Have you seen them? There are trucks all over local cities that say Fluid Truck on them. What does it mean and why owners of 2019 Ram 1500s should be aware!
I’ve noticed at least five trucks driving through my Denver, Colorado, neighborhood that have the words Fluid Truck Share written on them. I decided to do a little digging and have discovered that it is an online truck sharing platform. Judging by the photos on the Fluid Truck Share website, 2019 Ram 1500s are very popular.
Of course, the 2019 Ram 1500 is a very popular truck. Ram has won awards left and right for the vehicle, because of its upgraded interiors and ability to haul large loads efficiently. It also gets good fuel economy, which is a big plus in the truck world. It appears that Fluid Truck Share allows owners to rent out their vehicles by the day or by the hour. People who need access to a truck on a short-term basis are also able to rent everything from box trucks, cargo vans, pickups, buses, RVs, trailers and even smaller cars or SUVs. It appears that the website will allow the owner to rent any make of truck, but the Rams are most prevalent.
The website describes its service this way:
“From pickup trucks to large moving trucks. Your community has what you need. Open 24/7, lockboxes on most vehicles allow for instant access. No need to wait.”
Most of the 2019 Ram 1500 pickups are renting for $9 an hour. It might be a way for owners to pick up extra cash, while not have to be driving for a service like Uber. The website claims that, on average, pickup owners make about $10,000 per year.
How Owners Make Money
According to the website, vehicles are usually rented by neighbors who just need a truck for a short amount of time. Lenders are able to arrange for insurance through the website. Owners set the pricing and are also able to set limits on what the vehicle can be used for. Owners cans stress no towing and set weight limits for what can be carried. They can also set geographical and mileage limits on how far the vehicle can be taken.
Much like ride sharing services, all of the money is handled through the website so no concerns about cash transactions. Fluid Truck Share recommends that you advertise your truck through neighborhood websites like home owner associations, community bulletin boards and Nextdoor to build up your business. They also recommend setting hourly, daily and weekly rates. A calendar in the app lets the owner block out dates when the truck can’t be rented.
In a press release, when the truck sharing platform went national, James Eberhard, Chairman and co-founder said, "Think of us as a fusion of U-Haul and Airbnb."
How Renters are Screened
According to the Fluid Share website, borrowers have to be 21 years-old to rent a vehicle. The website says it will run a borrower’s driver’s license through the state’s DMV. Renters can’t have been picked up for DUI in the last five years, or have had three tickets in the last year. The credit card used to rent the vehicle has to match the driver’s license exactly.
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A service of this type may appeal to any owner of any type of truck, it is obviously not limited to Ram vehicles. It might offer owners an opportunity to make a little cash or get caught up on some bills. Uber and Lyft have changed the landscape so much in the last few years, it makes sense that a company came up with a way to help truck owners find new customers.
Mary Conway covered the Detroit Three for more than twenty years for the ABC affiliate, in Detroit. Her affection for the Motor City comes naturally. Her father ran a gas station while Mary was growing up, in Wisconsin. Follow Mary on Twitter at @maryconwaymedia.
Fluid Truck is a great idea,
Fluid Truck is a great idea, but it's poorly executed. The website had lots of errors and it was an absolute pain in the butt to get verified, the customer service was pretty bad. In fact customer service still has not got back to me. I am pretty sure their customer service staff was hired from Comcast and Verizon they were useless and didn't really try and help just would throw out the arbitrary rule book. renting fro Ryder is still alot easier, the only thing they disrupted was 3 hours on my thursday last week lol.