As tuition rises and everyday expenses add up, some Oklahoma Christian University students are making ends meet by driving for food delivery apps like Doordash and Postmates.
Similar to ridesharing apps such as Uber, food delivery apps hire independent contractors who are free to set their own hours and work with relatively little supervision. Both local and chain restaurants partner with the apps, exchanging a percentage cut of every sale for higher order volume and new market expansion.
With no human passengers at risk during transport, food delivery apps typically set their minimum working age to 18, three years younger than the standard 21-year-old requirement seen in ridesharing apps. There are also no specific vehicle model or cleanliness requirements.
Junior Adam Lair said the lower age limit, combined with the fact he would not have to let strangers into his car, motivated him to begin working with Postmates last spring.
“The work is pretty straightforward,” Lair said. “Every once in a while, you get to the restaurant and they don’t have what they [the customer] ordered, so you have to call them and figure out a replacement, but other than that, it’s basically out of your hands. You just go to the restaurant, tell them why you’re there and then take the food to their door.”
In advertisements posted to the Craigslist jobs section earlier this month, both Doordash and Postmates claimed new drivers have the opportunity to earn up to $20 per hour before expenses such as gas and vehicle wear and tear are taken into account.
Junior Caysan Lytal said he has occasionally earned up to $18 per hour driving with Doordash, but only while working during peak dinner rush hours.
“There were times when I tried to start working at three or four in the afternoon, but I would end up waiting up to an hour for an order to come in,” Lytal said. “It’s really only effective around the normal meal times. Fridays and Saturdays, you can go a little later, but it’s really not a full-time job—it’s more of a side gig.”
After consistently making money with Postmates, Lair said he quit his on-campus receptionist job and is now relying on the app as his sole source of income.
“I work as much as I can,” Lair said. “It’s hard because almost all the free time I have is in between meals, so there aren’t a lot of people ordering food. But if I had a free Saturday, I would go out around 11 o’clock in the morning, stay until 10 or 11 at night and make over $100.”
With app-based food delivery emerging as a viable alternative to longstanding courier services such as pizza delivery, some instances of violence against drivers have been reported—the most notable being a case of a female, Muslim Doordash driver being assaulted in a possible hate crime.
Lytal said the vast majority of his deliveries go smoothly but recalled one incident at an apartment complex near Memorial and Pennsylvania Avenue in Oklahoma City, which left him shaken up.
“I knocked on the door and a lady answered really quick, took the food and slammed the door on me,” Lytal said. “From the back of the apartment, you could hear this dude yelling at her. Then, he opens the door and comes outside yelling, ‘We’re not taking this food, we can’t afford it, take it back.’ It was awkward, because their money never comes in contact with me, it goes straight to the company and the company pays me. There was nothing I could do to help them out.”
According to Lytal, the opportunity to make decent money through Doordash still outweighs the risk of dealing with angry customers and bad drivers.
“It’s definitely a good part-time gig for people looking to make some quick cash,” Lytal said. “It’s pretty easy, and it’s fun, too. I didn’t know the Edmond area until I started doing Doordash, and now I know how the road layout works and can find my way around town.”
Both Doordash and Postmates accept applications online and approve drivers to work upon passing criminal background and driving record checks. Approved drivers are monitored through a five-star customer survey system and may be deactivated if their rating drops too low.
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