What: Online marketplace; More of a “moving” company than an animal care site; Citizen Shipper connects consumers who need help moving furniture, pets, etc. with independent transport providers headed in the same direction.
Expected pay: Set by you
Commissions & fees: $25/month (after free three-month trial); shippers also pay a fee
Where: Nationwide
Requirements: 21 or over; pass a background check, clean driving record, references and good credit
Review:
Citizen Shipper connects people who need help moving pets or possessions with independent transportation providers willing and able to do it. It seems many jobs involve moving animals, so no need for large muscles or a truck to participate.
How It Works:
4 Easy Steps: 1) List your shipment 2) Pick a Driver 3) Stay in touch 4) Review and rate your experience
Shippers fill out a form detailing the what, where, when, and, sometimes, how much they’re willing to pay. Drivers are notified of new jobs in their area and decide whether to bid or accept a proposed assignment. Citizen Shipper also promotes on-the-way deliveries by creating a stack of up to five other potential shipments that are between the driver’s current destination and the one that was accepted. Citizen Shipper says drivers can provide more competitive bids, and make more money by adding deliveries in the stack – a convenient and mutually beneficial feature – that should work well for both customers and drivers.
PROS:
- Drivers can try the service free for three months, they pay $25/month after the 3 months to remain on the site.
- A fee, calculated as a percentage of the shipping cost, is also charged to the shipper – it does not come out of the driver’s pay – just an added cost to the consumer.
- The site does not charge drivers a commission on the jobs they take.
CONS:
- A gag-clause in their driver agreement. The clause – drivers pay a $1,000 fine if they “defame” the site’s business integrity or “make damaging statements regarding business and services.”
