The idea of driving around with a friend while delivering food and making some cash on the side sounds great, doesn’t it? There are a ton of food delivery services that open a window for something like that. Here are some things you may want to keep in mind if you’d like to bring a buddy along.
DoorDash Rider Policy
DoorDash’s policy on bringing passengers seems like a simple question. However, when the company does not make hard and fast rules, it requires a little digging around to find out whether or not you can take a given friend along on a delivery run.
DoorDash is one of the companies that does not seem to have an explicit a rule against having a partner in the car with you. Quite a few drivers have said that they occasionally do drive with another person. However, there is a small catch in this scenario. The companion almost never leaves the vehicle. The dasher, as they are called, runs up to the customer with the food while the friend stays in the car.
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Since it is not prohibited you have the freedom to interpret the rules to your liking. In fact, with DoorDash, you will notice that sometimes couples may dash together as a team, but the account is under one name. This may be quite helpful to the delivery driver when there are a lot of deliveries or if it’s been a rough day.
DoorDash, like every other such platform, is particular about keeping their platform secure (as they should be). This is crucial for the reputation of such delivery apps. Even if you are dashing with a friend, make sure you don’t let someone else sub in for you.
It is not acceptable to have someone else use your account or do your shift. If you are wondering why anyone would do that, there are a few factors to take into account.
The restaurant and the customer only see a first name. The credit card may not have a name on it and these are loopholes that tempt people to let others use their account, sharing the burden of the job and the earnings too. Also, you must consider that when you are working as a team, you can do longer hours and get paid for them all under one name.
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But, unsurprisingly, account sharing is a strict no-no when it comes to providing services for DoorDash. This is for more than one reason. Such behavior is actually an abuse of the system, and may get you in trouble with the company.
It also means you might tag team with a person who has not been checked by DoorDash for insurance. Perhaps their background has not been thoroughly verified. If something goes wrong with a passenger that has not been verified, that could cause an additional headache for the company that they would very much like to avoid. A closer look into the company’s requirements for a dasher will make the case clear.
How Could Things Go Wrong?
A little bit of research shows that DoorDash support is notorious for deactivating drivers. It is safe to assume that a violation of DoorDash policies could get you deactivated. While that may not necessarily mean you will lose your job, it would be a pain to go through the process of getting yourself back on the street. Consider these scenarios.
One of the best things about qualifying to be a dasher is that they don’t ask for prior experience. But if you do have prior delivery experience, that could help you earn more.
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As a dasher, you are required to be at least 18 years old. If your buddy is a minor, DoorDash may take issue with you bringing them along.
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You need to have a valid driver’s license. If someone else uses your account, the company has no way to verify their driver’s license or driving record. DoorDash will likely consider this a violation.
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You need to have a valid insurance with your name on the policy. You can’t ask your buddy to drive for you.
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You may need to give your Social Security Number for a background check. This is to make sure it is okay for you to drive around handling strangers’ food and knocking on their doors. Your buddy might or might not be qualified to do this.
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You need to do an orientation either online or in person. Your buddy doesn’t know the things you do, so may not be considered the best idea to take them along.
In many ways, DoorDash is pretty lenient. Unlike Uber and Lyft, DoorDash does not have any requirements for the vehicle. You can use a car or a bike or even walk to get the delivery done.
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However, background checks are important no matter which vehicle you choose. That’s understandable because they are letting you make money with very few restrictions. The basic idea, of course, is to make sure there are no violent crimes, theft, property damage, or felonies against your name. They may look into country- and county-wide criminal records for that.
While they may not have vehicle requirements, they will probably look into motor vehicles and license records regardless. That gives them an idea of what you are like as a driver, one of the two parts of the job. The other is, of course, having to deal with restaurants and their customers.
When you take someone along, none of these checks have been done on your buddy. If you take them along under the radar and they should not ride with you, you could still get in trouble, even if the rules don’t explicitly stop you from taking a friend along. Use your best judgment here, and contact DoorDash if you have any questions about their policies.
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Why Some Dashers Want Company
It is a company that services about 300,000 restaurants across more than 4,000 cities. It has a delivery fee that is more than UberEats and GrubHub. Your work with DoorDash can be compared to that of an independent contractor.
Why would someone jeopardize a seemingly profitable gig? Well, it is not always boredom. There are a lot of people who have chosen this as a backup job if they are not sure that their full-time job will last a long time, for whatever reason. In times like these, it is all the more understandable why someone would diversify their resume, right?
Some dashers have pointed out that they have an extraordinary circumstance makes it a requirement for someone to accompany them. Women dashers have said that taking a male friend along makes it a lot safer for them to do late-night deliveries to strangers’ homes.
There are also examples of dashers who are disabled saying that having a teenager help them out makes the gig a lot easier. In this case too, the dasher is the one who responds to the customer but they get their friend to pick up the order from the restaurant.
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Parting Words
There are valid reasons why you may want to bring someone along with you on a DoorDash run. Strictly speaking, there is no rule against it. If you have any questions about your specific circumstances, it is best to reach out to DoorDash directly to make sure they are OK with the companion you would like to bring with you.