A Pitt Meadows family has launched a new trunk-sharing app that aims to capitalize on the sharing-economy.
Trunkit first went live in early 2019, but entrepreneur Greg Smith said he and his two sons, Carter, 16, and Alex, 15, quickly realized the website-only model wasn’t going to cut it.
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“We soon and quickly learned that it needed an app … we just launched it literally a month ago,” said the 46-year-old father.
Smith describes Trunkit as a peer-to-peer trunk sharing, web-based platform.
“What Trunkit does is, it enables people to download an app, or use the website, and then post their trips,” he said. “So if you were travelling or commuting from Vancouver to Vernon, you can post that trip, other people could then see that … and then if they had items to send … they just request to book with you.”
Smith takes a 15 per cent cut from the cost of each trip.
The price of a trip is calculated based on the size of the vehicle, the distance being travelled and the size of the item.
“Trunkit suggests a price, [the user and driver] can negotiate a price in the chat feature, and then they agree on details,” Smith explained.
The user pays for the service with a credit card and Trunkit holds the money until the user verifies their item has been delivered.
“It’s a game-changer,” Smith said about the launch of the app.
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Drivers signing up on Trunkit to post trips are asked to provide an email address, telephone number and valid driver’s license as methods of verification.
“If a driver doesn’t want to upload their driver’s license, they don’t have to,” said Smith. “[But] on the website, they don’t get a checkmark for verification of driver’s license, so it might reduce the likelihood of someone booking a trip with them.”
After a trip has been completed, the app asks the user and driver to rate their experience.
The trio first came up with the idea about four years ago, when they needed to transport a sofa from their Pitt Meadows home to Vernon.
“We think this is going to be the way to get stuff around,” said Smith.
The app is available on Apple or Android.
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