DoorDash is trying a new way of making deliveries — and it doesn't involve gig workers
The delivery service is working with at least two local delivery providers, one in Austin, Texas, and another in Fresno, California, through its Local Commerce Service Partner Program. The local providers handle hiring the employees, but the orders that they fill come from DoorDash.
Websites for both companies say they are hiring W2 employees. That's a big change from the gig workers that DoorDash and other delivery services have largely built their businesses on.
Though small in scale, the partnerships represent a fundamentally different business model from the one that DoorDash has used to become one of the world's largest delivery services.
Since its founding in 2013, DoorDash has relied on independent contractors, who are generally paid for each delivery they complete and have more flexibility about when they work than traditional employees. Uber, Lyft, Instacart, and other delivery companies have also relied on gig workers to build their businesses, leading millions of people in the US into the gig economy.
But using employees who are paid hourly and work shifts of up to several hours at a time helps make sure DoorDash always has people on hand to make deliveries, a company spokesperson said.
