Delivery tops list of most-used driver apps

“Gig economy” drivers are getting busier thanks to the coronavirus pandemic, as demand for delivery services grows.

A study from crowdsourced delivery app Roadie found that drivers are participating more in gig economy jobs since the pandemic began this past spring, and that most are more likely to be carrying deliveries than people. Roadie surveyed its community of more than 150,000 drivers this summer—many of whom also use other delivery and rideshare apps—to learn more about their motivation, earnings, and preferred platforms, the company said.

Forty-two percent of survey respondents said they’d used the Roadie app more since the pandemic began; 38% said they hadn’t changed their driving habits, and 20% said they were driving less. Delivery apps ranked higher than rideshare apps among respondents as well, claiming four of the top five most-used apps throughout the summer: drivers said they used Roadie, DoorDash, Instacart, Postmates, and Uber the most, the survey found.

When asked about motivation and earnings, 73% of respondents said they drive to earn extra money and 78% said their average weekly earnings from all gig-economy platforms combined were less than $550, including  51% who said they earned less than $250. Drivers also ranked freedom, flexibility, and an easy-to-use app as the most important factors when deciding to drive with a delivery or rideshare app, the survey found.