# Alternative driving jobs



## alex16 (Jun 2, 2015)

has anybody found a different job they can do in their vehicle for money that can make a decent wage?

List:

Pizza delivery

Trailer hitch+small trailer ($500) hauling scrap metal

Uship (bid on transporting goods) (may require hitch/trailer)

Driving jobs that don't use you car

Truck driver

Ambulance 

Bus driver

Taxi driver


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## Draconian (Jul 4, 2015)

If you can get a good delivery job at a busy place you will definitely make more than driving for Uber. Make sure they pay at/near minimum wage and pay mileage on top of that. I worked a pizza place for two years where I would average 25+ deliveries on Fri/Sat/sun. Tip average was ~$3.80 per delivery, so at the end of the night i'd made ~$175 pretax. If you make minimum wage you don't need to report tips so that income is tax free, which may end up keeping your taxable income low enough to get your withholding refunded. Just make sure you get at least $1 per delivery for mileage reimbursement, as that should cover your operating costs.

If done right you can make the same take-home pay as someone making over $20/hr at a real job due to paying little/no taxes.

The biggest thing you need to make sure of is that the place is BUSY and doesn't have a huge delivery radius (5 miles MAX)


Edit: if you wanna scrap without a truck you need to stick with ewaste/copper/aluminum/brass. Even then you will want a truck eventually. Scrapping is best as a side gig unless you can line up a good steady flow of repeat business.


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## alex16 (Jun 2, 2015)

Scrap is doing pretty good here. Normally you can get a refrigerator or washer/dryer easily. Those can be between 150-300lbs and scrap steel here is doing good at $6 per 100lbs. I can easily drive under 10 miles round trip and get a fridge, gut the aluminum with a sawzall in about 2 minutes, junk it for close to $10 and get about $3 in precious metals. This is all tax free money that can be pre arranged work by appointment. Then on heavy trash nights in near by neighborhoods I can make trips to check them at sunset, sometimes finding things like my recent find of a Awia home stereo system with 7 speakers (including subwoofer) on the curb, plugged it in and it works great, sold it on craigslist a week later for $40.


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## alex16 (Jun 2, 2015)

When I did scrap metal with my truck, my F250 HD (1997 5.8L 351W) would average 12 mpg in neighborhoods 16 highway. After finding a fridge 200lbs $10+3=13 I could easily spend $10-20 in gas for the night/next day to the scrap yard. My Jeep comanche would average 24 mpg with its 4 cylinder and I was making a lot better profits, a 3 cylinder 35mpg+ Mirage will only add to my profit. A truck is good for huge amounts, say if I collected tons over a period of time or hit a huge score (rare). Even when you do hit a huge haul though, the ones I've been to before took several days to empty, a truck will make lots of trips. 


Below a picture of a farm scrap haul. Two trailers and 6 trips brought in $3200 when scrap was at $10 per 100lbs. I agreed to haul off all non metal junk as well in trade for the metal. I did 2 free runs to the local dump with 1 trailer $150 total expense + $10 tire repair +$70 in gas and 2 days of hard work = almost 3k earned in 2 days. I didn't do much after that. I also scored a 5th wheel "document burning trailer" I paid $250 for it, borrowed 4 good trailer 8 lug tires, borrowed a F350 with a gooseneck, scrapped the trailer for $1400 in metal. Some guy in the scrap metal yard offered me $700 for it, I told him I would take 900... didn't realize how heavy it really was haha he was so upset when he saw me scrap that rusty trailer...even more upset when he didn't take it for 900..


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## Draconian (Jul 4, 2015)

alex16 said:


> Scrap is doing pretty good here. Normally you can get a refrigerator or washer/dryer easily. Those can be between 150-300lbs and scrap steel here is doing good at $6 per 100lbs. I can easily drive under 10 miles round trip and get a fridge, gut the aluminum with a sawzall in about 2 minutes, junk it for close to $10 and get about $3 in precious metals. This is all tax free money that can be pre arranged work by appointment. Then on heavy trash nights in near by neighborhoods I can make trips to check them at sunset, sometimes finding things like my recent find of a Awia home stereo system with 7 speakers (including subwoofer) on the curb, plugged it in and it works great, sold it on craigslist a week later for $40.


You need to look at the math for that though, you'll see it isn't really worth it.

Say you drive a MAX of 10 miles round trip. Best case if you have an efficient older car with low depreciation would be .35 a mile in expenses. At 10 miles your BEST case is $3, which is unlikely as just pulling a trailer will increase your costs and increase wear and tear.

Now let's say that you can use the highway during the whole trip so your total time spent driving is 10 mins @ 60 mph (30-45 mph is more realistic).

Now add a minimum of 10 minutes to load and unload.

Now add at least 20 minutes to break it down and sort the metal.

Then at least 10 minutes reloading the trailer and unloading at the scrap yard.

THEN add 10 minutes round trip to and from the scrap yard.

At a MINIMUM that one fridge takes you an hour.

