Author Topic: Deliveroo - anyone working for them?  (Read 20477 times)

bludger

  • Randonneur and bargain hunter
Re: Deliveroo - anyone working for them?
« Reply #75 on: 16 December, 2018, 01:10:59 pm »
Have now been deliverooing in the capital for 3 months. It's terrific. A couple of traffic related scrapes but nothing I wasn't encountering during my normal cycling anyway. Money is good, flexibility is unbelievable. This is one of the smartest things I ever started doing.

Chatting with some of the other cycle guys there's heaps of us who are actually full time employee and are deliverooing to save for holidays, new bikes, etc.
YACF touring/audax bargain basement:
https://bit.ly/2Xg8pRD



Ban cars.

Re: Deliveroo - anyone working for them?
« Reply #76 on: 24 December, 2018, 03:03:47 am »
I'm absolutely loving it too. It's so much fun. Only managing a few 3 hour shifts a week at the moment due to lack of fitness, and the 12 mile round trip into town and home again eats into the mileage/time I can manage. But considering I got into this for a bit of fun and some beer money I'm chuffed to bits I've already made enough to buy a new bike (Triban RC500, picked up last week). And it'll be tax deductable :thumbsup:

Re: Deliveroo - anyone working for them?
« Reply #77 on: 24 December, 2018, 09:12:32 am »
Good to hear people are enjoying this and getting decent money.

A question - have any of you felt the need/urge to go through more red lights than you would do normally, because you are on the clock?
The sound of one pannier flapping

Re: Deliveroo - anyone working for them?
« Reply #78 on: 24 December, 2018, 03:26:57 pm »
There is one set of lights I jump only because it's one of those that only seems to change if there is a car waiting and I'd be there all night if I didn't. But all it takes to ruin a shift is a restaurant that takes ages with an order or a customer who puts the pin on the map in the wrong place so it seems silly to me to try and save 30 seconds by breaking the law or riding like an ass, so in general I don't.

bludger

  • Randonneur and bargain hunter
Re: Deliveroo - anyone working for them?
« Reply #79 on: 27 December, 2018, 05:47:49 pm »
I do jump lights quite often but this is when commuting/a to b'ing and deliverooing only just because I want to be somewhere and I'm almost always in a familiar environment (deliveroo teaches your patch very well and you're wise to which crossings can be skipped safely).

During training, audaxes, and on tour I'll wait for the lights.
YACF touring/audax bargain basement:
https://bit.ly/2Xg8pRD



Ban cars.

Re: Deliveroo - anyone working for them?
« Reply #80 on: 27 December, 2018, 08:33:36 pm »
It's been pretty grim riding for Stuart in Birmingham. The city centre is utterly broken with one or two routes holding the whole thing together in the face of road closures, gridlock, tramlines and the 'kin Christmas market. The lack of any decent cycle infrastructure is painfully obvious and I'm frequently having cars, taxis and buses driven at me. I've also been hit on the head by a passing pedestrian.

There's no density to the location of the restaurants or the punters, so mean turnaround time per drop is consistently coming out as about 40 minutes. This means the only way to get a double figure hourly rate is to do weekend evenings to get the extra rewards.

A question - have any of you felt the need/urge to go through more red lights than you would do normally, because you are on the clock?

I'm with kyuss - there's no significant time saving from jumping lights. I've always figured I lose my right to rant at others who break the law if I'm doing it myself. I'm in control of a vehicle on the road, therefore the laws of the road apply to me. Of course, it only takes a second or two to switch to pedestrian mode, and that can be useful sometimes...

I'm pavement cycling more than I would otherwise, out of decisions based on trying to stay safe. At 10pm there often aren't many pedestrians around, but the roads can still be bedlam (or gridlocked), so there's not a lot of conflict there. I'm also filtering more, again because of the gridlock. Did I mention Birmingham's broken?

Kim

  • Timelord
    • Fediverse
Re: Deliveroo - anyone working for them?
« Reply #81 on: 27 December, 2018, 08:39:13 pm »
Did I mention Birmingham's broken?

