Grubhub Scheduling: How Delivery Times Work For Drivers

If you’re a Grubhub driver, it’s important to know how your schedule works.

In this blog post, we’ll explain everything you need to know about Grubhub scheduling, and how delivery times are determined for your shifts.

We hope this information will help you plan your deliveries more effectively.

How Does Grubhub Assign Orders to Drivers?

Grubhub uses an automated system for assigning orders to its drivers.

The Grubhub app finds drivers within a delivery area and connects them to customers.

The Drivers app handles this whole process.

When a driver is in a hotspot, the app will take individual schedules into account.

The proximity to both the restaurant and the specific customer is also part of this process.

Drivers can perform orders outside these zones based on their availability.

While restaurants are open, there can be customer orders placed.

This includes a large number of restaurants and multiple orders at once.

The Grubhub Drivers app generates the task list for delivering all the food.

There are unique requests for even larger orders, based on the price before any tip.

Another type of special Grubhub order includes catering deliveries.

These special assignments come with extra instructions and can pay much more money.

What Information Does a Driver See When They Get an Order?

The Grubhub order details a driver sees begin with the number of orders.

This also includes the total cash value, the general location, and a screengrab of the map.

After accepting, you learn the exact location, pick-up deadline, and any special instructions.

Specific location details can reveal if a customer is in an apartment room or floor of a home.

What Does Scheduling on Grubhub Mean?

Creating and managing a schedule is an involved process with Grubhub.

It helps the company track driver availability across region boundaries.

You pick hours you can work to let both Grubhub and other drivers in the area know that you are the go-to for orders.

Your experience with the company will control your ability to schedule each week.

The Grubhub Drivers app is how you will get everything done.

Understanding the app will help pave the way to lucrative success.

The user interface for the scheduling in the app is vital.

What each option does and what steps to take in case something glitches are vital to keeping up.

How Does Scheduling Work with Grubhub?

Grubhub manages drivers by giving them blocks of time to sign up for.

To sign up for a block, you only need to log into the Grubhub for drivers app and select an available time.

This scheduling process is the same across all freelance contractors working with Grubhub.

It is all about knowing when you are free to maximize profit.

How Scheduling Blocks Works

The block scheduling program at Grubhub encourages freedom for its drivers.

At any time, you can add free blocks to your schedule if you are available to work on them.

The length of each block will vary depending on the market.

Usually, you can expect longer blocks during lower-traffic hours and vice versa.

This may vary in your area, so keep a sharp eye on past earnings if you are looking for better blocks.

When are Blocks Released?

Blocks get released each week for all drivers.

Scheduling blocks are available on a first-come, first-serve basis.

Your Grubhub driver controls your access to blocks.

Driver level information updates on Monday each week.

The time you have access to blocks during each week will be farther from the beginning when you first start.

If everyone had access to the program at once, the app would have trouble dealing with all the traffic and lag.

How Does a Driver Increase their Level?

There are three driver levels while working with Grubhub.

There are three stats to look for when trying to keep a high driver level.

Grubhub is tracking attendance rate, order acceptance rate, and block drop rate.

You become a Premier driver when you have a 95 percent acceptance rate and have a drop rate of less than 10 percent.

Grubhub Block Pay

When you choose to accept a block schedule, you might have a safety net for slow days.

You can never control when people decide not to order less in your area.

Grubhub offers an hourly pay floor in some markets to make sure you get paid even on days with very for (or no) offers.

Grubhub Payment Options

Grubhub has two established payment options for its drivers.

You can set up a direct deposit option with your bank, or use instant cash out with the Grubhub app.

The direct payment occurs on Thursday of each week.

You can also cash out at any time based on fulfilled orders.

The area you are in and the block(s) you work will affect your payment, even with a high acceptance rate.

Grubhub Expected Pay

As an independent contractor for Grubhub, your expected pay varies.

This is not anything new for the gig economy.

Your payment is a combination of factors.

These include mileage per order, time spent on the road, tips, and special offers.

An average salary estimate for a delivery driver is $46,172 per year.

