How to become a DoorDash driver – DoorDash driver requirements

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Today’s economy has people from all walks of life looking to earn extra income. An easy way to quickly earn cash is to join the on-demand economy, also known as the gig economy. DoorDash is one of the leading services for gig workers to generate income by delivering food and other gigs.

Rideshare drivers and food delivery drivers make up a large percentage of people who work gig-economy jobs to take home some extra income. It’s fun, easy, and best of all, you work as much or as little as you want. Let’s say you want to become one of the people who deliver food for an on-demand service. One food delivery company that’s growing rapidly and looking for qualified drivers is DoorDash. 

We recently asked some local DoorDash drivers what they liked about driving for DoorDash. Here’s what they told us:

“Driving for DoorDash is awesome! I can choose from a bunch of different shifts during the week that fit my busy college schedule. I love the flexibility that it gives me!”

“The pay is really good for food delivery and there are higher hourly rate guarantees that pop up during really busy times that increase my delivery fees. That really adds up.”

“I like the smiles I get when I bring customers their food! Makes me feel like I’m doing something nice for people. And I really love the cool red DoorDash T-shirt they gave me to wear while I’m working!”

Ok, let’s get into what you’ll need to do to become a DoorDash driver and how the delivery service works. We’ll also pass along some expert advice and suggestions from experienced DoorDash drivers as well.

How does DoorDash work for Drivers & What do DoorDash Drivers Do?

Imagine this scenario: A typical family is hungry at dinnertime, but Mom and Dad are too exhausted to cook, let alone get the kids dressed and into the car so they can drive to a crowded, chaotic restaurant. It would be so much easier to have someone bring dinner to their front door so they can eat quietly at home. Or, some busy employees are so swamped at work that they can’t get out to rustle up some sushi for lunch. They’d rather have someone bring the sushi to the office. Well, you could be that someone, because these are the types of customers who go to the DoorDash website on their laptops or the DoorDash app on their smartphones, and order some chow from a favorite local restaurant. You’d get the order request on your smartphone, go pick up the food at the restaurant, and deliver it to the customer.

With the entire world having to endure a life-changing event with The Coronavirus pandemic, mostly everyone had to order food, medicine, and goods through a delivery service just like DoorDash. The value of a “Dasher” and the importance they played and continue to play in people’s lives will forever be cherished.

Here’s a breakdown of how a DoorDash driver delivers.

• DoorDash drivers are known as Dashers, which is a pretty cool nickname if you ask us. And the actual delivery process is called Dashing, so we’ll be using these awesome terms from now on!
• Dashers in the area have already downloaded the app to their smartphones or Androids, logged in, and have reserved some time slots to start Dashing. You have to log into the app to see what slots are available in your area. You can work as much or as little as you’d like.
• A Dasher in the area who is logged on to the app will be notified that an order has been placed by a customer. The Dasher now has the option to accept the delivery or wait for another one (more on this later) Once that’s been done, the driver goes to the restaurant, picks up the food and delivers it to the customer. It’s pretty simple.
• The app gives the Dasher the customer’s contact information and address, the details of their order, directions to the restaurant and to the customer’s location, and even approximately how long the pickup and delivery will take. The customer can track your progress during the delivery through the app on their phone.
• When a customer orders from a restaurant that is partnered with DoorDash, the payment is done automatically using the credit card number they’ve already stored in the app. The Dasher just picks up the order at the restaurant and doesn’t deal with the transaction in any way.
• However, a customer will occasionally order from a restaurant that is NOT partnered with DoorDash. At this time, DoorDash does not accept direct payments through the app from customers who order from non-partnered merchants. In this case, Dashers pay for the customer’s order with a DoorDash Red Card. This is a special debit card which all Dashers are given once they’ve been approved to drive for DoorDash. It works like this:
  • DoorDash instantly loads the customer’s payment onto the Dasher’s Red Card after the food order is placed through the app. The Dasher then hands over the Red Card at the restaurant to pay the customer’s bill. The money does not come out of the Dasher’s personal bank account or delivery fee.
  • After the order is delivered and designated completed in the app, the Dasher gets paid their normal delivery fee, as well as any tip the customer might like to give. Dashers keep 100% of tips.

