founder Nathaniel Nienaber, who came up with the idea after working for shipping giant Georgia-Pacific, where he saw firsthand the high cost of empty containers.
"About a quarter of all transportation out there travels empty," he says. Such runs are known in the industry as ghost trucks — hence, the name. "We thought there must be a way to leverage the boom in information technology to make moving frictionless."
Ghostruck took root in December 2013, when Nienaber and Matt Hocking teamed up. "Matt was working on a dating app that allowed you to find people in your immediate area," says Nienaber with a laugh. "He said, 'You're looking for a dating app for people and trucks.' And I was."
After getting some traction in bootstrap mode, Ghostruck landed $2.2 million in seed funding led by Seattle's Founder's Co-op. Ghostruck is expanding to Portland, Sacramento, San Francisco, Oakland, Los Angeles, San Diego, Denver, Austin, Miami, Washington, D.C., and Boston. In each city, it steers users to a range of licensed movers, Nienaber says.
During its long rollout in Seattle, one of Ghostruck's most popular features was "Make It Disappear," which, for a fee, gives consumers a one-touch option to either dispose of a item or have it taken to a charity shop such as The Salvation Army or Goodwill.
The feature was the result of Ghostruck users taking delivery of items such as couches and other furniture, and asking the delivery workers if they could haul away their old pieces.
Nienaber also says he hopes to improve customer satisfaction ratings for moving companies who find work via Ghostruck, which offers users features such as alerts when movers are on their way and making it easy for moving truck drivers to connect with their client.
"Movers are good at moving stuff, but not usually great with customers," Nienaber says. "We can help."
Follow USA TODAY tech reporter Marco della Cava on Twitter: @marcodellacava