Here's the simple math of delivery driving:
More deliveries per hour = More money per hour
But most drivers are stuck at 4-5 deliveries per hour when top earners are hitting 8-12. The difference isn't speed or working harder — it's strategy.
The Deliveries Per Hour Gap
| Driver Type | Deliveries/Hour | Hourly Earnings |
|---|---|---|
| Struggling | 3-4 | $12-16 |
| Average | 5-6 | $20-24 |
| Optimized | 8-12 | $32-48 |
Same job. Same roads. But 2-3x the earnings.
What's Slowing You Down
1. Inefficient Routes
Every time you backtrack, you lose 5-10 minutes. Do this 6 times a day and you've lost an hour of productive time.
2. Searching for Addresses
Circling blocks, checking apartment numbers, finding hidden entrances. This adds up fast.
3. Multi-Platform Juggling
If you're switching between apps and doing separate routes for each platform, you're wasting time.
4. Poor Stop Sequencing
Delivery apps don't optimize your route — they give you stops in assignment order. You're doing the work of optimization in your head while driving.
How Top Drivers Hit 10+ Deliveries Per Hour
Strategy 1: Pre-Route Optimization
Before you start driving:
- Look at ALL your stops
- Identify clusters (stops within walking distance of each other)
- Plan your general direction of travel
- Start with the farthest point and work your way back
Time saved: 15-20 minutes per shift
Strategy 2: Use FlexMesh for Automatic Optimization
Manual planning works, but FlexMesh does it better and faster.
How it works:
- Scan all your waybills (any carrier — Amazon, Intelcom, UPS, etc.)
- Add any food delivery addresses
- Tap "Optimize"
- Follow the AI-generated route
What FlexMesh considers:
- Distance between stops
- One-way streets and traffic patterns
- Logical clustering of nearby stops
- Your starting and ending points
Time saved: 30-45 minutes per shift
Strategy 3: Batch Similar Stops
When you're in an apartment building:
- Deliver to ALL units in that building before leaving
- Even if they're from different platforms
- One parking spot, multiple deliveries
When you're on a residential street:
- Park once, walk to 2-3 houses
- Don't drive 50 meters between each stop
Strategy 4: Reduce Apartment Time
Apartment deliveries eat time. Speed them up:
- Take photos of lobby directories on your first visit
- Learn which buildings have slow elevators (use stairs for low floors)
- Know your "leave at door" vs "hand to customer" quickly
- Have packages pre-sorted by stop before you leave your car
Strategy 5: Minimize Return-to-Vehicle Time
The hidden time killer:
- Park legally but strategically (closest to building entrance)
- Use a delivery bag/cart for multiple packages
- Keep your vehicle organized — no searching for packages
The FlexMesh Advantage
Here's a real comparison:
Without FlexMesh (40 packages):
- Time spent planning route: 10 minutes (in your head)
- Backtracking incidents: 5-6
- Total distance: 45 km
- Time to complete: 5 hours
- Deliveries per hour: 8
With FlexMesh (40 packages):
- Time spent planning: 2 minutes (scanning + tap)
- Backtracking incidents: 0-1
- Total distance: 28 km
- Time to complete: 3.5 hours
- Deliveries per hour: 11.4
Same 40 packages. 1.5 hours saved. 40% more efficient.
Quick Wins to Start Today
- Stop following app order blindly — Take 2 minutes to mentally group your stops
- Park once, deliver twice — Always check if you have multiple stops within walking distance
- Download FlexMesh — Let AI optimize what takes humans 10+ minutes
- Pre-sort packages — Before you leave the warehouse, organize by delivery order
- Learn your zones — Know which areas have tricky access and plan for it
The Bottom Line
The difference between earning $16/hour and $40/hour isn't working harder. It's:
- Eliminating backtracking
- Batching nearby stops
- Using route optimization (FlexMesh)
- Reducing time per stop
Download FlexMesh, optimize your routes, and watch your deliveries per hour climb.
Sources:
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