Food Courier Guide 2022

Gig work is in! And food delivery with an e-bike is the most popular option in 2022. All you need is a smartphone, an electric bike, and an internet connection. This blog will go over all things food delivery - from the apps to use, why food delivery is extremely popular, why using an E-bike is good for food delivery, some tips to help you with your electric bike and finally, security & storage. Let's dive in!

The Basics: A Delivery App to get Going

There are many apps you can use for the job of being a Food Courier/food delivery person. These apps include but are not limited to SkipTheDishes, DoorDash, and the most popular one, Uber Eats. If you are looking for what app you want to join, here are some facts that can help you decide. The average hourly earnings vary from app to app. For SkipTheDishes, the pay is approximately $18.63, for DoorDash it is approximately $20.76, and for Uber Eats it can vary from anywhere between $20-$27. Keep in mind that these prices can change because of tips. If you had to pick one of these apps, UberEats would be the best one to use. It is recommended because of its simplicity for how easy it is to sign up for and use and its popularity because of how many people use it every day.

Why Food Delivery

Being a food courier is a great occupation because you can do so many other things without being restricted by your job. It is good to be a food courier because you get to work on your own time, on your own schedule, and you can even work while still in school.

Being a food courier is beneficial because you get to work on your own time and on your own schedule. This is unlike many other jobs, because being a food courier means that you have the freedom and convenience of being your own boss. You won't have anyone telling you what days or times to work, giving you the authority to decide when you want to make some easy money. Being your own boss can help you a lot if you are a student looking for a job because you can plan what days you are free, then you get on your e-bike and look for some deliveries to make. 

Another benefit of being a food courier is that you get to traverse the city while working. You would get to appreciate the beauty of the city of Toronto, exploring all the delightful places and buildings in the city you have never explored before, which can be very exciting and pleasurable. Not only would you be exploring the city, you would also be getting fresh air and sunlight which is very healthy!

Why E-bike

Using an E-bike as your vehicle while being a food courier can be arguably better than using a car. This is because if you use your E-bike as your vehicle, you will be able to save money on expenses you would have to pay if you had a car, be able to deliver faster which increases your earnings and make you be able to save lots of energy.

Using an E-bike while being a food courier is great because you will be able to save money on expenses you would have to pay if you had a car. You probably know that gas prices are going crazy high right now, meaning if you used a normal car as your vehicle, you would lose much of your earnings because of the gas prices. But if you use an E-bike instead, the only costs you will have are from when you buy the E-bike, and this is because the E-bike doesn't. If you also use something like the fat tire E-bike, you wouldn't have to buy new winter wheels every few years which you would have to do if you had a car, and those wheels can cost up to $1500.

If you used an E-bike for your deliveries you would be able to deliver faster which can give you more money. If you had an E-bike, you would be able to go swiftly at the highest speeds of 32 km per hour, which is slower than most cars but still has its benefits. For example, you can easily park it wherever for a short period of time when you deliver the food or when you are picking it up from the restaurant. This can save you more time than you think because parking a car is a lot harder than parking an electric bike. If you deliver lots of food in an hour, you will get paid well for those deliveries plus you get lots of tips, meaning you could make around $30 on a good day.

 As you can see, using an e-bike for your deliveries can make you make more money. Riding an E-bike is a lot less stressful than driving a car, and it is not nearly as hard. After all, it's just like riding a bike that's electric. On your E-bike you don't even have to worry about things like the gear shifter because your electric bike doesn't really need that. One of the biggest factors that can make it so you can deliver things faster is the fact that there is no traffic for e-bikes. You would be ahead of almost all your competition , zooming through the city on your electric bike when barely stopping, when all your competition is stuck, waiting in traffic. As you can see, it is very beneficial to use an electric bike when delivering food.

Tips and Tricks

Now that you know why to be a food courier and know why to use an E-bike as your vehicle, here are some tips and tricks that can help you with your job. First of all, you have to find which E-bike you want to use and this will go over what E-bike has and what pros and cons.

A fat tire E-bike is one you would want to have especially in the long term. One of the most noticeable pros is the fact that the fat tire ebike can be used all 4 seasons, whether it is winter or summer, the tires will not wear out and will serve their purpose of driving well, handling harsh weather conditions. If you are in Toronto or a snowy/rainy North American city,yYou would need these fat tires because the grip and thickness of the wheel can help you navigate through the rough and icy weather, providing you with a smooth ride overall.

A slim tire city/commuter  e-bike is another type of bike that you could use in your job as a food courier. This bike is for being a food courier because you can swiftly get to where you need to go and you can easily deliver your next order.

When looking to buy a new E-bike, some of the best things to look out for are the components of the E-bike and what it’s made of, especially the frame material. Most E-bikes frames are made from aluminum alloy, alright durability, and adequate stiffness-to-weight ratio. Nowadays, aluminum frames are the most popular option.

Looking into the suppliers of the parts of the E-bike that you are buying can help determine if you are getting the best for your money. When looking into an E-bike, make sure to look into the parts such as the motor, battery and brakes. Find the brand of the part, and look it up online to check the reviews customers and websites leave. If you feel the reviews are bad, and it’s a cheap product, move on to another E-bike and repeat the process.

When looking at brakes, check to see if the brakes are hydraulic or mechanical brakes. Hydraulic brakes have much better modulation and stopping power compared to mechanical disk brakes. Hydraulic brakes provide a smooth ride while maintaining foremost stopping power and efficiency. Another advantage to hydraulic brakes are they reduce friction as they don’t have a mechanical cable as mechanical disk brakes do. Along with that, hydraulic brakes last much longer. The downside is you will have to make appointments for brake fluid changes, as hydraulics depend on a liquid to pressurize to do work.

