College HUNKS Hauling Junk & Moving® is a well-known moving and junk removal franchise that many aspiring business owners consider. Founded by two college friends in 2005, it has grown into a nationally recognized brand with over 200 locations according to sharpsheets.io. But is the College HUNKS Hauling Junk and Moving Franchise the right opportunity for you? In this in-depth review, we’ll break down what this franchise offers – from company history and costs to the day-to-day reality for franchisees. We’ll also compare the moving/junk removal industry to the commercial cleaning industry to see which offers greater long-term stability and income potential. Finally, we’ll show how Assett Franchise (a cleaning business franchise led by founder Matt Pencarinha) stacks up as a “cleaner” alternative for entrepreneurs seeking a scalable, recurring-revenue business. Let’s dive in.
What Is the College HUNKS Hauling Junk and Moving Franchise Opportunity?
Company Overview and Industry
College HUNKS Hauling Junk & Moving (the “HUNKS” stands for Honest, Uniformed, Nice, Knowledgeable, Service) is a franchise in the moving and junk-hauling industry. It began as a local junk removal service in 2005 and started franchising in 2007. Headquartered in Tampa, FL, the company has expanded across the United States (and into Canada) with 202 franchised units and a few corporate-owned locations as of 2024. The brand has achieved notable milestones – for example, it was among the first franchise systems to accept cryptocurrency for franchise fees, and it has been recognized on Entrepreneur’s Franchise 500 list and Inc. 5000 for rapid growth.
Industry Segment: College HUNKS operates in two overlapping sectors: residential/commercial moving services and junk removal services. By combining these, a franchisee essentially manages two businesses under one brand. The moving industry (valued around $21+ billion) and the junk removal industry (around $10 billion) together represent a $30+ billion market. These services are in steady demand as people relocate, declutter homes, and businesses renovate or move. College HUNKS positions itself as a tech-enabled, customer-service-focused provider in what had been a fragmented, old-school sector. The company emphasizes its fun, values-driven culture and even philanthropy – for instance, over 70% of the junk they collect is donated or recycled, and each service funds two meals for hungry children. This community-minded, environmentally conscious approach has helped the brand stand out and earn over 150,000 five-star reviews nationwide.
What Franchisees Get
A College HUNKS franchisee gains access to a turnkey system for running both a moving company and a junk removal business. Here’s what that entails:
- Service Offerings: Franchisees operate under a nationally recognized brand to provide full-service local and long-distance moving, junk removal, donation pickups, packing, and general labor services for clients. The customer base encompasses homeowners (e.g., families relocating or decluttering) as well as commercial clients (office relocations, real estate cleanouts, storage unit clearances, etc.). This mix of residential and some B2B jobs means owners can generate multiple revenue streams – College HUNKS notes you get “two businesses for one franchise fee”.
- Training & Launch Support: New franchise owners receive comprehensive training and onboarding. This includes a 5-day Franchise Management School at headquarters, plus guided prep covering a 160-point opening checklist with a dedicated onboarding specialist. Before opening, franchisees spend time training at an existing franchise location, and when their doors open, corporate trainers fly out to the location for on-site support during Grand Opening. In other words, you’re not left to figure things out alone – the franchisor’s Franchise Performance Team is there to coach you through the crucial early stages.
- Ongoing Support Systems: One standout support feature is the College HUNKS Sales & Loyalty Center, a national call center that handles customer inquiries and booking for franchisees. This call center fields inbound calls, provides quotes, books jobs, and even performs follow-ups – essentially acting as your remote office staff to reduce your administrative burden. In a single day, the call center booked over 1,300 jobs systemwide for franchise owners. This means franchisees can focus on managing and growing the business while a lot of the scheduling and customer service heavy lifting is taken care of centrally. Additionally, College HUNKS provides proprietary software (“HUNKware”) and technology tools to streamline operations. Franchisees have access to real-time business dashboards, scheduling and dispatch systems, and other tech that improves efficiency (the company constantly invests in tech innovation to stay ahead of competitors). There’s also ongoing business coaching and performance reviews from the corporate team, plus marketing support. The franchisor runs national marketing (2% of sales goes to Brand Development Fund) and award-winning marketing programs to generate leads. Franchisees are coached on local marketing as well – from networking with realtors and businesses to leveraging those big orange trucks as rolling billboards in the community.
