You’ve probably heard of Uber Eats by now, but what is it exactly? Uber has already made its mark in the transportation industry with billions of people relying on it for travel every day. But now, Uber has embarked upon a new venture that satisfies a basic human need: food, and more importantly; food delivery.
Former Uber CEO Travis Kalanick explained the service as, “you push a button and you get lunch.” So, simply it’s an app which gets you food fast. Sounds great for customers, but what’s it like for drivers? Let’s find out.
How much will you earn?
As an Uber Eats driver you can expect to make an average of $8 – $12 per hour after factoring in your vehicle expenses. Your pay is worked out by calculating the distance you travel for each drop-off and the delivery fee that the customer pays. Also, tips make a huge difference, so be nice!
Delivery pay can vary from day to day and hour to hour, so it’s crucial to work lunch and dinner rushes if you want to earn decent money with Uber Eats. Many delivery drivers also choose to work weekends as these are obviously buser periods.
What you need to get started?
If you’re thinking of becoming a delivery driver for Uber Eats, you can sign up instantly on the Uber website or via the app.
The driver and vehicle requirements are quite relaxed. They seem to vary depending on your method of transport but generally you need to be at least 18 years old, have a valid driver’s license (just a national insurance number is enough for bike users) and vehicle insurance which covers food deliveries.
How easy is it to do?
Signing up is the easy part. After that, be prepared for a lot of driving or cycling. Needless to say you will be busier if you position yourself in town centres with higher populations.
You’ll generally get food requests every 5-12 minutes, this will also sometimes include stacked orders which are two orders from one restaurant with different delivery addresses. But fear not, the app will supply you with handy pick up instructions including where to park and average waiting time for food so you can manage your precious time wisely.
Who is it suited to?
Uber Eats drivers are more successful if they’re able to work evenings and weekends as there’s more money to be made, so you’d have to be prepared to do this. With this is mind, there’s no reason why you can’t do this alongside your day job for extra money.
As we’ve said, it’s important to position yourself in busy areas during delivery time, so it’s probably not for you if you live in the middle of nowhere with no takeaway restaurants in sight.
Adavantages
- Flexible – You can take to the streets and deliver whenever you want.
- Quick payment – If you set up FlexPay you can receive payments in as little as 48 hours.
- Explore – Between picking up and dropping off deliveries, it’s just you and the road.
Disadvantages
- Tips and Reviews – although these can be good, if the customers food is late through no fault of your own, it can still affect your rating and tips are unlikely to be given.
- Unpredictable – work can be slow when you want it to be busy.
- Wear and tear – drivers are responsible for all vehicle expenses.
Conclusion
There’s no doubting the benefits of being an Uber Eats driver, however as a long term career – it’s debatable. There’s definitely money to be made in this fast growing market but it doesn’t come without hard work. But then again, nothing comes easy does it?
