Do You Have to Dash the Whole Scheduled Time?

Being scheduled to something, or even worst, a job should mean you need to be strict to meet up with the agreed timeline, right?

For a job like DoorDash, it’s easy to wonder what happens when you aren’t able to use up your complete scheduled time, perhaps, due to an emergency, breakdown, etc.

Do You Have to Dash the Whole Scheduled Time?

Well, to begin with, you don’t have to dash the whole scheduled duration on Doordash. And there are no penalties that come with it.

If you have an emergency that requires your presence or you just felt like not dashing again, you can always pause, cancel or even edit your schedule. Usually, canceling the shift is the way to go.

However, while you shouldn’t have a problem, you should aim to honor your commitments.

Not meeting up or completing your scheduled shift a few times a month may not be bad, but when it becomes a norm, it’s no longer advisable.

This is because, from another perspective, it could look like you’re trying to game the platform.

Also, It’s best to keep in mind that you can edit your schedules as we explained earlier.

So in a situation, you’re not able to complete your schedule duration, it’s advisable to simply edit the schedules. This way, you make an official edit — which guarantees you have no penalty.

However, it’s also important to be careful while you do this, as you don’t want to finish doing it and eventually realize you need more time to dash.

Generally, the only time you’d have any major issues with scheduling is when you don’t start dashing by 30 minutes after your start time.

In this case, you’ll have your schedule canceled after making a warning note to you.

Can You Start Dashing Before Your Scheduled Time?

Basically, it depends.

Officially, DoorDash allows drivers to start dashing 15 minutes before their shift time. And in most cases, you won’t be able to dash earlier than this.

The only two ways you can start dashing above 15 minutes before your scheduled time would be when you’re already Top dasher or have the ability to “Dash now” at your current location.

For “Top dashers,” you’re already guaranteed the ability to dash now whenever you wish to. In essence, you don’t even need to schedule dashing.

Editors note: The Top Dasher program is an initiative from DoorDash that rewards their most dedicated and highest-performing drivers based on the company’s standards.

For the Dash Now option, unless you’re a Top dasher, you won’t have this button all to yourself.

Editors note: Dash now is a feature on DoorDash that allows drivers to start working immediately without having to schedule delivery at advance.

Normally, the ability to “Dash now” is dependent on a couple of factors that include the time of day, customer demand, and the number of active Dashers.

Generally, if the demand is high at a particular time of the day, and the number of active dashers is less in comparison to the demand, the chances of the “Dash Now” button being available are high.

And if it is, voila, you could dash even before your initial scheduled shift.

Why is it Important to Make Schedules on DoorDash?

1. To fight the Competition

Basically, the one importance of making schedules before dashing is to reserve a slot from the competitions.

In busy markets, DoorDash slots can fill up quickly. If you don’t schedule your dash, you may find that when you want to work, all the slots would already be filled.

As a result, it’s even important you schedule on time as well.

Thankfully, Doordash allows drivers to make pre-schedule even up to a week in advance.

2. Guaranteed Delivery

Depending on your market, you can be lucky to always come out and have the “Dash Now” button at your disposal. However, this is not applicable to every location.

If you dash in a location, usually less busy, or has a good amount of drivers, the “Dash now” button isn’t something you’ll see often.

Also, recall: If you didn’t schedule earlier enough, and you don’t have the ability to “Dash now,” you won’t be able to dash for the time being.

3. Better Preparation

While having to make schedules on a food delivery platform is not the most flexible thing, knowing your schedule ahead of time allows you to be better prepared.

You can ensure your vehicle is in good condition, you have enough fuel and have rested, ready for the job.

Final Thoughts

Thankfully, the scheduled time on DoorDash isn’t so much strict that you can get a penalty for simply not completing your shift. However, if you don’t intend to complete your shift, it’s always best to edit before quitting.