3 Things to Keep in Mind When Looking for a Food Delivery Job

Food delivery has been at an all-time high since the development of COVID-19, especially with stay-at-home orders in place. People began ordering their groceries and their meals from food delivery services as a means to socially distance themselves from others in a public setting.

This resulted in an abundance of jobs becoming available in the food delivery job space. Places like Amazon, Instacart, Postmates, and other food service companies began hiring a lot of new delivery drivers in the beginning of the summer, as the demand for groceries, prepared meals, and other household items increased.

The need for food delivery drivers continues to be prominent. Many people are still uncomfortable going to the grocery store or a local restaurant to dine out. Instead, they are relying on these food delivery services and their delivery partners to keep their kitchens stocked and their bellies full.

Food delivery jobs are part of what is known as the “gig economy.” Essentially, the gig economy refers to freelancers and independent professionals who do not work full time for a specific employer, but rather work on short-term assignments or individual projects, — also known as “gigs” — mostly on their own time. These freelancers may have multiple gigs going on at once, spreading their work across various companies, businesses, and even industries, depending on their expertise and experience.

About 36% of workers in the United States consider themselves gig workers, with food delivery being one of the most popular categories to earn money. There are many benefits to having a job in this career space.

Here are a few of the advantages of working a food delivery job:

• It offers flexible hours. This is especially true with food delivery services that are fully functional through a mobile app. If you are a delivery driver for a company with a business model like this, you can simply log into the app when you want to work and log out when you decide that you are finished for the day. You are in charge of creating your own schedule that can easily be incorporated into your everyday life, whether it be full-time, part-time, or a side hustle.

• It’s not exclusive. Gig workers are usually hired as contracted workers and, essentially, work for themselves. This means that you are not tied down to one company or organization. As mentioned, gig workers often have various projects going on at the same time. If you are a food delivery driver, for instance, you could choose to deliver for multiple delivery services at once.

• No more waiting on a paycheck. Unlike full-time and part-time team members, gig workers are independent contractors and not on a set payroll. Often, the pay for these types of jobs comes relatively quickly. GrubHub, for example, has an Instant Cash Out feature on its app that allows delivery drivers to access their available earnings and deposit them into their bank account at their disposal. Having extra money at your fingertips is a huge benefit of this line of work. Many times, there are also bonuses and other incentives that delivery drivers can earn based on certain criteria. For example, UberEats drivers can boost their potential earnings if they drive in areas where orders are in high demand, or during a high-volume time frame.

These three significant pros to working a food delivery job may seal the deal for you on the surface, but there are a couple of other things to keep in mind as you look for a food delivery job.

With so many companies out there offering food delivery services, it can be a little overwhelming to narrow down your options and figure out which will be the best-suited job for you.

Below are three questions to consider during your food delivery job search.

This is the most important thing to think about when considering food delivery jobs. There are three kinds of food delivery service companies you could work for: those that deliver for local restaurants, those that deliver for local grocery stores or convenience stores, and those that deliver online purchases from a warehouse.

There are some companies that incorporate more than one of these delivery services into their business model, too. Ultimately, you have to decide the type of food delivery service you want to provide customers with.

If you want to be a restaurant delivery driver job that simply requires you to pick up an order from a restaurant and bring it directly to the customer, you may want to check out food delivery companies like UberEats, DoorDash, or GrubHub.

There is also the option to work directly for a restaurant if they offer their own delivery option. Should you choose this route, keep in mind that you may not reap the same benefits or have th same work environment as you would if you worked for one of the aforementioned companies.

Depending on their policies, there is a chance that you would not have the same kind of flexible schedule or ability to work for multiple delivery services. You also may not have access to your pay as easily as you would with the app-based services.

Alternatively to delivering for restaurants, you could work for a company that partners with grocery stores, like InstaCart or Shipt. These jobs will not only require you to physically drop off groceries, but will also need you to go into the grocery stores to shop for the list of items provided by the customer.

This job will require a bit more patience and adaptability in comparison to delivering for a restaurant. You will be browsing through stores looking for items, and if an item is out of stock, you may need to either look for the item they specified as an alternative or call the customer to ask if they have a replacement item in mind.

Your third option is to deliver for big-box companies like Amazon that deliver food items ordered by the customer online that you most likely will be picking up from a warehouse, post office, or other central office space. Amazon also incorporates the grocery store business model in that the company delivers Whole Foods orders to Amazon Prime members, so you could also be tasked with grocery shopping for a customer.

While there are some food delivery companies that may provide a company car for you to drive, such as Amazon Prime, most companies do require you to have a reliable vehicle suitable for making deliveries. Each company has its own policies, so be sure to look into this when signing up for whichever food delivery company you choose.

For example, UberEats requires delivery drivers to have a two- or four-door vehicle that was manufactured after 1999 on the road. The company also allows deliveries to be made by bike in certain cities if the driver does not have a car. Scooters and bike deliveries can also be allowed. They can be any type of two-wheel make or model and need a motor that is 50cc or less that travels no faster than 30 miles per hour.

If you are going to be using your own vehicle for deliveries, you may want to consider a few key things before getting started:

• Has your vehicle been properly maintained?
• Is your vehicle big enough to hold large orders comfortably?
• Do you have the necessary protective materials to keep your car clean and free from damage?

Just as there are requirements for the vehicle used to make food deliveries, the drivers themselves have specific driving experience requirements they must meet. Most companies will follow the same guidelines. For example, shoppers and drivers for Instacart must be:

• At least 18 years of age
• Legally authorized to work in the United States
• Able to lift up to 40 pounds without help
• Regularly access a reliable car
• Regularly access a smartphone like an Android or iPhone that can run the Instacart app

Expect to go through a background check which might include your driving record to ensure customer safety, as well. Other necessary requirements for drivers include meeting the minimum driving age in the city you are working in, having a valid driver’s license, registration, and auto insurance, and having driving experience in general. You may also need to know whether you need specific insurance to cover yourself as a commercial driver and your vehicle for making food deliveries.

Are you ready to start seeking opportunities for food delivery driver jobs? Joblist can simplify the search process for you with just a few simple clicks.

Browse through our job listings to find the best food delivery jobs available in your area. With millions of job listings from a variety of companies and industries all over the United States, you are bound to find a job that fits your interests, preferences, and experience level. Sign up for Joblist today and get started on your job search!