Doordashing in down time?

[dc843]

This may be a stupid question, I tried searching but couldn't find anything.

Other than Turtle talking about how he does it staying home now, so maybe you have some thoughts on it.

Is there any reason why you couldn't door dash if you're just sitting waiting for a load in a sprinter? Obviously a van isn't the most ideal vehicle for that, but it's gotta be a lot more profitable than just sitting.

 

[Turtle]

The biggest thing is, you'd have to add Rideshare coverage to your vehicle insurance. "Rideshare" means coverage for not only people (as with Uber or Lyft) but also food delivery. Without Rideshare coverage, while you are delivering food you will have absolutely, positively zero insurance coverage for anything and everything. From the time you accept an order to the time you deliver it, your current vehicle coverage is null and void. The instant you confirm the delivery in the app, your insurance begins again.

Without Rideshare coverage, while you are on an active delivery, you will have insurance coverage through DoorDash, but it's essentially the same as Occupational Accident Insurance. It'll cover medical expenses, but that's it. It won't cover liability or anything else.

When I left expediting I bought a car in July, 2021. When I got insurance for it they asked if I did Rideshare. I said no, because I hadn't started Dashing yet. At the time I didn't know Rideshare meant food delivery, too, so I would have said no regardless.

I started Dashing on August 20th. On October 1, 2021, someone hit me while I was on a delivery. He turned left across 2 lanes of traffic heading for the center turn lane. A landscaping pickup truck pulling a trailer was turning right into the street the guy was turning left out of, so the pickup stopped to let him turn left.

The problem was, I was in the left lane on the other side of the pickup and the guy turning left didn't know I was there. He came around that pickup and plowed right into my front right. Totalled the car, broke three of my ribs (on the left side below the seat belt, I don't even know how that was possible) and cracked my sternum (breastbone).

I couldn't drive and dash for the entire month of October and most of November, and didn't go back to work full time until Thanksgiving Day. I was either in too much pain to drive, or loaded up with opiods.

Because I was doing Rideshare, and didn't have Rideshare coverage, because it never occurred to be that Rideshare meant food delivery, my insurance didn't cover squat. When I got the letter from my insurance company saying I wasn't covered because I didn't have Rideshare insurance, I added Rideshare coverage that day.

The other guy's insurance covered everything, though. But if the accident had been my fault, or he didn't have insurance, I'd have been screwed.

I'm still waiting on the settlement for lost wages and pain and suffering. I don't expect it to be that much. Broken ribs aren't worth much.

 

[Ragman]

Had another wreck I see...
I hadn't heard.

Glad you're ok.

 

[dc843]

Definitely the first time I've heard of rideshare insurance. That's some capitalistic BS. What possibly changes about an accident because I have a damn pinini in the passenger seat. I have million dollar cargo insurance but now I gotta get special coverage for baked goods. Wtf. But I digress....

How much does that usually run you a month? I'll be honest I've been doing DD in my personal car for a few months now and that's the first I've heard of it.

 

[dc843]

Also very sorry to hear that happened to you hope youre feeling better now

 

[LDB]

Well, I predict one scenario. You are in Somewhere, USA at the big truck stop on I-## at exit ##. You're checked in on the QC with your carrier as available. You take a DD order and leave to pick up the food. On the way to pick up the food you get a QC message of a job. The pickup is 34 miles from the truckstop you are supposedly sitting at and must be picked up in no more than 45 minutes. The load is 514 loaded miles with top FSC.

You'll be tied up on DD for at least the next half hour. No way to make the pickup. So for a very small amount of money, if the operating cost of the van doesn't make it literally cost you money to do DD, you lose a good load that would make a few hundred dollars.

I don't know anything about DD but can't imagine it makes all that much money. Please correct me if I'm wrong. If you had a 50mpg Prius or an all electric something it might be a good thing, especially if you do it from home like Turtle so you don't lose expedite loads to do it. But I'd fear losing $XXX on a good load to make $X with DD.

 

[dc843]

Well first of all youre assuming Door dash has any sorta professionalism like expediting does. It doesnt. Door dash orders are normally a few miles and you can pick and choose. The cost of gas/income game that's with expediting is not as important with door dash. But yeah you are right you'd have a learning disability if you did it with a van at your own house. You can also cancel the order from the delivery end pretty easily if you haven't picked up the food yet. I do that anytime the place says it's going to be a 20 minute wait, not worth the pay at that point. So like you should either be in that position, where you can just cancel and take the load, or already driving to delivery where it would have to be really ty timing to affect being able to take a load. And also, I'm not saying do it at Tuesday at 11am when you have a good chance of getting a load, but over the weekend it could fill time nicely.

