''Why do you dash?''
It's a question that many Dashers are asked, and their answers are always uniquely personal and inspiring. Sometimes, it's the flexibility of working on their own schedule. Other times, it's because their earnings let them focus on other passion projects or personal commitments.
Paulina L. is a Dasher who originally started her deliveries on the rainy streets of the Seattle area, but has since relocated to the sunnier city of Palm Springs, California. The reason she chooses to dash is simple: for Paulina, family comes first, and this kind of gig work gives her plenty of time to be a hands-on mom to her two kids.
Dashing helped my family when we needed it most
In some ways, dashing feels like a recent development in my life, but in other ways, it seems like it was a long time coming. Before immigrating to the United States twenty years ago, I studied logistics and transportation in Chile. And while my studies actually apply to what I do now as a Dasher, I spent years working in the airline industry in Washington state, where I was living with my husband and our two children. Then the pandemic happened, and it had a huge impact on airlines — my hours were reduced to no more than 4 to 6 per week. At the same time, my husband was unfortunately laid off from his job.
As he and I tried to figure out our next move, one of his friends recommended that he try a food delivery or rideshare app. My husband didn't like the idea of rideshare, so he decided to try dashing with DoorDash. And, as soon as he started, he found he was making really good money.
We realized we could actually live off the money he was making. After about a month, I thought I would try it too, because job security in the airline industry was unstable due to the impact of the pandemic.
My top priority is quality time with family
I quickly fell in love with dashing because of the financial security it gave me and my family. Deposits are fast, with the ability to get paid day-of or the next day*, instead of waiting two weeks like most jobs. It was a great feeling to know that we could always access our earnings through the DoorDash Dasher app.
But for me, it wasn't just about the money — it was also the fact that I could finally set my own schedule so that I could be there for my kids when they needed me.
Family always comes first. That's something you'll hear in a lot of Hispanic communities. Other people may value different things — a luxury car, a five-star vacation, a fancy job title — but for us, the greatest reward is being able to spend time with our loved ones: parents, siblings, children, and grandchildren. And the beauty of dashing is that I get to choose the hours I want to work, so I can make sure I have time for my family, too.
My husband has a different job now, but from 2020 until 2023 he was a full-time Dasher and he loved it. As for me, I also have a new day job, but I continue to dash because it's such a simple and convenient way to supplement our income — and it allows me to have time with my family.
Whenever someone asks me if I know of any extra ways to make money, I say, "Why don't you try dashing with DoorDash?" As long as you have access to a vehicle and a smartphone, you have everything you need to get started.
My advice for new Dashers
My new job is also in the food business: I've taken my expertise in logistics and coordination and I now apply it to run administration and operations at a popular restaurant in Palm Springs. This allows me to understand the unique situations that both merchants and Dashers encounter on a daily basis. Here are some of the factors I try to be mindful of when I dash.
Be patient: Patience and preparedness are the most important considerations for Dashers when working with restaurants. As a Dasher, you want to pick up the order as quickly as possible, but sometimes the restaurant is busy with customers, and the food isn't ready yet. Since I work in restaurant management, I know the staff are doing their best. I also know that getting moody and angry won't make them go faster.
Be positive: Business owners can block Dashers who have a bad or unprofessional attitude. But they can also list their favorite Dashers as preferred, and prioritize them the next time there's a delivery order. Building positive relationships with merchants in your community is a good idea. When you have to wait for a slow order, be an ambassador for that business and proactively communicate the delay with the customer.
Be practical: Another piece of advice I would offer is purely practical: keep your car clean because you're putting people's food in there and sanitation is important. Drive safely, and don't let yourself feel rushed. And if English is your second language, download a good translator app. Here in California, a lot of the people who work in the restaurant service industry speak both English and Spanish, so my Chilean background comes in handy!
Dashing is a great side gig for working moms
There's nothing better than being in control of my time. For instance, I'll log into the DoorDash Dasher app from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. and so I'll have the rest of the day to do other activities, go to my other job, or take the kids to the park.
Sometimes the kids want to come along for the ride. My daughter sometimes asks me if we can log into the DoorDash Dasher app, and I'll say yes, we can check if there are any orders to accept and we treat it as a kind of adventure. She’s learning that dashing is a type of work she can do in the future when she's at college and wants a reliable way to earn extra income to help with her own aspirations. College is still a long way off for my daughter, but she's already thinking about where she'd like to study, possibly in San Diego. So a move might eventually be on the horizon for us — but for now, I’m just enjoying spending quality time with family.
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*Fast Pay is subject to eligibility, approval, and a $1.99 fee per transaction.
