To be or not to be: Pizza Delivery Driver

^Yeah, funny it might be for you, but as a Uni student and with the limited work availability I have, the retail job I currently work in is as high paying as I can get. $22.50/hour, better than $4/delivery.
 
Take it from me, who just got off work a few minutes ago from delivering for Cosmos Pizza, Syracuse.

It definitely won't pay for gas, maintenance, and expenses. Maybe if you were a gun runner, sure. But if you have a fuel-efficient car (like my Civic :thumbup:) and don't go out too far, expect to break even at worst.

That being said, many pizza shops will limit the places where they deliver too, and they won't send drivers into the bad parts of town. It depends on where the shop is located (university neighborhoods, inner-city ghettos, suburbia?) and who frequents it. My mom wanted to buy me some pepper spray in case I got mugged. I was concerned about this at first, but I've only gone to places that were a few blocks off-campus, or hospitals. Doctors effin' love their fried goods. I get tipped pretty well, made $20 tonight from just 3 deliveries. Granted, one of them was for 50 bucks worth of pizza (see what I said about doctors?), but it's lunch money for the weekend. People tip well around here.

The summer months are usually slow as hell. The most deliveries I've done from 4-9pm are 5, and the least is 2. During the school year when freshmen find their fifteen, my manager tells me that drivers usually make 50 bucks a night from 10+ deliveries.

So in short: people tip well (at least in Yankland), it's slow during summer so you'll be asked to do other crap, definitely get another job as well, and don't expect to be the next Brian Douglas Wells. Good luck.
 
I?ve been driving for a gourmet pizza chain for about a year now. It?s a great job. Pay is alright ($15 an hour plus $1 per delivery and tips). The best advice I can give is find a gourmet pizza store that is making money and try and get a job there. we have a few people working with us who used to work at domino's and they say that pizza capers is infinitely better just because we don?t have to deal with quite as many drunken yobbos.
 
^^ Hmmmm. The shop will be located around the western suburbs down here, and I've lived around the area all my life. Never really had any problems with mugging and all that, you go down south for that! :p It's a pretty safe area. Hell, I've walked home half drunk one time, haven't had any problems. But I guess anything could happen. As long as I'm not sent too far from this area, I doubt there will be much trouble around here.

I did some MATHS! Yay.. So if I get 10 deliverys on one night and get $4 from each, I'd get $40 on one night. My car gets about 10L/100km on average (US 23MPG!), so if on average every delivery was 10km there and back (I doubt they'd send me much further) I'd pay about $16 for my petrol at $1.60/litre for the night.

Then I have to counter in the insurance, according to what I've read, if I don't have insurance that states I can drive for delivery purposes (I only have 3rd party property at the moment, I think they want comprehensive..) they'll take some out of my pay.

So out of a night where I do 10 deliveries (if I get that many to begin with) I'll earn $24. If I worked at McDonalds for a 4 hour shift at $7/hour, I'd earn $27. And the problem is, I don't think anyone here in Australia tips. It's an unheard of thing around here, as far as I know..

Oh god, despite hearing all of your thoughts guys, I'm still incredibly attracted to the idea of being a delivery driver. A few bucks less than McDonalds (not considering insurance) and I just drive around, listening to music, delivering pizzas..

Also, it's winter over here, so I'm guessing from what you said it'll be a good time to apply!

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@Blind_Io Hmmm, the thing is, my car is pretty cheap, basic and requires very little maintenance. Besides, I know a 3rd year apprentice mechanic who can do basic services for about $10-$20, so I don't think it'll be that much of an issue.

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@trussyD very interesting! Another thing I'll have to consider!

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Still, i'm going to have to think very hard about this whole thing. Even if the pay is a bit shit.. Oh god, snap me out of it everyone!

Thanks for all your thoughts everyone.
 
If you like driving, consider working for an automotive parts distributor running parts around to dealers and whatnot. They provide the vehicle, etc. You could also drive for shipping/packaging companies. I'm guessing you're young and looking for an entry-level job, and I'm pretty sure a parts store would hire you.
 
I did pizza delivery occasionally last fall for a pizza joint. They gave me so much per delivery for gas (a buck or so iirc), and I kept my tips. It was a good deal really, there were plenty of nights that I made $60-70.

But my Celica had 230k miles on it ... and I would get bored on deliveries ... pop in some Pantera and drive like an idiot. I didn't think it could handle too much more of that. If my Ford didn't get such terrible gas mileage I'd still work there. I might have to go back anyway, I think my current job got sucked up by a tornado a few hours ago :cry:.
 
If you like driving, consider working for an automotive parts distributor running parts around to dealers and whatnot. They provide the vehicle, etc. You could also drive for shipping/packaging companies. I'm guessing you're young and looking for an entry-level job, and I'm pretty sure a parts store would hire you.

I'm still going to highschool, so it's more of a casual/night job. But if I don't do anything at uni, that's also another thing to consider.

@tigger mmmm, that does sound like a good deal. I'd probably end up being a bit of a dick from time to time, I could imagine! Sorry to hear about your job, was your area pretty devastated by the tornadoes?
 
Not sure about your law but here, in theory, you need additional personal business use cover on your car and your current insurer may not be willing to offer it - then you're buggered. However you could just not let on of course, but here that would be illegal as your insurance would be invalid. I think it a difficult way to make money.
 
Hmmmmm. So I was thinking - I need a job, and I love to drive. So why not become a Pizza Delivery Driver?

My father is convinced I'll be mugged, stabbed, shot because people will follow me on deliveries, but bah dammit, being paid to drive things all over the place sounds like the sort of job for me. Hell, I already get my friends to pay me to drive them around!

But since you guys are so lovely, I thought I'd ask if anyone has had some experiences with this sort of thing, or if anyone knew anyone who is/was a pizza delivery dude.

Being a fellow Australian, from Melbourne. This is what happens in Adelaide all the time and this is only in the Parliament.

It depends who you deliver it to?
 
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