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Delivery Driving evidence: 67 quotes from 8 creators

Every quote, figure and source behind our delivery driving guide: 67 quotes from 8 creators, grouped by claim, with the full source list.

Every quote, by claim

Accepted figures: each is backed by the creators quoted under it, verbatim and linked to the moment they said it.

Certifications: Alcohol server certification (Walmart Spark alcohol orders)

“like if you're serving like at the white caps I have to have this certificate. So Walmart's the same thing.”

— The GIG Economy Podcast, Ride Cancelled Mid-Trip, Here’s How Drivers Lose Money Fast | Ep 288 (podcast, 9 Feb 2026, at 27:22)

Hourly earnings: $20–$50/hr

“This equates to $30 an hour regardless of how long this shift is. 2 hours for 60 bucks. 8 hours for 240 bucks.”

— Your Driver Mike, Uber's NEW Package Delivery Routes Are Already a Disaster (YouTube, 22 Oct 2026, at 1:58)

“This equates to $30 an hour regardless of how long this shift is. 2 hours for 60 bucks. 8 hours for 240 bucks.”

— Your Driver Mike, Uber's NEW Package Delivery Routes Are Already a Disaster (YouTube, 22 Oct 2026, at 1:58)

“only 49 minutes of active time for $83.80”

— Your Driver Mike, I Made $83.80 on ONE Delivery (But There Was a Problem) (YouTube, 30 Oct 2026, at 9:19) Disputes this figure.

“This is $22.46 per hour.”

— Your Driver Mike, I Tested Uber's NEW Package Delivery Routes (Worth It?) (YouTube, 27 Oct 2026, at 6:29)

“One delivery. 49 minutes for $76.”

— Your Driver Mike, This Should NEVER Have Happened... (YouTube, 25 Oct 2026, at 9:26) Disputes this figure.

“they are all right at pretty much $20 an hour.”

— Your Driver Mike, Shipt Is Paying Drivers $100+ to Deliver Target Packages (YouTube, 21 Oct 2026, at 7:04)

“$23.15 on a stack. So, two assignments, 47 minutes, making 23 bucks in 47 minutes”

— Your Driver Mike, I Tested DoorDash's NEW Driver Rewards Program (YouTube, 18 Oct 2026, at 4:11)

“started door dashing. Dude, I was making 30 bucks an hour.”

— Chris Koerner, The Best Side Hustle for Beginners (Any Age) - Ep. #302 (podcast, 22 May 2026, at 1:45)

“30 bucks an hour with no experience, no reviews, nothing.”

— Chris Koerner, How a Regular Guy Started a 1-Person Business with AI (YouTube, 1 Jun 2026, at 31:15)

“I hopped in my truck and started door dashing. Dude, I was making 30 bucks an hour.”

— Chris Koerner, The Best Side Hustle for Beginners (Any Age) (YouTube, 25 May 2026, at 1:41)

“I probably worked like seven hours and did 180.”

— The GIG Economy Podcast, Real-Time Gig Work Strategies On DoorDash Uber Eats And Grubhub (podcast, 15 Jun 2026, at 16:44)

“it's $21 an hour and top off at $23 a yearly take home, around $45K.”

— The GIG Economy Podcast, Uber Eats Just Changed Tips. Drivers Are Already Losing Money | Ep 292 (podcast, 9 Mar 2026, at 58:09)

Full-time or part-time: part time or full time

“I realize not everyone's doing this full-time. So, even for you part-time workers, figure out the best hours”

— King DoorDash, 5 Things I Do to Make MORE Money on DoorDash in 2026 (YouTube, 22 Sep 2026, at 2:30)

“For some people DoorDash might be their full-time income. For somebody else it might [music] be a side hustle.”

— King DoorDash, What I've learned as a DoorDash driver after 16k deliveries (YouTube, 6 Oct 2026, at 13:26)

“pair that with the other gig apps if you are doing this full-time. And if you're doing this part-time, you can match it with your work schedule.”

— King DoorDash, 3 Gig Apps That Pay MORE Than DoorDash in 2026! (YouTube, 3 Sep 2026, at 6:26)

“while I don't do it every single day because I am a part-time worker now, for those of you full-timers, you can definitely do it.”

— King DoorDash, How to Outsmart the DoorDash Algorithm in 2026 (YouTube, 29 Sep 2026, at 0:48)

“So, you're a full-time DoorDashers and it comes time where you need a new car.”

