Roadie Review: How It Works + An Honest Look at the Earning Potential

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Key Takeaways

• Share This content is for educational purposes only and does not constitute financial advice, advisory, or brokerage services.
• We may earn compensation from some links on this page.
• When it was founded in 2014, Roadie intended for drivers to deliver items that were headed the same way they were.

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This content is for educational purposes only and does not constitute financial advice, advisory, or brokerage services. We may earn compensation from some links on this page. Learn more.

When it was founded in 2014, Roadie intended for drivers to deliver items that were headed the same way they were. Now the company is a sprawling national enterprise that serves 95% of the country. That means driving for Roadie is accessible to nearly everyone.

The app brings unique features, transparency and ease of use to the table, and the company continues to experiment with ways for drivers to earn.

But will it put you on the road to riches or should you steer clear? This Roadie review will help you decide.

Table of Contents

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• What Is Roadie?
• Five Key Facts About Driving For Roadie
• Roadie Earning Potential
  • A Look at True Earnings
• How Roadie Works
  • Step 1. Sign Up
  • Step 2. Fill Out Screening Questions
  • Step 3. Pass Background Check
  • Step 4. Make Offers on Jobs
  • Step 5. Get to Work
  • Blocks
  • Other Benefits
• Roadie Reviews and Consensus
• Roadie FAQs
• Final Verdict

What Is Roadie?

Roadie is a UPS-owned platform that connects businesses and individuals with local drivers for same-day and next-day deliveries. It operates in all 50 states, with more than 200,000 drivers.

As an independent contractor on Roadie, you have a lot of flexibility:

• You use your own vehicle for deliveries, making this a type of gig economy job.
• You can pick up single or multi-stop deliveries whenever they are available, ranging from medication to furniture.
• You get all the delivery details upfront , including pay, dimensions and distance , so you can decide if you want to accept the assignment.
• There is no minimum number of deliveries you have to make.

With that said, it’s key to note that you can’t simply claim each delivery. Instead, you have to wait for Roadie’s algorithm to decide if you’re the best driver for each assignment you request. 

According to the company, this algorithm takes hundreds of factors into consideration. So even if you’re standing at the pickup location, you may not get chosen for a job.

Recently, the platform began rolling out an alternative to making offers on deliveries called Blocks, which enables drivers to pick up scheduled shifts with particular vendors for guaranteed pay. For example, you might make deliveries exclusively for Walmart on a four-hour shift for $65.

In either case, once you’ve started making deliveries, you have to maintain a four-star rating to continue.

Roadie doesn’t have vehicle restrictions. However, you must meet these requirements to drive:

• Be at least 18 years old.
• Have a valid driver’s license.
• Have a Social Security number.
• Have insurance coverage on your vehicle that meets your state’s minimum standards.

You’re responsible for paying for this insurance, and in most cases, all other costs associated with your vehicle and deliveries. That said, there are times when the package sender may reimburse you for parking fees and tolls.

Five Key Facts About Driving For Roadie

Here are the key things to remember about Roadie as you consider whether to become a driver.

1. Roadie is available in all 50 states. The company says it covers over 20,000 zip codes nationwide. However, the work available isn’t distributed equally, with some areas getting far more and steadier work than others. Additionally, you may not be able to drive for Roadie immediately because it has determined the area already has enough drivers. In this case, you’ll be placed on a waitlist.
2. Roadie says the average pay per delivery is $13. Independent data collected from Gridwise users landed in the same ballpark. The pay rate for each delivery is determined by several factors, including distance, time and size. Numerous deliveries increase in value the longer they’re left unclaimed.
3. You can get paid weekly or same-day. Roadie processes payments for direct deposit every Tuesday. If you need your money sooner than that, you can opt for Instant Pay, which gives you immediate access to your earnings. Instant Pay costs $1.99 and has eligibility requirements (your account has to be at least be a week old and have five deliveries under its belt to qualify).
4. Deliveries aren’t first-come, first-serve. Unlike other delivery apps, Roadie doesn’t award its deliveries to the first person who attempts to claim them. Instead, it uses an algorithm to choose the “right” driver among those who accepted the job. Roadie says hundreds of factors go into this calculation, so it’s not necessarily going to be the closest person to the pickup location.
5. Support for drivers is poor. Even a cursory look at online reviews of Roadie will show it has significant problems with wait times and problem resolution. It’s not uncommon to see reports of people waiting half an hour or longer. Moreover, once they do get a hold of someone, numerous people report that support is inefficient and unhelpful.

Now that we’ve covered the basics, let’s dive deeper into the platform.

Roadie Earning Potential

According to Roadie, a lot goes into determining the pay per delivery. Considerations such as the size of the load, time expectations and distance all play a role. However, the company says with all that taken into account, most drivers make an average of $13 per delivery.

A Gridwise study reinforced that claim. It found that Roadie drivers’ median earnings per delivery ranged from $12.73 to $14.75 from the first quarter of 2022 through the first quarter of 2023. Median hourly earnings peaked at $28.19 and dipped as low as $21.46 for the same time frame.

Having a truck with a trailer will increase your earning potential, as will having equipment that can help move large objects, like straps and a dolly. 

Going big isn’t the only thing you can do to increase your pay, though. Other ways to do so are to use an electric or hybrid vehicle and to get a TSA certification from Roadie. 

You can also take advantage of holiday surge pricing. Tips are also a possibility, but they’re rare.

A Look at True Earnings

Let’s suppose you work five hours a day at $22 per hour. That’s $550 per week. F

Final Thoughts

Before you check out, double-check roadie review works honest against current offers and any coupons you can stack. Small habits like this add up to real savings over a year.

Originally published at thewaystowealth.com.