CitizenShipper Vision Statement

Through the application of leading-edge technologies and a commitment to honest service in the collaborative economy, CitizenShipper fosters networked communities that value freedom and the wonder of exploration.

CitizenShipper History

As a graduate student, Richard Obousy (CitizenShipper founder and CEO) would often make regular trips between his college town of Waco, Texas, and Houston. He was a typical student, working to get a solid educational foundation and struggling to make ends meet. Each weekend he would scrape together just enough gas money for the trip. While driving, he would wonder how many other folks on the road were traveling between cities on a regular basis. He realized that his car had a spare seat in the front, spare seats in the back, an almost empty trunk — all that space that could be utilized. Wasn’t there a way to connect drivers making these frequent trips to people who needed things shipped between the cities? Maybe the people in need of transport would be willing to pay for the service and offset his cost of gas?

Based on that kernel of an idea, a very basic version of CitizenShipper was created in 2008 on a shoestring budget.

The intervening years brought plenty of changes to Richard’s life and to the concept of collaborative economy as a whole. Graduating with a PhD in physics, he relocated to Houston and focused all his attention on turning CitizenShipper into a reliable platform, using leading-edge technologies to connect neighbors and build communities of shippers and drivers all across America.

Little by little, the company has grown into what Richard had envisioned so long ago. CitizenShipper has built an innovative shipping marketplace from the ground up. Efficiency has improved greatly since those early days, now providing top-notch service to thousands of customers on a daily basis. Collaborative economy companies like Lyft and Task Rabbit eventually caught up to Richard’s idea and took off to become major contributors to the American economy.

These days, the CitizenShipper site isn’t really used to connect people who just happen to be driving down a certain route — the drivers are using the site as independent contractors, either working as professional transporters or looking to supplement their income. But the initial vision of allowing anyone to participate in this vibrant marketplace has proved to be an exciting concept. To this day, we maintain our commitment to assuring that regular folks have alternatives to corporate shipping and more freedom to explore life on their own terms.