In that hour if you are lucky to have a 300lb fridge (200-250 is more likely IMO) you will still need to remove anywhere from 20-50lbs of plastic/glass that needs to be disposed of ($$$) so you'll net a MAX of 250lbs steel which would be $15 steel. That makes a MAX of $15 hour (copper and compressor value going to driving expenses) at the most if you can get it down to a science and avoid wasting any time. However I really doubt you can manage the times I listed, from my experience you'd be lucky to manage everything in 1.5 hours mainly due to being limited to a tiny trailer that doesn't allow you to carry enough weight to be able to cut down your time due to economies of scale.

Also I just looked up your Mirage and it isn't rated for towing at any weight so you would risk severe damage to your vehicle and loss of all warranties. Even with a car that is tow rated, you really can't tow enough to make it worthwhile when doing iron scrapping. Especially with today's prices ($6/100lb is low, when I was scrapping with a car it was $8/100lb and I barely made minimum wage).


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## Draconian (Jul 4, 2015)

alex16 said:


> When I did scrap metal with my truck, my F250 HD (1997 5.8L 351W) would average 12 mpg in neighborhoods 16 highway. After finding a fridge 200lbs $10+3=13 I could easily spend $10-20 in gas for the night/next day to the scrap yard. My Jeep comanche would average 24 mpg with its 4 cylinder and I was making a lot better profits, a 3 cylinder 35mpg+ Mirage will only add to my profit. A truck is good for huge amounts, say if I collected tons over a period of time or hit a huge score (rare). Even when you do hit a huge haul though, the ones I've been to before took several days to empty, a truck will make lots of trips.
> 
> Below a picture of a farm scrap haul. Two trailers and 6 trips brought in $3200 when scrap was at $10 per 100lbs. I agreed to haul off all non metal junk as well in trade for the metal. I did 2 free runs to the local dump with 1 trailer $150 total expense + $10 tire repair +$70 in gas and 2 days of hard work = almost 3k earned in 2 days. I didn't do much after that. I also scored a 5th wheel "document burning trailer" I paid $250 for it, borrowed 4 good trailer 8 lug tires, borrowed a F350 with a gooseneck, scrapped the trailer for $1400 in metal. Some guy in the scrap metal yard offered me $700 for it, I told him I would take 900... didn't realize how heavy it really was haha he was so upset when he saw me scrap that rusty trailer...even more upset when he didn't take it for 900..


Didn't realize you have access to a truck to haul larger weights, it is definitely worth it then. You could even use a car to do smaller pickups to save fuel, but without a truck (which most uber drivers don't have) it's only worthwhile If you do high value scrap. I've done $500 ewaste runs with a 2002 Galant and a 4x6' trailer.


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## alex16 (Jun 2, 2015)

Its worst scrapping with a truck, you can drive all day and spend 40 in gas easily, I can do the same mileage and spend 10 with my mirage. I can easily carry 4 passengers over the weight capacity of my car, close to 1,200 lbs (3 200lb guys 2 300lb guys) without any issues. If I am pulling 1200-1400lbs gross on a trailer it won't be fast as it is empty but certainly capable. They don't list the towing as a option to cover themselves. Almost all small cars don't list towing as a option but I've seen a Trabant pulling 1,000lbs with 26hp. My mirage can easily pull the 250lb fridge and the key to scraping metal is not going back and forth to the yard, you get a fridge drop it off in the garage, junk it when your free (my salavage yard doesnt care if you remove capacitors or plastic), get some more junk and when you get a full load take it down, scrap yard is 4 miles from me.


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## alex16 (Jun 2, 2015)

When I was scraping with my truck I could always find 20-30$ hauls but after 20 in gas I made like 10 lol... it was always a losing battle with mpg. With the Mirage and trailer I can work when I want to and earn more with better mpg, plus its all cash. Just trying to find my alternative to UbER crooks.


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## Jay2dresq (Oct 1, 2014)

I deliver flowers... I get paid more per hour than I did with Uber, plus I get reimbursed $0.40/mile, people are always happy and surprised when I arrive, and I get tipped more often!


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## Choochie (Jan 4, 2015)

Draconian said:


> If you can get a good delivery job at a busy place you will definitely make more than driving for Uber. Make sure they pay at/near minimum wage and pay mileage on top of that. I worked a pizza place for two years where I would average 25+ deliveries on Fri/Sat/sun. Tip average was ~$3.80 per delivery, so at the end of the night i'd made ~$175 pretax. If you make minimum wage you don't need to report tips so that income is tax free, which may end up keeping your taxable income low enough to get your withholding refunded. Just make sure you get at least $1 per delivery for mileage reimbursement, as that should cover your operating costs.
> 
> If done right you can make the same take-home pay as someone making over $20/hr at a real job due to paying little/no taxes.
> 
> ...


Don't you worry about getting robbed doing that?


