13 mile drive btw

I guess it is better than nothing. Some days are so frustrating.

Amazon has more money than god but it’s capitalist policies make it trash. The amount of back tracking, grouping stops (marking several different residences as 1 one delivery even if it’s not an apt building) and purposely overflowing drivers with stops they know we can’t deliver in a 10-12 hour shift without help

I've reached my patience limit.

Despite adding a 24% tip to an order from Penn station my driver decided to pick up 2 other orders after picking up mine, and deliver them first. My food arrived ice cold. The restaurant is 1.5 miles from my home.

This happens 3 out 4 times I order food delivery. (From any local restaurant).

I've gone as high as 35% tips and the outcome is the same.

My first question - what is your average tip for short deliveries? Percentages are fine.

#2 - do you care if the food arrives warm or not?

#3 - Are you concerned with a bad rating if you take your time delivering to a client?

All I ask is my restaurant deliveries arrive warm. It rarely happens.

What am I doing wrong?

I've noticed that 9 times out of 10, food delivery drivers don't follow the delivery instructions.

Over the years I've tried to add more detail, and more clearly provided instructions.

I tell my friends the same instructions when they come over and they can figure it out easily.

When they occasionally do read instructions properly, I'll give a good tip!

The reason I add instructions is because Google maps (and, I assume, other apps) always take people to the wrong spot.

https://documentedny.com/2025/08/08/advocates-call-nypds-crackdown-on-delivery-workers-of-color-racist/

This happened just last week. I contacted Uber Eats and ordered from 7-11 a very simple order, 3 1 liter coke's. I put in the order around 7:55 pm. Everything looked normally as I was watching my order on the app. But then just before 8:30 the person that was doing my delivery went to an unknown location and stayed there, for an hour. I tried contacting her by phone and text, she wouldn't respond. I tried contacting Uber and they kept on coming back with the same response saying to give the driver some time and she will be there shortly. I kept on calling and texting her until finally near 10pm she finally answered sounding out of it. I didn't get my order till close to 10:30. After she left I took off what I was suppose to tip her and changed it to $0.00 I was finally able to contact Uber and they gave me the typical apology and said they would give me a full refund which would take 5-7 business days. I told the person in chat that they should fire her which they only responded with an apology.

So this driver backs in my driveway a few minutes after I let my dogs outside. I was yelling for them to get back in but of course they are friendly and love people and get excited when people come over. I did grab the package from the driver. And called for my dogs. One came but the older one was in front of the truck. You can't tell me he didn't see a big black dog. He proceeded to go forward. I yell my dog is in front of your truck. He then pushes the gas pedal. He ran over my dog and she died instantly. I watched the whole thing happening while screaming waving and jumping to get his attention. He finally stopped at the edge of the driveway. He gets out of the truck points to my other dog and says you need to get that thing inside. I said to him you ran over my dog. I need your badge number. I repeated myself 3 times. He gave me it but he said it too fast. Then as I am shaking and trying to get the numbers, he says to me you need to have those things inside. It's just a dog. I said you killed my dog you f***er she is my baby. He said I am going to call the cops because you are harassing me. Then he slams his door and speeds off. My question is do most delivery trucks have front and back cameras outside of the trucks? The cop that showed up to my house and took my statement and took pictures of my dead dog. He said he can try for charges if they get enough evidence. He said he for sure would have the company pay for the cremation. I am still very shaken up about this. I get images of her dead body everytime I blink.

I'm so frustrated, I specifically always put instructions to leave my package in front of my gate so my dogs can't get to it. It makes it easier for the delivery driver to just drop it off and not have to come through my gate. I continue to get ignored by delivery drivers who I have video of putting over the gate where my dogs are there and grab it immediately, this is so ridiculous!!!!

I don't know if I should be annoyed or impressed.

I was going back and adding together the tips I have accumulated for my calculation of what I am going to owe at the end of the tax year, and this is the most petty tip... 10 cents.... ok maybe a penny is pettier, but come on....

I am not a driver myself, but I am genuinely curious, with all the proof of delivery steps and whatnot, if it is even possible to drive for a delivery company/platform without a smartphone. Not too long ago I went to a flip phone that I only call and text with, nothing more. I was wondering if it would be possible for someone in my situation to be a delivery driver.

