Guide › Earn more

How to earn more as a delivery driver: hours, zones and orders

Earning more isn't working more hours. It's knowing when to go out, where to wait and, above all, which orders to accept and which to let go.

1. Measure what matters: profit per hour and per mile

A $25 order looks good, but if it takes an hour and 20 miles, it can be worse than a $10 one you finish in 15 minutes. To know if you're doing well, watch two numbers:

• Pay per mile: the pay divided by the miles. Many drivers make it a rule not to accept orders paying less than $1.50 to $2 per mile, counting the trip back.
• Profit per hour: what you keep after gas and wear, divided by the hours you worked.

Your minimum depends on your car, the price of gas and your area. The calculator helps you find it: enter a week's numbers and see what you really kept.

2. Before accepting, check the whole order

Other details worth checking:

• Shop or pickup only? On Spark, pickup-only orders are already ready and faster than ones you have to shop for.
• Several orders together? They can pay well, but add up all the stops and all the items.
• Apartment building? It can take longer to park and find the door.

It's OK to decline orders. Declining the bad ones is part of the job. Just check whether your app has acceptance requirements for certain perks, and decide if it's worth it to you.

3. Work during the busiest hours

Not every hour pays the same. In general there are more orders and better offers at these times:

• Lunch: 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
• Dinner: 5 p.m. to 9 p.m., the best time of day in many areas.
• Weekends, especially Sundays.
• Rainy, cold or very hot days: people don't want to go out and there are fewer drivers.
• Game days and holidays.

On Spark, your hours depend on the offers Walmart sends in your area. Notice when you get the most orders with the best pay, and plan your day around that.

4. Pick your zone well

• Wait near where orders come from: near the Walmart for Spark, or areas with lots of restaurants for DoorDash and Uber Eats.
• Watch out for orders that take you out of the zone: if they send you somewhere far with no stores, you'll drive back unpaid. Add those miles before accepting.
• Try different stores or zones for a week or two and write down what you earned in each. The numbers tell you which one is worth it.

5. Use more than one app

Having two or three apps gives you more options: if one is slow, you use the other. Some drivers keep two apps on at the same time to pick the best order. If you do, be careful not to accept two orders that overlap and make someone's food or groceries late: that hurts your ratings.

6. More tips with good service

• Communicate: if an item is missing or there's a delay, message the customer in the app.
• Follow the delivery instructions to the letter.
• Use insulated bags so hot food arrives hot and cold stays cold.
• Take a good photo of the delivery, showing the house number or the door.

Good ratings can get you access to better orders or perks in some apps.

7. Spend less (that's earning more too)

• Gas: use gas discount apps or cards and fill up at the cheapest stations in your area.
• Maintenance: oil changes and tire pressure on time. A low tire burns more gas.
• Don't drive more than you need: waiting parked near the stores costs less than circling around looking for orders.
• Track your miles: it's not cash in hand, but it saves you a lot on taxes. Read how to keep a mileage log.

Quick summary

1. Measure your profit per mile and per hour, not just the order's pay.
2. Before accepting: items, size and miles.
3. Work lunch, dinner and weekends.
4. Wait near the stores and watch out for orders that take you out of the zone.
5. Have more than one app.
6. Good service = more tips.
7. Spend less on gas and track your miles.