- Brand Strength and Values: As a franchise partner, you benefit from strong brand recognition. College HUNKS has been featured on shows like Shark Tank, Oprah, and Undercover Boss, and it prides itself on a fun, youthful image (customers literally take selfies with the bright trucks). The company’s core values (building leaders, creating a fun environment, etc.) create a positive culture that helps attract quality employees and loyal customers. Franchise owners can leverage this mission-driven culture to build a team of enthusiastic, college-age workers who see a job with “HUNKS” as more than just lifting boxes – it’s an opportunity to grow and even become future franchise owners.
In summary, franchisees get a well-structured business model with dual income streams, extensive training, back-end support (call center + tech), marketing and coaching, and a brand that resonates with customers. The goal is to enable owners to scale quickly and “work on the business” (managing teams, driving growth) rather than being bogged down in every task.
Startup Costs and Ongoing Fees
Like any franchise, joining College HUNKS Hauling Junk & Moving requires a significant upfront investment. Initial startup costs range from about $258,000 to $480,000 for a new franchise location. This range includes virtually everything needed to get started: the franchise fee, the purchase or lease of box trucks, equipment and tools, initial advertising, insurance, six months of operating capital, and so on. A breakdown from the 2024 Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD) shows costs like trucks and vehicle signage (~$8k-$45k combined), office setup, insurance ($7.5k-$35k deposit), and a hefty allowance for ramp-up marketing ($26k-$36k) and working capital ($150k-$250k).
The franchise fee itself ranges from $55,000 to $75,000. The lower end is if you start with a smaller territory or a single service (the brand historically offered separate “College Hunks Moving” or “College Hunks Hauling” options), while $75k covers a standard territory with both services. Notably, the territory is exclusive and typically encompasses a population of 300,000–400,000 people. Veterans receive a discount (currently $7,500 off the franchise fee) as a thank-you incentive.
Ongoing fees include a 7% royalty on gross sales, paid to the franchisor, and a 2% national Brand Development fee (for collective marketing/brand campaigns). In addition, franchisees must spend a minimum on local marketing in their territory – the FDD specifies at least $1,500 per month (or 8% of sales) for moving services and $1,100 (or 8% of sales) for junk services, whichever is. This ensures owners continually promote their business locally. There’s also a 1% technology fee in some cases, and franchisees purchase certain supplies or services (like call center support) as part of the system.
In terms of financial requirements, candidates need a minimum net worth around $200,000 and at least $50,000 in liquid capital to qualify. This is to make sure franchisees have the resources to get the business off the ground and sustain it to breakeven.
Earnings Potential: According to College HUNKS’ Item 19 in the FDD, the average gross revenue per franchise location is about $1.03 million annually. Top performers earn far more – the top 25% of franchisees had average gross sales of $2.48 million, with an average 19% EBITDA margin (around $474,000 profit) in one recent year. The system-wide average EBITDA margin is roughly 15-18%, so an average franchisee clearing ~$1 million in sales might see about $150,000 in operating profit a year. Keep in mind, results vary by how established the location is and how many territories it covers. Some newer franchises or single-territory operations may report lower figures (one source noted an ~$816k average in 2021, up from ~$609k in 2019, reflecting growth as units mature). Still, these disclosures show that franchisees can build a seven-figure revenue business in this model. It’s also worth noting that owners typically start with 6–10 employees (often part-time student workers) and a small office/warehouse space to park trucks. This is not a home-based or absentee franchise – it requires active management and a base of operations.
How the Industry Itself Compares
Now that we’ve covered College HUNKS as a franchise, let’s step back and compare its industry – moving and junk removal – to the commercial cleaning industry. Many entrepreneurs evaluating College HUNKS might also be looking at other service sectors, like cleaning business franchises, which target a different market (e.g. cleaning offices instead of moving furniture). Below, we’ll weigh the pros and cons of the moving/junk removal arena versus commercial cleaning in practical, financial, and operational terms. Both are part of the broader “essential services” field, but they have distinct dynamics.
