Get more deliveries from every rider, every shift
Fewer empty trips back to the shop, stops in the right order and less waiting at the counter: how riders complete more orders in the same hours.
4 min readUpdated Outlet owners
You pay your riders for a full shift. But if you watch one for a day, you will notice that a lot of the shift is not spent delivering. The rider waits for an order to be packed, rides back with nothing, waits again, then goes out with a single bag.
Getting more deliveries per rider does not mean making them ride faster or work longer. It means taking the waiting and the empty riding out of the day.
Here is where a rider's day really goes, and what to do about it.
Where a rider's day really goes#
Part of the day | What happens |
|---|---|
Waiting at the shop | The rider arrives, and the order is not packed or not yet created. |
Riding to a customer | The useful part, but often for a single order. |
Looking for the address | Calling the customer or the shop to ask where the house is. |
Riding back empty | No order on the way back, then wait for the next. |
Only the second row earns money. The other three are waiting and wandering. Even a small cut in them gives the rider room for another trip.
Multi-drop trips#
The biggest change is carrying several orders at once. A rider with four orders in one trip rides out once and comes back once, instead of four times.
MiniDrop does the grouping for you. When you press Dispatch now, waiting orders are shared between your online riders, and each rider gets a trip with several stops in a sensible order. Read how in the dispatch guide.
Respect each rider's carrying capacity#
There is a limit to what a rider can carry. A scooter with a small box takes fewer orders than a bike with a big bag, and a cake box is not the same as a bag of vegetables.
MiniDrop plans trips within the number of orders each rider can carry, so you do not end up with an overloaded rider and crushed orders. Riders stay comfortable, and orders reach customers in good shape.
Less waiting at the counter#
The longest wait in a rider's day is often at your counter. A few habits remove most of it:
Create the order as soon as it is placed, not when the rider arrives.
Dispatch on a [schedule](article:set-up-a-dispatch-schedule), so trips are planned before the rider needs them.
Pack in the order of the stops, and keep finished bags in one place.
Tell riders when trips are coming. They get a notification in the rider app when you approve a route.
When the rider reaches your shop, the app normally checks that the rider is at your shop. If the phone signal is weak and the app cannot tell, it asks for a short pickup code. Give it only to the rider standing at your counter. The pickup code guide explains it.
Frequently asked questions#
Will riders be overworked?
The aim is not more work, but less waste. Riders ride the same hours, with fewer empty trips and less waiting. Check with your riders after a week and adjust the load.
How many orders can one rider carry?
It depends on your products and the rider's box or bag. MiniDrop plans within the number of orders a rider can carry.
Do I pay riders per delivery or per shift?
That is your decision. Planned trips help either way: a per-shift rider gets more done, and a per-delivery rider earns more from the same hours.
What if orders arrive one at a time?
Then trips will be small. You can set dispatch to run every few minutes, so a few orders are grouped, or at set times before each delivery slot.
Watch one rider for a day and write down where the time goes. Then plan the trips and compare.
Related guideHow to reduce your delivery cost per orderWork out what each delivery really costs you, then lower it with grouped trips, planned routes and better use of every rider's time.Related guideManage your delivery riders without the daily chaosSee every rider on one screen, assign trips in seconds and stop chasing updates on the phone. A practical guide for shop owners.Was this page helpful?
Related guides
Save fuel and kilometres with planned delivery routes
Riders who pick their own order of stops drive extra kilometres every day. How planned routes cut fuel and travel time for your shop.
4 min readOutlet owners
Fewer failed deliveries, fewer wasted trips
Wrong addresses, customers not home and late arrivals waste a whole trip. Practical steps to get more orders delivered the first time.
4 min readOutlet owners
Your own riders vs. delivery apps: what really costs less?
Commissions, control and customer data: an honest comparison of running deliveries with your own riders versus relying only on aggregator apps.
4 min readOutlet owners
How to reduce your delivery cost per order
Work out what each delivery really costs you, then lower it with grouped trips, planned routes and better use of every rider's time.
7 min readOutlet owners