Pickup truck sharing startup Bungii expands to Baltimore

Whether you’ve been the owner of a pickup truck or the friend calling in a favor for a quick move, you’ve probably witnessed the demand that’s placed on the friend with a truck.
Now a startup is offering a new way to phone someone with a truck and get that couch across town, without straining friendships.
Bungii expanded to Baltimore this month, making it the fourth city where its on-demand delivery app is available.

We could bore you with strategy and big business words but long story short: Baltimore is beautiful this time of year… so now it’s our fourth major market. We are LIVE in Charm City! pic.twitter.com/tPF9Uxc9wK

— Bungii (@BungiiApp) August 21, 2018

Along with the startup’s home base in Kansas City, the service is also available in Atlanta and D.C. We caught up with cofounder Harrison Proffitt at Spark Baltimore, where he is currently based during launch.
According to Proffitt, the app is a lot like ridesharing, except with pickup trucks. A user who wants a delivery can take a picture of the item they want moved. Then, the app connects them with a driver. The person who needs a delivery doesn’t ride with driver, and the app offers tracking during the move. It’s designed to take a couple of minutes to book a delivery and get the item on its way.
“We have really focused on simplicity and ease of use in the app,” Proffitt said.
Along with offering a way to transport Craigslist purchases, the startup is also seeing use at stores selling furniture, mattresses and other items. So it’s partnering with the retailers where people are likely to need delivery. One example is Big Lots.
Drivers handle the moving, and are required to have ratchet straps and moving blankets. The independent contractors are vetted with background checks, and there’s a rating system. Proffitt said off-duty first responders and college students are populating much of the driver ranks so far.
Proffitt and cofounder Ben Jackson met in college at Kansas State University. When Jackson was asked for four different favors with his pickup truck around Manhattan, Kansas, in one day, they realized there was a potential business model. After a summer proving out the business by delivering lots of items themselves and then graduation, they soon relocated to Kansas City.
As it builds out a Baltimore presence, Proffitt said the company will likely look to hire a local business development manager in the coming months.