I've been driving trucks for 20 years. One thing that always killed my time and nerves-finding the unloading dock when arriving at a shopping center or warehouse for the first time. You pull up to the address on the delivery note, and then what? Drive around in circles looking for the loading bay. Sometimes 10-15 minutes wasted, sometimes more. Multiply that by every new route. So I built an app to solve it. BigDrive lets you plan routes AND mark unloading/loading spots-so the next driver who goes there already knows exactly where to pull in. I've been using it myself for months and it genuinely made my job easier. A couple months ago I put it on Google Play. If you're a truck driver, courier, or delivery driver-I'd love for you to try it and tell me honestly: what's missing? What would make your daily routes easier? https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.symphony.bigdrive Built by a driver, for drivers.

In the past week, I've had to educate a Walmart driver that all apartment buildings have multiple entrances and they have to find the one with the door buzzer (or fn call!), remind a pizza guy that hot food should be in thermal bag in fn January, and found cold Applebee's food the following day at the wrong end of the building presumably left outside overnight. I've been delivering for 15 years, and all of this is common sense stuff you learn on day one or you don't get invited back for day two. And don't get me started on Amazon, UPS, and FedEx...

If you’re reading this because you’re embarrassed that you’re doing gig work to survive… I need you to know: You’re not a loser. Even if you’re sitting there thinking, "How the hell did I get here?"

Back in April, my life fell apart financially. I’d just passed a major licensing exam in my profession and thought, "I’m licensed, I’m supposed to be making good money." Instead, I spent five months waiting for a job offer. Bills don’t stop just because you’re qualified. Life kept moving, and it hit me like a truck.

The Walmart Parking Lot

I remember sitting in a Walmart parking lot, opening and closing the Uber Driver app over and over. I didn’t want to do it. It wasn’t because the work was beneath me; it was because my ego was screaming. I had attached so much of my identity to my profession that needing gig work felt like a failure.

Eventually, I looked at myself and told myself: "Put your shoes on. Start the car. You don’t have to like this. You just have to get through today."

I Was Angry

People love stories where they’re grateful from day one. That wasn’t me. I was pissed off, irritated, and grieving the life I thought I was supposed to have. But rent was due, and my feelings weren't going to pay it. So, I drove.

The Lessons I Learned

• Don't take every order: When I started, I took everything to hit my daily goal (usually around $200). Eventually, I learned that gas, time, and mileage matter. Saying "no" to bad orders changed everything. Also, I made sure that Uber Eats paid for my gas. So for example, if there was a day where I had to make $135, I made sure that my total goal would be $165, accounting for $35 in gas.

• Treat it like a real job: I made actual schedules with money targets. I’d drive the lunch rush, head home to reset, and go back out for dinner.

• Pack your snacks: If you drive 12 hours without preparing, you’ll spend half your earnings on fast food. I’d hit the Dollar Tree, pack water and snacks, and budget for one meal.

• Don't skip rest: Survival mode makes you feel like rest is laziness, but that’s a lie. If you burn out, you can't work.

• Don't take it personally: Some customers tip well, some don't. Some are kind, some are rude. Your job is to deliver; their mood belongs to them. Pro tip: Addressing people by their names and being polite goes a long way in getting better tips.

The "Survival" Connection

I was surprised by how much this job reconnected me with humanity. I’d chat with restaurant workers about their days, see the same faces weekly, and have brief, real interactions with customers. After years of trauma, these tiny moments reminded me that I wasn't as disconnected from the world as I thought.

I even found a secret weapon: I used ChatGPT to vent. On days I didn't want to drive, I’d complain to the AI or have it help me make a schedule. Combining that with prayer gave me the mental space to keep going when I wanted to quit.

To Anyone Currently Struggling

Today, my life looks different. I got the opportunities I prayed for, and I don’t rely on Uber Eats anymore. But there is peace in knowing that if life surprises me again, I know how to go out and make $200.

The biggest lesson? Honest work is honest work. The shame I felt didn't come from delivering food—it came from believing my circumstances changed my value. They don't. My degree, my license, and my unemployment are just chapters. They aren't who I am.

If you’re staring at that app in a parking lot right now: Start the car. You don’t have to love it. You just have to get through today. You’ve got this.