We’re living in a strange time. The outbreak of COVID-19 has left the US public in an eerily quiet state. Schools and businesses close, events are canceled, and folks walk down empty streets in masks and gloves.
Amidst all of the strangeness, however, we can see a trend developing – one that expands upon ideas that have been forming for years. As 2020 moves forward, it’s clear that full-time jobs, with all of their benefits and drawbacks, may not be the norm much longer. Shocks like the coronavirus tend to interrupt the status-quo and make room for change, particularly with the new economic policies announced by Trump on March 11. In this case, it looks like part of that change will be in the form of popularized contractor work.
We’ve already seen many companies move their workforce to a work-from-home model as a defense against the virus, which goes to show that the tools and technology to quickly onboard new workers, whether part-time or gig workers, are available, and only getting better. As they improve, many businesses will find that they can improve their profitability by switching to such systems.
Those looking to try their hand at contracting work in the past few years have been essentially funneled toward Uber or Lyft, both of which emphasize how flexibly and easily one can make money on their platform. But with the world in its current state, there are more than a few reasons one may not be so keen to sit in a small space with a stranger.
Enter package delivery.
Companies like Amazon and Rapidus are beginning to draw just as much attention from the contractor scene as Uber and Lyft, and for good reason. The option to earn income for dealing with boxes and parcels instead of people is rather attractive when you consider the following.
For one thing, it’s a lot safer. In times of outbreak like this, and during any cold and flu season, sitting in a closed space as someone behind you sniffles and coughs and fills your shared air with infectious particles is not on anyone’s list of favorite activities. You never know who is getting in your car, nor the state of their health.
With packages, it’s as simple as handling them with gloves or using hand sanitizer. You don’t have to cringe into the windshield, and they don’t have to be embarrassed each time they exhale.
Along with not carrying infectious diseases, packages are also just easier to deal with in general. They aren’t backseat drivers, they won’t make a mess of your car, and they certainly won’t care what type of music you play. Suddenly, your vehicle is your own again, and you’re still making money.
In terms of compensation, delivering packages instead of driving people around eliminates some of the uncertainty. Driving packages means relying on a steady income rather than wondering if the irritating, coughing lady in the backseat will ti[p.
Unlike a lot of full-time professions, the need for delivery drivers is only increasing. Even on a good day, our society craves ever-more-instant gratification, but with a virus outbreak on the rise, people will be even more unwilling to leave their homes to shop, visit restaurants, or pick up mail. This results in fewer people, but more packages traveling. That’s where you come in. Job security in a position like this is high.
Times are changing, and though the uncertainty can be daunting at times, we can, and will, adapt. Shocks like the coronavirus will push our society to move in a new direction. We just have to be ready to go with it.
Meanwhile, Rapidus is helping businesses by enabling remote work throughout the COVID-19 outbreak period with one-hour and same-day delivery for businesses, 24/7/365.