What: Dolly connects movers and those needing help moving in select U.S. cities, paying more to those with trucks.
Expected pay: $15 to $30 per hour, plus tips
Husl$core: $$$$
Commissions & Fees: NA
Where: Select U.S. cities, including Seattle, Portland, San Diego, Denver, Philadelphia, Chicago and Boston
Requirements: 18+ (21+, if you’re a driver), able to pass a background check and lift 75 pounds or more. Drivers must also have auto insurance and a truck or van
Review:
Dolly connects people who need help moving with able-bodied side hustlers who are willing to pitch in. If you have a truck, van or trailer, you can qualify as a “helper” and earn $30 or more per hour. If you just have a strong back and the transportation to get you to and from jobs, you can be a “hand” and earn $15 plus tips.
The site also allows helpers to have “assistants.” However, they get no additional pay. They’re essentially sharing the pay of the helper, who presumably requested the assistant, according to a spokesman for Dolly.
The site provides customers with some coverage for items that are damaged or broken in transit, which appears to protect the workers. Kudos for that since some of the other moving sites, such as GoShare, actually hold drivers liable for damage. (You should still buy commercial liability coverage on your vehicle, however.)
Risks
The downside? You are an independent contractor and not covered by worker’s compensation insurance. Since moving heavy objects makes you more prone to injury than your average job, make sure you have good health coverage. Also realize that there are substantial costs to operating your truck (mileage, wear & tear, additional insurance, to name a few). And when you are moving people’s possessions, you may also want to invest in straps and other equipment to secure your cargo.
The deal with assistants is also strange, since an unaffiliated assistant would otherwise be called a “hand” on this site and get his or her own pay. That said, workers always get the ability to see the proposed pay before accepting a job, which makes this opportunity appear better than average for the right person. If helping people move is your thing, also check out Truxx, BuddyTruk and HitchIt.
What their users say:
I would like to see Dolly continue to grow as it’s been an easy way for us to get some extra income. The biggest bonus? My husband has lost 20lbs since last summer and credits the moving and lifting he’s been doing on his Dolly’s.
(from Glassdoor)
As of the end of last summer – early fall of 2016, they decided to literally start giving away their services on the app. Now all posted jobs are now as low as $18.00 per job including: your hard labor, use of your truck, fuel / mileage costs etc…They have now started to post Dollys for a two person job, for as little as $19.00 and this amount includes 2 people, the use of your truck, tolls, fuel / mileage etc… so you end up not just doing the job for free, but also having to actually pay money out of your pocket to keep operating. requested jobs posted, but the pay is ridiculously low, compared to jobs listed from last year, which were more in line with what the job entailed and what the job was paying.
Keep in mind that the $30 per hour doesn’t take your overhead into consideration. You supply your truck, fuel costs, maintenance on your vehicle, tolls, all equipment, such as plastic wrap, blankets, hand dollys, tape, straps etc… You’ll pay social security and taxes out of your own pocket, so after all said and done, you’ll be lucky if you can make minimum wage.
[…] can find other good delivery jobs at Truxx and Dolly or by searching our “deliver” and “drive” […]
I had a horrible experience with Dolly. I filled out their form listing all items to move. (20 boxes, two drop-leaf tables, 8 chairs, and other assorted items) They show up with a short bed truck. What? It was open bed and raining. We had to scramble to find another mover. Adding insult to injury they charged us a $125 fee. They send the wrong sized truck and we’re to pay??!! Beware – this mover uses deceptive practices.
I drive for Dolly and GoShare and prefer GoShare. They pay by the minute and I end up making almost $50 per hour plus tips. If the job takes longer than expected, which happens a lot with moving gigs I end up making more. Dolly just pays a low flat fee.