Food Delivery vs Junk Hauling: Real Pay Compared [2026]

Food delivery drivers on DoorDash earn an average of $17.63 per hour gross according to PayScale, and $17.69 per hour according to Indeed — roughly 6% below the national average for drivers. Everlance puts the range at $20–$25 per hour including tips and incentives. Those numbers sound decent until you factor in expenses.

DoorDash does not pay for gas, vehicle maintenance, insurance, or depreciation. Drivers are independent contractors responsible for all operating costs. The IRS standard mileage rate is $0.67 per mile, which accounts for gas, wear, and depreciation combined.

A PayUp study of DoorDash driver earnings in Washington state found that after accounting for vehicle expenses, self-employment taxes, and unpaid wait time between orders, the average net hourly pay was just $1.45. While that figure has been debated — some drivers in busy markets report netting $12–$18 per hour — the gap between gross and net pay is the defining problem of food delivery gigs.

There are other structural issues. According to a Reddit post in r/doordash_drivers with thousands of upvotes, one driver noted that "Dasher pay in 2025 is literally the same it was 10 years ago" while the cost of everything else has gone up. DoorDash also cut bonuses and many drivers report declining tip amounts. In February 2026, Business Insider reported that gig workers are quitting Uber and DoorDash in significant numbers, citing deactivations and lower pay as primary reasons.

Junk hauling gig workers earn significantly more per hour than food delivery drivers, according to multiple data sources. Glassdoor puts the average junk removal worker salary at $76,558 per year — about $37 per hour. Platform-specific data tells a similar story.

On Dropcurb, haulers earn $40 or more per pickup. Most curbside jobs take 30–45 minutes including drive time and disposal, putting effective hourly earnings in the $50–$80 range. The key advantage: items are already at the curb, so there is no heavy lifting from basements or second floors. And any vehicle works — sedan owners get matched to smaller jobs like bags and electronics, while truck owners qualify for furniture and appliances.

On LoadUp, independent "Loaders" earn $55–$200 per order depending on job size and location, with top performers earning $2,000 or more per week. However, LoadUp takes a 40% cut and requires two-person teams for most jobs.

Bungii drivers report the highest gross pay among truck gig platforms. Indeed lists Bungii delivery driver pay at $41.36–$64.04 per hour. The platform focuses on large-item deliveries and requires a pickup truck or larger vehicle.

GoShare pays an average of $19.14 per hour according to ZipRecruiter, while Dolly averages about $20 per hour on Indeed — though Dolly advertises $40 per hour or more on its website.

The pay gap between junk hauling and food delivery comes down to three structural factors.

First, physical labor commands a premium. Loading a couch into a truck bed is harder than carrying a bag of takeout to a doorstep. Fewer people are willing to do it, which keeps supply lower and pay higher.

Second, junk hauling jobs have higher dollar values per transaction. A single junk removal pickup on Dropcurb pays $40 or more. A single DoorDash delivery averages $5–$8 before tip. Even with tips, most deliveries land at $7–$12 total. You would need to complete 4–6 deliveries to match one junk pickup.

Third, vehicle expenses are dramatically different. Food delivery drivers put 100–200 miles per day on their cars, racking up gas, brake wear, and depreciation on every shift. According to the IRS, each mile costs roughly $0.67 in total vehicle expenses. A DoorDash driver doing 150 miles in a shift spends roughly $100 on vehicle costs alone — often wiping out half or more of gross earnings. Junk haulers typically drive 15–30 miles per job, keeping vehicle costs per dollar earned far lower.

Understanding what a real work session looks like matters more than hourly averages.

No. While a pickup truck opens up the widest range of jobs, Dropcurb accepts any vehicle — including sedans, hatchbacks, and SUVs. Sedan owners get matched to smaller jobs: bags of household items, electronics, lamps, small appliances, and boxed goods. If it fits in your trunk or back seat, you can haul it.

This is a major differentiator from platforms like Bungii (pickup truck required), GoShare (pickup truck or cargo van required), and LoadUp (truck and trailer preferred). If you currently drive for DoorDash in a sedan, you can sign up for Dropcurb today without changing vehicles.

For truck owners, the full range of jobs opens up: couches, mattresses, dressers, appliances, exercise equipment, and multi-item loads.

This is where the earnings gap widens dramatically. Food delivery drivers face high recurring costs that eat into every dollar earned.

Yes, and many gig workers are doing exactly this. The schedules are complementary. Food delivery peaks during lunch (11am–1pm) and dinner (5pm–9pm). Junk hauling jobs can be claimed anytime — mornings, afternoons, weekends, or between delivery rushes.

A common strategy: run DoorDash during peak meal hours for consistent volume, then pick up 1–2 Dropcurb hauls during off-peak hours when delivery orders slow down. This fills dead time with higher-paying work instead of sitting in a parking lot waiting for $4 orders.

If you drive a truck or SUV, you can also stack platforms like Bungii and GoShare alongside Dropcurb for maximum job flow.

For many drivers, the answer is increasingly no. A 2026 Investopedia analysis found that gig platform fees charged to customers rose nearly 10% in 2025, while driver pay increased less than half that — just 3.6% per trip. The gap between what customers pay and what drivers earn continues to widen.

DoorDash ranked near the bottom of gig platforms by hourly pay in a Gridwise analysis, with an estimated $11 per hour — compared to $38 per hour for TaskRabbit and $26 for Walmart Spark. Reddit communities like r/doordash_drivers are filled with posts about declining earnings, tip-baiting, and account deactivations.

That said, DoorDash still works for drivers who are strategic: multi-apping during peak hours, declining low-pay orders, and sticking to high-density zones. The problem is that this requires significant market knowledge and discipline — and even then, net pay after expenses rarely breaks $15 per hour in most markets.

The earnings picture is similar across all food and grocery delivery platforms. Uber Eats drivers average $14–$22 per hour gross, with the same vehicle expense problem as DoorDash. Instacart shoppers average $18 per hour according to ZipRecruiter and NerdWallet, but face additional time costs from in-store shopping. Grubhub sits in a similar range.

The Gridwise 2025 analysis ranked Uber highest among traditional delivery apps at $22 per hour gross — but that number does not account for vehicle expenses. Meanwhile, Walmart Spark drivers averaged $23 per hour, and TaskRabbit taskers averaged $38 per hour, suggesting that physical labor and skill-based gigs consistently outpay pure delivery.

Junk hauling follows this same pattern. The physical effort is moderate — you are loading items from the curb, not carrying food bags to doorsteps — but the per-job value is dramatically higher.

Junk hauling is not for everyone, but it is a strong fit for several groups.

• •Truck and SUV owners already driving for DoorDash — your vehicle is underutilized carrying small food orders when it could haul furniture at 3–4 times the pay per job

• •Drivers frustrated with declining DoorDash pay — if your net hourly rate after expenses has dropped below $12, junk hauling pays more with fewer miles driven

• •Part-time gig workers who want to maximize earnings in limited hours — two junk pickups in 90 minutes can match a full 4-hour DoorDash dinner shift

• •Anyone with access to a vehicle — Dropcurb accepts sedans, so even DoorDash drivers without trucks can start hauling smaller items immediately

• •Gig workers tired of sitting in parking lots between orders — junk hauling jobs are claimed in advance, so there is no unpaid wait time