We recently got an e-mail from RSG reader Dave T. who gave us a great list of 10 reasons why he quit driving for Uber and signed up with DoorDash (we also sent him an Amazon Gift Card to say thanks for the tip!).
With this topic, we can really go either way. We can list out the bad things about ridesharing or the good things about delivery. I decided to head in the direction of the good things about delivery with a small amount of bad things from rideshare driving mixed in.
And with the help of our audience, we asked our readers on Facebook to spout off their top reasons for ditching rideshare in favor of DoorDash delivery. Here’s what you had to say…
If you’re interested in signing up to deliver food with DoorDash, now is a great time as demand seems to be ramping up again with more folks staying home due to Covid cases rising. You can also find a full list of the best delivery services to work for here.
1. Better/More tips
A huge part of the deal is tips. As rideshare drivers, we can sometimes go a whole day/shift without a single tip! It’s more customary, it seems, for customers to tip their delivery drivers. I mean, they’ve been doing it for pizza delivery drivers for decades. I suppose it’s a natural transition to tip their DoorDash drivers as well.
But as one of you pointed out on Facebook, “I get TIPS for delivering their food but not for getting them home alive when they are wasted!”
2. Less exposure (Covid)
Let’s face it, no one wants passengers who refuse to put on a mask, coughing up a storm in your backseat for 15 minutes while you drive them from point A to point B. Delivering food is the safer route when it comes to passing along viruses such as Covid.
You have the freedom to wear gloves in between orders if you’d like. You can have sanitizer at the ready at all times. And, the majority of customers seem to still be requesting contact-free delivery. So, the only people you’ll come into direct contact with are the people at the restaurant passing the food on to you.
Ramon shared, “When COVID-19 started I ditched rideshare to avoid getting it, and after all this time I prefer doing deliveries.”
3. Know what you’ll be paid upfront (mostly)
DoorDash has been known to hide tips before, but for the most part, you know what the job will pay at the start, before you even choose to accept it. This is not the case for Uber. Uber you just know your rate card and get a general idea of how far you’re going to be driving. But that’s it. You don’t know if there’s a tip, you don’t know exactly what you’re going to be paid. It’s a mystery and a risk you have to be willing to take for rideshare.
This also goes along with choosing your rides. You can’t pick and choose with rideshare. And without the upfront information, you might not like where you end up driving.
4. Fewer miles on your vehicle
Delivery is better known for keeping you to a localized area. You might even have a specific zone you’re supposed to deliver within. With rideshare, you could end up in another state. That actually happened to me.
I picked up a passenger from the airport in Minnesota and drove them an hour and a half to a town in Wisconsin.
Facebook commenter Afred stated, “I make an average of 25-30 and hour and I am putting far less miles on my car.”
5. “McDonald’s never throws up in my backseat”
This one, taken from Facebook and spoken by Cody, is a common theme among delivery drivers. With driving food, you don’t have any concerns about passengers throwing up in your car.
Granted, there have been some instances where drinks spill or food leaks, but I’m sure they are a bit more pleasant cleanup experiences than vomit.
About a year ago, I came across an awful, worst-nightmare vomit scenario and shared that experience along with my own on RSG. I’ll take food over that any day.
6. No rude, drunk people
The vomiting kind of goes hand in hand with the kind of people who do it in your vehicle. When driving for DoorDash, you don’t have to deal with rude, drunk people in your backseat.
“Safety reasons; people were getting more rude and I was driving too much for less money. Do delivery now,” said Moncita on Facebook.
People across the country have been a bit on edge, most especially since the pandemic. I think people just hate being cooped up for so long. Drives them a little nutty. But rude people are a good reason to ditch rideshare and try out delivery instead. You’ll still have customers to deal with, but rarely in person and never in your vehicle.
7. Safer all around
Drivers have stated that they overall feel safer delivering food versus people. There seems to be an uptick in carjacking situations happening across the U.S.
While there have been instances of carjackings with delivery drivers, it seems to be fewer and farther between than with rideshare drivers.
8. Car was too old for rideshare
Some drivers have switched gears because their vehicle became too old for doing ridesharing services, but it is still eligible for delivery.
Plus, for delivery, you don’t always need a vehicle. You can deliver on bike or scooter or by walking! The possibilities are endless!
9. No answering dumb questions from passengers
As RSG’s Sergio pointed out in his article 5 Things I Wish Passengers Knew About Their Drivers, drivers don’t like being asked if they like doing rideshare. Some days it seems like every single passenger asks that question. It’s like answering your 4-year-old’s same question over and over again. It gets old…fast.
10. Don’t feel the need to keep the car as clean
Of course, you don’t want a messy car with a bunch of garbage everywhere when you’re carrying around other people’s food, but let’s face it, you won’t really need to get it professionally vacuumed and washed on the regular either.
Honorable mention: More exercise
Lastly, I’ll point out that you get more exercise if you do delivery versus rideshare. With delivery, you’re guaranteed to get out of your vehicle twice for every order. Once to pick up at the restaurant and second to drop it off at your customer’s location.
With rideshare, you might be stuck in your vehicle for an entire 8-12 hour shift. The only time you might get out of the car is to use the restroom, or maybe help a passenger with their bags.
As Cody pointed out on Facebook, “I get a LOT more exercise if I can do a shop and deliver. Uber is so unhealthy for your body.”
Interested in trying out DoorDash? Sign up for DoorDash here.
Final thoughts
Both Uber driving and DoorDash driving have their ups and downs, but if you’re looking to switch gears and head over to the DoorDash side of things, this list is something to consider.
There are also so many delivery services available out there. You can deliver almost anything, and if you play your cards right, down time on one app may mean busy time on another. Be sure to do your best to utilize your time wisely.
Check out our list of the Best Food Delivery Services to Work For: 13 Apps Compared to learn what might work best for you!
Why did you ditch Uber in favor of DoorDash? Share your top reasons in the comments!
-Paula @ RSG
