Everyone wishes 2020 would be over. It’s been a wreck of a year. We all miss doing a lot of the things we enjoy. We miss our sports. We all miss going to our favorite restaurants. We are getting sick of being cooped up at home. We are uncertain about the future.
For many of us, especially those of you reading this blog, rent’s still due. And you’re out hustling. Regardless of which platform you have been loyal to – DoorDash, GrubHub, Postmates, Caviar, UberEats, etc. – you’re out trying to make ends meet.
I have not taken any significant amount of time away from food delivery gigs. I’m still out seeing the landscape of this industry. And it’s changing.
If you are serious about making consistent money with food delivery or rideshare in these times, here are some reality checks for you in 2020. These are things I think you need to be aware of going forward:
1. Most Contents on the Web Are Outdated
I have noticed several old YouTube videos about Uber and Postmates have had their title updated to include “[2020]” at the end. But if you look closely, the video was published years ago.
It’s a pretty known fact that most people never figure out how to make good money consistently with food delivery and rideshare platforms. It’s also an annoying fact that some of these folks were doing it to create content on the web so they can take advantage of the referral codes these platforms offer.
The sad part is if you are new to rideshare or food deliveries, this type of content will attract you. But the unfortunate reality is that they are outdated. Those referral codes don’t offer the same amount of money as they used to. Drivers and couriers saturate the markets – so the sign-up bonuses aren’t as big as they used to be. I remember the days when Lyft was offering $750 per person who signed up. Now, it’s $25 in my city.
And it’s harder to reach the number of rides or deliveries needed to earn the sign-up bonus. So most referrals don’t pan out.
2. Drivers Aren’t Sharing Their Secrets
Most of the people who figured out how to make good money aren’t sharing their secrets. It makes sense because it’s easy to sign up and become a driver for rideshare and food delivery. If you are 18 and have a car and a phone – you are qualified for a gig.
Seasoned drivers prefer it if new riders struggle to figure it out and eventually quit.
I’m in most of the Facebook groups for rideshares and food deliveries. I stopped paying attention to them a while ago. In those groups, you generally see people brag about how much they make but will never disclose their strategy or method if you ask them to share.
Generally, those groups end up being places where people gather to complain about the gig, the customers, and or share funny stories that happened while on the job. It’s hard to find helpful information that drastically helps you make more money.
3. You Need To Get Used To More Handed Down Assignments
We saw a significant shift in the food delivery space in 2020. The industry grew as a result of the Corona Virus. People stayed at home, and restaurants only fulfilled carry-outs or to-go orders.
What happens when there is a lot of delivery orders and a limited number of drivers? Couriers will be able to pick and choose which order they will accept. In other words, people play politics with delivery orders. As a result, assignments will get passed around.
Get used to seeing a lot of orders assigned to you that need to be picked up ASAP, and the drop-off location is exceptionally far.
In the past few months, I’ve rejected many delivery assignments, especially on weekends, when there are bonuses and guarantees or milestones to be met.
4. Old Hotspots Might Not Be Where The Money Are
It’s typical for couriers to camp out around restaurants that get a lot of orders to go. But with the current pandemic still lingering, those popular restaurants might not be able to handle all the demand and become bogged down in their operations. As a result, the wait time at the pick-up spot might increase, and in terms of dollars per hour, it might not be worth it for couriers to prioritize these restaurants like they used to.
5. New Restaurants Will Offer New Opportunities
At the same time, more restaurants are partnering up with Postmates, Ubereats, DoorDash, and GrubHub to stay in business. New restaurants might take away orders from old restaurants.
Couriers should pay attention to which restaurants are new to the platforms and see if they become new hotspots to camp around.
6. Fewer Platforms To Drive For
Food delivery is a complicated business model. This industry loses a lot of money. A lot of food-delivery services have shut down over the years.
Last year we saw DoorDash acquire Caviar. This year Uber acquired Postmates.
Eventually, there will be fewer platforms to drive for as brands strengthen their market share.
In the long term, it’s not safe to drive for just one platform. Make sure you are familiar with multiple brands and can perform at a high level for several platforms.
