Most people know companies like Uber and Instacart have been transforming the taxi and food delivery industries over the past decade.
But less well known are the flurry of on-demand moving companies bringing the Uber model to the moving industry.
About 31 million Americans move every year and they spend billions to do it.
On-demand moving companies represent a huge opportunity for gig workers looking to make good money helping people move.
The typical on-demand moving gig offers $20+ per hour if you’re just providing some moving muscle and up to $70+ per hour if you drive a pickup truck or cargo van.
That certainly beats Uber’s average $14.73 per hour!
But unlike taxis where Uber and Lyft generally offer the same thing, there are a lot of on-demand moving startups and each one offers different services and gig opportunities.
But not to worry.
Here we are going to break down all the major players so you can find the best moving gigs in your area.
Let’s get started
Bellhops
To customers, Bellhops looks like a regular moving company.
But the company is powered by an on-demand moving labor force through its mobile app.
With Bellhops, you can set your own schedule and only take moving jobs when you want to work which is pretty great.
Once you’ve set your schedule, Bellhops will assign you jobs.
Then just show up at the customer’s house at the set time and start helping with the move.
The 2 most important requirements are you can lift over 100lbs and have reliable transportation to get to the jobs.
Not bad for average $21 an hour.
Typical pay: $21/hr (hourly + tips)
Locations:
Bellhops is in over 40 cities as of December 2019 and they’re rapidly adding new cities every month.
Check out their locations page to see if Bellhops is in your area.
https://www.getbellhops.com/locations/
Requirements:
18+, own smartphone, lift 100lbs, pass background check, have a bank account for direct deposit
Goshare is a delivery app that can help with everything from moving a small apartment to getting a couch delivered or junk hauled away.
The cool thing about GoShare is the larger the vehicle you have, the more money you can make.
A regular car will earn around $33/hr while a box truck can earn $70+/hr.
Once you’re signed up on GoShare’s app as a driver you can start taking jobs.
Typical pay: $33.12 – $71.52 per hour (depending on size of truck)
Locations:
Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, Houston, Indianapolis, Los Angeles, Orange County, Phoenix, San Francisco, Washington D.C
Requirements:
License, insurance, 18+, pass background/driving history check, own smartphone, vehicle is 15 years old or newer.
Application: https://gigworker.com/recommends/become-a-goshare-helper/
Dolly
Dolly offers everything from retail store delivery to small apartment moves, junk hauling and labor only moving jobs.
The company is rapidly expanding across the country.
Dolly offers 2 types of gigs; Helpers and Hands.
To be a Helper requires a truck and you can expect to make around $30/hr.
The other option is to be a Hand.
Hands are labor only, no truck required, and you can expect to make around $15/hr.
You just need to have reliable transportation to get to jobs.
Once you’re approved by Dolly, you can review all the moving jobs in your area and request the ones you want to work directly from the Dolly app.
Typical pay:
Helpers – $30/hr (requires truck)
Hands – $15/hr
**Paid weekly via PayPal
Locations:
Seattle, Portland, San Francisco, San Jose, Los Angeles, Orange County, San Diego, Phoenix, Denver, Austin, San Antonio, Houston, Dallas, Minneapolis, Chicago, Nashville, Detroit, Cleveland, Columbus, Cincinnati, Atlanta, Tampa, Orlando, Fort Lauderdale, Miami, Charlotte, Raleigh-Durham, DC, Baltimore, Philadelphia, Brooklyn, Queens, New Haven, Hartford, Boston
Requirements:
Helpers – 21+, pass background check, smartphone, lift 75lbs, own a truck, driver’s license, insurance, PayPal account
Hands – 18+, pass background check, smartphone, lift 75lbs, own a car driver’s license, PayPal account
Application: https://dolly.com/helpers/
Lugg
Lugg offers small moves and junk hauling but their primary service is partnering with big box stores to help deliver large-item purchases like couches or major furniture.
Everything is managed through the mobile app.
You can become a Lugger whether you have a truck or just want to provide some moving muscle.
But obviously, you’ll make more money if you own a truck.
The company advertises $2,500 per week but it’s unclear how much you can make with Lugg.
They do pay daily which is nice.
Typical pay:
$20 per hour paid daily
Locations:
Phoenix, Portland, Denver, Sacramento, Seattle, San Diego, San Francisco, Silicon Valley, Los Angeles, Orange County
Requirements:
18+, pass background check, own smartphone, lift 100lbs
Application: https://gigworker.com/recommends/become-a-lugger/
Phlatbed
Platbed offers the same moving and delivery services as competitors but instead of having standardized hourly pricing, customers post jobs and then drivers can bid on the jobs.
The customer then chooses which driver they want based on the bid price and the driver’s reputation.
Obviously, you can only bid so much if you want to win jobs.
But what’s cool about Phlatbed is as your reputation as a good driver grows, so can your paycheck.
Typical pay:
Depends on how much you bid
Locations:
Detroit, Chicago, Toronto, Austin, Houston, Atlanta, Miami, Raleigh, Charlotte, DC, Philadelphia, New York City, Providence, Boston
Requirements:
21+, background check, smartphone or computer, own a truck, valid driver’s license, insurance
As you can see, there are a lot of different opportunities to make money with moving on-demand companies. But working moving jobs isn’t for everyone.
The heavy lifting and physical nature of the work is definitely more difficult than simply driving a cab.
You may want to hit the weight room a few times prior to picking up your first moving gig.
You’ll also want to be ready for the occasional angry customer.
People are stressed during moves and sometimes that manifests into yelling at the movers.
Just don’t drop anything and you should be fine.
All that being said, if you want the higher wages offered by these companies, but also want to avoid the hassles of moving you should look for large-item store purchase delivery jobs.
Delivering big screen TVs or unassembled furniture is way easier than helping somebody move an apartment.
Lugg and Dolly seemed to have the most partnerships with Big Box retailers for item delivery so be sure to check them out first if either company are in your city.
Either way, if you want to make more money, don’t mind some physical work and want something a little more active than just driving people around be sure to give moving gigs a look.