It's okay, I may also have mentioned that recently in another thread.

I'm fairly filtering-averse at the best of times, but I really don't like having to do it in central Birmingham, especially in Christmas Lemmings season.  I had a moment with an not-entirely-unexpected passenger door on Hill Street a few weeks ago to remind me why I don't like it.

Re: Deliveroo - anyone working for them?
« Reply #82 on: 27 December, 2018, 10:47:12 pm »
There's no density to the location of the restaurants or the punters, so mean turnaround time per drop is consistently coming out as about 40 minutes. This means the only way to get a double figure hourly rate is to do weekend evenings to get the extra rewards.
Are you on a free log in or booked hours with a top up?  In Derby most orders are 15 min plus the restaurant wait, there just isn't enough work, I'm averaging 1.2 orders an hour.  With the top up and various bonuses it's still a quid an hour more than the local deliveroo (Average based on 50 hours of each).  The Deliveroo is very variable, I try and get five hour shifts, 6pm - 11pm  and have made from £26 to £68

Re: Deliveroo - anyone working for them?
« Reply #83 on: 28 December, 2018, 10:38:46 am »
There's no density to the location of the restaurants or the punters, so mean turnaround time per drop is consistently coming out as about 40 minutes. This means the only way to get a double figure hourly rate is to do weekend evenings to get the extra rewards.
Are you on a free log in or booked hours with a top up?

Just turning up - my one experience with a booked slot was a complete omnishambles.

bludger

  • Randonneur and bargain hunter
Re: Deliveroo - anyone working for them?
« Reply #84 on: 28 December, 2018, 02:35:45 pm »
I prefer my booked spot to working in the open zones, generally the trips are short from a takeaway to a residential home with no fannying around with security etc.

That's the bane of my life when rooing in town, arguing with jobsworth dickheads about bringing a bike inside their poxy lobby for literally 20 seconds just because they're spiteful that I'm making more wedge than them.
YACF touring/audax bargain basement:
https://bit.ly/2Xg8pRD



Ban cars.

Re: Deliveroo - anyone working for them?
« Reply #85 on: 24 February, 2019, 05:22:21 pm »
My reliance on delivery income comes to an end this week with a new job starting tomorrow.  I'm looking forward to a more reliable income but shall miss the freedom of not working when I find something better to do.  Just looking at the stats - 4 months, 492 hours, £4,433 with about £280 in claimable expenses (Including a cheap hybrid).  It's been very variable, I've done a few 5 hour evenings for under £30 and a few 10 hour £100+ days. Christmas week was dire, then the week after my best.  I know it varies depending on the area, but in Derby it's a tough way to make a living, but an easy way to make a few extra quid, which is what I shall continue doing.

Re: Deliveroo - anyone working for them?
« Reply #86 on: 24 February, 2019, 05:36:58 pm »
A question - have any of you felt the need/urge to go through more red lights than you would do normally, because you are on the clock?
I don't think it's about being on the clock, it's long hours of urban riding and minimising effort becomes very attractive.  So yes, loads more riding through red lights and along pavements than I've ever done before.  Left turns against red lights and through pedestrian crossing when there's no pedestrians have become the norm, I've also got to know the area a lot better than before and there's a few streets where riding on the footway the wrong way along a one-way street saves a detour. OTOH on a Fri/Sat night with lots of groups around, I'll walk my bike along a shopping street where cycling is permitted after 5pm.

quixoticgeek

  • Mostly Harmless
Re: Deliveroo - anyone working for them?
« Reply #87 on: 24 February, 2019, 06:58:05 pm »
I don't think it's about being on the clock, it's long hours of urban riding and minimising effort becomes very attractive.  So yes, loads more riding through red lights and along pavements than I've ever done before.  Left turns against red lights and through pedestrian crossing when there's no pedestrians have become the norm, I've also got to know the area a lot better than before and there's a few streets where riding on the footway the wrong way along a one-way street saves a detour. OTOH on a Fri/Sat night with lots of groups around, I'll walk my bike along a shopping street where cycling is permitted after 5pm.

