Co-founders of a student-run moving company are getting business earlier than they thought.

Last week, the University of Alabama released a semester completion plan, which informed students who lived on campus that they would have to move out much earlier than they expected in efforts to limit the spread of COVID-19. Alec Boxer, a junior majoring in economics and finance, and Hannah Strathmeyer, a sophomore majoring in marketing and operations management, took this as an opportunity to get to work. 

Boxer and Strathmeyer are co-founders and student partners at College Truckers, a nationwide company with 50 branches in over 20 states. Each branch is student-run and operated under the direction of the company’s CEO, Max Schoenfeld. The company’s headquarters is in Brooklyn, New York.

Both Strathmeyer and Boxer were hired through LinkedIn by the CEO and began working for the company this January. Strathmeyer said that being a co-founder of a company stood out more on a resume compared to having an internship. Boxer said he enjoyed being a co-founder because he has always been interested in running a business.

College Truckers provides moving, shipping and storage services to students. The company does not charge customers for boxes or packing tape, only for monthly storage. 

“During the move-out week, we would send you some boxes, and you can choose the number of boxes you want to receive,” Boxer said. “Then, you select a day and time for us to come and pick everything up. If you store anything at the beginning of the next semester, we come and drop everything off at your apartment.” 

Strathmeyer also said that they are capable of moving big items like mattresses and bikes. Their main priority as co-founders, she said,  is “to make the process as easy as it can be on [our customers], even if we have to take on more of a hardship or more work, as long as it is easy for them.” 

For Boxer, being a student-run company makes them more trustworthy than big corporations in the eyes of their classmates. 

“The students know that we are in the same boat as them, and we just want to help out,” he said.

During normal semesters, moving out would take place in May, but this year it will be much sooner because of the campus shutdown. Strathmeyer said that the early move-out has sped up their preparation process.

Strathmeyer and Boxer expect to be on campus the week of April 13 to help students move out, though the University has not yet released their plan for a staggered move-out process. While they wait to get to work, the team is already beginning to reach out to students who seek their services. 

To learn more about College Truckers and view their rates, visit collegetruckers.com.