Understanding the Time It Takes To Deliver

Why Does Delivery Time Matter?

For gig-workers that do deliveries, the amount of time they spend on an order can vary depending on how complex & how far the order is. Typically drivers are shown a delivery price up front & they can gauge if it's something that makes sense for them based on their scheduled, the pay & other factors.

What Goes Into Calculating the True Times It Takes To Deliver

There are many unforeseen factors such as traffic, extra requirements, delays, etc. When planning a delivery, it's important to take all of these factors into consideration before getting started.

Picking Up

  • Driving to Pickup

    0-5 Minutes (Self Delivery)

    5+ Minutes (Courier)

  • Waiting For Order

    0-10 Minutes (On-Time)

    10+ Minutes (Delayed)

  • Loading Vehicle

    5-15 Minutes (Cars/Pickups)

    15-30 Minutes (Vans/Trucks)

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Driving

  • Regular Travel Time

    1-30 Minutes (1-10 Miles)

    30-60 Minutes (15-20 Miles)

    30-60+ Minutes (20+ Miles)

  • Traffic

    1-1.5x Travel Time (Light)

    1.5-2x Travel Time (Medium)

    3x+ Travel Time (Rush Hour)

  • Weather

    1-1.25x Travel Time (Light)

    1.5x+ Travel Time (Severe)

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Dropping Off

  • Proof of Delivery

    0-2 Minutes (Photo)

    0-10 Minutes (Signature)

  • Parking

    0-5 Minutes (Suburbs)

    0-15 MInutes (City)

  • Reaching Customer

    0-10 Minutes (House)

    5-20 Minutes (Building)

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Extras

  • Unloading

    5-15 Minutes (Cars/Pickups)

    15-30 Minutes (Vans/Trucks)

  • Setup

    0-5 Minutes (Small Order)

    5-30 Minutes (Large Catering)

  • Returning to Store

    The entire travel time + unloading

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Common Delivery Questions

How should I calculate delivery fees?

Delivery pricing depends on a number of factors such as the size of the order, distance, time of day, etc.

When charging your customer, think about how long the delivery will take & try to find an average time for different deliveries you've done.

How should I handle delays?

Communication is key. Set clear expectations for yourself, your team & your customer on how deliveries work.

If a delivery does not go to plan, you need to appropriately handle the situation to ensure that everyone's times is respected.

How do I know what vehicle to use?

Depending on how large the order is, this should dictate the vehicle.

If you have a van & plan on just delivering a small bag of food, consider the additional expenses & time that using a vehicle this large will add.

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