Deliveroo bicycle not getting orders? Here’s what you need to know

Most people are always quick to lay blame on their vehicles when they get fewer orders.

For some reason, there may be some truth to these claims. At least, it’s no longer news that Deliveroo has some time in 2019 launched an algorithm that places priority on certain vehicles.

But could this be the actual reason you’re not getting orders on your Bicycle?

Stick around to find out.

Understanding Deliveroo Algorithm

Before we go on to the main question, it’s important to understand how Deliveroo works.

You can jump to the main question and answer if you still wish to.

Just like most delivery platforms, Deliverood assigns drivers to specific orders. This is done using an algorithm, the company tags “Frank“. Hence, you should know everything is done automatically since it’s made through machine learning.

So, how does the Deliveroo Frank algorithm works?

Well, when an order is being made, it takes into account the type of order, the location of the restaurant, and the distance between the customer and the restaurant. It then uses the data to find the best possible driver that’d fit in.

Now, how does it determine the best possible driver?

Let’s take a quick look at them in the following headings:

Ratings

The first we have here is ratings… and it’s simple to understand.

After a successful order, customers have the option to give ratings for their orders, where they have from 1-5 stars to give to each order they make.

Typically, the higher your ratings, the higher your chances of getting more orders. In other words, you get a higher priority when you have a higher rating.

Competition

While ratings are significant, it’s important to note that they would normally come into play where there is competition in an area.

For instance, in a location like London where the competition and order rate are of course high, chances are, if there are just so many drivers, the Deliveroo algorithm, Frank, would assign available orders to drivers with higher ratings compared to low rating drivers.

And this is one reason you should be very conscious of maintaining an above-the-average rating as a delivery driver.

However, in a location with a tiny population and fewer drivers, Deliveroo would have no option but to pick a driver that’s just available, regardless of the vehicle they use.

Distance

With the recent introduction of vehicle priority in 2019, there are also some other things to keep in mind.

One of which is…distance.

Usually, the distance factor was used in the algorithm to sort of choose drivers relatively closer to a restaurant and a customer.

Easy, right?

Well, in 2019, the whole thing changed when Deliveroo introduced a priority in its algorithm for specific orders, depending on the location and distance, to be given to certain vehicles.

According to them, for longer-distance delivery, drivers with scooters or cars would be given more priority, in a situation where there are several available drivers.

But does this make using cars better? Well, you need to do some maths there.

But, could this be why you don’t get orders with your bicycles?

Well, it’s complicated.

In most cases, it could be. But as clearly explained, the vehicle priority only comes into play for orders with longer distances.

Remember, the goal of the “vehicle priority” factor in the algorithm is to fasten the delivery process for drivers. So when next you’re confused about the vehicle priority in a situation, ask your first what’s the fastest option to get an order delivered to customers.

That aside…

It’s also important to take into consideration other factors such as ratings, competition, and the population in your location.

For instance, for someone with relatively poor ratings, you’ll always get a lower priority when there are more drivers in town.

Deliveroo bicycle not getting orders: The truth behind the situation

While we’ve covered some of the generic reasons why you might not be getting orders on your Bicycle, let’s explore the problem from a more specialized point of view.

For a couple of months and a few years back, there have been several complaints on many delivery forums, about how many companies are putting higher priority on car drivers.

This is not just Deliveroo but also includes companies like Ubereats and a couple of others.

But nonetheless, the intensity of these complaints will still depend on the 3 factors mentioned above:

• Ratings
• Competition
• Distance

Here’s one complaint…

According to this guy, he used to be a Deliveroo cyclist not until left for 18 months to focus on his main jobs. While returning back, after the algorithm has been tweaked (the vehicle priority factor) the number of orders he kept on receiving was very low below the norms.

For this reason, he decided to switch to a motorcycle, which he did. A few days later, after the switch, he started getting consistent orders, as a result doubling his earnings.

And here’s someone who also confirms that the problem isn’t just exclusive to Deliveroo.

And if you think the whole thing isn’t true, you might want to check this:

This is just no longer news to the Delivery community.

Now, what’s the solution?

Unfortunately, there’s almost nothing that can be done about this, if you’re a Deliveroo Bicycle driver.

The delivery industry is just beginning to choose this route for no experimental reason. The thing is, the goal has always been to satisfy customers (which they think they’re doing), and not drivers.

Unless these companies see a reason to change the system, they’re likely not to do anything.

What to when your Deliveroo

So, what’s the way forward?

Follow the train.

If you’re someone looking to move into Driving for a living, consider switching to a motorised vehicle, where you have two options:

1. Scooter (Or Motorcycle)
2. Cars

Personally, as a former bicycle driver, switching to a scooter or any motorised two-tyre vehicle is a better option. You still get most advantages that bicycles have.

In fact, you could even go with a less expensive electric bike, as they usually have a better vehicle priority. Here’s one guy with testimonies on them:

But then, you’ll need to keep in mind the cost of getting a motorised vehicle as well as running them, such as fueling, servicing, insurance, etc.

This is also applicable to cars, as there are several requirements.

For scooters, you might want to consider getting an Electric Scooter to cut the cost of fuel.

What happens when you don’t have money to purchase a new vehicle?

Well, there are several things to do in this case. But the most advisable is to go with Deliveroo rental program for scooters and bicycles.

We talked about this extensively in our article on Deliveroo and Bikes.

Basically, this would allow you to sign a rental contract between Deliveroo partners, enabling you to rent cars from them for a token (which is not usually expensive).

However, if you still have better options, you might want to do some maths to check if it’s worth it for you.

Final Thoughts

If you’re not getting orders on your Bicycle as you use to, it could be that the Deliveroo vehicle priority factor in the algorithm has caught up with you or your location. Unfortunately, there’s nothing we can do about this, other than to follow the train.