— Nicholas Earle - Doordash Advice, Doordash: 10 Things To Know Before Buying A Car (YouTube, 19 Oct 2026) Disputes this figure.

Income volatility: high

“catering is some of the you like best margin pay, I think, you can get in the gig economy.”

— Your Driver Mike, This Should NEVER Have Happened... (YouTube, 25 Oct 2026, at 10:58) Disputes this figure.

“I got offered 70 trips, trips or deliveries, because I didn't do any ride share.”

— The GIG Economy Podcast, Real-Time Gig Work Strategies On DoorDash Uber Eats And Grubhub (podcast, 15 Jun 2026, at 25:15)

“That was so fast to get that first 50 within the first hour, then suddenly it was just like very hard.”

— Journey Ride Along, Friday Night Uber Eats Delivery and This BAD Paying Order Was A Pain In The 🚗 💨💨 Los Angeles County (YouTube, 25 Oct 2026, at 25:48)

“There are hours which I make 30, 40, 50 dollars just off of DoorDash per hour, and there's hours where I don't hit past 10 bucks.”

— King DoorDash, 5 Things I Do to Make MORE Money on DoorDash in 2026 (YouTube, 22 Sep 2026, at 4:28)

“one thing that sucks about gig work is nothing's really ever guaranteed. You go out there blindly, you don't really know what you're going to make.”

— King DoorDash, I Made $200+ in ONLY 2 HOURS With Catering Apps! (NOT Clickbait) (YouTube, 31 Aug 2026, at 10:57)

“You're going to have amazing days, you're going to have average days, and you're going to have days where you just want to turn the app off [music] and go straight home.”

— King DoorDash, What I've learned as a DoorDash driver after 16k deliveries (YouTube, 6 Oct 2026, at 13:03)

Insurance: state minimum auto insurance

“most gig economy drivers only have minimum insurance if you're needing to drive Uber or Lyft or Instacart”

— The GIG Economy Podcast, If Uber Gets Sued For This, Driver Safety Could Finally Change | Ep 289 (podcast, 16 Feb 2026, at 11:25)

Payout methods (spark-driver): ONE Card

“as much as I we should on spark they're one card. I mean again, I I think they own it I would maybe not I haven't researched it, but the one card is great, man I'm really loving the the features on that and getting the earnings like right away”

— The GIG Economy Podcast, The Waymo Car Needs A Water Cannon, The Best of the GIG Economy Podcast (podcast, 30 Jun 2026, at 14:16)

Physical demand: med

“They're not going to be super heavy. It's just more in out in out park in out up down the stairs up down It's a lot more stops per hour.”

— Your Driver Mike, I Tested Uber's NEW Package Delivery Routes (Worth It?) (YouTube, 27 Oct 2026, at 8:06)

Schedule control: own schedule

“Select pick up time. You'll need to be online at least 30 minutes before pick up.”

— Your Driver Mike, Uber's NEW Package Delivery Routes Are Already a Disaster (YouTube, 22 Oct 2026, at 2:35) Disputes this figure.

“Select pick up time. You'll need to be online at least 30 minutes before pick up.”

— Your Driver Mike, Uber's NEW Package Delivery Routes Are Already a Disaster (YouTube, 22 Oct 2026, at 2:35)

“My pickup time is from 10:44 a.m. to 10:49.”

— Your Driver Mike, I Made $83.80 on ONE Delivery (But There Was a Problem) (YouTube, 30 Oct 2026, at 2:01) Disputes this figure.

“This is a dedicated scheduled delivery routes from what? 2-3 hours to 5 hours.”

— Your Driver Mike, I Tested Uber's NEW Package Delivery Routes (Worth It?) (YouTube, 27 Oct 2026, at 0:32) Disputes this figure.

“Remember, there's 5-minute windows here when you can arrive, pick it up, and then you take a proof of pickup picture, and then drop off”

— Your Driver Mike, He Almost Ruined Everything... (YouTube, 23 Oct 2026, at 8:44) Disputes this figure.

“Arrive by 8:30 a.m. to a 15-minute window to 8:45 a.m.”

— Your Driver Mike, Shipt Is Paying Drivers $100+ to Deliver Target Packages (YouTube, 21 Oct 2026, at 4:03) Disputes this figure.

“Reserve a pickup time the day before and see your estimated earnings.”

— Your Driver Mike, Uber Just Announced a NEW Earnings Opportunity for Drivers (YouTube, 20 Oct 2026, at 0:39)

“It's just cherrypicking picking the best offer.”

