Is it Worth it for a $7.25 DoorDash Request to Drive 9 Miles Out of Town?

As a DoorDash driver, it’s important to consider the costs associated with each delivery request. In this case, we’re looking at a $7.25 request that requires a 9-mile drive out of town, and then a 9-mile drive back. We’ll compare the costs of this trip using the IRS mileage rate for 2024, the cost of driving an electric vehicle, and the cost of driving a gas vehicle.

IRS Mileage Rate

The IRS mileage rate for 2024 is 67 cents per mile. This rate is designed to cover the costs of operating a vehicle for business purposes, including gas, maintenance, and depreciation. For an 18-mile round trip (9 miles each way), the cost would be:

18 miles x 0.67 = $12.06

So, if you’re using the IRS mileage rate as a benchmark, this trip would cost more than the $7.25 you’d earn from the delivery.

Electric Vehicle Costs

The cost of driving an electric vehicle depends on the cost of electricity and the efficiency of the vehicle. In this case, we’re given an efficiency of 386 Wh/mile and a cost of $.11 per kWh. To find the cost of the trip, we first need to convert Wh/mile to kWh/mile:

386 Wh/mile x .11 kWh = 0.386 kWh/mile

Then, we can calculate the cost of the trip:

18 miles x 0.386 x $0.11 = $0.76

So, if you’re driving an electric vehicle, this trip would cost significantly less than the $7.25 you’d earn from the delivery.

Gas Vehicle Costs

The cost of driving a gas vehicle depends on the cost of gas and the fuel efficiency of the vehicle. We’ll consider two scenarios: one with a fuel efficiency of 25 miles per gallon, and one with a fuel efficiency of 40 miles per gallon. The cost of gas is given as $2.80 per gallon.

For a vehicle with a fuel efficiency of 25 miles per gallon:

18 miles / 25 x $2.80 per gallon = $2.02

If your car gets 18 miles per gallon and the price is $2.80 per gallon, the cost for a 25-mile trip is $2.02.

For a vehicle with a fuel efficiency of 40 miles per gallon:

18 miles / 40 x $2.80 per gallon = $1.26

Calculated my fuel cost: 18 miles/40 miles per gallon x $2.80 per gallon = $1.26.

So, if you’re driving a gas vehicle, this trip would cost less than the $7.25 you’d earn from the delivery, but the cost would be higher for less fuel-efficient vehicles.

Conclusion

Whether or not this DoorDash request is worth it depends on the type of vehicle you’re driving. If you’re using the IRS mileage rate as a benchmark, the cost of the trip would be higher than the earnings from the delivery. However, if you’re driving an electric vehicle or a gas vehicle with good fuel efficiency, the cost of the trip would be less than the earnings from the delivery. It’s important to consider these costs when deciding whether to accept a delivery request.