Have a cargo van? Make some money!

[One Awesome Inch]

Just thought of an idea that may be helpful if you have a cargo van. If you build it in a way that the stuff is easy to remove and you can temp store it in a friend's garage for the afternoon, an empty cargo van can help you make money. Put an ad on CL "Man and a cargo van will help you move for $100." Up here renting the van with the mandatory ins etc costs close to $100. So they get the van (which of course, you drive) and your muscles. Not everyone has the ability to carry furniture and boxes so I am sure there is a need. You can charge an additional $20 for gas (or whatever amount).

Anyway just a thought. You could bump up that price too and stipulate that your services are $100 for 4 hours, $150 for 6 etc. Tax free cash!

If you do that 4+ times per month that could pay your monthly expenses.

 

[akrvbob]

That really is a very good idea!

My one concern would be how sue-happy this world is. If you break something or have an accident you could really open yourself up to some problems.
Bob

 

[Scott_1776]

You don't need the van to get a gig helping people load a Uhaul or something, put ad out and you might find people will call you. I hired a crew of college kids off CL years ago to move my "stuff" from one hell hole to another.

 

[Spirituallifetime]

Invest in movers blankets to wrap furniture, some people have nice stuff and don't want marks on it from the movers. Put pad or blankets under press wood furniture, if it bounces it brakes! I had a contract to do delivery for Sears I was liable for all most anything once I entered a home. I've had to have carpets cleaned because a foot print was found, replaced linoleum floors, fixed holes in walls. Stuff happens and you have to fix it. I would suggest charging more like $50 an hour so you can set aside a pool of money for those things that might happen and your operating costs will be higher than you think. If you only do it 4 times a month that would reduce your risk of liability and getting caught by the MAN movers have to be bonded and have insurance for moving household goods. I had a $1 million umbrella insurance that was supposed to cover almost anything that wasn't covered by other insurance.

 

[One Awesome Inch]

I'd definitely have a contracted that I would require signed. It would state that I am not responsible for damaged property. I would also be particular of who I worked with. If they seem really uptight and 'difficult' I'd pass.

Anyway, its just a thought.

 

[peacetara]

I recently helped a friend of a friend move, It made me a few hundred bucks, it wasn't a bad gig. I didn't move anything out of Ferdy, just stuffed him to the brim!

 

[kyonu]

On this note, you can probably contract with multiple companies who need stuff moved from one site to another and they typically cover the costs. It's cheaper to them than hiring someone to do it full time as they don't really need to pay hourly wages, just cost of direct travel and a fee. Most drivers make 15+ an hour with commercial vans or larger, so a 3 hour round trip for $45 bucks, plus cost of insurance, liabilities, etc etc on the vehicle gets pricey. Paying someone $75 bucks for the same trip is beneficial to them, and that could feed a vandweller for a week!