2019-03-01 Money

MARCH 2019 MONEY.COM (^65)
a few deliveries, or it could have a bunch.”
Just before their scheduled start time,
drivers head out to a nearby delivery center
where they wait in line to pick up their
packages. From there, the app guides them
to the destinations. Drivers drop off each
package, making a special effort to hide items
from malicious porch pirates, and snap
photos to confirm its delivery. When their
back seat is empty or block-shift is over,
they’re done.
Many drivers are gig-economy veterans,
and several say they like Flex the best.
Kaylania Chapman, a 40-year-old in Orlando
who has a YouTube channel called the
Blessed Driver, likes that she doesn’t have to
shop for customers, as with grocery delivery
service Shipt, and can sometimes make
more than she does with food delivery
service Grubhub.
Moll, who has also driven for Lyft and
Uber, says Flex tends to give him more
control over his profits than other gigs. With
the ride-share services, he can average about
$25 an hour. With Flex, he can reach $30.
Moll listens to NPR in his Kia Rio when he
delivers for Flex. He says the physical aspect
of the gig can be a workout, and he enjoys the
occasional customer interaction.
Once, Moll saw a customer’s package
being filled with ice cream, metal scoops, and
sprinkles. When he dropped it off, Moll asked
the customer if he was hosting a party.
Delighted, the man told Moll no. He was
simply planning to stay in, get high, and eat
a lot of ice cream alone.
THE DAILY FLEX
Manzer made 34
stops during
his one shift in
January.
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