Bellhops, a national moving company headquartered in Chattanooga, is adding a rental truck option to its moving platform. After testing the service in various cities, it is now available in Chattanooga and will gradually be phased into additional markets.
From 2014 to 2015, Bellhops business grew by 400% in the Chattanooga area.
Locally, there are more than 100 student bellhops from UTC, Chattanooga State, and Covenant College working jobs they claim off the Bellhops phone app, which functions similarly to the Uber platform.
“Our eventual goal is to be a one-stop-shop for moving help, and rental truck services will help us reach that goal for our customers,” said Bellhops COO Matt Patterson. “By providing a labor-only option, we’ve been able to move tens of thousands of people. Now, by offering rental trucks, we’ll be able to grow our footprint even more by meeting additional customer needs.”
The Bellhops rental truck option can be booked for a $125 flat rate. That price tag includes the truck rental itself, one dolly, a dozen furniture pads, truck fuel, and rental insurance. The only additional costs for moving jobs are the standard Bellhops labor rate—$40 per bellhop, per hour—and travel expenses for jobs taking place outside an immediate Bellhops service area. Customers can book trucks online and over the phone.
“Customers can still use Bellhops for labor-only circumstances, but trucks give us the ability to offer an a la carte moving menu so people can book with Bellhops based on their unique moving situations,” said Mr. Patterson. “This is our first new customer offering since our Series B fundraise.”
Within the next few weeks, Bellhops will be introducing the service to additional cities in Arizona, Delaware, Maryland, Michigan, Mississippi, and Tennessee. The company aims to provide this truck rental option in all its markets by the close of 2016.