Ask HN: Just finished coding my new startup; need ideas for getting traction

As a customer, what do I gain? As I see it, I take a significant risk in shipping with an unknown entity. The cost of shipping within the US is already fairly low, so why would I take the risk. You can't go international, even into Canada or Mexico, because I sure wouldn't take a package from an unknown person across the border for them.

You've created an opportunity for a driver with an empty truck, but you haven't (I don't think) really solved the question of why a customer would use the product. You say 50% off the cost is the benefit. But what is the average price of a product that can be moved in the manner you are describing?

If you are talking about getting door-to-door service, that is going to add up for the driver as well.

UPS, USPS, FEDEX, DHL, etc. all operate on a hub and spoke type system which is efficient with a large number of packages.

For local direct shipping, there are often lots of local options which may be cheaper than the big names. If you could link up the drivers across regional locations and offer them something so they can compete with UPS, etc, then you might be on to something.

An interesting annecdote, my great-grandfather got into the trucking business exactly as you are describing. He had a truck and was driving from town-to-town in Southern Ontario looking for work. People started recognizing him and asked him to take small packages for him on his travels. Then one day somebody asked him if he could deliver a Piano, and he clued in that this was a good thing. But that was in the early 1910's (I think), so there weren't a lot of shipping options.

First, what If something happens to the package that I'm carrying? I'm not going to carry something if I'm going to be liable if I break it, that risk won't be worth the gain.

Second, are the people carrying stuff for you going to be classified as employees? I don't know much about tax stuff but if you run the risk of the IRS classifying all these people as your employees, you might be running into a lot of administrative and liability problems.

I would focus on niche areas, perhaps where you would waive all fees (and the shipper would also) to get some users. What comes to mind are parents visiting college kids may be willing to bring care packages for other parents at the same college, and the same for packages going to military bases.

There may be other niches: fanciers of a particular dog or parrot breed may be willing to help others transport those animals, and those animals may be impossible to ship; among the heirloom plant type people, fruit tree sapplings might be good; people who are into a certain type of old car or motorcycle are also often community oriented enough to help haul something if they are going the same direction.

I would disregard the skepticism in the comments. I have found start-up types to be sort of passively hostile to co-operative type setups that are not crassly commercial enough for them -- there's nothing wrong with that.

I would not make the "safe, secure and reliable" guarantee, because you can't really do it, unless you offer package insurance (which might be a good add on). I would just say "select shippers with a reliability rating that suits you" or something like that.

You should also take the 1 - 2 - 3 steps on the left hand side, for people with packages, and replicate them on the right hand side, as in "1: you are traveling to a distant city 2: you find someone who needs a package sent there . . . . "

Also, I would suggest that for an unrated people the package must be inspected and sealed in the presence of the hauler, it will keep out some of the drug shipper types.

In your about page or further explanations, you might make reference to the way old settlers used to pass mail and packages to whomever was traveling in the right direction (in thinly settled places that is still sometimes done).