If you run a moving company, you know it’s no small task to keep everything running smoothly. Scheduling jobs, managing crews, tracking payments, and keeping customers happy is just the beginning.
This is why moving software has become an essential tool for growing businesses. Two major options are Chariot and Smartmoving. In this article, we’ll dive into their differences and show you why Chariot is the best choice for most movers.
Running a successful moving company is incredibly hard work. To thrive:
Some companies manage this with a patchwork of spreadsheets, paper forms, and sheer determination. But that approach is time-consuming and error-prone, making it harder to grow or add new staff over time.
The right moving (CRM) software makes running a successful moving company much easier by automating work for you and letting you focus on one matter. It helps moving companies:
Chariot is the #1 fastest-growing moving software in the US, built to make life easier for moving companies. Launched in 2022 and based in New York City, Chariot is designed with input from real movers across the US to ensure it is flexible and meets real-world need. It includes:
Chariot is known for its ease of use and “white-glove” customer service, offering hands-on support to every company—big or small. Daily software updates ensure Chariot evolves with the needs of movers.
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Smartmoving is another popular option launched in the 2010s. It’s also an all-in-one platform for sales, scheduling, and operations. Many movers appreciate its modern interface and feature set, which includes customizable settings and integrations like RingCentral (a popular VoIP system).
Chariot’s web forms are designed to collect more useful information from customers upfront, saving you time and helping you close sales faster. Chariot has 2 out-of-the box options:
(1) A “long form” that collects every lead upfront but gives your customers the option to provide detailed information as well like inventory, move dates, and location details like square footage or parking challenges. Over 60% of Chariot users get a full inventory from customers upfront, which makes follow-up calls much smoother.
(2) A short form focuses on capturing leads quickly while giving customers the option to add key details like date flexibility.
Both forms are mobile-optimized and can be embedded on your website, emailed, or shared through social media. As soon as a form is submitted, Chariot sends automated texts and emails to customers and notifies your team.
In contrast, Smartmoving’s form collects basic details like name, phone, and preferred move date. While simplicity isn't necessarily bad, it misses the chance to collect important important details like flexibility, addresses, or inventory, meaning more manual work for you (follow up calls and time spent with the customer) after you receive the link.
With both Chariot and Smartmoving, if you prefer a different web form, you can also connect a custom form using an API.
Chariot is designed to be simple enough for any mover to use, even if they don’t think of themselves as tech-savvy. Everything is streamlined, with fewer clicks and no need to jump between pages to get work done. Key examples:
Automatic maps and street views: Every job generates these automatically, saving you from looking them up.
Quick views: When looking into follow-up or your schedule you can access job details—like inventory, notes, and travel info — without leaving the page. You can even take actions, like sending a review request or confirming a job, right from the dashboard.
Flexible lead entry: Create a lead with as little as a name and fill out other details later. This allows your salespeople to run sales calls according to their preferred sales scrips and while adapt to each customer's needs.
Fast and tablet-friendly inventory: Chariot’s inventory module allows you to quickly add inventory by tapping, clicking, or even using your arrow keys. You can even add custom items or add new items to your default inventory list on the fly!
Schedule and dispatch jobs from the same screen: With Chariot, you can see availability, edit your schedule, assign movers, and get ready for move day all from one page.
While Smartmoving’s interface is modern, movers often find Chariot’s features about much faster and easier to navigate.
The User Interface is pretty straightforward and intuitive, making it easy to use and navigate. On top of the great UI, when you have multiple jobs in a day like I do, it keeps you organized, and you don't feel overwhelmed.
- Real Chariot Review
One of Chariot’s standout features is its automatic crew size and hours calculator, which helps movers provide accurate estimates and plan efficiently for every job.
Here’s how it works:
What sets Chariot apart is the flexibility and control it gives movers over these calculations. While the system provides a starting point, you can adjust assumptions for unique situations. For example:
Chariot makes it simple to tweak these variables on the fly, so you can deliver more accurate quotes and forecasts.
Smartmoving’s estimate rules also provide automated estimates based on inventory or home size (e.g., a two-bedroom apartment). While it’s a helpful tool, it’s less flexible in letting movers adjust assumptions directly within the interface, which can lead to less accurate quotes for nuanced moves.
By giving you both automation and control, Chariot ensures your quotes are precise and that you’re prepared for anything on move day.
Wouldn’t it be nice if all moves went according to plan?
Unfortunately that’s not how it works. Movers call out last minute, customers underestimate what they need moved, and the crew might change during move day. Chariot makes it easy to handle these situations:
In comparison, Smartmoving has less flexibility – so Chariot makes handling real-world issues faster and less stressful.
Very easy to navigate and use. The program allows for a lot of flexibility and adjustments.
- Real Chariot Review
Smartmoving charges per user, charges extra for movers to access its crew app and also adds fees for texting over a certain threshold. This pricing approach can create issues for moving companies
Chariot has a simple, all-in-one price for unlimited office users, mover users, texting, and support based on company size. This means you can focus on getting the most value out of the software possible, instead of worrying about extra fees.
Chariot customers rave about the level of service they get through onboarding and beyond. Every moving company using Chariot gets access to a fully US-based support team, including the founding team. Onboarding is white-glove, and Chariot proactively checks in to ensure each moving company is getting the most out of the system. Support questions are answered in minutes – sometimes seconds!
Chariot’s US-based engineering team updates the software almost daily based on feedback from movers, so it’s always improving as you use it.
Pros: What I like most is the customer service. Never have I dealt with a company that responds so promptly and willing to help with any issue that comes up. Also they are always making changes to improve the software.
- Real Chariot Review
Both Chariot and Smartmoving are modern softwares for moving companies. But Chariot outshines Smartmoving by offering:
Ready to see the difference? Schedule a Chariot demo today and discover how we can help your moving company grow!
I've worked in the moving and storage industry for a decade and have used several other types of moving software, and Chariot is hands down the best from a functionality standpoint, customer service, and scalability.
- Real Chariot Review
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