Working as a contract delivery driver can be a lucrative side job or even a primary occupation. Following the strategies outlined here, you will be able to make the most of your contract delivery experience.
#1: Get to know your delivery area
Your first task as a contract delivery driver is to locate an area of your city that has a high concentration of delivery hotspots. What makes a delivery hotspot? Ideally you would be near a large number of both pickup and drop-off locations. Be sure to consider alternatives to just residential areas — hospitals, office parks, and universities can be popular delivery locations also.
When choosing your delivery area, you should consider factors such as ease of access to parking, affordable gas, and which streets have less traffic. Keep an eye on local news sources to avoid common slowdown factors including high-traffic events and road shutdowns.
#2: Make the most of your deliveries
A good rule of thumb when accepting a delivery is to aim for a minimum payout of $2-per-mile in order to maximize pay while minimizing time spent on driving (not to mention money spent on gas). Consider investing in an energy-efficient vehicle, or making deliveries by bike, in order to save on gas costs. Look for deliveries that will keep you close to your delivery zone. Orders with a high payout and large travel distance should be reserved for the end of the day when staying close to a delivery zone is unimportant.
#3: Build relationships with restaurants
As a delivery driver, you’ll begin to interact with the same employees at restaurants on a regular basis and it’s a good idea to treat them as the closest thing you have to a co-worker. Small interactions such as saying hello, smiling, and being generally polite and patient can have a large impact on your relationship with restaurant employees. While being polite may not guarantee you’ll always get your food on time, it will provide some security against an intentionally delayed order from a disgruntled employee. You also never know what bonuses you might get from befriending employees, such as free snacks and drinks or bathroom access (a coveted perk in the delivery industry).
Regardless of if you work as a contract delivery driver, in-house delivery driver, or manage drivers, following these guidelines can ensure that you’ll achieve success. Staying on top of traffic and maintaining knowledge of road closures and the best routes for delivery may seem like a lot of work — it doesn’t have to be. Vehicle Route Optimization provided through Interplai Direct can assist you or your drivers with updated information about the best route to take to avoid traffic, road closures, and provide a detailed and efficient sequence of deliveries to make. Need to source drivers? Interplai Connect can provide you with connections to third-party delivery drivers.
For more information, or to contact Interplai, please email at: contact@interpl.ai
