The hot spot runner and finding the best zone.
A busy zone is a great place to work for a courier. Sometimes it isn’t easy to find. In fact, it can feel downright elusive. However, most couriers find their zone, by working an area. If things go well at a particular time, the courier can develop the zone further. Maybe it becomes a primary zone. Perhaps the layout of the land makes every delivery less resource intensive. Whatever the case may be, it becomes a courier’s first choice because money can be made there.
It becomes the courier’s first choice. It’s the hot spot the courier prefers. Furthermore, it’s not the same for every courier. There are many variables that influence a courier’s success, or failure, in a given zone. One of those variables is the app the courier uses to complete delivery offers. And it does have everything to do with those in-app courier ratings. As every side hustle courier knows, the better the ratings the better the opportunities in-app.
The quality of the offer the courier sees in the queue, relates to the quality of the courier’s in-app ratings. Therefore, the ratings influence the offers. The higher the rating, the better the offer. Furthermore the ratings are cumulative. This can be a catch twenty two since some of the ratings come from things beyond the courier’s control. For example, orders picked up by someone else, or canceled orders.
The Hot Spot Runner
Couriers offset these things by finding the hot spot. A busy dinner rush will trigger lots of deliveries. A courier’s best clue that a dinner rush is on, comes from the time in between offers. Less than a minute between offers, and there’s definitely a rush happening. However, one delivery isn’t enough. Therefore, returning to the hot spot, is the goal after a delivery completion. Proximity plays a part in the offers that arrive in the delivery queue.
With this in mind, there is a certain amount of planning a courier has to do in order to keep a zone hopping. The planning is really about conserving resources and saving time. For example, not accepting deliveries that are too far from the preferred zone. One way a courier can stick to the preferred area is by making a central location. Like a Mall or a grocery store. From that location restricting the miles traveled one way is a simple process. Just set a limit like five or six miles. If the delivery offer is over that limit, skip to the next one.
Maintaining the hot spot is a matter of keeping the pickup, and drop-offs, within a predetermined area of operation. Chasing the hot spot, is thinking another area is going to be better, because the map shows activity. However, it takes time to travel to another zone. Usually it’s on the other side of town. Therefore, while the courier travels from one hot spot to another, the rush begins to even out. By the time the courier lands in the new zone the hot spot is not so hot.
Finding the Best Zone
Having a preferred zone doesn’t just happen. It takes time, and effort, to find something that works. Furthermore, it’s important to be careful about comfort zones. Just because a zone is comfortable, doesn’t mean it produces the best opportunities for earnings. However, that is an individual preference. For some couriers, the comfort zone is synonymous with the safety zone.
For example, a particular area may not be a heavy run producer during the dinner rush. However, during the morning hours, and all through the lunch hour, the area booms. In fact, in this scenario, it’s possible for the day driver to outperform the night runners. Additionally, in this scenario, most of the delivery activity only happens during the day. This same zone performs poorly at night. Therefore, the zone, is the best zone for a day driver.
The circumstances can influence the value of a zone. Malls are great areas to monitor a dinner rush. Furthermore, most delivery apps have malls as the center of the hot spot. For new couriers just starting out, a mall is a great place to begin creating a benchmark. Especially on the weekends. Hot spots are twice as active on weekends.
The Hot Spot Runner in the Zone
Once the best zone has been established, it’s all about proximity to the hot spot. Staying within an imaginary boundary keeps the courier near the rush and relevant to the increased business. Offers happen quickly. Furthermore, couriers need quick turnaround. High mileage deliveries may pay a little more, but they take the courier further away from the hot spot and the center of all the delivery activity.
When estimating the time it takes to reach a faraway location, multiply by two. This allows for the time needed to reach the destination and then return. If it’s a busy night, such as a weekend night, the courier may get a return delivery or a delivery that connects with an adjacent zone. These are best case scenarios and don’t always happen. Furthermore, there are contributing factors. Such as, the amount of active merchants in the area, the weather, or supply and demand.
Overall, staying within a zone is a way to conserve resources and save time. When the courier saves time, it allows more time for the next run. Similarly, if a little time is saved on the next run, it allows a little more time for the next one. The savings in time can be cumulative. Furthermore, if this allows for one extra delivery per hour, the earnings will also improve. One thing is certain, the hot spot is the place to be when the rush begins. Stay safe out there.
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