— Your Driver Mike, I Tested DoorDash's NEW Driver Rewards Program (YouTube, 18 Oct 2026, at 1:27)

“I was done at seven. I was like, I've been out almost eight hours, like I'm done.”

— The GIG Economy Podcast, Real-Time Gig Work Strategies On DoorDash Uber Eats And Grubhub (podcast, 15 Jun 2026, at 18:41)

“I'm used to just starting around like, you know, when it's cooler, the weather and everything”

— Journey Ride Along, Delivering Uber Eats and The Goal Is To Make More than $50 Today! L.A Gig Hustle! 🚗 💨💨 (YouTube, 9 Sep 2026, at 20:45)

“We got a lot of freedom with these apps. We're able to leave, come back, go home, whatever.”

— King DoorDash, 5 Things I Do to Make MORE Money on DoorDash in 2026 (YouTube, 22 Sep 2026, at 8:13)

“That information gives you the ability to optimize your schedule instead of just guessing.”

— King DoorDash, What I've learned as a DoorDash driver after 16k deliveries (YouTube, 6 Oct 2026, at 7:53)

Vehicle required: yes

“All packages should fit in a standard sedan. Also nice to see. You don't need a truck, SUV, cargo van.”

— Your Driver Mike, Uber's NEW Package Delivery Routes Are Already a Disaster (YouTube, 22 Oct 2026, at 3:28)

“All packages should fit in a standard sedan.”

— Your Driver Mike, Uber's NEW Package Delivery Routes Are Already a Disaster (YouTube, 22 Oct 2026, at 3:28)

“So here I am in transit to this client with my catering in tow and I arrive.”

— Your Driver Mike, I Made $83.80 on ONE Delivery (But There Was a Problem) (YouTube, 30 Oct 2026, at 6:23)

“those of us that are calculating the vehicle efficiency.”

— Your Driver Mike, I Tested Uber's NEW Package Delivery Routes (Worth It?) (YouTube, 27 Oct 2026, at 10:37)

“Back in the car. Okay, let's go to the client's location.”

— Your Driver Mike, He Almost Ruined Everything... (YouTube, 23 Oct 2026, at 4:11)

“you go there, you load your vehicle with the packages.”

— Your Driver Mike, Shipt Is Paying Drivers $100+ to Deliver Target Packages (YouTube, 21 Oct 2026, at 3:18)

“Before you hit the road, see the exact fare you'll earn for completing the routes estimated to last 3 to 5 hours.”

— Your Driver Mike, Uber Just Announced a NEW Earnings Opportunity for Drivers (YouTube, 20 Oct 2026, at 0:45)

“So, $2060, 10.9 miles. It's a single pickup for 20 bucks.”

— Your Driver Mike, I Tested DoorDash's NEW Driver Rewards Program (YouTube, 18 Oct 2026, at 1:58)

“I'm driving in a severe weather storm to go get some B dubs”

— The GIG Economy Podcast, Real-Time Gig Work Strategies On DoorDash Uber Eats And Grubhub (podcast, 15 Jun 2026, at 1:52)

“gas prices keeps going up again it's inevitable it's life you know we got to keep driving regardless we can't just park you know our cars at home”

— Journey Ride Along, I Delivered My First Catering Order On Uber Eats!! 😱 🚗 Los Angeles County Food Delivery & Spark! (YouTube, 19 Sep 2026, at 10:28)

“So, this is like car labor, like car using gas and maintenance and my labor.”

— Journey Ride Along, Friday Night Uber Eats Delivery and This BAD Paying Order Was A Pain In The 🚗 💨💨 Los Angeles County (YouTube, 25 Oct 2026, at 21:08)

“That's on top of gas, maintenance, the cost of putting miles on our vehicles.”

— King DoorDash, 5 things DoorDash NEEDS to fix in 2027 (YouTube, 27 Oct 2026, at 10:31)

Single reports, not yet confirmed

What one creator said, before a second independent source backs it. Not used as a fact anywhere on the site.

Hourly earnings

“This equates to $30 an hour regardless of how long this shift is. 2 hours for 60 bucks. 8 hours for 240 bucks.”

— Your Driver Mike, Uber's NEW Package Delivery Routes Are Already a Disaster (YouTube, 22 Oct 2026, at 1:58). Reported: $10–$50/hr

“only 49 minutes of active time for $83.80”

— Your Driver Mike, I Made $83.80 on ONE Delivery (But There Was a Problem) (YouTube, 30 Oct 2026, at 9:19). Reported: $10–$50/hr

“This is $22.46 per hour.”