College HUNKS Industry Advantages
Every industry has its appeal. For moving and junk-hauling franchises like College HUNKS, there are several advantages that make it attractive to franchise buyers:
- Dual Revenue Streams & High Ticket Jobs: Unlike a single-focus business, College HUNKS lets you tap into two related markets. You can generate income from local moves (which have an average job revenue of ~$1,100 each) and from junk removal jobs (averaging ~$400 each). By offering multiple services, franchisees can capture more business from each customer (e.g. haul away junk during a moving job) and diversify their revenue. A single moving job can be worth a lot – sometimes thousands of dollars for a full-service move – which means daily sales can add up quickly during peak season.
- Strong Brand in a Fragmented Market: The moving and junk removal industry is highly fragmented, mostly dominated by small independent operators. College HUNKS, along with a few competitors, has established a national brand with consistent service, which is a competitive edge when bidding jobs. The memorable name and orange trucks create instant recognition. The company reports that it has the most 5-star reviews in the industry and even a higher NPS (Net Promoter Score) than Apple or Amazon – meaning customers are very satisfied. For a franchisee, stepping into a market with a known brand and centralized marketing (including a website that drives leads) is a big advantage over starting a moving business from scratch.
- Large and Growing Demand: Americans are famously on the move – an estimated 31 million people move each year in the U.S. The junk removal segment is also growing as decluttering and donating trends continue. Together, these industries represent over $30 billion in annual spending and are projected to keep growing. College HUNKS emphasizes that these services are “essential and recession-resistant” in their own right. There will always be people changing residences, and businesses relocating or renovating (which generates junk). In fact, during economic downturns some people downsize or foreclose – unfortunately creating demand for movers and clean-outs. The franchisor claims its model is both “booming and resilient” in all economic cycles.
- Community and Employee Appeal: Operating a College HUNKS franchise can be fun and rewarding on a personal level. The brand’s youthful, energetic culture tends to attract young, physically active employees who bring high energy to the job. Many franchisees enjoy mentoring these workers – the company’s core value of “Building Leaders” means they encourage promoting movers into managers or even franchise owners. This can improve retention and lower hiring costs in an industry known for turnover. Additionally, there’s a feel-good aspect: franchisees participate in charity partnerships (like free moves for domestic violence victims and donations to end hunger). This social impact focus not only helps the community but also boosts team morale and public image.
- Proven Systems and Tech: The moving/junk business might seem old-fashioned, but College HUNKS has modernized it. As discussed, franchisees get advanced tech tools and call center support that independent movers typically lack. Routes are optimized, customer communication is streamlined, and much admin work is offloaded to the central team. This means a franchise owner can run a lean operation – your office staff can be minimal because the heavy lifting (literally and figuratively) is done by crews and the home office. The franchisor’s investment in tech and marketing also helps generate consistent leads (the call center books over 12,000 jobs per week for franchisees, according to a recent Instagram post) and maximizes each franchise’s revenue potential.
Despite these advantages, running a moving and hauling business is hard work. The next section compares this industry with commercial cleaning – which is another popular path for first-time franchisees – to highlight key differences.
Compared to Commercial Cleaning Industry
Commercial cleaning (janitorial services for businesses) is often cited as one of the most stable and lucrative franchise sectors. In fact, the U.S. commercial cleaning industry is 10 times larger than the junk hauling/moving industry – it generates over $100 billion annually – and includes many successful cleaning business franchise brands. Let’s compare moving vs. cleaning on several points:
- Market Size & Demand: Commercial cleaning is a massive, ubiquitous need. Every office building, school, medical facility, and retail store needs regular cleaning, regardless of the economy. It’s considered an essential, recession-resistant service because demand is ongoing even in tough times. Companies might cut other expenses, but they still require cleaning for health and safety. By contrast, moving and junk removal demand can fluctuate – it often depends on life events or economic factors like home sales volumes. Moving is somewhat seasonal (home sales peak in summer) and can slow if the real estate market or economy weakens. Cleaning contracts, on the other hand, provide recurring revenue: clients typically sign annual or multi-year cleaning agreements, giving the cleaning business predictable cash flow month after month. In short, commercial cleaning offers stability through recurring B2B contracts, whereas moving/junk jobs are one-off B2C transactions (you’re always chasing the next customer).
