Today, food delivery drivers are more in-demand than ever before. The rise of food ordering apps like Just Eat, UberEATS, and Deliveroo means that more people are ordering food to their homes through third-party companies rather than from the restaurants directly. Due to the COVID19 pandemic, online food takeaway delivery has become more popular than ever before, especially since dining out was no longer an option during the lockdown in order to ensure social distancing. While restaurants are now open again and people have the option to eat out, habits can take a long time to change and for many people, ordering in has become a key part of their life. This has led to a rise of gig economy positions for self-employed delivery drivers and riders who take short jobs known as gigs to pick up food from restaurants and deliver it to customers. 

UberEATS – How it Works:

UberEATS is a subsidiary of the taxi company Uber, providing a connection between customers and some of their favourite brands. It is known as the first online food delivery company to partner with popular fast food outlets like McDonald’s and KFC, which were not previously available on delivery apps. UberEATS has a simple interface for customers and displays all the restaurants in their area that are currently delivering food. You can search for cuisines and special offers and there are often free delivery promotions that are time-limited. 

For drivers or riders, signing up to deliver with UberEATS is relatively easy. For this position, you can use a car, bicycle, or motorcycle as long as you are suitably qualified to do so where applicable. If you are going to be driving a car or motorcycle to deliver food with UberEATS, you will first need to get courier insurance that covers hot food delivery on your vehicle and upload proof of this to Uber before you will be accepted as a driver. Bear in mind that regular business use on your car insurance policy does not typically cover this and you will usually need to take out a separate policy with a specialist insurance company. Uber work with a few different insurance companies that provide this type of policy. Once you have all the cover you need, you can sign up in the app by uploading documents, proof of ID, and your profile photo. Once Uber has approved all of these, you are free to start working – nearby jobs will appear in the app and all you need to do is accept them and start delivering. 

Deliveroo/Doordash: How it Works:

Deliveroo works in a very similar way to UberEATS. Riders or drivers must first apply online through the website or app to make sure that they meet all the criteria for driving with Deliveroo. This will usually include having a suitable vehicle such as a bicycle, motorcycle, or car and the right insurance policy where applicable. Just Like UberEATS, if you drive a car or a motorcycle, you will not be covered by a standard business insurance policy and will need to get specialist hot food delivery insurance in order to be legally covered and begin work. Deliveroo also offers an app that is easy to use and lists orders that are ready to be picked up and delivered to the customer in the area. 

Doordash Completion Rate – What’s the Completion Rate for Doordash?

Doordash is a US company that you might know better in the UK as Deliveroo. Deliveroo prides itself on offering quick and convenient food delivery to its customers. As a company under the Doordash umbrella, Deliveroo offers gig work to self-employed riders and drivers who are paid per completed job. Riders are usually set an expected completion time for which they must deliver the order. However, Deliveroo understands that sometimes it is not always possible to meet these deadlines due to external circumstances out of the delivery rider’s control, such as the weather or bad traffic. Statistics are tracked, but they do not have an impact on how much you earn per gig. 

Can You Get Fired from Doordash?

While Doordash or Deliveroo, riders are classed as self-employed freelancers or independent contractors and are not employed by Doordash or Deliveroo, they are expected to be a good representation of the company when they are completing gigs and wearing or displaying the uniform or logo. While you cannot be fired from working from this company as you are not employed by them, it is possible for Doordash or Deliveroo to cease offering gig work to any independent rider due to things such as gross misconduct. For example, being arrested for driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol while riding for Deliveroo, or not having the correct insurance for your vehicle while completing a job could be reasons for Deliveroo to withdraw their offers of gig work to a rider or driver. Deliveroo also allows customers to make complaints about individual riders, which could have an impact on your ability to continue taking gig work from this company if a complaint is serious. 

Doordash Customer Rating Deactivation:

Most delivery apps including Doordash and Deliveroo provide the option for customers and restaurants to leave ratings for drivers. These ratings are typically given based on a number of factors including customer service, professionalism, and hygiene practices that the driver uses. You might also be rated on punctuality and communication with the restaurant and customer. Currently, there is no option in Deliveroo for riders or drivers to turn off the rating, as it forms an important part of building customer relationships and helping Deliveroo figure out where improvements can be made. However, you may be able to appeal if you believe that you have been given an unfairly low rating by a restaurant or customer. 

Just Eat: How it Works:

Just Eat is an online food ordering app that has recently started offering delivery in a similar way to other apps like UberEATS and Deliveroo. In the past, Just Eat relied on restaurants and takeaways providing their own delivery drivers and some still do today. However, it now works with restaurants and fast food outlets that do not typically provide delivery such as McDonald’s, Greggs, Subway, and KFC. For these deliveries, Just Eat works with independent contractor drivers and riders in the gig economy. 

You can make money on each order that you deliver and choose which deliveries you want to make, when you make them, and how many. Contractors are paid weekly, delivery runs are frequently updated, and Just Eat does not take any commission from riders and drivers. On the other hand, Just Eat also offers permanent, employed positions for riders or drivers in certain areas. In this position, you will need to commit to working at least fifteen hours a week and you will earn a guaranteed salary along with bonuses. This might be an ideal choice for anybody who is considering delivery driver work but wants employment perks like holiday and sick pay and pension payments. You are always free to take gig work for Just Eat and other companies on the side. 

Reasons to Do Gig Work in Food Delivery:

Chances are that you have already heard of some of the companies mentioned above; maybe you have their apps on your phone and often order food delivery from them. The growing popularity of these food delivery apps is one of the main reasons why it’s a great idea to become a self-employed delivery driver today, whether you are looking for a more flexible way of making a full-time income that allows you to become your own boss or want to make an additional income on the side of working full-time. As long as you have your own vehicle or bicycle and the appropriate insurance for the vehicle that you are going to use, it is generally quite easy to find this type of work and get started almost straight away. However, bear in mind that there may be some things that could hold you back from getting into this job, including points on your driving licence, previous driving convictions, or previous criminal convictions. 

Some of the main reasons to consider working as a delivery driver in the gig economy include:

  • Easy Work:

If you enjoy driving and know your local area well, this can be very easy work to do. All you will need to do is keep up to date with the food orders that are in your area, travel to the restaurant to pick the food up and deliver it to the customer. 

  • Flexibility:

Flexibility is one of the main reasons why people are drawn to this type of work. Along with being fully in control of which jobs you choose, where you work, how long for, and how often, you can also be in control of how much you earn as the more jobs you do, the higher your income will be. 

These companies are revolutionising the gig economy – and food delivery drivers are in higher demand than ever.