I read so many articles about tipping, some way off base.
So, here it goes from a drivers perspective.
20% or $1 mile from the restaurant which ever is greater. If you live outside the city no less than $1.25 per mile. Never tip less than $5 on a delivery order even if it is just across the street. Drivers frequently drive more than 5 miles to get to the restaurant to pick up an order.
"I live 17 miles from the restaurant I'm ordering from, I should tip $17 on a $20 order?"
Actually more like $21.25. I'll never understand why some apps have large delivery areas. A 17 mile order can easily take an hour or more and drive more than 30 miles.
| Delivery Pay | Tip | Total | Delivery Mileage | Actual Mileage | Time (Minutes) | Mileage Cost | Profit | Per Hour |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $8.93 | $11.96 | $20.89 | 17.495 | 34.5 | 65 | $14.49 | $6.40 | $5.91 |
Let's break it down. I bought a new car in 2018. The chart below represents my average expenses if I have no major problems.
| Cost | Expected Miles | Cost Per Mile | |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Car | 38000 | 200,000 | 0.190 |
| Misc Maintenance/Unexpected Repairs | $12,000 | 200,000 | 0.060 |
| Oil Change | $85 | 5000 | 0.017 |
| Brakes | $1,000 | 45000 | 0.022 |
| Tires | $900 | 40000 | 0.023 |
| Gas | 1.71 | 23 | 0.074 |
| Insurance | $90 | 3000 | 0.030 |
| Registration | $100 | 30,000 | 0.003 |
| Total Per Mile | 0.419 |
The average cost for me to drive is around $0.42 a mile.
Let me give you some real delivery stats. This was a few weeks ago when I decided not to reject any orders as an experiment. Needless to say I don't normally take half these orders. This does not include driving to and from the delivery area.
| Order | Delivery Pay | Tip | Total | Delivery Mileage | Actual Mileage | Time (Minutes) | Mileage Cost | Profit | Per Hour |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | $4.56 | $6.49 | $11.05 | 5.57 | 6.23 | 20 | $2.62 | $8.43 | $25.30 |
| B | $4.52 | $4.48 | $9.00 | 7.731 | 7.23 | 25 | $3.04 | $5.96 | $14.31 |
| C | $5.06 | $5.00 | $10.06 | 9.85 | 12.21 | 30 | $5.13 | $4.93 | $9.86 |
| D | $6.09 | $3.00 | $9.09 | 9.926 | 14.12 | 35 | $5.93 | $3.16 | $5.42 |
| E | $5.00 | $3.15 | $8.15 | 10.826 | 11.268 | 30 | $4.73 | $3.42 | $6.83 |
| F | $6.53 | $7.26 | $13.79 | 15 | 22.9 | 30 | $9.62 | $4.17 | $8.34 |
| G | $4.12 | $0.00 | $4.12 | 6.448 | 12 | 30 | $5.04 | -$0.92 | -$1.84 |
| H | $4.09 | $0.00 | $4.09 | 1.812 | 6 | 45 | $2.52 | $1.57 | $2.09 |
| I | $8.93 | $11.96 | $20.89 | 17.495 | 34.5 | 65 | $14.49 | $6.40 | $5.91 |
| Total Hours | Profit | Per Hour |
|---|---|---|
| 5.17 | $37.13 | $7.18 |
Normally I would have only accepted orders A, B, C, & F
You mean you wouldn't take that last order for $20.89?
Hell NO! I had to drive back to the city to get another order! In this case I didn't get another order and went home after sitting for 20 minutes.
When to tip more
- Dangerous weather
- Difficult deliveries
- More than 2 flights of stairs
- Walking more than 1/2 city block
- Construction Sites
- Delivering to secure installations
- Military Bases
- College Campus
- Corporate Campus
Coronavirus Tipping
Don't tip less than $10. I'm serious, order extra meals you can reheat. Splurge on some deserts or alcoholic beverages.
Got extra hand sanitizer? Many areas have closed restrooms to drivers and therefor washing facilities. Even a 2-oz bottle is greatly appreciated!