— Your Driver Mike, I Tested Uber's NEW Package Delivery Routes (Worth It?) (YouTube, 27 Oct 2026, at 6:29). Reported: $10–$50/hr

Startup cost

“it's a one-time $15 purchase”

— Paid to Drive!, THOUSANDS of Dashers LEFT DoorDash THIS WEEK for THIS OTHER APP! AND YOU SHOULD TOO!!! (YouTube, 29 Oct 2026, at 17:11). Reported: $15

Typical hours per week

“see the exact fare you'll earn for completing the routes estimated to last 3 to 5 hours.”

— Your Driver Mike, Uber Just Announced a NEW Earnings Opportunity for Drivers (YouTube, 20 Oct 2026, at 0:45). Reported: 3–9 hours/week

“I ended up working nine hours.”

— The GIG Economy Podcast, Uber Eats Just Changed Tips. Drivers Are Already Losing Money | Ep 292 (podcast, 9 Mar 2026, at 2:00). Reported: 3–9 hours/week

Common pitfalls

“something I made a mistake with back when I first started DoorDash, is I would work the dead hours or I would work all freaking day long.”

— King DoorDash, 5 Things I Do to Make MORE Money on DoorDash in 2026 (YouTube, 22 Sep 2026, at 2:51). Reported: working dead hours (weekday 2-5pm) that pay too little, working all day without breaks and burning out

“But if you're not tracking your expenses, [music] you don't really know how much money you're keeping.”

— King DoorDash, What I've learned as a DoorDash driver after 16k deliveries (YouTube, 6 Oct 2026, at 7:05). Reported: not tracking expenses like gas, mileage and maintenance, so not knowing real profit

“And guys, waiting is one of the biggest killers when it comes to gig work.”

— King DoorDash, What I've learned as a DoorDash driver after 16k deliveries (YouTube, 6 Oct 2026, at 4:50). Reported: unpaid time waiting at slow restaurants

Income volatility

“That was so fast to get that first 50 within the first hour, then suddenly it was just like very hard.”

— Journey Ride Along, Friday Night Uber Eats Delivery and This BAD Paying Order Was A Pain In The 🚗 💨💨 Los Angeles County (YouTube, 25 Oct 2026, at 25:48). Reported: high

“There are hours which I make 30, 40, 50 dollars just off of DoorDash per hour, and there's hours where I don't hit past 10 bucks.”

— King DoorDash, 5 Things I Do to Make MORE Money on DoorDash in 2026 (YouTube, 22 Sep 2026, at 4:28). Reported: high

“one thing that sucks about gig work is nothing's really ever guaranteed. You go out there blindly, you don't really know what you're going to make.”

— King DoorDash, I Made $200+ in ONLY 2 HOURS With Catering Apps! (NOT Clickbait) (YouTube, 31 Aug 2026, at 10:57). Reported: high

Schedule control

“We got a lot of freedom with these apps. We're able to leave, come back, go home, whatever.”

— King DoorDash, 5 Things I Do to Make MORE Money on DoorDash in 2026 (YouTube, 22 Sep 2026, at 8:13). Reported: own schedule

“This is a dedicated scheduled delivery routes from what? 2-3 hours to 5 hours.”

— Your Driver Mike, I Tested Uber's NEW Package Delivery Routes (Worth It?) (YouTube, 27 Oct 2026, at 0:32). Reported: shift based

“Arrive by 8:30 a.m. to a 15-minute window to 8:45 a.m.”

— Your Driver Mike, Shipt Is Paying Drivers $100+ to Deliver Target Packages (YouTube, 21 Oct 2026, at 4:03). Reported: client driven

Vehicle required

“You are out here driving your own car. You're taking your own money to put gas in your own vehicle to go and deliver these orders.”

— Ride Along With Bri, What REALLY Happens to DoorDash No Tip Orders? (YouTube, 6 Oct 2026, at 1:26). Reported: yes

Employee pay in the related job, nationally and by state

BLS figures describe employees in the closest related occupation, not side-hustle income.