Lastly, we want to talk about tires. Tires are one of the most important parts of the vehicle, and therefore must be of the highest quality to provide us with a safe, smooth and enjoyable ride. The best kinds of tires are fat/thick tires. Thicker tires have a much better grip, to prevent you from slipping, leading to damage to E-bike and injuries. But high-quality tires are of no use if they are flat from a puncture. When looking at an E-bike, ask an employee if the tires are anti-puncture like the ones available at Movin’ Mobility. You might think anti-puncture tires are a hoax, but it has been proven by many customers that their anti-puncture tires have worked, and along with that, provide a smoother ride. Anti puncture tires have a thicker cover material. Bike tires have a tube and the outer tire, the tube being inside. When a sharp object spikes a hole into the tube, this causes the tire to puncture, but anti-puncture tires have a material much stronger to prevent sharp hazards while riding.

 

Maintenance

As a food courier, you would be using your trusty e-bike consistently, therefore you need to service your E-bike regularly to avoid problems with the bike parts. In a tune-up, your E-bike is lubricated to keep all the parts of the bike working. Along with that, there will be checkups on loose bolts, brake pads, and battery and tire pressure. Serving your e-bike every 1,000 to 3,000 kilo meters will help extend your E-bikes functionality and reliability for a wide margin. 

Another crucial aspect during servicing is to tighten loose bolts, screws and spokes. If they are loose, a piece of your bike could fall apart while riding. This would prevent you from continuing to ride your bike, as the specific piece is absent. A piece falling out mid-ride could possibly cause serious injuries and can be easily avoided by checking your E-bike for any loose screws or ridges before riding. If you find any loose screws or ridges, you can easily tighten them with a screwdriver or wrench. If you do not have an appropriate size wrench or screwdriver, bring your E-bike to the shop to tighten, and while you're there, maybe buy a wrench or screwdriver to avoid making another trip to the shop. Tightening spokes is as necessary as tightening bolts and screws, and must be done every 1000 to 2000 kilo meters of riding.  Fortunately for you, Movin’ E-bikes wheels are spokes-less and are just magnesium alloy wheels for your convenience. Spokes-less wheels provide a lighter feel and a smoother ride. 

Cleaning your E-bike is key. Often cleaning the e-bike helps keep dust and dirt from messing with your motor or battery and affecting your ride. A spotless E-bike will also turn 

heads in the streets making you feel like a celebrity. When cleaning your E-bike, you want to avoid using a high-pressure hose, as the water could force its way into the motor damaging your e-bike. A motor is always sealed, but water with so much force could get away inside. Instead, you want to wet a rag and wipe your bike from dust and dirt. If there are tough stains, use a scrub brush while under a low-pressure setting on your house. Don’t scrub too hard though, as you don’t want to leave scratches.

The most commonly serviced parts in an E-bike This is because hydraulics require a liquid (usually an oil) to pressurize in order to do work, and in your case, to break. Therefore, oil changes would be the most serviced in an E-bike, as you will need to replace your brake fluid regularly so you can properly brake when needed, saving yourself from any tragic accidents. For information on when to have an oil change, check your owner's manual guide for the best suggestions. Most E-bikes have oil changes about twice a year or once every six months. The second most serviced would be tire pressure, as that can determine how much pressure your tires would need for a smooth ride. Low tire pressure will cause deflated tires, giving you a slow and unpleasant ride, while high tire pressure causes less of the tire to touch the ground, causing a bouncy ride.

Security and Storage

You want to make sure to keep your bike safe while leaving it to get your customer their order. Bike theft sucks, but you can prevent it by considering the following tips. The best option is to register your bike with the Toronto police, or your local police station. Registering your E-bike is not a common thing people register, but registering the serial number of the E-bike will help police track the bike if it is missing or stolen.

The best bicycle security option to prevent theft is to buy a bike lock. A bike lock is an oval-shaped pipe that has a keyhole or pin that you can enter to open the lock and free the wheel. Before leaving, hand the food to your customer, place the chain on the wheel, and lock it. If it’s a code chain, lock it and scramble the number, and if keyhole, lock then take the key with you. The best lock on the market is a 10mm 3T manganese lock, with some of the strongest steel on Earth. The best brand that offers this chain is Kryptonite, and you can order one online at their website, or in stores.

Now, what about the tracker? Trackers are smart to have in vehicles in case of loss. If you're an iPhone user, then you can buy an AirTag, which is a small, portable, disk-shaped tracker which connects to your iPhone with Bluetooth, and gives you a precise location of where it is. Stick that in a secret spot on your E-bike, and you’ll make the job way easier. If you are not an iPhone user, no worries, there are many more Bluetooth trackers available on the market.

Now let's talk insurance. I know that might surprise you as insurance isn’t usually something people get for their bikes, but insurance is very helpful in unfortunate events, and if you are interested, talk to your seller about insurance for you E-bike.  If you purchase your E-bike with Movin’ Electric Bikes, we offer insurance to cover theft, accidents and more. You can find out more at our website.

After reading this, I hope our beloved community of food couriers feel much more educated on what E-bikes to get, how to take care of them, and how to prevent loss and damage. If you're interested in learning more about E-bikes and what to do with them, check out our other blogs, and if you're interested in buying a Movin’ E-bike, check out our great options, all with discounts on our website. If you still have more questions, feel free to ask one of our employees in live chat, and we’ll give you the best service. If you feel this blog helped you understand more about E-bikes in the food delivery industry, share it with your dear friends and spread the knowledge.