I deliver food with Doordash, UberEats, and Grubhub very little, but just enough to tell you what it's like if you haven't done it. It is a grind like any other job, and pays maybe $15 an hour. The main advantage of it all is getting to work when you want, how you want and where you want. Doordash and UberEats jobs are available wherever I go throughout the country, and drivers are not limited to their home city. I've traveled from New Jersey to Houston, doing deliveries along the way to cover traveling costs. It's a fun way to travel since it really immerses you in the cities and states you drive through, and you get to see more than just the highways, travel centers, and rest areas.
However, it's only a worthwhile experience if you're into that kind of thing. I know many people who don't get too thrilled about working in a different place, because they are—after all—still working. And delivering stuff definitely is working. Make no mistake. My goal in life is to find work that I enjoy, and considering how little it pays I wouldn't bother delivering with these apps if I did not enjoy it.
I say delivering "stuff" because I'm not always delivering food with these apps. I've brought people everything from car parts to legal documents. The vast majority of the time I am delivering food, sure, but every now and then a wrench is literally thrown in the mix.
Roadie
Occasionally, I also do Roadie, which is an offering by UPS that provides quick delivery of common items, usually from places like Home Depot and Tractor Supply. This is also fun because it changes things up a bit. Dealing with the restaurant industry all day long could get tedious and frustrating. Food takes time to prepare, and the order often is not ready when I arrive. Orders from Roadie are always ready when I arrive (unless it's a Walmart grocery order, which is strangely popular with Roadie). I also do Roadie trips when I'm on the road because I have the choice of picking deliveries that are in the direction I am traveling. Also, Grubhub does not allow you to deliver outside your zone, and I like to diversify my options when traveling. So Roadie gives me that third option I lose when I go outside my zone.
Some Advantages and Disadvantages of Ridesharing
Recently, I started toggling on UberX and other rideshare options from Uber. Again, this changes things up a bit. Also, it pays better. There are downsides to ridesharing, though. Oftentimes, the rides are very long, sometimes over an hour. Another disadvantage is you have to accommodate the passenger's needs. Sometimes they have luggage. Sometimes they have friends you weren't told about when you accepted the ride. All of these things require some forethought. I have to keep my car as empty as possible, providing as much space as I can in the back seat, trunk and even the front seat since you never know where you will need space. I've never had too little space for a delivery. Lastly, I usually don't even get the chance to get up and out of the car to walk around when I'm driving people around. Therefore, I could spend hours just sitting in my car when I do just rideshares.
A Tall Order
One day I plan to get up early and do just deliveries and ridesharing for as long as I can, just to see how much money I can make. I have a few other gigs I will have to tend to that day, but I figure I could fit in 12 hours of drives if I'm diligent. I will give it a shot and report back to you on how I do. Seeing how much I can make in a day could be a fun game. Seeing how many rides and deliveries I can do can be fun too. If I keep it up, each time I can try to beat my own record. Readers can even come to my blog to see if I'm improving and maybe even cheer me on. OK, now I'm just thinking weird thoughts out loud. Well, you are reading Rambling Spirit, so hopefully you've come to expect this.
The bottom line is, if a job lets me be my own boss and work wherever, whenever, however I want, that's my kind of gig—even if these apps don't pay much. So, if you're looking for a final answer from me, I'd have to say these rideshare and delivery apps are worth it.
Allow me to invite you to try it out yourself, so you could make your own judgment on whether this is a worthwhile sidegig. If you use my link and complete 140 passenger trips within 30 days, you are guaranteed to earn at least $1,390. You can sign up here.
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