Related occupationMedian payMiddle 80%People employed
Driver/Sales Workers$18.64/hr ($38,770/yr), BLS OEWS, May 2025$22,590–$59,980/yr409,180
Couriers and Messengers$18.85/hr ($39,200/yr), BLS OEWS, May 2025$31,550–$50,330/yr68,640
Median annual pay of employed driver/sales workers, 52 states and areas; national median $38,770 (BLS OEWS, May 2025)
StateMedian annual pay
Alabama$39,190
Alaska$48,420
Arizona$38,440
Arkansas$39,820
California$45,600
Colorado$43,420
Connecticut$36,730
Delaware$31,200
District of Columbia$41,600
Florida$36,260
Georgia$40,040
Hawaii$31,270
Idaho$35,770
Illinois$38,960
Indiana$36,250
Iowa$47,120
Kansas$43,180
Kentucky$37,030
Louisiana$36,290
Maine$39,900
Maryland$38,500
Massachusetts$46,870
Michigan$39,610
Minnesota$32,980
Mississippi$35,480
Missouri$40,200
Montana$27,580
Nebraska$34,950
Nevada$31,760
New Hampshire$41,520
New Jersey$44,720
New Mexico$29,770
New York$42,730
North Carolina$36,540
North Dakota$38,610
Ohio$35,720
Oklahoma$29,120
Oregon$41,080
Pennsylvania$37,330
Puerto Rico$22,220
Rhode Island$34,230
South Carolina$22,240
South Dakota$45,050
Tennessee$42,220
Texas$35,850
Utah$26,590
Vermont$46,300
Virginia$37,180
Washington$41,570
West Virginia$28,790
Wisconsin$27,560
Wyoming$26,940

All sources

All data

FactValueSource
CertificationsAlcohol server certification (Walmart Spark alcohol orders)The GIG Economy Podcast, Feb 2026
Demand trendgrowingBLS Employment Projections, 2025-35
Hourly earnings$20–$50/hrYour Driver Mike, Oct 2026; Chris Koerner, May 2026; Chris Koerner, Jun 2026; The GIG Economy Podcast, Jun 2026; The GIG Economy Podcast, Mar 2026
Full-time or part-timepart time or full timeKing DoorDash, Sep 2026; King DoorDash, Oct 2026; Nicholas Earle - Doordash Advice, Oct 2026
Income volatilityhighYour Driver Mike, Oct 2026; The GIG Economy Podcast, Jun 2026; Journey Ride Along, Oct 2026; King DoorDash, Sep 2026; King DoorDash, Aug 2026; King DoorDash, Oct 2026
Insurancestate minimum auto insuranceThe GIG Economy Podcast, Feb 2026
Nearest occupationCouriers and MessengersO*NET 31.0
Nearest occupationDriver/Sales WorkersO*NET 31.0
Nearest occupationLight Truck DriversO*NET 31.0
Payout methods (spark-driver)ONE CardThe GIG Economy Podcast, Jun 2026
Physical demandmedYour Driver Mike, Oct 2026
Schedule controlown scheduleYour Driver Mike, Oct 2026; The GIG Economy Podcast, Jun 2026; Journey Ride Along, Sep 2026; King DoorDash, Sep 2026; King DoorDash, Oct 2026
Vehicle requiredyesYour Driver Mike, Oct 2026; The GIG Economy Podcast, Jun 2026; Journey Ride Along, Sep 2026; Journey Ride Along, Oct 2026; King DoorDash, Oct 2026
Median hourly wage, employees: driver/sales workers$18.64/hrBLS OEWS, May 2025
Median annual wage, employees: driver/sales workers$38,770/yrBLS OEWS, May 2025
Annual wage, 10th percentile: driver/sales workers$22,590/yrBLS OEWS, May 2025
Annual wage, 90th percentile: driver/sales workers$59,980/yrBLS OEWS, May 2025
People employed: driver/sales workers409,180 jobsBLS OEWS, May 2025
Projected employment change, 10 years: driver/sales workers7.9%BLS Employment Projections, 2025-35
Share self-employed: driver/sales workers7.3%BLS Employment Projections, 2025-35
Median hourly wage, employees: couriers and messengers$18.85/hrBLS OEWS, May 2025
Median annual wage, employees: couriers and messengers$39,200/yrBLS OEWS, May 2025
Annual wage, 10th percentile: couriers and messengers$31,550/yrBLS OEWS, May 2025
Annual wage, 90th percentile: couriers and messengers$50,330/yrBLS OEWS, May 2025
People employed: couriers and messengers68,640 jobsBLS OEWS, May 2025
Projected employment change, 10 years: couriers and messengers8%BLS Employment Projections, 2025-35
Share self-employed: couriers and messengers69.9%BLS Employment Projections, 2025-35