Vehicles & equipment
Choosing a car, running costs, bikes, and the kit that earns its keep.
Guides
A day in the life of a DPD multi-drop driver
A realistic look at a shift driving for DPD, from early morning depot loading to the final parcel drop on your route.
Getting startedUpdated 25/10/2026
How to organise your car for an Evri round: packing tips
Learn how to sort, sequence, and load your car boot for an Evri round so you can finish faster and stop digging for parcels.
Practical problemsUpdated 25/10/2026
How to set up as a DPD owner driver franchisee
A step by step guide to setting up your business, buying a round, and getting on the road as a DPD owner driver franchisee.
Getting startedUpdated 17/10/2026
Phone setups and mount configurations for multi-apping
Practical advice on hardware setups to safely monitor multiple phones or split screens while on the road.
Multi-app drivingUpdated 17/10/2026
Best second-hand cars for delivery work under 5000 pounds
Find the most reliable used cars under 5000 pounds for high-mileage food and parcel delivery work.
Vehicles & equipmentUpdated 17/10/2026
Driving for DPD: owner driver, employed or Connect
There are three ways to deliver for DPD, and they are three different jobs for tax. An owner driver runs a route as a business, an employed driver is on PAYE, and a DPD Connect courier uses their own car on a local round. Here is how to tell which suits you.
Getting startedUpdated 29/09/2026
Driving for Addison Lee: the full guide
Addison Lee is London's largest private hire and courier firm, and it works differently from the apps: most drivers rent a car from it, the work leans on corporate accounts, and holiday pay is paid on every job. Here is how that shapes your money and your tax.
Getting startedUpdated 29/09/2026
Starting on Amazon Flex: requirements, insurance and pay day
What you need before your first Amazon Flex block: the right car, or an e-bike where it is offered, the two insurance policies Amazon asks for, the checks, how blocks are booked, and the day the money arrives.
Getting startedUpdated 29/09/2026
Capital allowances on a vehicle
A capital allowance is tax relief on something you bought to keep and use, spread over years rather than deducted at once. You cannot claim capital allowances on a vehicle and use the mileage rate for it, so for most gig drivers this is a road not taken.
Mileage & expensesUpdated 27/08/2026
What it really costs you per mile
Your cost per mile is fuel plus tyres, servicing, insurance, repairs and the value the car loses, divided by the miles you drive. Fuel is usually less than half of it, which is why a driver who only counts fuel thinks the work pays better than it does.
Vehicles & equipmentUpdated 27/08/2026
Fuel against electric for gig driving
On home charging an electric car is dramatically cheaper per mile than petrol, often by a factor of four or five. On public rapid charging the gap narrows to very little. Whether it works for you is mostly a question of where you charge, not of what you drive.
Vehicles & equipmentUpdated 27/08/2026
ULEZ, clean air zones and the congestion charge
If your vehicle does not meet the emissions standard, driving into a charging zone costs a daily fee. London ULEZ and the seven English clean air zones each set their own rules, and a Class C zone charges vans and taxis but not private cars.
Vehicles & equipmentUpdated 27/08/2026
Buying, leasing or PCP as a gig driver
For high-mileage gig work, buying a cheap car outright is usually cheapest, because leases and PCP deals price mileage and you will exceed the allowance. The exception is an electric lease where the fuel saving and the zone exemptions outweigh the monthly cost.
Vehicles & equipmentUpdated 27/08/2026
Your real hourly rate, and how to work it out
Your real hourly rate is what the platforms paid you, minus what the vehicle cost you, minus the tax on the profit, divided by every hour you were working. It is commonly a quarter below the headline figure, and it is the only number worth comparing between platforms.
Earnings & profitabilityUpdated 27/08/2026
Articles
Freenow vs Uber: Which pays better for London private hire drivers?
Compare take-home pay, commission rates, and job volumes between Freenow and Uber for London private hire drivers.
Earnings & profitabilityUpdated 25/10/2026
Uber Green: Is it worth buying an EV for private hire?
A realistic financial look at whether buying an electric vehicle for Uber pays off once you factor in purchase costs, charging, and fuel savings.
Vehicles & equipmentUpdated 25/10/2026
Yodel vs Evri: Which is better for parcel delivery pay?
Compare Yodel and Evri parcel delivery pay rates, round structures, and self-employed costs to see which network works best for you.
Earnings & profitabilityUpdated 17/10/2026
Addison Lee courier work vs passenger work: which pays better?
Compare earnings between Addison Lee courier jobs and passenger trips to see which side of the work brings in more profit for drivers.
Earnings & profitabilityUpdated 17/10/2026
DPD owner driver vs DPD subcontractor: Which pays more?
Compare the earnings, costs and daily reality of running your own DPD route versus working as a driver for a depot subcontractor.
Earnings & profitabilityUpdated 17/10/2026
Working Oxford Street: Is Just Eat parking a nightmare?
City centre drop-offs on Just Eat bring constant parking headaches, traffic restrictions and fine risks. Here is how drivers handle busy zones.
Practical problemsUpdated 17/10/2026
Deliveroo on Bike vs E-Bike vs Moped: Earnings Compared
Compare earnings, running costs and range for Deliveroo riders using a bicycle, e-bike or moped to find which vehicle suits your city.
Vehicles & equipmentUpdated 17/10/2026
Buying a cheap EV for delivery: 100-mile range cars compared
Are older, cheap electric cars with a 100-mile range any good for delivery shifts, or will range anxiety ruin your day?
Vehicles & equipmentUpdated 17/10/2026
Zego vs Inshur vs Acorn: which is best for delivery drivers?
Compare Zego, Inshur and Acorn for UK delivery and courier insurance. See which provider fits your vehicle, hours and apps.
InsuranceUpdated 17/10/2026
Should I use an e-bike, scooter or car for food delivery?
Compare e-bikes, motorbikes and cars for urban food delivery. Look at city parking, running costs, traffic delays and real earnings.
Getting startedUpdated 17/10/2026
Amazon Flex, Evri, DPD and Yodel: parcel work compared
Parcel work suits drivers who want daytime hours and a predictable load. The four big options differ on the vehicle they need, how you are paid, how often, and how much of the week they expect. Here they are side by side.
Earnings & profitabilityUpdated 29/09/2026
Renting a PCO car: mileage rate or actual costs?
If you rent your private hire car by the week, you cannot claim both the rental and the mileage rate. Which one to claim depends on the rent, your miles and how much of the week the car works. Here is the arithmetic.
Mileage & expensesUpdated 29/09/2026
Mileage method or actual costs: which is worth more?
For most delivery drivers the mileage method wins, and it is not close. At 55p a mile it usually beats the real running cost of an ordinary car, and it needs no receipts.
Mileage & expensesUpdated 20/08/2026
Car, moped or bike: which is best for delivery work?
A bike wins in a dense city centre, a moped wins in most towns, and a car wins on parcel work and bad weather. The tax relief follows the same order in reverse.
Vehicles & equipmentUpdated 20/08/2026
Is Amazon Flex worth it?
Blocks look well paid until you subtract fuel, wear and tax. Here is how to work out what a Flex block is actually worth to you.
Earnings & profitabilityUpdated 19/08/2026
What makes a good delivery car?
Running cost per mile matters more than the sticker price. How to compare vehicles for delivery work, and where electric does and does not pay.
Vehicles & equipmentUpdated 19/08/2026