The most important thing about gig work is not how much money you make.
It is getting home safely while making money.
Absolutely no job or gig is 100% safe, but there are steps you take to make them as safe as possible.
When you work at an office, the doors may be locked, and entry may be granted with a card. There may even be security guards. There would most likely be camera systems and alarms.
As delivery drivers, we also want to be safe, but we don’t have the same security options as an office. Some may resort to carrying a gun, but some may not want to go to that extreme.
So, how can we stay safe while delivery driving without buying a gun?
1. Use the App Safety Features
Most delivery apps, Uber Eats, DoorDash, GrubHub, etc., have some sort of safety feature. Typically, all this entails is sharing your location with another person via the app.
It will then send a text message to someone you designate to let them know you’re on a delivery or when you get done.
For me, simply sharing my location is already enough to allow others to know where I am when I’m driving. My wife always knows when I go out delivery driving as well, so she can always see me.
At a minimum, whether you use the delivery apps’ features or the ones that come with your phone, you should have someone who knows where you are and who can locate you.
2. Don’t Drive at Unsafe Times
There are times in the day that are much less safe than others–late at night, for instance.
Though there are fewer cars on the road, there is far less ability to see. This is also the time of night when people are more likely to commit crimes.
Though they may not be planning on doing anything to a delivery driver, seeing a car idle while someone is delivering food may be too tempting.
Another time that’s unsafe because of the likelihood of getting in an accident is during rush hour. Around 5 PM, traffic comes to a crawl, and no one can go anywhere. There is always an accident every single day, usually more than one, around this time.
Not only is it dangerous, but because I have to drive so slowly, it usually isn’t worth it to drive a delivery at that time anyway.
3. Cancel the Order
If you get an order that is going to an area where you don’t feel safe, do not accept it no matter how much money it will make you.
But what if you’ve already accepted an order and are close to delivering it?
What if this is an area you’ve been to before and have always felt safe, but this time, for whatever reason, you just feel off?
You may feel uneasy for a number of different reasons, like the house itself, the neighborhood, the lights are off, or anything else.
Whatever it is, if you feel unsafe and that delivering this food would risk your life, then do not deliver that food.
Cancel the order.
No amount of money that you could possibly be getting from delivering is worth risking your life.
Yes, that means you will have the food in your car, and it could be considered stealing the food. It’s true some drivers do that on purpose.
Don’t be one of those drivers, and only do it when your gut is warning you about danger.
4. Bring a Friend
Not being alone can make your delivery driving so much safer.
You’ll have two sets of eyes looking out for things. If you have the other person as the driver, they can park closer to spots than you normally would if driving alone and watch you deliver food. They can leave the car running so you can quickly get in and start moving.
Most importantly, they can call the police if needed.
The downside of having two people in the car is that you are “losing money.” The idea is that you now have to make enough money for it to be worth two people’s time, in addition to the expenses of maintaining the car.
The truth is that you won’t make enough to actually justify two people driving full-time. You would have to make $50+ an hour for that, and if you are doing that, please let us know.
To lessen that burden, first, only have two people in the same car when you’re driving at less safe times of the day, late at night, for instance.
Second, don’t look at it as a second person working, but spending time with you. I have had several times when I had a friend that I wanted to catch up with, and I invited them to come with me.
They stayed in the car the whole time, and we would talk in between deliveries and on the way to and from. Friends go out to get coffee or go to a restaurant all the time, so why not this?
