From DoorDash to Amazon Flex, there are tons of opportunities to make extra cash through freelance delivery jobs. Demand for drivers skyrocketed during the pandemic as more and more people started to rely on these services.
However, stacking delivery routes on top of your usual commutes can quickly cause a lot of wear and tear on your vehicle. This is where rentals come in handy!
By renting a vehicle for your hustle instead of relying on your own, you can protect yourself and your personal vehicles while also saving money in the long-run. Read on to learn more!
1. Save your own vehicle from maintenance
Perhaps the biggest issue with using your personal vehicle for gig work is the toll that an extra amount of driving can take on the vehicle itself. In order to make a good chunk of cash, you may need to drive anywhere from 250 to 300 miles a day. If you take shifts five days a week, you might be looking at an additional 78,000 miles on your car by the end of the year.
With that kind of extra mileage, your maintenance costs are likely to increase because you will need regular brake and tire checks, as well as oil changes. When you rent a car for your routes, you can avoid racking up those additional miles and costs on your personal car and instead transfer the wear and tear to the rental vehicle.
2. Easily meet vehicle regulations
Depending on which company you work with and where you live, the requirements of your vehicle may vary. With DoorDash, for example, you can drive just about any vehicle to make deliveries as long as your name is on the auto insurance policy.
Amazon Flex’s requirements, on the other hand, are slightly more strict. In its case, independent delivery drivers must use a mid-sized or larger four-door sedan, pickup truck (with a covered bed), or minivan. If your current personal vehicle fails to comply with these standards in any regard, then renting a vehicle that does match regulations may be a viable option to consider.
In the same vein, delivery services that do not yet offer rental vehicles directly to their drivers may want to consider partnering with rental companies, like Fluid Truck, to help drivers gain access to vehicles that better meet their standards.
3. Avoid the possibility of legal troubles
If you run a transportation service, or work with one as an independent contractor in the state of California, you have likely already heard about AB5. In short, AB5 is a law that requires companies to pass a test (known as the ABC Test) to prove that their independent contractors actually classify as independent instead of as employees.
Delivery services often fail the ABC Test. If independent contractors are treated as regular employees by these companies, both the workers and the companies stand to lose potential revenue.
According to the State of California Department of Internal Relations, “Under the ABC test, a worker is considered an employee and not an independent contractor unless the hiring entity satisfies all three of the following conditions:”
- The worker is free from the control and direction of the hiring entity in connection with the performance of the work, both under the contract for the performance of the work and in fact;
- The worker performs work that is outside the usual course of the hiring entity’s business; and
- The worker is customarily engaged in an independently established trade, occupation, or business of the same nature as that involved in the work performed.
In leymans’ terms, workers must perform their job without direction, the job must not part of the hiring entity's normal business (e.g. DoorDash is a platform, its drivers are independent contractors), and the worker must operate their own business in the same field (e.g. a contractor can work for DoorDash, GrubHub, Postmates, etc.)
Independent contractors who rent a specific vehicle for work rather than utilizing their personal vehicle may be able to make a better case for being an independent business or entity. In this way, drivers have control over how they carry out their work and operate their own small business via their rental vehicles, thus circumventing points A and C of the ABC Test.
An independent contractor status can be more profitable for a delivery driver and for the hiring company because they are not subject to the same tax withholdings and benefits that employees are. So it certainly benefits companies and drivers alike to maintain a healthy independent contractor ecosystem.
4. Enjoy more flexibility
Flexibility may be particularly important if your personal vehicles are shared between you and your significant other, family, roommates, etc. Taking the car out on your delivery routes may leave them stranded without a means of transportation.. Not to mention, you may not be able to pick up as many shifts as you normally would because someone else has or needs the car.
By renting a vehicle that is dedicated specifically to your gigs, you can avoid this problem entirely. Free yourself up to take even more shifts as you leave your shared car at home and hop into a rental anytime you want.
Rent a vehicle instantly with Fluid Truck
Do you need access to a vehicle quickly?
Do you need a flexible rental schedule?
Fluid Truck has you covered!
Our on-demand vehicle rental service offers 24/7 mobile access to a wide array of trucks, vans, electric vehicles and more. We mold ourselves around your schedule, allowing you to get your hands on the transportation you need any hour and any day of the week, including holidays. To get started today, all you have to do is book your rental online, download the convenient Fluid Truck app, and go grab your vehicle at our nearest location. It’s that easy!