Where is DoorDash available?

DoorDash delivers in all fifty states. So you could move around the country and continue to earn money as a Dasher. Here’s a partial list of major DoorDash delivery locations:

• Atlanta, Los Angeles, Boise, Cleveland, Chicago
• Dallas, Denver, Detroit, El Paso
• Hawaii, Indianapolis, Kansas City, Las Vegas
• Miami, New Orleans, New York, Ohio
• Orlando, Philadelphia, Phoenix, Pittsburgh
• Reno, Salt Lake City, Seattle
• St. Louis, Toronto, Washington, D.C.

DoorDash vehicle requirements:

• Basically, there are very little requirements regarding your mode of transportation. Your car can be any age, size, or condition.
• Deliveries can even be made on bikes, motorcycles, or scooters.

DoorDash driver requirements:

Dashers go through a DoorDash driver sign up process and must meet a list of DoorDash driver requirements. In terms of DoorDash vehicle requirements, here’s what you’ll need to know.

Driver Requirements:

• You need an iPhone or Android in order to accept and complete deliveries through the DoorDash app. You’ll also get paid through the app, as well as receive navigation and contact driver support through the app. In other words, downloading the DoorDash app to your phone is a big deal.
• You need to be at least 18 years old.
• All prospective drivers have to pass a background check before being approved. It’s standard procedure. How long does a DoorDash background check take? Around 3 to 5 days. If you haven’t heard back by then, contact DoorDash support.
• A driver can’t have any major violations on their record over the past 7 years, like DUI, homicide, or driving with a suspended license. You also can’t have more than 3 incidences over the past 3 years.

How do you sign up to DoorDash?

To sign up to be a Dasher, click here:

Then you fill out some basic information about yourself and your vehicle.

• Enter your name exactly as it appears on your license
• Provide your birthdate, phone number and zip code
• Enter the state your license was issued along with the driver license number
• Click continue to agree to the background check
• After that, you’ll provide details about your vehicle such as model, year, license plate numbers etc. if you choose to use a vehicle
• Finally, you’ll receive an email asking you to schedule a DoorDash driver orientation in your area such as a conference room in a local business park. You’ll fill out your W9 tax form and a non-disclosure agreement while you’re there. (DoorDash doesn’t want you to share industry secrets with GrubHub!) Then, some cheerful DoorDash representatives will cover pretty much everything there is to know about delivery driving, or dashing, for the company. They typically try and make it clear that every Dasher is the “face” of DoorDash, and to take pride in how we dress, act, and deliver our orders. They also stress driving safely on the way to pick up and deliver food to our customers. You don’t want to show up with an open pizza box that fell over in your car because you took a corner too fast to save time.

Do you need a car for DoorDash?

Not everyone who wants to be DoorDash driver owns their own car. Car ownership can be costly and a pain in the neck, especially if you live in a big congested city with no parking. So a lot of rideshare drivers and delivery drivers rent a car in order to join the on-demand economy as a driver. If you need a vehicle to become a Dasher, HyreCar can help you get on the road.

• HyreCar has thousands of locally owned, great quality vehicles that are available for rideshare and delivery drivers to rent if they don’t already own a car.
• Insurance is included with each rental, which saves you money and the hassle of shopping around for a carrier.
• HyreCar’s rental fees are affordable because vehicle owners who list their cars to be rented compete with each other for your business.
• No long term contracts. You can start for a minimum of two days if you’d like. After that, you can rent a car for as long or as short a time as you want.

Find your perfect car to start dashing by clicking HERE.

Conclusion

We hope you are able to learn from this article and apply the knowledge when you become a Dasher. Earning money on your own time has never sounded better and you’ll be providing an important service at the same time. If you need help renting a vehicle for rideshare or delivery, HyreCar will always be available 24/7 to help.

Happy dashing from your pals at HyreCar!

Disclaimer

Actual earnings may differ and depend on factors like number of deliveries completed, time of day, location, and expenses. Hourly pay is calculated using average Dasher payouts while on a delivery (from the time you accept an order until the time you drop it off) over a 90 day period and includes compensation from peak pay, tips, and other incentives.