The Skandalaris Center for Interdisciplinary Innovation & Entrepreneurship and the Student Entrepreneurial Program (StEP) are excited to announce the “graduation” of University Trucking from StEP business to official campus vendor. University Trucking has operated on Washington University’s campus since the late ’70s and will continue providing moving and storage services for the WashU community as a St. Louis-based vendor. The work of many alumni throughout those years has laid the foundation for University Trucking to grow beyond the boundaries of StEP and serve more than the WashU community.
Current owner Adam Mofid (BU ‘23) said “StEP is so cool because it is a microcosm of entrepreneurship on campus. StEP has been an awesome way to ground the entrepreneurial aspirations of owners and encourage us to think bigger. We are now looking outside of WashU in a variety of ways to interact with and serve the St. Louis community.”
Over more than 40 years, University Trucking has evolved from providing shipping services for students on the east coast to providing moving and shipping services for students across the country, delivering students’ belongings directly to their dorm room, storing items during breaks, and renting mini-fridges and desk chairs. Over the last three years, U Trucking owners identified several areas of potentially significant growth that would allow them to bring their services to campuses beyond WashU while improving existing operations at WashU. And now, U Trucking is “graduating” and leaving StEP to turn that into a reality.
Current owner Nitan Shalon (EN ‘22) said “We are really grateful for the amount of guidance we received as part of StEP. Staff at the Skandalaris Center, Residential Life, and other campus partners took time out to advise and provide business opportunities with no other incentive than to see us do well. These are mutual relationships that are stronger than ever and we hope they will continue to grow.”
StEP, which has been in operation since 1999, offers undergraduate students the opportunity to own and operate their own business on campus serving members of our university community. Each business functions as an independent LLC, S Corp, or non-profit wholly owned by undergrad students. StEP provides a hands-on educational framework to support these businesses, including storefront leases, workshops, leadership opportunities, and a supportive advisory board.
Managing Director of the Skandalaris Center and Assistant Vice Provost for Innovation & Entrepreneurship, II Luscri, says “This is a remarkable moment for U Trucking, StEP, and all of WashU. U Trucking has been a long-standing member of this program and has consistently delivered a high level of service to WashU students. We are excited to see them take this next step in the evolution of their business.”
StEP cultivates entrepreneurship at WashU through the entire venture lifecycle, from new business creation to growth to exiting StEP. The program looks forward to fostering more StEP businesses through that process. To learn more about University Trucking’s services, please visit their website: www.utrucking.com; to learn more about StEP, check out the Skandalaris Center’s website: https://skandalaris.wustl.edu/step/.