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).
Comments
I think this is a viable idea.
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).