- Revenue Model and Scalability: Commercial cleaning franchises thrive on a repeat business model – e.g. a contract to clean an office 5 nights a week. This means once you land a client, you have steady income and can plan staffing accordingly. Many cleaning companies build up a large base of accounts that collectively generate over $1M in yearly recurring revenue, and scaling often just means adding more cleaning crews as you sign more buildings. With moving services, each job is a discrete project. While College HUNKS franchisees do benefit from some repeat business and referrals, it’s not the same as guaranteed contract revenue. HUNKS franchisees must consistently invest in marketing (8%+ of sales) to keep a pipeline of new jobs according to franchisechatter.com. Cleaning franchises spend far less on customer acquisition, since relationships tend to be long-term. Additionally, cleaning has minimal variable costs – it’s mostly labor and basic supplies – making it a high-margin, scalable model. Moving/junk removal has significant variable costs: fuel, truck maintenance, disposal fees for junk, packing materials, etc., which can eat into margins and complicate scaling.
- Upfront Costs & Equipment: Starting a commercial cleaning franchise typically requires a lower investment than a hauling franchise. Many cleaning franchises can be started for well under $100k (some even $20k-$50k entry for owner-operator models), often with the option to be home-based (no office required) and no large vehicles to buy. By contrast, as we saw, College HUNKS owners invest $250k-$300k+ on average, largely due to purchasing trucks, insurance, and a facility. Cleaning businesses don’t require heavy vehicles or machinery – a few vans or cars for supervisors and basic cleaning equipment (vacuum, mop, etc.) suffice. This means lower overhead and easier expansion: a cleaning owner can add another cleaning crew for the cost of hiring a few employees and buying extra supplies, whereas a moving franchise owner adding capacity might need to buy another $50k truck. Furthermore, cleaning work often happens after-hours in client facilities, so you don’t necessarily need a commercial office of your own – many cleaning franchisees start from a home office, which saves on real estate costs. College HUNKS explicitly is not home-based (you need a small warehouse/office).
- Labor and Operations: Both industries rely on hourly labor, but the nature of the work differs. Moving is labor-intensive, physical work with a higher risk of injury or damage (workers lifting heavy furniture, driving large trucks, etc.). This can make labor a bigger challenge – you must find employees who are physically strong and careful, and you might pay them higher wages to compensate for the demanding work (plus they expect tips). Cleaning jobs are physically easier and can attract a broader labor pool, including many who prefer stable evening hours. Turnover can be high in both sectors, but cleaning tasks are simpler to train for and easier to supervise with standardized checklists. Also, because cleaning is at night, employees often work independently at client sites, which means as an owner you don’t necessarily need to be present – you can manage remotely with the right systems. Moving, by contrast, often requires more on-site coordination and sometimes owner involvement in daily scheduling, crew assignments, and problem-solving. In fact, College HUNKS requires owners to be hands-on operators (not semi-absentee) in the day-to-day business. The commercial cleaning industry, especially models like Assett Franchise, can be structured for semi-absentee ownership – with an ops manager in place, some owners only spend a few hours a week on the business.
- Business Hours and Customer Relations: In commercial cleaning, work is typically done during off-peak hours (nights, weekends) in empty offices, and client interaction is minimal after the sale. Cleaning clients are professional B2B relationships focused on consistency and cost. In moving/junk removal, you’re dealing directly with the general public for each job. That means more customer service and emotional management – moving, in particular, is a very stressful event for customers, and a lot can go wrong (broken heirlooms, delays, etc.). Franchisees must handle one-time customers who may be anxious or emotional, whereas cleaning franchisees build ongoing rapport with facility managers in a more B2B setting. Also, moving jobs happen on the client’s schedule (often weekends, end-of-month rush), creating spiky demand and long hours during peak times. Cleaning schedules are more predictable and spread out (e.g. nightly routine), which can be easier to manage without burnout.
