11 Best Resources for Finding Independent Courier Jobs

Looking for a job that can be easy to do, easy to get, and offers flexible hours?

There are all sorts of freelance gigs that you can work full-time as your primary job or part-time to make some extra money. One of the most popular ones that many freelancers flock to is that of an independent courier.

From food and alcohol to groceries and household items, here are the 11 best resources for finding independent courier jobs, plus some ways to make the job easier.

What Does it Mean to be an Independent Courier?

The job of an independent courier is relatively straightforward. We discuss the pros and cons of becoming a courier driver and provide a step-by-step guide to what most delivery drivers do.

But first, here’s what the job entails:

• Log onto the delivery app when you’re ready to work
• View customer orders
• Choose the order you want to deliver
• Drive to the destination to pick up the customer’s order
• Drive to the customer and drop the order off
• Scroll through the app to find your next order to fulfill

Depending on your delivery service, you can pick up orders at high-end restaurants, fast food outlets, retail shops, grocery stores, beer distributors, pharmacies, convenience stores, or big box stores.

Every app has different retail partners, so some require that you do more heavy lifting than others.

The Pros of Being an Independent Courier

As an independent courier, you’ll be an independent contractor, which means you’ll be your boss. That gives you some flexibility and means you won’t need any specific education or experience.

Flexibility

Independent contractors aren’t employees, so you can create your schedule and decide whether to work night or day delivery shifts. You can enjoy the flexibility of working as little or as much as you want and taking off whenever you want downtime.

Because you can decide when and how often to work, you have better control of your income than working as an employee scheduled for limited weekly hours.

The best part about delivering for an app is that you don’t have to follow a dedicated route. You can shift from a location that’s not busy to one that is.

Almost Any Vehicle Will Do

Unlike large-scale delivery companies and courier services that employ truck drivers, independent couriers can use their current vehicles to do the job. You do not need to own a cargo van, sprinter van, minivan, pick-up truck, or box truck.

You don’t have to obtain a CDL license or learn how to operate a tractor-trailer.

Almost any car will do!

Minimal Requirements

You’re almost guaranteed to get the gig if you have a clean driving record, a valid driver’s license, and an Android or iPhone to access the app.

You don’t even have to pass a drug screening, high school diploma, or GED to become a delivery courier. If you’re at least 18, you’ll be eligible to drive for most delivery apps and job types.

The Cons of Being an Independent Courier

Being an independent contractor driver has its upsides but also some drawbacks.

Here are some cons of being your boss and working as a delivery courier.

You’ll Need to Learn How to Budget

Independent couriers do not receive paid time off or sick days, unlike traditional employees. A day off means a day with no income. You also won’t have taxes withheld from your pay. Instead, you’ll need to save a portion of your weekly earnings to save enough to pay your tax obligations.

As an independent courier, you’ll only make money when there are deliveries to be made. This demand can fluctuate quite a bit depending on where you work and the days and times you decide to shift; there is no income guarantee.

Rest assured that you will earn some pay for every delivery you complete. Even if the customer is dissatisfied and requests a refund from the company, you’ll earn your delivery fee.

Added Expenses

You’ll also need to shell out money for expenses that traditional employees don’t have to worry about, such as healthcare insurance.

In addition to buying your healthcare coverage, you’ll need to spend money to fill up your gas tank and maintain your vehicle; driving and making deliveries will put wear and tear on your car.

Where to Look for Independent Courier Jobs

There are dozens of delivery services that offer flexible, independent contractor positions. You can find these contractor opportunities by searching job postings and setting up job alerts on sites such as Indeed, Simply Hired, and Snag a Job.

The better option, however, is to go directly to the source.

The best way to become an independent contract courier is to apply directly through the company’s website or app. The process entails proving that you have auto insurance and up-to-date vehicle registration and passing a background check.

Food Delivery Apps

Interested in delivering meals and snacks from restaurants, local cafes, and fast food chains?

With food delivery apps, you’ll spend most of your time driving to and from restaurants, waiting at restaurants to pick up your orders, and driving to and from customers’ homes or businesses.

Most food delivery apps require that you:

• Are at least 18 years of age
• Have a valid driver’s license
• Have a registered, insured vehicle
• Pass a background check

In some cities, some delivery apps allow you to deliver food via bike or scooter.

Peak driving times for food delivery apps are generally during the lunch rush and dinner rush, from approximately 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and then again from 5 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.

You can snag breakfast orders in the morning and random orders at off-times, but most drivers find they make more money if they work during peak hours.

1. Uber Eats

Uber Eats drivers report that they earn an average of roughly $13-$16 per hour, depending on where and when they work. Rates are based primarily upon the distance traveled between the restaurant and the customer, and drivers get to keep 100% of their tips.

The car requirements for Uber Eats are that your car has to be a 1998 or newer model. You must also have a clean driving record with no major moving violations in the past seven years.

Delivering for Uber Eats is a reasonably reliable gig. Because they partner with so many local and chain restaurants, there’s a steady stream of orders, though peak lunch and dinner times will net you more cash than working mornings and off-peak hours.

Learn more: How to Work for Uber (and Car Requirements)

2. DoorDash

With the “Dasher” job title, working for DoorDash involves delivering all sorts of meals, snacks, beverages, and household items from restaurants, pharmacies, convenience stores, and select retail stores.