How Often Does Grubhub Update Schedules?

Your schedule blocks are up for grabs when they get updated each week.

You are free to get new blocks whenever they are available.

You can update your schedule whenever you want.

Getting your ideal schedule means having a high driver level to choose blocks early.

Grubhub Schedule Hack: How to Get More Blocks

The biggest trick to help drivers secure more blocks is to live on your phone at key times.

There is little you can do to control your access to the schedule if your drive level is not the highest it can be yet.

Instead, watch out for drivers dropping blocks you want.

As soon as another person drops, it will become available immediately.

Grubhub Hack: How to Get More Offers

The main tool you rely on as a delivery driver is your phone.

When you are working on your block, make sure to close everything you can outside the driver app.

Extra work for your phone while communicating can result in dropped offers.

Data-heavy apps like streaming platforms are especially bad.

Grubhub Hack: How to Make the Most of Your Time

Being flexible with your schedule is the fastest way to take advantage of the gig economy.

Any prior delivery experience will help you understand the best routes to take.

You will know even when the GPS does not.

Planning on how to best use your time off to maximize potential earnings is vital.

If you notice a busy mealtime where you could work, make a note of it next time you sign up for your blocks.

Looking ahead to see what the weather will be like is another good way of using your time outside of work hours.

There are plenty of things to keep track of as an independent contractor that can affect your pay.

Plenty of them come about when you are off the clock.

Gas prices, vehicle maintenance, auto insurance, and construction are a few obstacles.

Does Grubhub Focus on Scheduled Drivers?

Yes! The Drivers app takes assigned blocks and Grubhub driver level into account.

With especially busy times and markets, you will see more non-scheduled help coming in.

You can still make money without having a schedule with Grubhub.

You can get to that cash faster by letting Grubhub know exactly when you are available.

Good Tips for a Grubhub Driver

The company has an onboarding process to help with new talent.

Being familiar with places to get food in the area will help.

Practicing driving to different restaurants during your hours is always good.

The extra money you can earn is tied to your connection to select markets and proactive measures.

If you know the select area well enough, you can even have a connection with workers there.

Restaurant owners for local deliveries can be a huge asset.

Tips for any delivery service will apply to being a Grubhub delivery driver.

Do You Get More Orders if you Schedule on Grubhub?

An easy way to guarantee orders within your scheduled block is to start within your region.

The app will match you with orders in your market space.

Try to stay within the right area when your block starts, and remain there until your block ends.

It is still possible to get orders outside that hotspot.

You are introducing more chances for other drivers to pick up your orders in that case.

Can You Do Grubhub Without Scheduling?

Yes, you can avoid schedule blocks by selecting that you are good to deliver any time your market is open.

Grubhub does prefer drivers fit into scheduled times to limit excess drivers on the road.

This is harder for the app to parse, and can result in fewer total orders.

If you keep track of specific markets, orders can reach you without scheduling.

Grubhub Hack: How to Get More Offers Without Scheduling

Like we mentioned, scheduling is the easiest way to see more money from Grubhub.

Tracking down high-business areas in the nation to work can allow you to get plenty of offers.

If you are unable to schedule for whatever reason, this strategy can work for you.

Grubhub most often needs help in busy markets and will call in any drivers able to work.

This affects everyone, regardless of schedule.

Can You Get Fired from Grubhub for a Low Acceptance Rate?

Grubhub drivers can lose access to the driver app if they do not follow the company’s quality of service policy.

This includes a low acceptance rate, (similar to the DoorDash acceptance rate policy) indicating what part of a delivery they are on, and more.

If your acceptance rate for a small period is low, you have a lot less to worry about.

Since you are a contractor, you cannot expect the same protections an employee would see.

Wrapping Up

Driving for Grubhub is a hustle that relies on knowing the ins and outs of the company’s systems.

Familiarizing yourself with the Grubhub for Drivers app is the first step to success.

Learning all you can about your market at what blocks earn the most on average is the second step to profit.

Keeping your acceptance rate high and earning Premier level will help your earnings.

Scheduled blocks are your friend!