 

[dc843]

Oh and it can be good money depending on where you are. Like I said I've been doing it a few months and I'm a myrtle beach which is touristy, and when I first started it was kinda slow because still winter, but now it's starting to pick up. Last week I made a decent bit over a grand working about 45 hours. And that's not 45 hours of fuel cost like expediting. But there's a level of luck to that just like a great week expediting.

I've not even expediting right now, thinking about return, but I'm just kinda curious about this

 

[Turtle]

Had another wreck I see...
I hadn't heard.

Glad you're ok.

Yeah, the Sprinter and then the Grand Am both totalled within a few months. Neither was my fault. With the Sprinter I didn't have as much as a scratch, and I was going 60 MPH. In the Pontiac I was going 25 MPH and despite the seat belt broke 3 ribs that weren't even in contact with the belt. I've cracked ribs before, but this was way worse, and instead of being able to get back to normal in 3-4 weeks it took 6-8 weeks.

I ended up going to the ER 3 or 4 hours after the accident, because the pain kept getting worse. But even then I told the doctor that I couldn't imagine there being any real damage in there, figuring it was just standard trauma from the seat belt, like a run-of-the-mill contusion, might bruise a bit but would be fine in a few days. CT Scan showed otherwise. But I'm fine now.

 

[Turtle]

I have million dollar cargo insurance but now I gotta get special coverage for baked goods. Wtf.

Don't forget about Dollar General, Walgreens and Walmart. LOL

I don't know why it's different, but if you're logged in to any gig app your regular personal policy doesn't cover anything. Do Google search for "DoorDash insurance" and read all about it.

How much does that usually run you a month? I'll be honest I've been doing DD in my personal car for a few months now and that's the first I've heard of it.

It varies wildly among insurers. Some it's as little as $5 a month. Others it's $40. Mine is $25 a month.

DD should make that information clear and prominent to dashers when they sign up, but they don't. They do have the Occupational Accident Insurance (which did, in fact, pay all my medical bills), and it has excess liability to cover damage to others beyond that of your personal policy (which will cover nothing), and the OAI doesn't cost you anything. DD pays for that. Also do a search for "Rideshare insurance" vs check that out.

 

[Turtle]

Well first of all youre assuming Door dash has any sorta professionalism like expediting does. It doesnt.

Yeah, it all comes down to the individual on how professional things are gonna be. I do large Drive and Catering orders, so I have 2 full size catering bags, a medium size bag, and of course the original Paris Hilton Beach Tote as a 4th backup. I've got 3 large pizza bags, and even an insulated drink carrier. But most dashers will never use all that stuff.

The eye popping statistic is 85% of Dashers dash an average of 4 hours per week. Of course that includes dashers who are still active but haven't dashed at all in a year or two. Less than 10% of dashers dash more than 40 hours per week.

I think you covered Leo's scenario pretty well. By the time you've picked up the food you're just a few minutes away from delivery, anyway, and before picking it up you can unassign the order if you get an expedite load. And yeah, I can't imagine trying to dash full time with a cargo van.

 

[LDB]

I've never used DD or looked into it at all so I don't know how it works. I'd just be afraid of losing a good expediting job due to DD, just like I'd be afraid of losing a good expediting job if I was at the far side of Baybrook Mall and had to walk back to the van when they called. Either one could make it impossible to make pickup time.

 

[danthewolf00]

I had visions of someone trying this out in a straight truck lol.......omg could you see someone pulling up with one.

 

[dc843]

Turtle thanks I'll look into getting that. Still stand behind that's a ridiculous requirement tho

LDB yeah expediting first. If otherwise you could just stay home and door dash. But I think if you're in a situation where you know you're going to most likely be sitting, could be a nice extra $10-20k gross on the year. But definitely don't put yourself in a position to miss loads for it. Could be good for stuck over the weekend, evenings without a load, or some kinda layover though.

D koAN lol I'd love to see that irl. Especially a really small order and they strap it down lmao

 

[eolandotarro]

Thanks for the information.