- Revenue Consistency and Risk: Cleaning contracts provide predictable recurring revenue and lower risk. Once you have a contract, you know exactly what revenue and workload you have each month, and contracts often auto-renew. With moving/hauling, each month can vary widely – e.g. summer might double the revenue of winter. That seasonality means cash flow management is crucial, and franchisees might need to scale staff up and down. Also, events like fuel price spikes or economic slowdowns can hit a moving business more immediately. During COVID-19, for instance, moving services saw a temporary dip then a surge; cleaning services (especially sanitization) remained essential throughout – showing resilience. The cleaning industry is often called “recession-proof” because even in recessions or pandemics, buildings still need to be cleaned for health reasons. Moving might be considered semi-essential, but people can postpone moves if needed.
In summary, the commercial cleaning industry offers a larger, steadier market with recurring B2B revenue, lower startup cost, and simpler operations, whereas the moving/junk removal industry offers high gross sales potential but with more operational complexity, capital investment, and demand volatility. For an investor prioritizing long-term stability, scalability, and recurring income, the cleaning sector often comes out ahead. Next, we’ll look at how Assett Franchise – a commercial cleaning franchise – is built to capitalize on those advantages.
How the Assett Franchise Compares
Assett Franchise is a commercial cleaning business franchise led by founder Matt Pencarinha. It was created specifically for entrepreneurs who want a high-income business without the operational headaches common in many service franchises. Let’s see how Assett leverages the strengths of the cleaning industry (discussed above) and adds its own innovations to offer a compelling alternative to something like College HUNKS.
Simpler Systems, Bigger Potential
One of the first things to note is that Assett Franchise is already operating in the stable commercial cleaning industry – meaning franchise owners benefit from that $100B+ market, recession-resistant demand, and recurring B2B revenue streams from day one. Assett’s model is designed for simplicity and scale. As an owner, you’re working on the business, not in it – you won’t be out cleaning offices yourself, just as an owner of a HUNKS franchise isn’t lugging couches every day. But Assett makes this easier by focusing the model on executive ownership. The systems in place (from client acquisition to service delivery) allow the business to be managed with low overhead and fewer surprises. There is no need for prior cleaning industry experience; Assett provides a full business playbook and training to get first-time owners up to speed on running a janitorial operation.
Importantly, Assett has a proven model where $1M+ in recurring revenue is achievable – similar to College HUNKS in top-line potential, but built on contracts rather than one-offs. Because the income is recurring, an Assett owner can reach the $1M annual revenue mark and know that much of that will repeat next year with proper retention, allowing for compounding growth (versus starting from zero each year in a moving business). And unlike a hauling franchise, scaling doesn’t require buying new trucks or expensive equipment – growth primarily means adding more cleaning crews, which is a linear, manageable expansion. The franchise’s systems cover everything from quality control to billing, so owners can confidently take on more accounts without operational chaos. It’s a simple model at its core (cleaning isn’t rocket science – it just requires reliability and good management) but offers big potential when executed well, thanks to long-term contracts and the sheer volume of facilities that need service.
Automated Hiring = Time and Money Saved
One of the biggest challenges in any service business – be it cleaning or moving – is hiring and retaining employees. This is where Assett Franchise truly differentiates itself. Assett deploys an automated hiring system that continuously recruits, filters, and helps onboard cleaning staff with minimal owner involvement. Instead of the owner spending hours every week posting job ads, interviewing candidates, and dealing with no-shows, Assett’s system does the heavy lifting.
This is a game-changer because labor is often the #1 headache in franchises like these. College HUNKS franchisees, for instance, spend a lot of time finding capable drivers and movers and building a team culture to keep turnover low. Assett has essentially productized the hiring process. The automated system sources candidates, uses smart screening (perhaps online assessments and background checks), and even handles initial training modules. By the time a manager or owner meets a candidate, they’re already pre-qualified.
What does this mean in terms of time and money saved? Assett owners save an estimated 20–30 hours per week that would otherwise be spent on HR tasks – essentially removing the need for a full-time HR manager or recruiter on payroll. That’s a huge efficiency; it either frees the owner to focus on sales and client service or allows them to operate the business semi-absentee (since hiring – a normally constant chore – runs in the background). Financially, it also means lower recruiting costs and less overtime spent filling gaps. Moreover, having a consistently staffed workforce ensures you never have to turn down contracts due to labor shortage, and you maintain quality by always having vetted people available. Assett’s ability to ensure a high-quality workforce at scale is a key advantage as you grow to dozens of accounts – you’re not scrambling for workers each time you sign a new client. In essence, the automated hiring system future-proofs the hardest part of scaling a cleaning business.