Most dashers make an average of $15 per hour, with rates calculated based on the mileage between the restaurant and the customer, the time of each order, and customer tips.

There are no vehicle requirements, but you must have a valid domestic driving license and a clean driving record.

3. Caviar

Owned by DoorDash, Caviar tends to partner with higher-end restaurants, so it’s much more common to find yourself picking up from a chic local café than a fast food joint.

Caviar couriers make an average of about $17 per hour, which includes 100% of customer tips. The service is only available in major cities: Greater NY, Greater LA, the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex, San Diego, Chicago, Portland, and Seattle.

4. GrubHub

GrubHub delivery drivers report earning about $13-$19 per hour. Like other popular food delivery apps, this includes a fee per delivery order plus 100% of customer tips.

Keep in mind that salaries reported by current couriers are not a guarantee of income. Some drivers may report their hourly gross earnings before accounting for expenses like gas and mileage, while others report net earnings after accounting for their operating expenses.

You must have auto insurance if you’ll be using your car. If you’re using a bicycle, you still have to have a valid, state-issued form of identification.

Alcohol and Weed Delivery Apps

Don’t want the smell of food filling up your car?

Consider delivering booze or cannabis instead.

As a courier/delivery driver for an alcohol app, you can fulfill orders for beer, wine, liquor, or cannabis (depending on your state).

Despite all of the federal laws we abide by, where we buy our beer, wine, liquor, and weed varies significantly from state to state.

If you’d prefer to deliver drinks or smoke over food, check out these apps to see what the guidelines are in your city or state:

• Drizly
• Saucey
• GoPuff
• Eaze

Like food delivery drivers, most alcohol delivery drivers earn approximately $14-$18 per hour.

Grocery and Household Item Delivery Apps

Some of the best resources for independent contractor courier jobs are grocery and retail delivery apps. Here are three of the best apps to consider; some involve shopping for groceries as well as delivering them.

5. Instacart

With Instacart, you can work as a delivery driver or as a full-service shopper and driver.

Delivering requires nothing more than picking up an already-packed order from a grocery store or retail store and dropping it off at the customer’s home or business. Full-service shoppers pick and pack the order themselves, use a prepaid Instacart payment card to pay for the order, and then deliver it to its destination.

Instacart drivers earn at least $5 for every delivery-only order and between $7 and $10 for full-service orders, plus tips.

6. Shipt

Shipt partners with various locations, including grocery stores, pharmacies, pet supply stores, Target, Office Max, Bed Bath & Beyond, and other national chains.

As an independent courier for Shipt, you could deliver everything from milk and eggs to dog food or cat litter (which can be heavy). If you don’t want to deliver heavy soda or laundry detergent bottles, stick with a food delivery app instead.

Like full-service Instacart couriers, Shipt drivers shop for in-store items before delivering them. So if you love wandering around Target, this job is for you!

Most Shipt shoppers and drivers earn $16-$20 per hour.

7. Amazon Fresh

As an Amazon Fresh courier, you’ll shop the aisles of Whole Foods Market, pick and pack orders, and deliver them to customers. This grocery delivery service is similar to Instacart and Shipt, but because Amazon owns Whole Foods, you’ll only shop in one store.

Couriers at Amazon Fresh report making a bit more per hour than other delivery services, with most averaging an hourly rate of $20 to $22.

You may also like: How to Get More Postmates Jobs

Apps That Can Make Your Job as an Independent Courier Easier

In addition to the app you deliver for, some other apps can make your job as an independent courier easier. Here are some of our favorite apps for delivery drivers (or anyone who spends a lot of time on the road).

8. Apps to Help You Save Money on Gas

As a delivery driver, gas will be one of your biggest operating expenses. Fueling your vehicle regularly can get rather expensive, but there are some apps to help with that:

• Gas Buddy
• Waze
• GetUpside

These apps show you the locations of different gas stations nearby as well as what the current fuel prices are.

9. Apps to Help You Save Time

There’s nothing fun about traffic, and when your goal is to deliver a meal to a customer while it’s still hot, traffic can destroy your ability to do your job properly (and affect your tips).

Even if you don’t need an app for driving directions, these three apps have other traffic uses:

• Waze
• Sygic
• ETA

These apps show traffic patterns, estimate arrival times, and help you navigate accidents and other unforeseen circumstances.

10. Apps for When Nature Calls

When you gotta go, you gotta go! The more time you spend in your car, the more helpful it can be to know where to find nearby public restrooms.

These apps can help you find them:

• Sit or Squat
• Flush

Toilet-finding apps can help you locate nearby facilities and learn which ones other customers deem as clean.

11. Apps to Track Business Expenses

As an independent contractor, you’ll be responsible for paying your taxes. The upside is that you get to deduct all of your business expenses to bring down your taxable income and reduce your tax liability to the IRS.

These apps are great for tracking business expenses:

• Mint
• Expensify
• NerdWallet

With these apps, you can save receipts, track mileage, and keep organized records of your business expenses — all things you can take as deductions to minimize how much you’ll pay in taxes.

Related: Step-by-Step Guide to Filing Taxes When You’re Self-Employed

Conclusion

No matter what app you deliver for, working as an independent courier offers freedom, flexibility, and the opportunity to be your boss.

Worried that you won’t be eligible to receive employee benefits?

You can enjoy a wide range of freelancer benefits by signing up to be a member of Selfgood now!