When consumers make bulk purchases and buy large items, Moovalot is ready to help with convenient, on-demand, short-term rentals of small trailers right at the retail location — saving the customer an extra trip. With the Moovalot app, those 5’x8’ trailers — equipped with Digi XBee® 3 cellular modems — are a few taps away. By eliminating delivery concerns and rental hassles, Moovalot is bringing more convenience to consumers and more revenue to retailers.
Rethinking the Big-Ticket Delivery Challenge
It’s a familiar scenario: You’re in your favorite department store and spot the 85-inch flat screen of your dreams, and it’s on sale. Or maybe you’re shopping for furniture, lumber, sod, or shrubs, only to realize there’s no way it will fit in your compact car. Scenarios like these often lead to a consumer unable to buy or a retailer who loses a sale to an e-commerce competitor that offers free delivery. Even if a determined buyer is willing to rent a trailer or suitable vehicle, it typically involves unnecessary barriers: paperwork, wasted time and other hassles — that extra trip nobody wants. What if you’re shopping at Costco or Walmart, and you have no idea where to find the nearest trailer rental?
Moovalot’s trailer model is evolving the market. In the Houston Metro (and expanding fast nationwide), Moovalot is giving consumers a smarter way to haul. With just a few taps in the Moovalot app, you can rent a GPS-equipped, network-connected trailer for as little as 15 minutes or as long as several hours or even days — just like renting a scooter or e-bike. Whether they need to haul landscaping mulch, a couch, a riding mower, or the newly assembled BBQ pit, consumers now have a fast and easy option to take home their big purchases.
“We remove the friction from the trailer rental,” said Michael Villarreal, cofounder of Moovalot. “You can access the app anytime, anywhere. No endless searching for the closest trailer rental company, no long lines, no unnecessary chatting with rental service staff, and no paperwork. Simple navigation within the app and your trailer is secured and ready to use. Use it for any moving or hauling job — and even extend the rental time for the same rate without any penalty — then return it to an empty corral that’s nearest to you. The app handles all the transaction and payment details. Most importantly, rates are fixed, no hidden fees and includes insurance.”
Digi XBee 3: “More Than a Chip”
With high-value equipment constantly in motion, Moovalot needed a smart, reliable wireless communication solution to keep its fleet of trailers connected. Moovalot turned to Digi XBee® 3 Global LTE-M modems to transmit data over the popular low-powered cellular network protocol. Digi XBee 3 Global LTE-M modems accelerate time to market for designers by quickly enabling wireless connectivity. These compact (24mm x 33mm) modules are ideal for low-data, low-power, low-cost applications and feature a power-saving mode that extends sleep time and battery life.
With Digi Remote Manager®, Digi XBee 3 Global LTE modules can be easily configured and controlled from a simple, central platform. Standard Digi XBee API frames and AT commands, MicroPython, and Digi XBee Studio software tools simplify setup, configuration, testing, and adding or changing functionality. What’s more, Digi XBee cellular modems are pre-certified to work on cellular networks, saving months of time and thousands of dollars in development costs.
“We are very glad we chose Digi and the XBee 3 cellular modem,” said DeAngelo Rios, co-founder of Moovalot. “Digi is more than just a chip — it’s an entire company standing behind it with resources and consulting. That’s a huge benefit for a startup company like ours. We knew we didn’t have all the answers, but Digi’s extensive knowledge and experience helped us improve our design. We liked the integrated MicroPython, as well. That gave us more options to customize the solution.”
With its 20-amp lithium-ion battery, the device can run up to six days on a single charge. A 30-watt solar panel adds 12 more days. The device gets recharged each time it’s connected to a customer vehicle. Verizon data plans provide low-cost connectivity throughout the Moovalot coverage areas, thanks to a custom-made, low-profile eternal antenna.
Digi Remote Manager Provides Central Control
Moovalot relies on Digi Remote Manager (Digi RM), the industry-leading cloud platform, to rapidly deploy its devices. Using Digi RM, they can simplify the management, monitoring, and updates of those devices and keep tabs on their growing fleet of trailers. “This is a fantastic, intuitive console to maintain version control across our devices in the field,” Rios said. “We can see all the data in real time. I can’t imagine how we’d deploy our solution without it.”
With the Moovalot app, a user can lock and unlock a trailer from their mobile device. “We can see GPS data and travel speeds, and we can even use geofencing to get alerts if the trailer travels beyond our coverage area,” Villarreal said. “We aggregate rental data to spot useful trends such as average trip distance and time. And of course, if a trailer is stolen, we have tracking ability.”
For consumers, Moovalot trailers make it easy to purchase big (and big-ticket) items. Retailers are also better positioned to increase their bulky and messy item sales. “We’re removing a barrier and making it easier for consumers and retailers to transact,” said Rios.
From a sustainability perspective, Moovalot offers key advantages that create a compelling eco-footprint. “The first aspect is that Moovalot saves consumers unnecessary trips,” Villarreal said. “There’s no need to drive around town trying to locate a truck/trailer rental location. The consumer can find the nearest trailer, and in some cases, it will be right at the retail location. Of course, our trailers aren’t motorized, so there’s no added carbon emissions. And we’re leveraging solar charging as much as possible. It’s a solution that benefits buyer, seller, and the community as well.”
Next Steps