What Are the Slowest Days for DoorDash? (Tips From A Dasher)

‍Find Work - Delivery Driver Job Board (1,000+ openings)‍

The idea of driving and delivering for DoorDash is easy to understand and succeed in. However, there are other factors while driving for DoorDash that aren't so obvious and that will take more time to understand. Knowing when and when not to go out to drive is one key factor to your DoorDash driving success, which raises the question: What are the slowest days for DoorDash?

While I can give you the direct answers, I also want to provide you some context as to why the slowest days are, well'slow.

I'm currently a gig worker who has learned by trial and error doing deliveries for DoorDash, Uber Eats, and Grubhub for the past four years. While I can say that I've learned many things doing these gigs, what has helped me the most is my prior experience working in the restaurant and hospitality industry, where I have about 10 years of work experience. This translates really well to delivery work, knowing the ebbs and flows of the business of these platforms. Simply put, the slowest days or worst day for DoorDash mostly correlates with the restaurant industry's business and operations.

SLOWEST DAYS TO DOORDASH IN THE WEEK

Either a combination of Monday and Tuesday or Tuesday and Wednesday, are considered the slowest days to Doordash in the week. So why is it that these days are slow? On the delivery or gig side, it is slow because there are fewer offers, deliveries to pick from, and restaurants that are open, as well as less time to work. This correlates to the restaurant side because Monday/Tuesday or Tuesday/Wednesday are the common off days for most restaurant staff. I remember during previous restaurant jobs that I would usually be given those days off. It didn't matter if I was working a kitchen job or working in the front. There would be times when I was scheduled on the slow days but the majority of my shifts were reserved for the weekends. Most restaurants and hospitality businesses generally see a drop in their customer numbers on these slower days so the restaurant staff numbers are accordingly adjusted, which can lead to shorter business hours and lighter staff. Some restaurants may even be closed on these days as it may not be worth staying open. Restaurants will also do a half-day of business on slower days, so for example they close their breakfast and lunch service but open up for dinner. In some rare cases, restaurants may close on Sundays and Mondays for their 'slow days.' The general exception to this rule is the fast-food restaurants such as McDonalds, StarBucks, Wendy's, etc. These businesses don't generally don't close; they stay open seven days a week. If you start seeing an uptick in fast food orders during slow days, now you know why!

SHOULD I DRIVE FOR DOORDASH ON THE SLOW DAYS?

Just because it's a slow day for DoorDash doesn't mean you shouldn't drive. You may get business but it won't be to the levels of business on other days. As mentioned above, expect some restaurants to be closed or to have shorter hours. While I've been discussing restaurants dictating the business, it's actually the customer base that dictates the restaurants and the gig workers. If they're not ordering, simply put, there aren't going to be any orders. So if you do go out to drive on these days, think about the best time of day to DoorDash which is generally evenings or dinner. If you want more information on the best times to drive for DoorDash, please check out our article: "The Absolute Best Times to DoorDash in 2022". When it comes to driving on slower days, your only options for business are a quick weekday lunch and a quick dinner rush. Every market or city has its own flow of business so your results may vary. I recommend you try out some of these slower days so you can make your own judgment on whether it's worth your time to drive on these days. It's also a good idea to use the slower days to experiment with DoorDash alternatives like Grubhub or Uber Eats or to see which apps pay the most.

WHAT ARE THE BEST DAYS OF THE WEEK FOR DOORDASH

So if there are two slow days, does that mean the other five days are the busiest days for DoorDash, or the best times to drive for DoorDash? Not necessarily. Check out the article Absolute Best Times to DoorDash in 2022, as I go into more detail there. However, let's say Monday and Tuesday are slow, but it doesn't mean every day from Wednesday to Sunday will be the busiest. Customers dictate each restaurant's busy days, which, in turn, dictates your opportunities. The best of those five days are the weekends. The tail-end of the week from Friday to Sunday, or sometimes Thursday to Sunday, are the best days for DoorDash. Even if Monday and Tuesday are considered the 'slowest' days, Wednesdays sometimes can have that same feeling. Thursdays will see an uptick in business, which then hits off on Friday because everyone is getting off'and you should know what I'm getting at.

CAPITALIZE ON THE BEST DAYS TO DOORDASH

If you really want to make the most of your earnings driving for DoorDash then it is absolutely paramount that you drive on the best days that I mentioned earlier. Not only do you need to drive on these days, you also need to take advantage of anything you can to maximize your earnings. Knowing the best times to drive for DoorDash helps you waste less time. Understanding the best time to DoorDash in your area gives you advantages over other drivers. Multi-apping with other gig platforms like Uber Eats gives you options. Using tools like the Para driver app can help you get the most bang for your buck'or the best buck for your time on the road.

HOW TO EARN MORE WITH DOORDASH ON THE BEST DAYS

Just driving on the best days generally means you're driving on the busiest days; this will result in more orders to pick from as business heats up. The best times to drive for DoorDash these days are generally in the evening. Weekends give you the benefit of many orders from lunches as well. Having options to pick from gives you the leverage to determine your earnings per hour or per day'or whatever metric you want to use. The general idea is to decline orders that don't make sense for you financially, and to accept the ones that do. Take into account mileage, time, and the number of orders you can do at a given time. Work on multiple apps alongside DoorDash to see more orders to select from. This gives you the opportunity to stack offers from multiple apps or to stagger out orders during this time, as they will be popping in during these busy times. Keeping a flow of steady business, higher-paying orders, and orders that make sense for you will lead to your success. The issue with all these apps is that sometimes they are not transparent with the information you see. You may not be able to make the most informed decision, therefore it can lead you to make less money. Sometimes too many offers pop up during busy times; it can be overwhelming to keep track of, especially if the orders don't have the necessary information you want. You should apply the 'Know before you go/know before you accept,' approach. The Para app for DoorDash can help you by giving you the most information an order can provide before you accept. Earn more with DoorDash by seeing the item count, check total, and address type, which all help to predict the tip that is associated with the order. If you incorporate the Para app with multi-apping during the best times to drive for DoorDash on the best days you'll earn more money! Who doesn't like that?

SLOW DAYS VS BUSY DAYS

In the end, you'll make the most money on the busy days, which are the best days. The slow days do serve a purpose though. Use them to experiment, or to learn if you're new to driving for DoorDash. Use these days to apply new apps. Once you have the skills, knowledge, and tools you can apply them on the busier days to maximize your earnings and be more efficient. Make your money and have fun!