Thanks to the recent boom in delivery service demand, operators such as Doordash, Uber Eats, and Lyft has all faced a huge increase in demand for their services.
Therefore, requiring an increase in drivers. If you’ve taken on this job as some quick and easy cash, whether you’re delivering food, or as an Uber or Lyft driver then you may find yourself getting pretty bored.
Having some company, or using this time to catch up with friends could seem like the perfect way to make money whilst also avoiding a boring few hours alone. But can you have a passenger while driving for Uber Eats, Lyft, or Doordash?
With so many different operators, all sporting their own individual rules, regulations, and requirements when you work under their name.
We have done the hard work for you and found the individual rules and policies in place for Lyft, Doordash, Uber, and Uber Eats drivers so you know exactly where you stand when it comes to seeking a little bit of company on your delivery shifts.
Lyft differs from other service providers as they work the same as a taxi would, with cashless payments and orders made via their app. This means their rules are going to be different for their own reasons in comparison to a food delivery service where the customer wouldn’t be entering the vehicle.
Becoming a Lyft driver has a high appeal to a large variety of people due to the flexibility, independence, and instant pay cashouts for times when money may be a bit tight. All Lyft drivers are required to complete safety training in order to look after themselves and the customers they collect.
As a part of their high safety, Lyft does not allow non-paying customers to ride as passengers in your vehicle. This ensures they can provide monitored safety for paying customers and peace of mind that their driver has all the required training and policies in place to do their job.
Doordash provides local and on-demand deliveries from local restaurants and grocery stores that require much less customer interaction in comparison to Lyft or Uber drivers.
This means that the interaction with the customer takes place outside of the driver’s vehicle, and you could have a passenger without the paying customer even knowing.
However, this has raised some concerns around health and safety with food hygiene as the passenger may be handling or coming into contact with the customer’s food.
Doordash’s requirements page says that the driver must be over the age of 18, and provide correct proof of insurance, driver’s license, and a clean driving record.
They have a section on their requirements that states if you want to have someone present with you when you are dropping off deliveries, it is entirely up to you if you choose to have someone with you, but they must also have a valid Doordash account as well for safety and identification purposes.
Uber provides the same service like Lyft, using an application to match riders with a designated driver to take you to your chosen destination. Depending on your location and availability Uber currently offers several varieties of trip options
Uber is a highly fast-moving and growing business with so many avenues for expansion, meaning they are regularly hiring and offering driving work for those looking to make quick cash.
As a company, they offer a high standard of safety precautions such as a Driver Profile for you to know who will be driving the vehicle beforehand, meaning non-paying customers won’t be accounted for.
This means that for safety and monitoring purposes Uber has a rule against bringing along non-paying customers when you are online and working.
This is because they have strict screenings and background checks they take beforehand on their employees, so would not be able to verify the person with you as safe to include on your journeys.
The rules and specifications for Uber and Uber Eats differ slightly, as they both provide a different level of service with one providing rides, and the other food delivery. Both Uber and Uber Eats have different role requirements, this means for the safety of all parties involved, the rules can differ.
In the Uber Eats community guidelines, it states:
“When driving with Uber, no one other than the driver, the requesting rider, and the rider’s guests should be in the vehicle ….. When riding with Uber, the account holder is responsible for the behavior of their entire party.”
They don’t explicitly say to not bring a guest along with you, however, it is important to not let them distract you from your work and the level of service you provide. You should ensure anyone you bring with you when delivering with Uber Eats is aware of the implications poor behavior may have.
As a delivery driver, it is important you are safe at all times, which is often why people choose to bring a guest with them to ensure there is always someone in the vehicle.
If you are handling cash, limit the amount as much as possible and safely conceal any cash to avoid a watching eye. Park up as close as possible to your dropoff point and always know your delivery territory.
Yes- many parents choose to use Uber Eats as a way to earn extra money as you can bring your kids along in the car. However, you need to make sure they won’t distract you from being on time, and remember you will need to be in and out of the vehicle a lot whilst working.
Vehicles must be no older than 15 years, have 4 (or more) seats, and have 4-doors to qualify as an Uber.
Vehicles do not need to be registered in your name to qualify, however, you do need to be able to provide all required documentation and proof of license.
Working as a destination or food driver is a highly flexible and appealing job to many varieties of people who are in need of some quick cash. They are also appealing to those that have specific working hours such as parents, those with other job commitments, and seasonal employees.
As a general rule, passenger-related driving jobs will not allow additional people in the vehicle alongside you, but food delivery services are more relaxed and tend to allow an additional passenger.