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## atthehop (Jul 24, 2015)

Here is a driving job I started doing last year, it does not require using your own vehicle so there are no personal liabilities involved. I work as an independent contractor for a large new car dealer group doing their vehicle swaps or pick ups from the other dealers they deal with. I average 50 - 100 hours a month and make $10 @ hour. There are 6 of us at this dealer group and some of us do it for other dealer groups. You can turn down any runs and they do not hold it against you because they know you work elsewhere. They will call you the day before or the morning of the run. This dealer group has a separate fleet department so we also get calls to deliver police cars and trucks for their state contracts. The best part is you DO NOT have to deal with the general public!


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## Choochie (Jan 4, 2015)

atthehop said:


> Here is a driving job I started doing last year, it does not require using your own vehicle so there are no personal liabilities involved. I work as an independent contractor for a large new car dealer group doing their vehicle swaps or pick ups from the other dealers they deal with. I average 50 - 100 hours a month and make $10 @ hour. There are 6 of us at this dealer group and some of us do it for other dealer groups. You can turn down any runs and they do not hold it against you because they know you work elsewhere. They will call you the day before or the morning of the run. This dealer group has a separate fleet department so we also get calls to deliver police cars and trucks for their state contracts. The best part is you DO NOT have to deal with the general public!


I did that years ago when I was in college.


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## DriverJ (Sep 1, 2014)

Draconian said:


> If you can get a good delivery job at a busy place you will definitely make more than driving for Uber. Make sure they pay at/near minimum wage and pay mileage on top of that. I worked a pizza place for two years where I would average 25+ deliveries on Fri/Sat/sun. Tip average was ~$3.80 per delivery, so at the end of the night i'd made ~$175 pretax. If you make minimum wage you don't need to report tips so that income is tax free, which may end up keeping your taxable income low enough to get your withholding refunded. Just make sure you get at least $1 per delivery for mileage reimbursement, as that should cover your operating costs.
> 
> If done right you can make the same take-home pay as someone making over $20/hr at a real job due to paying little/no taxes.
> 
> ...


A guy I work with does pizza delivery and he does much better than I ever did with Uber, much better.

Uber sucks!


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## DriverJ (Sep 1, 2014)

Jay2dresq said:


> I deliver flowers... I get paid more per hour than I did with Uber, plus I get reimbursed $0.40/mile, people are always happy and surprised when I arrive, and I get tipped more often!


Will they come puke in your car though?


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## secretadmirer (Jul 19, 2015)

One driving job I would have enjoyed if I did it back in my 20's is driving an icecream thru the neighborbood streets. Ringing that bell and watch some of the neighborhood kids plead to their moms "please just another quarter, or dime or dollar". Well I certainly enjoyed it as a kid.


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## DriverJ (Sep 1, 2014)

secretadmirer said:


> One driving job I would have enjoyed if I did it back in my 20's is driving an icecream thru the neighborbood streets. Ringing that bell and watch some of the neighborhood kids plead to their moms "please just another quarter, or dime or dollar". Well I certainly enjoyed it as a kid.


In the 60's our ice cream man was a hippie that sold pot too. Betcha $100 Uber already has plans in the works to be rolling pot stores when it gets legal all over the country. Guess the authorities would frown on that though. Although Uber seems to be able to spread enough money around to get their way.


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## YouWishYouKnewMe (May 26, 2015)

DriverJ said:


> Will they come puke in your car though?


Is that one of those things you look for in all your jobs? Not just uber!?


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## secretadmirer (Jul 19, 2015)

YouWishYouKnewMe said:


> Is that one of those things you look for in all your jobs? Not just uber!?





YouWishYouKnewMe said:


> Is that one of those things you look for in all your jobs? Not just uber!?


I know your addressing this to driver but when I do when driving the cab at night on the weekend (especially bar rush)


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## DriverJ (Sep 1, 2014)

YouWishYouKnewMe said:


> Is that one of those things you look for in all your jobs? Not just uber!?


Just since I drove for Uber. Thanks Travie boy.


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## William1964 (Jul 28, 2015)

Here's something for your scrap job. Look for old lamps television appliances anything with a cord cut the cord strip off the rubber and enjoy the copper


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## S_hicago (Aug 13, 2015)

Here's something for your scrap job.

Go around to printing companies and ask for their old "litho plate". Litho Plate is such a valuable source of very clean aluminum that scrap yards (who have experience with it) will list it separately from their aluminum prices. Usually 25-50% higher. Before the collapse it was going for over $1.20/lb. Still gets up to .80 on occasion. Printing companies horde 200-1000 lbs at a time.

Offer to pay less than the aluminum price since you're doing the loading and hauling and driving. Sounds good. Put it on the scale to further your ploy. State that you forgot to stop at the cash station and will be right back with... use a calculator and do the math.

Never come back. 

Get the young kid in the shipping department in trouble. Stop back every year or two (for the next 20 years) when you see a different kid working on the dock. Try to talk him into the deal. 

Run away when the "works-in-the-office", "no-longer-a-kid" comes running out of the office screaming "Get him the **** away. Kick him out. No. Tell him no. Get the **** out of here. Not again buddy. **** you. Leave. **** off. Got my $300? **** off."


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## ZombieKW (Nov 19, 2015)

I have seen your website, very much interested in hearing more about this, and possible expansions up north?


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