BOSTON – Red Rover, the innovator of Fetchable Storage®, launches in the Boston market this month from the founder of PODS.
The Tampa, FL-based company is now open at 249 Oceana Way in Norwood, and also at 15 Liberty Way in Franklin to service the greater Boston area. Both locations have self-service lots providing customer access to preloaded trucks and containers, and Norwood includes a 30,000 square-foot, climate-controlled facility to store all customers’ containers.
Compared with other container moving and storage options, Red Rover has eliminated expensive delivery fees by letting the customer use their trucks for free and has developed a patent pending automated ramp that gives customers better options on how to load their belongings — including from the side of the truck, which is especially helpful where parking is at a premium.
Red Rover developed and launched a new category in the marketplace known as Fetchable Moving & Storage™ with the goal of providing customers with a more affordable moving and storage option. The model provides portable storage units, pre-loaded onto a truck that the customer picks up and drives for free. Then the unit is warehoused in one of Red Rover’s, climate-controlled storage facilities. If the customer is moving out of the market, Red Rover® takes care of the transportation between their locations.
“Boston is one of the country’s hottest real estate markets with students and knowledge workers moving constantly – and often yearly on September 1,” said Peter Warhurst, CEO and founder of Red Rover. “At many addresses, we can offer the only realistic option for easy loading at tight street spaces. We feel our unique model is well-suited to serve this market. We’ve also seen a significant increase of people moving out of the Northeast, typically with destinations in the south, and we are well positioned to help customers with these moves.”
The process was designed so that the customer has minimal, if any, contact with people, aligning with current consumer trends due to COVID concerns. All information is gathered online and/or over the phone, there is no “counter” when a customer goes to collect their truck, and the trucks and containers are brand new and sanitized between every use. At the same time, a virtual concierge team is available to walk customers through each step of their move.
A key competitive differentiator for Red Rover is that customers get to use the truck for free, including 60 miles, gas, and a dolly. When a customer is ready to pick up their truck and storage container, a text with a code provides access to a private Red Rover location. The customer then has from 8am – midnight to fill their container and return the truck. The storage unit is then stored in one of Red Rover’s secure climate-controlled facilities until the customer needs their belongings back. No loading a truck, unloading a truck and reloading belongings into a storage unit. Currently operating in Florida, New York, Texas and the Carolinas, the company is actively looking for additional locations.
For long distance moving, the customer does the local driving but Red Rover transports the container to the customer’s new location – and will even deliver it right to their home in many locations.
The local trucks include innovative features such as back up cameras, lane departure warnings and a patent pending ramp operated by a remote control so customers don’t have to struggle with lifting and setting up a heavy ramp – it’s literally a push of a button. The ramp provides the ability for back or side loading , which is especially valuable in urban neighborhoods where space is tight.
Red Rover currently has three locations in the Tampa Bay area, 2 on Long Island, NY, 2 in Charlotte North Carolina and plans to develop a national footprint over the next three years.
