Whether you enjoy driving or want to offset the costs of owning a vehicle, there are actually plenty of ways to earn some extra cash using your driving skills. Here we’ll delve into jobs driving cars for dealerships and other driving opportunities.
What are Jobs Driving Cars for Dealerships?
Jobs driving cars for dealerships involve a more formal role. These types of jobs usually involve working directly with the dealership as an employee. You’ll typically be expected to offer customer service and other duties relating to the dealership.
The driving role itself could involve transporting customers or employees between dealership locations or dropping off a courtesy vehicle and collecting the customer’s vehicle for a servicing appointment.
Dealerships also rely on their drivers to transport vehicles in and out of the service bays, moving cars to create a new display or even driving a courtesy shuttle around the lot.
Since this is usually an employed position, the qualifications can vary from company to company. You can find jobs advertised on job boards and through employment agencies, but usually, you will need to hold a clean driver’s license with no convictions. You are also likely to need to be able to drive manual and automatic transmission vehicles and demonstrate that you are responsible and flexible.
Since the job requires strong customer service skills, you can expect to be customer-facing. Many dealerships may also require you to have a positive attitude and be willing to complete ad hoc tasks, such as shop clean up, opening or closing the dealership and covering the customer service desk.
Dealerships typically require that candidates are 18 or older, but other dealerships specify a minimum age of 21.
Other Driving Opportunities:
If the idea of transporting vehicles for dealerships doesn’t appeal to you, there are other more flexible gigs that may be better for you. These driver jobs can allow you to pick and choose your hours to fit your other obligations. These other driving opportunities can be divided into some basic categories including:
Food Delivery Driving
Food delivery has become a massive industry, as many people have become reliant on ordering food or groceries through their favorite app and having it delivered to their door. This creates an opportunity for a side hustle or full-time gig.
The popular food delivery driving platforms include:
Grubhub
Grubhub delivers food and everyday essentials. The platform is partnered with 100,000+ retailers and restaurants. You can deliver by car, scooter or bike with an average hourly rate of $15. However, you can keep 100% of your tips and with good timing, you can maximize your earnings.
When you sign up for Grubhub, you’ll need to choose your preferred delivery zone, which will restrict where you can make deliveries. This does mean that you can’t simply pick any jobs where you already are.
Grubhub requires its drivers to pass a background check, be aged 19 or older, and have a valid driver’s license before they can start accepting jobs.
DoorDash
DoorDash is another popular food delivery app, which is widely available across the U.S. In fact, DoorDash currently has approximately 20 million users on the app each month. This app allows customers to order from local restaurants, and then each order is pushed to a logged-in driver. But, you can pick which orders you want to accept.
Top Delivery Gig
DoorDash – Make Extra Money as a Delivery Driver
Working as a delivery driver for DoorDash is a great way to make extra money. Set your own hours and work as much or as little as you choose, and start making money very quickly.
- Available in over 7,000 cities
- Be your own boss
- Start accepting deliveries right away
- Know how much you’ll earn before accepting an order
- Use any car (no vehicle requirements)
The requirements to become a Dasher include being aged 18 plus, pass a background check, and have your own transportation. If you are driving, you will also need to show a valid driver’s license with the appropriate vehicle insurance.
The average pay on DoorDash is $25 per hour and you can keep your tips. However, since you can choose when and where you want to work, you can maximize your own income potential.
Shipt
Shipt is a little different from DoorDash and Grubhub, as you’ll be shopping for groceries and delivering them to the customer. To work for the platform, you will need to be over 18, have a valid driver’s license, and have access to a vehicle to complete your deliveries. However, Shipt specifies that the vehicle needs to be reliable and operable with the appropriate insurance.
As a driver, you can keep all your tips and this boosts the average earnings to $22 per hour compared to the base $15 per hour. You can pick your own hours and which gigs you want to accept.
Instacart
Instacart and Shipt are main competitors, as both require shopping for the customer’s groceries and delivering them to the customer.
Instacart shoppers can boost their earnings depending on the speed of completing order batches. You will need to collect everything from the store before you can make your delivery. So, if you’re already familiar with local grocery store layouts, you can speed up the fulfillment times. The typical earnings with this platform are $15 to $25 per hour, and any tips you receive are fully yours.
RideShare Driving
If you prefer the idea of picking up customers and driving them to their destination, rideshare is likely to be a better fit for you. You can typically work your own hours, making this an option for a side hustle or a full-time job. The most popular platforms are:
Uber
Uber is widely regarded as the original ridesharing platform and most people are aware of the brand. If you want to sign up for Uber, you will need to pass a background check and the driver screening. You will also need to ensure that your vehicle meets the Uber minimum standards before you can accept jobs.
Once your account is approved, you can pick which driving jobs you want to take according to your preferred location and any other factors. This makes it easier to maximize your fuel costs, as you can work within your desired area. However, there are bonuses available during special times, such as if Uber is running a challenge or there is a greater demand for the services.
The average hourly rates for Uber are $15 to $22, but this depends on the time of day, demand in the city and even the day of the week.
