Trading name Shofur Traded as Private Limited Headquarters Atlanta, GA | Type Intercity bus service Industry Transportation Number of locations 100 locations | |
Shofur is a transportation logistics and technology company based in Atlanta, GA that offers charter bus bookings and low-cost bus tickets across the US and in parts of Canada via their website. In addition to its operations in the charter bus industry, Shofur is a growth-stage tech startup focused on disrupting the bus industry with technology. Considered the combination between Yelp and AirBnB for buses, the Shofur web platform and app provides users with access to over 500 bus companies in 100 locations nationwide. In addition to renting a charter bus, customers are able to purchase tickets along scheduled inter-city routes using a technology-first approach providing them with greater transparency, ease of purchase, and higher customer service than competitors. The company has also begun planning the development of the first self-driving bus.
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Operations
The company operates across the US with charter buses, entertainer or tour buses, and mini buses. The company focuses on enabling its consumers to coordinate their bus quote inquiries and bookings independently online via their computer or smart phone. In the past, this was only possible by calling on multiple bus operators, which was a very time-consuming task. In addition to its consumer-facing side of the business, the company also connects buyers and sellers of buses directly, instead of connecting the buyers with the brokers as a competitive strategy. This custom-built web platform facilitates charter bus buying and selling through an online marketplace.
In June 2016, the company launched its first inter-city bus service line in the Texas Triangle serving Dallas, Austin, Waco, Houston and San Antonio. The buses offer amenities such as reclining seats, wifi, power outlets, and the option to select your seat at no additional cost. By reserving seats, riders can ensure they are next to family and friends or sitting in their preferred part of the bus. Bus routes in California and New York are expected to launch in the following months.
During the second quarter of 2016, the self-funded company hired a Chief Technology Officer to spearhead the development of the app and the autonomous bus research. A Chief Operation Officer was also hired to help the company scale.
History
The company began when the Democratic National Convention arrived in Charlotte. The demand for buses was high, the ability to book them was difficult and segmented. Shofur CEO, Armir Harris, used his connections to connect multiple bus operators in the Southeast to help the DNC be able to transport its attendees. The company grew quickly from the early days where Harris was manually aggregating bus companies, and he then started focusing on building out the technology to streamline the availability and reservation process. In 2013, the company officially launched as Shofur. There were a lot of inefficiencies at first, but over time, he started adding bus operators directly to the platform, making it more efficient, and it grew nationwide. Now the company serves over 100 cities, have about 500 bus companies, and manage 4000 buses nationwide on the platform.
Philanthropy
The company has notably been cited for filling in a bus with a 1000 toys for kids. The company aimed to donate $100 per bus to Toys for Tots when customers booked the company's services and mentioned #T4TChallenge.
In 2016, Shofur pledge to donate $150 to a women's charity for every bus reserved for transportation to the Women's March on Washington. As of December 7, 2016, the company has reserved nearly 2,000 buses for the event. Many well known organizations have chosen Shofur as their official supplier of transportation for the event. Armir Harris, CEO and Founder of Shofur, was quoted as stating "As a political refugee who was raised by a single mother, this cause stands dear to my heart. I look forward to the opportunity to help many of you form your travel plans to get to Washington. I want you to know that I stand behind you and am proud to help you make history."