Question 1

Is Uber or DoorDash driving considered severe duty for maintenance?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Manufacturer severe-service criteria include extensive idling, stop-and-go traffic, and frequent short trips - which describes a typical rideshare or delivery shift almost exactly. Use the severe-service interval in your owner's manual rather than the normal one, or the shorter end of any interval range if only one schedule is listed.

Question 2

How often should a rideshare or delivery driver change their oil?

Accepted Answer

Using the standard severe-service interval of 3,750-5,000 miles, a driver logging 35,000 miles a year hits that interval every 6-8 weeks (5,000 / 35,000 x 52 = about 7.4 weeks; 3,750 / 35,000 x 52 = about 5.6 weeks) - not every few months like it would for a normal-use driver.

Question 3

Can I deduct car maintenance costs as a gig driver?

Accepted Answer

Maintenance can be part of what's deductible if you use the actual-expense method rather than the standard mileage rate, but the two methods have different rules and you generally cannot mix them for the same vehicle in a year. Check with a tax advisor about which method applies to your situation - keeping dated, itemized maintenance records is worth doing either way.

Question 4

How much faster do brakes and tires wear with rideshare or delivery driving?

Accepted Answer

Stop-and-go city driving wears front brake pads on roughly a 15,000-25,000 mile cycle instead of the 25,000-45,000+ miles a normal-use driver sees, and at 35,000 miles a year that arrives every 5-8.5 months rather than annually. Tires rated for 40,000-50,000 miles of tread life land at roughly 14-17 months of gig-pace driving instead of several years for an average commuter.

Car Maintenance for DoorDash, Uber and Gig Drivers: The 30,000-Miles-a-Year Schedule