If you are spending half your shift sitting in a parking lot waiting for your phone to ping, you are leaving money on the table. The gig economy has changed, and the drivers who are making real profit in 2026 are the ones treating their driving time like a strategic business.
Whether you are delivering food, dropping off packages, or running local logistics, loyalty to a single platform will only hold your earnings back. The secret to a highly profitable shift is multi-apping.
Here is how to optimize your time on the road:
1. Stack Your Apps Effectively
You should never rely on just one source of income. By running multiple apps simultaneously—like keeping DoorDash on for the lunch rush, utilizing Spark Driver for mid-morning grocery batches, and monitoring platforms like Roadie or CBDriver for local package logistics—you ensure that you always have an offer waiting. When you accept a good route on one app, simply pause the others until you are a few minutes away from your drop-off.
2. Know Your Local Hubs
Stop chasing hotspots after they appear on the map. By the time the map turns red, the area is already flooded with other drivers. Instead, learn the rhythms of your local market. Know when the grocery pickups peak and which restaurant clusters surge during the dinner rush. Position yourself in these strategic zones fifteen minutes before the rush begins.
3. Calculate the True Cost of the Trip
Not every offer is worth taking. Before you accept a route, quickly calculate the dollar-to-mile ratio. If a grocery run takes you fifteen miles out into a rural area, you have to account for the “dead miles” driving back to your busy zone. Aim for routes that keep you within a tight, profitable radius.
You have the vehicle, you have the work ethic, and the demand is out there. By driving smart and keeping your options open across multiple platforms, you can take control of your daily earnings and make every mile count.