CitizenShipper and 6 Other Delivery Jobs That Don’t Involve Humans or Food
Instead of picking up food or strangers for Uber or Lyft, what if you could get a side gig driving other people’s pets and stuff across town and across the country? Although the profession doesn’t exactly sound glamorous, it can be lucrative.
Delivery services can vary widely when it comes to what you’d deliver, whether it’s a pet or furniture. And each has its own requirements for the driver and the vehicle.
We’ve rounded up the best delivery gig options for the person who is ready to start driving and shipping. Just think of how happy your customers will be when you deliver Fido — or just their couch — straight to their door.
7 Delivery Driver Jobs for Your Next Side Gig
Whether you’re looking to make a little extra money on the weekends or turn driving into a full-time job, here are seven delivery services that will get you on the road while putting money in your pocket.
1. CitizenShipper
CitizenShipper pays drivers to transport a customer’s pet or item along a path of your choice.
While pet transports are the most popular, according to CitizenShipper’s site, a driver can help someone move an entire house across the country if they so choose.
CitizenShipper drivers average a monthly revenue of $6,000 to $10,000 a month, according to the company. And there’s plenty of demand to go around — more than 175,000 shipments were listed in 2021.
So just how much driving do you have to do to get some real cash in your pocket? The payment itself is agreed upon between transporter and customer, meaning that there isn’t so much a fixed rate as there is a range.
Customers select your quote from a mix of other drivers. Prospective shippers will have to stay competitive while ensuring a profit after gas, lodging and meals.
For example, a roughly 1,100-mile shipment from Denver, Colorado, to Placerville, California, netted one driver $1,000, per the site. A thousand-mile road trip, which Google Maps tabulates at more than 17 hours by car, is likely going to take at least two days.
All transporters must have a driver’s license, vehicle insurance and pass an ID verification and background check before being able to sign up for any potential jobs. If you want to help animals reach their new home, that requires a certification from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. More importantly, access to the platform comes at a price — users have to pay a $39.99 monthly subscription fee.
2. Roadie
Roadie is a UPS company, and they call themselves a “crowdsourced model disrupting the logistics industry.”
The platform offers same-day delivery of any item to more than 90% of homes in the U.S. Drivers make an average of $13 per hour for local deliveries, per the site, and can drive as little or as much as they want.
Those interested must fill out an online application, get a background verification and do an online walkthrough of the app. You must also be 18, have a Social Security Number and a valid U.S. driver’s license.
Once you start driving, the site sets a lofty goal: you must maintain a minimum 4-star rating. Before you take on a gig, you’ll get some important information, like what you’re delivering, its dimensions, and where to pick up and where to drop off.
3. Dolly
Ever get stuck on a move and find yourself in need of a dolly, longing for the cart with wheels to lug your things through your new home? Well, this Dolly is the online version of the all-purpose object. Dolly is not just a site for delivery but for the actual physical labor of moving objects to their new destination.
The site calls its gig-workers “helpers” and pays based on equipment and weight-lifting skills.
Those who own a pick-up truck, cargo van or box truck and can lift more than 75 pounds make around $40 an hour. For those who own a vehicle, but not a truck, and can lift more than 75 pounds, the hourly rate starts at $25 an hour. According to Indeed.com, the average hourly pay for a Dolly driver exceeds $32. Thriving helpers can make as much as $1,000 a week, per the site.
Those interested must be over the age of 18, have a valid driver’s license and car insurance, own a smartphone and pass a background check. Helpers get paid twice a week through PayPal, so the payment system is seamless.
4. Stickr
If the only thing you’d rather deliver is a message and you don’t mind turning your car into a billboard, consider Stickr.
With this service, you can earn cash just for sticking a decal on your car’s rear window and driving around with it. Be warned, this is not just any sticker: this adhesive will advertise a specific business. The stickers are made out of a perforated vinyl material that is easy to remove and looks see-through on the inside of your car.
Your first step is paying $10 to get a decal, but you’ll get that money back as soon as you submit a photo showing that the decal is now on your car. In exchange for your car becoming a billboard, you’ll earn cash and restaurant gift cards ranging from $50 to $175.
5. GoShare
Much like Dolly, GoShare brands itself as the “last-mile delivery” service from a friendly face, or, as they say, “your friend with a truck.” The service covers both delivery and moving, so expect to do some heavy lifting.
Eligible drivers can range from couriers, who have a car and can carry small packages, to movers with a pick-up truck, cargo van or a box truck. People with a larger form of transportation are rewarded with more lucrative (and bigger) jobs — think moving a small home versus boxes of documents.
Couriers make an average of $45 an hour while those with a box truck can make as much as $87 to $109 hourly.
Ready to sign up? Drivers must pass a background check and a driving history check. Your vehicle must be from at least 2000 and pass an inspection, according to the site. A driver must speak English and have a valid license, registration and insurance in the state in which they are working.
The company is currently only available in 20 states, including California, New York and Florida. Drivers who do sign up can book their work through the platform and get paid within four days. Even better, the platform has a cargo insurance policy to cover mishaps.
6. Dispatch
Dispatch is yet another platform that allows gig drivers to partner with clients across the country. There’s no requirement for how many hours you must drive, so Dispatch drivers can work 40 hours a week, just the weekend or even a few hours a week.
Unlike GoShare or Dolly, Dispatch is intended only for packages, meaning a driver will not have to move an entire house or a box heavier than 50 pounds.
To qualify for the platform, drivers must have a clean driving record, a valid driver’s license and a vehicle “in fair condition.” They also must be able to read and speak English. Unlike most of the other sites, Dispatch drivers must be over the age of 23 to qualify.
While the site doesn’t specify the range of pay for drivers on individual trips, the platform pays by the mile between pick-up and drop-off and based on the “service level and vehicle type” that the customer selects. Drivers could make as much as $75 to $125 a day, according to the site.
7. Grabr
Grabr is a platform meant to take you not just from point A to point B in the U.S. but around the world. In this sense, delivery isn’t meant so much as a literal carrier service but as someone who picks up the item for you and brings it back, generally from another country and even from another continent.
It works like this: You see requests from people based in a city you are traveling to who want an item they can only find where you live. You bid on delivery of the item, pick it up before you drive or fly and drop it off once you arrive.
Before becoming a verified traveler, Grabr users will have to verify their identity through Stripe. They can then communicate with the person they are shopping for through the platform’s built-in messaging system.
In general, travelers should leave an item in its packaging before delivery and follow some helpful advice — like using clothing as padding for breakables and keeping electronics in a carry-on. Once the item is delivered, travelers get paid within three to 15 days.
Writer Elizabeth Djinis is a contributor to The Penny Hoarder, often writing about selling goods online through social platforms. Her work has appeared in Teen Vogue, Smithsonian Magazine and the Tampa Bay Times. Kent McDill contributed to this report.
