A small business owner went viral after urging viewers to not drive for Uber and DoorDash.
TikToker @truckingsuccesspro garnered over 962,000 views when he advised people stuck in a ride-sharing rut to try a field that’s less stressful than delivering food or driving people around.
“Medical couriers, they’re making a killing. You make more money with less effort,” he claimed.
Medical couriers transport things like “medical supplies, equipment, specimens, and records between healthcare facilities, laboratories, and patients,” according to Zippia.
Though the job sounds less stressful than Ubering or DoorDashing, there are some catches. The first is that you’ll have to set up a business.
“You’re gonna need to be an LLC or something like that to get set up,” he continued. “Get a tax identification number, and then you’re gonna need to get a bank account.”
The TikToker lists three websites to visit to search for routes: CourierGigs.com, Dropoff.com, and DiligentUSA.com.
But there is a second step if you want to get more lucrative routes, he argued. The TikToker shared that medical courier drivers need to get certifications “that’ll help you high paying loads.”
Specifically, the TikToker suggested the blood borne pathogen certification.
“You can get it for as little as $9.99,” he continued. “You don’t have to be highly intelligent. Look if I did it anybody can do it, trust me.”
Another benefit of being a medical courier is that drivers can use their own cars.
“You don’t have to have a sprinter van, cargo van, any of that. You can do it right out of your own personal car,” he added.
However, there is another condition that needs to be met before someone can become a medical courier.
“You’re gonna have to get commercial insurance,” he said. “If you get into an accident, you’re gonna be in a world of trouble if it’s found out that you were doing business, … doing career work out of your car. It’s gonna be a little bit more, but it’ll be worth it with the amount of money you’re making.”
@truckingsuccesspro #ubereatsdriver #doordashdriver #sidehustle #trucking #cargovanbusiness ♬ original sound – truckingsuccesspro
Commenters who’ve worked as a medical courier agreed with the TikToker’s advice.
“I do it,” one said. “He is telling the truth and we just pick up and drop off and get paid weekly money is VERY GOOD.”
“I have a Secretarial service I’ve had for 33 years and I have a couple customers that do Medical carrier. You are 100% right. The money they make is almost obscene. I did their invoices and email them,” another agreed.
Others pointed out that commercial insurance and location affected whether or not being a medical courier was worth it.
“Commercial insurance is like 4x expensive. Most people don’t realize they have a great deal on personal auto already with their sketchy credit & driving records,” a user said.
“Sounds great and all but I just searched the jobs here in Vegas, they only paying maximum $20/hr. My bro in law makes $40/hr and up when they’re surges during Uber spike times,” a second added.
There are downsides to this career path, according to the Houston Chronicle. There are reportedly extended periods without work, and being a medical courier does not guarantee steady work. Couriers also reportedly undergo pressure to meet performance expectations. Approximately 74% of couriers have reported experiencing time pressure when making deliveries.
However, couriers reportedly make an approximate income of $34,270 annually from deliveries alone, which is more than most minimum wage employees make.
Although there are cons to working as a courier driver, working as an Uber or DoorDash driver comes its own challenges. These include unruly passengers, companies taking the bulk of surge profits, and low pay.
The Daily Dot reached out to @truckingsuccesspro via email for further comment.