Lyft
Lyft is the main competitor of Uber and the platforms are quite similar. You will need to pass the background check and the platform requirements before you can begin working. Bear in mind that like Uber, Lyft has some stringent driver requirements. You will need to have a suitable vehicle with appropriate insurance and a valid driver’s license. You also need to pass a DMV check, which means that if you’ve had moving violations or major violations, such as a DUI or other serious driving-related conviction, you may struggle to have your application approved.
The hourly rates for Lyft are similar to Uber with an average hourly rate of up to $22. You can receive your pay weekly or with a small fee, have instant payment.
Other Delivery Jobs
There are also other types of delivery jobs that don’t involve food or ride-sharing. These jobs may not be as lucrative but can offer greater flexibility. The popular platforms include:
Amazon Flex
Today, Amazon is the go-to retailer for almost any item, with many people choosing to purchase things from Amazon rather than going to a physical store. As an Amazon Flex driver, you will collect packages from your local Amazon fulfillment center and deliver them to the customers.
Amazon allows you to schedule your work hours to a block of delivery time, providing some flexibility to fit around any other commitments. However, what is really nice about Amazon Flex is that there is an Amazon guarantee for an hourly rate of $15 to $19. It may even be possible to earn as much as $25 per hour. The rate guarantee means that even if you’re having a slower delivery day, you can still earn a decent wage to get through your deliveries. This makes it attractive for those who want the reassurance of consistent earnings.
Amazon requires Flex drivers to have a mid-sized, four-door sedan, van, or covered bed truck to make the deliveries, but if you’re a Prime driver, you can use any safe vehicle.
GoPuff
GoPuff is quite similar to Amazon Flex, as you are collecting parcels from logistic centers or warehouses before delivering them to the customer. The typical deliveries are household essentials, food items and alcohol.
But, GoPuff is not as widely known as Amazon and it has a more limited reach. Currently, GoPuff is only available in roughly 1,000 cities, so you will need to confirm that it is available in your area. Additionally, due to the lower profile, the potential earnings on GoPuff tend to be lower compared to Amazon Flex. The average hourly rate is $9 to $15. So, while GoPuff may not be as lucrative as other driving jobs, if you’re on a waitlist for another platform, it may be worth a try.
Other Types of Driving Gigs
Finally, there are other types of driving gigs that may be more appealing to you. These include:
HopSkipDrive
HopSkipDrive is a specialized driving platform that is essentially a child transportation network. This platform is predominantly operating in the Western U.S., but it may be available in your local area or city.
Since the primary purpose of this platform involves children, there are stringent requirements. HopSkipDrive emphasizes that you’ll be interacting with children, so you’ll need to pass a deep vetting procedure and agree to a multi-agency background check with fingerprinting. There is also a minimum age requirement of 23 years with at least 5 years of experience in the caregiving field, a good driving record, and access to a vehicle with four or more doors and is less than 10 years old.
If you’re able to meet all of the requirements, HopSkipDrive represents one of the highest-paying driving jobs. You can set your own schedule and earn up to $32 per hour with the potential for additional bonuses.
CitizenShipper
If you are looking for an opportunity with more flexibility, CitizenShipper may be a good fit for you. You will earn money delivering various items to customer’s homes. This can be quite varied from household items to equipment or even pets.
The pet delivery service is quite niche, but it is surprisingly popular since there are many people who adopt pets from other cities or states. This represents a great opportunity for those who love animals and you’ll be helping those furry friends to get to their forever home.
CitizenShipper is another of the best-paying apps as there are gigs offering $1,000 or more. But, if you want access to higher-paying gigs, you will need to take on a road trip. But, if you are already planning a trip in that general direction, you can offset your travel costs by picking up a gig.
Another attractive feature of CitizenShipper is the simple sign-up process. You simply need to provide your driver’s license details and contact information. However, if you want to specialize in pet transportation, obtaining USDA certification will help you land more gigs.
FAQ:
What are the requirements for jobs driving cars for dealerships?
The requirements for dealership driving jobs will depend on the specific opportunity. Generally, you must have a valid driver’s license, pass a driving record check, and be aged at least 18. However, some dealerships specify a minimum age of 21. Just bear in mind that some companies require a clean driving record. If your driving record contains certain offenses, they may disqualify you from this type of driving job.
Are all driving jobs gigs?
This depends completely on whether you’re working for a dealership delivering vehicles or working on an app or platform. Dealership jobs tend to provide a regular work contract, whereas most apps have you working as an independent contractor or a gig worker.
Summary
If you’re an experienced driver who absolutely enjoys driving and wants to earn an additional income or replace your current job, there are plenty of opportunities out there. From jobs driving for dealerships to other types of driving opportunities including as a food delivery driver, ride-sharing and more, you can find a job that suits your preferences, requirements and schedule.
Bear in mind that most apps are not exclusive, so you can sign up for a variety of apps to see which platform works best for you. Just remember to check the fine print carefully to ensure that you can meet the specific platform requirements before you apply.
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