Personalized and Founder-Led
Another aspect where Assett Franchise shines is its personalized, founder-led approach to franchising. Assett is a family-owned brand, not a giant corporation or private equity-owned conglomerate. When you join, you become part of a close-knit franchise family where franchisees have direct access to the leadership (including founder Matt Pencarinha) for guidance. This contrasts with some larger franchise systems where you might be just one of hundreds of owners and the support feels more impersonal or strictly by-the-manual.
At Assett, the leadership genuinely knows each franchise partner’s goals and challenges. You can pick up the phone and talk to the people who designed the business model, getting advice tailored to your situation. This kind of mentorship can be invaluable, especially for first-time business owners. College HUNKS, to its credit, was also founder-led at the start (co-founders Omar Soliman and Nick Friedman are still involved), but as a larger system, a new franchisee may interact more with regional managers or support staff than the founders themselves. Assett intentionally keeps its community tight-knit and supportive.
Being founder-led also means Assett is mission-driven in a way franchisees can really get behind. It’s not about hitting quarterly Wall Street targets; it’s about building successful owners and making an impact in local communities through cleaning. Assett’s model is community-focused – clean facilities contribute to healthier, more productive environments for schools, medical centers, offices, etc. – and the company has a clear mission of delivering quality service with integrity. Franchisees often find this alignment of values motivating: you’re not just a cog in a big system, you’re a key stakeholder whose feedback can influence the franchise’s future offerings. This level of collaboration and personal attention often leads to higher franchisee satisfaction. And practically speaking, being able to get real-time input from the founder or a small leadership team can help you solve problems faster and seize opportunities (versus waiting for corporate bureaucracy). In summary, Assett offers a modern business model built for executive ownership with the kind of personalized support that helps new owners thrive.
Final Thoughts
College HUNKS Hauling Junk and Moving is undeniably a strong franchise opportunity for the right type of entrepreneur. It has a catchy brand, multiple revenue streams, and a track record of growth. For someone who enjoys a fast-paced, hands-on business – who doesn’t mind managing moving crews, trucks, and a more complex operation – the HUNKS franchise could be a rewarding venture. Its strengths in technology and marketing support make it one of the leaders in the moving/junk sector. And for customers, it’s a highly rated service. We acknowledge those strengths: a College HUNKS franchisee can build a successful business, especially if they are energetic, community-minded, and love the idea of a “buzz-worthy” brand.
However, Assett Franchise offers more advantages for entrepreneurs who prioritize long-term stability, simplicity, and scalability according to bizbuysell.com. The commercial cleaning model brings in stable, recurring revenue from day one, and Assett’s innovations (like automated hiring and a proven $1M+ playbook) take a lot of the guesswork and grind out of the equation. If you’re looking to build a scalable, stable business that won’t require heavy equipment or firefighting emergencies every day, commercial cleaning is hard to beat. Assett in particular keeps operational complexity low – you’re not juggling multiple service lines or dealing with the unpredictability of consumer moves. Instead, you focus on signing contracts and keeping clients happy, and the system helps handle the rest. The predictable recurring revenue means you can forecast growth and profitability with more confidence, and the lower risk (thanks to an essential service and built-in demand) means a faster path to ROI in many cases. Plus, Assett’s model is designed for executive ownership, so you can run it with minimal hours once established, or even alongside another job or investment – flexibility that College HUNKS (a full-time commitment) doesn’t easily allow.
Ultimately, the choice comes down to your personal goals and what you want your business and life to look like. College HUNKS might appeal to those who love the idea of leading energetic crews in the field and don’t mind the hustle of a transaction-driven business. Assett Franchise will appeal to those who want a “cleaner” path to business ownership – one with fewer moving parts (pun intended), more recurring income, and a support system that handles the hardest pieces for you.
If you’re exploring franchise opportunities and want a model that can deliver long-term income, flexibility, and control — we’d love to show you how Assett Franchise can help you build a business that works for your life. Visit https://assettfranchise.com to connect with our team and learn more.