That's just normal Amsterdam cycling...

J
--
Beer, bikes, and backpacking
http://b.42q.eu/

Re: Deliveroo - anyone working for them?
« Reply #88 on: 04 July, 2019, 11:49:44 pm »
From next week deliveroo are prioritising motor vehicles in all UK cities and towns except London and Bristol.  Already the app has a new class of statistics "vehicle priority - Using a more efficient vehicle gives you earlier booking access"
In Derby (The city I have most experience working in) it's already difficult to keep your statistics high enough to get early access to the booking slots. If the cyclists don't get access till the scooters and cars have booked what they want, it'll be the end of doing it by bike. 
It's been a while since I did any deliveroo, I can get the hours I want from Stuart/Just Eat who pay a bit better, but I can't see that lasting when those unable to get deliveroo work start competing for them.  Bugger :(
https://www.forbes.com/sites/carltonreid/2019/07/04/deliveroo-moves-from-muscles-to-motors/#44fbe9506add

Kim

  • Timelord
    • Fediverse
Re: Deliveroo - anyone working for them?
« Reply #89 on: 05 July, 2019, 12:26:54 am »
Can't you just tell the app you're on a moped and ride a bit slower?

Re: Deliveroo - anyone working for them?
« Reply #90 on: 05 July, 2019, 01:16:59 am »
Can't you just tell the app you're on a moped and ride a bit slower?
Ha! I'm sure there are those who'll try, but it's complicated and you have to have courier insurance.  Also the maximum distances are longer, can't remember deliveroo's but on Stuart bikes are 4 miles and scooters 8.  While I'd happily race my average 1.7 mile drop and expect to at least equal a scooter and beat a car, once out of town there's no chance.  There's plenty using motors and registered as cycles, avoiding the insurance and the longer drops, getting rid of these would be no bad thing. 
They're not permitting e-bikes to change class, it's been asked. Some riders have made considerable investments in them and they'll now struggle to make them pay. 

Cudzoziemiec

  • Ride adventurously and stop for a brew.
Re: Deliveroo - anyone working for them?
« Reply #91 on: 05 July, 2019, 09:18:55 am »
Do they actually check courier insurance for the scooters? If so, that in itself is a big improvement since I was motorcycle couriering (admittedly that's last millennium).
Riding a concrete path through the nebulous and chaotic future.

Re: Deliveroo - anyone working for them?
« Reply #92 on: 05 July, 2019, 11:35:47 am »
Do they actually check courier insurance for the scooters? If so, that in itself is a big improvement since I was motorcycle couriering (admittedly that's last millennium).
Yes - they can offer it on a pay per day or pay per drop basis, which I think is the default and you have to supply details of your vehicle.  Or, you can demonstrate you have your own.
A lot of those you'll see on scooters and in cars are uninsured and registered as cycles to avoid paying, I've never heard of checks on the vehicle type registered, though they could easily look at the tracking and see who wasn't on a bike.

Re: Deliveroo - anyone working for them?
« Reply #93 on: 23 December, 2019, 12:07:46 am »
This thread is bringing back lots of memories of working as a bike courier for Pony Express in Glasgow. I was the city's first in 1990! The gig economy before the term had been invented, £1 a drop (£1.20 outside the city centre). Best day was when the usual controller was on holiday and the manager took over, she thought I was a motorbike, made almost £50 that day and by the end of the summer all the small motorbikes were gone...I'd done all the pick-ups and drops quicker than the motorbikes. When the big bikes and vans were on holiday you could also pick up jobs to Edinburgh, Greenock etc. by hoping on the train.

Did it six months every year while at Uni and for a year on and off when I graduated but it got harder to make money each year, more riders, fewer jobs. There was one rider who soldiered on until the late nineties but bike couriers were extinct in Glasgow until Deliveroo etc. came along. I only ever got one tip, £5 from Donald Finlay QC when I delivered something to him in the High Court. I rode red Muddy Fox MTB with the optional drop bars that I bought with my first student loan, happy days!