Grab your bike, scooter, or running shoes because, believe it or not, you can make money delivering without a car! Although, it might seem like you’re missing something extremely fundamental, most grocery, food, and package delivery apps allow you to deliver on a bicycle, scooter, or motorcycle in select areas. Even if you own a car, there are instances when delivering on a two-wheeler might make sense.
If you’re still unsure about this, we further breakdown the advantages and disadvantages of delivering on two-wheels rather than a car.
Advantages of delivering on two-wheels
- Low entry cost: A bicycle or a scooter costs significantly less than a car, making them a better option for those who are looking to get into gig work. If you are already delivery driving but you’re looking for more ways to save, buying a bicycle or scooter is an economical way to test the waters.
- Low operating costs: The operating costs of two-wheelers are also significantly less than that of a car. Significantly lower insurance costs, less maintenance, and virtually no fuel costs (depending on if riding on a bicycle or motorized scooter) add up to substantial savings.
- Low financial pressure: Eliminating the worries about paying a vehicle loan at the end of every month can help make your work life a little less stressful and more enjoyable.
- Navigate through traffic: During peak delivery hours, navigating through traffic (for instance riding in the bike lane) has a tremendous impact on your earnings.
- Parking: Finding a parking spot for your car can be very challenging in urban areas, often forcing you to park your vehicle far away and having to walk a long distance to the destination.
- No license requirements: If you don’t have a driver’s license, then opting for two-wheel delivery can expedite the process of getting you on the road to make more money.
- Health benefits: Get paid to get fit! Not only are you saving on gas and other expenses, but you can also skip the pricey gym membership and get paid to exercise when you opt for a bike over a car.
Disadvantages of delivering without a car
- Not a rainy day option: Two-wheeler vehicles are not feasible when you want to operate in an area that sees frequent and extreme weather changes. Rain, snow, or a hot summer can all drastically impact your earnings if it means you won’t be able to complete deliveries in these weather conditions.
- Less cargo space: The bigger the order, the bigger the payout. Delivering on a bike, scooter or motorcycle limits the amount of “cargo” you can carry due to the lack of storage space. With a vehicle, you could potentially deliver a feast to a family reunion!
- Longer wait times: There will be days where you are filled with uncertainty. Sometimes, you may get back-to-back orders, while on the other hand, you may experience a longer wait period in between orders. Being able to wait in your car, and possibly switch over to ridesharing, is an advantage on days when delivery orders are slower.
- Cannot rest between orders: When you travel long distances or in areas with heavy traffic, it can wear you out. Having a car makes it easy to rest between your orders or in the middle of a long shift.
- The order payout may be low: Delivery apps take your vehicle, order size, distance, and other factors into consideration while sending you orders. If you are riding a two-wheeler for delivery, like a bicycle, you are more likely to receive smaller, short-distance orders that generally pay less per job.
- Limited driving and earning options: Having a car opens up more avenues to make money by allowing you to combine rideshare and delivery opportunities.
- Health risks: Riding a bicycle for an hour or two every day may have some health benefits, but doing the same for hours together every day in traffic and pollution might harm your health in the long run. It’s also important to understand the risk of injuries from accidents is also higher when riding a bicycle, scooter, or motorcycle.
What are the best companies for carless drivers to work for?
Here are some of the bigger companies that allow delivery without a car:
- UberEats – UberEats allows drivers to deliver on a bicycle, scooter, motorcycle or by foot. Check their website for information specific to your city. Since Uber acquired Postmates last year, the same policy applies to deliveries on the Postmates app.
- DoorDash – DoorDash has a similar policy to Uber Eats and allows deliveries on bicycles, scooters, motorcycles, or foot.
- Instacart – Instacart doesn’t explicitly limit drivers from using a two-wheeler for deliveries. However, since it is primarily focused on grocery delivery, the order size might be too big to deliver on a bicycle or scooter. Though delivery “riders” can pick and choose smaller orders, they are less common and result in lower payouts.
Don’t sleep on local delivery companies like Favor! Newer companies usually offer incentives to quickly attract more drivers to their platform and expand their business, and what’s better than supporting a local business?
What are some local delivery companies in your area? Let us know on our community Facebook page!
Should you deliver without a car?
Absolutely. Most platforms allow delivery on bicycles, scooters, and other transportation types. Rather than paying off expensive monthly loans, trying out a two-wheeler for your driving gig might be a better option financially. Even if you are an experienced delivery driver, there are instances when delivering on a bicycle or a scooter can be more convenient and economical for your business.
As a car-less driver, it’s still possible to make as much money as someone with a car. However, this largely depends on your location and the geography of your delivery zones. Generally, transportation on two wheels is more suitable for urban centers where it is more congested with people and cars. Again, this alternative option will keep your costs low and help you deliver more orders during peak hours by quickly moving through traffic.
Whatever you drive, drive with Gridwise!
Scroll through our blog for tips and tricks on how to boost your earnings and make the most out of your time on the road! Gridwise can help you make money, save money and optimize your driving strategy.
Gridwise can help you keep track of your performance, earnings, mileage, and so much more across your delivery and rideshare platforms. Gridwise also offers reliable weather alerts, event updates, and hotspot alerts, so you can strategize when and where you should drive.
Download the app, sign up for a free Gridwise account, link all of your rideshare and/or delivery accounts and then see how Gridwise can help fatten up your wallet!
