What does a delivery driver do?
Delivery drivers are gig workers, meaning independent contractors who decide what job assignments, or “gigs,” they want to take on.
Gig workers choose when they work, which company (or companies) they work for, and how many hours a week they want to spend making deliveries. Groceries, prepared meals, retail purchases, Amazon finds, office supplies, and even alcoholic beverages are among the products these drivers deliver to their customers’ doors.
A number of companies and platforms use delivery drivers, including Amazon Flex, Uber Eats, Postmates, Grubhub, DoorDash, Instacart, Shipt, and others.
The job of delivery driver is performed by a diverse variety of people. Based on information we collected from a recent survey of 750 registered Gridwise drivers, we’ll share with you what we learned about them.
First, we learned that delivery drivers can’t be pigeonholed. They’re male and female, are a wide range of ages and marital statuses, and come from all walks of life. Here’s a rundown of delivery driver demographics.
Most drivers are in the 40+ age group
People often have the impression that delivery drivers are teenagers, but as you can see, most of them are older. In fact, 61% are over age 40. This means they are mature and, most likely financially responsible enough to have money they can spend on products and services they want and/or need.
More men than women deliver, but there’s a good mix
Although the audience is predominantly male, there are enough women to make this a diverse market for products and services that cater to people of both genders.
Most delivery drivers are married
As you can see, 61 percent of delivery drivers are either married or have been married at some point in their lives.
Most delivery drivers are also moms and dads
Many delivery drivers have needs that cater to their parental roles, and also to their kids. This group is family oriented, and often works during hours when they’re not tied down with their kids and their active schedules.
Delivery drivers can, and do, choose their own hours
While many drivers work full time, nearly one-half stick to part-time hours. This might mean that when they’re not out there delivering to customers, they’re working at other jobs.
Delivery drivers are educated
Many delivery drivers are well-educated, and may also be open to opportunities that allow them to expand their knowledge. They’re a great audience for marketing training programs and other sources of learning for expanding career opportunities.
What gig platforms are popular with delivery drivers?
Most drivers work for more than one gig platform and many delivery drivers are also rideshare drivers.
Vehicle ownership dominates over leasing and renting
A large majority of delivery drivers use cars they own for their delivery businesses. This means they’re going to be focused on caring for the vehicle, in terms of maintenance, and to some degree, appearance and cleanliness.
Many delivery drivers have a vehicle specifically for their driving business
Multiple vehicles means a greater need for automotive expenses. This means delivery drivers are prime contacts for services that help them procure, register, insure, and maintain their vehicles.
What car makes are popular with delivery drivers?
Toyota is by far the most popular car make, followed by Honda and Nissan.
Delivery drivers clean their cars often
Keeping a clean vehicle has always been important for drivers, but the COVID-19 pandemic has made cleanliness more crucial than ever. Cleaning up spills, and even eliminating food odors, become issues that must be dealt with, particularly if the vehicle in question is being used for both delivery and rideshare.
Financials
For obvious reasons, earnings are important to delivery drivers. Here are the questions we posed during our survey, and our drivers’ answers, to questions about the ways they motivate themselves and tend to the administrative work of running a business.
Do you set weekly goals?
Do you track your mileage?
Have you purchased rideshare insurance?
Do you use a separate bank account for your gigs?
In many ways, delivery drivers make good business decisions, but not many follow through on insurance and banking requirements for self-employment.
Not sure how you can market to delivery drivers? Let the Gridwise team build a multichannel strategy for you!
Still not 100 percent sure how you should be engaging with delivery drivers?
No problem!
At Gridwise, we have a team of marketers and designers who are experts in engaging and converting rideshare drivers across all channels and we’ll be happy to design a personalized strategy for you!
Simply reach out to sales@gridwise.io and we can set up a strategy session.
