If you enjoy driving and have a car, you may be able to use that everyday skill to make money. There are numerous ways to drive and make money, whether through ridesharing, delivering food, or being a tour guide.
Not only is this an easy way to bring in some cash, it can be a very flexible gig. You can set your own hours or get behind the wheel when your schedule allows.
Want to learn more about all the ways you can get paid for driving? Then read on, and get ready to start your engine. Here are 11 tips on how to make money with your car.
Table of Contents
Key Points
• Before you jump into making money by driving, consider the costs and wear and tear on your car.
• Ridesharing involves using apps like Uber or Lyft to pick up passengers.
• Food delivery through apps like DoorDash or UberEats is another way to make money while driving.
• Grocery delivery can be done via apps such as Instacart.
• Other options include delivering goods via services like Shipt or Amazon Flex and helping people move large items through platforms like Taskrabbit or GoShare.
What to Consider Before Using Your Car to Make Money
Before you set out on your new road to earning extra income, it’s wise to make sure that driving to make money is right for you and that it will help you with saving for your goals.
Driving to make money with your car isn’t necessarily a low-cost side hustle, since you’ll be responsible for gas, vehicle maintenance, and repairs. But as a self-employed worker, you’ll be able to write off some expenses on your tax return.
Consider the following before embarking on ways to make money with a car.
Vehicle Wear, Tear, and Depreciation
Using your car to drive and make money can rack up a lot of miles. An uptick in use will put stress on your vehicle, leading to its overall car depreciation and potentially more trips to the mechanic.
Special Insurance Requirements for Gig Workers
You will need proper insurance to cover yourself and possibly a passenger. There are usually specific insurance requirements to be eligible for ridesharing and other driving gigs, so scrutinize your policy to see what car insurance covers for you in this situation. You may need to buy additional insurance, such as commercial insurance.
Self-Employment Taxes and Mileage Tracking
If you earn more than $400 while driving your car to make money, the IRS considers you an independent contractor. Along with a Form 1040, you’ll have to fill out a Schedule C form as you file taxes as a freelancer. You’ll also be subject to the self-employment tax.
Additionally, you will need to carefully track your mileage while driving to earn money. You can only deduct the miles you use while performing your job, and not commuting to and from home to your work location. The IRS has set the mileage rate for tax year 2026 at 72.5 cents per mile.
11 Ways to Earn Money by Driving
If you own a car and could use some extra cash, chances are you may have wondered, How can I make money with my car? The answer depends on where you live, the kind of car you own, other skills you may have, and your personal preferences.
Whether you own your car or lease it, however, the opportunities are out there for starting a small business. Here are 11 ways to make money with a car.
1. Driving for Rideshare Apps (Uber, Lyft)
Rideshare driving has become a popular way to earn money in recent years. You can drive as often as your schedule allows, and rideshare companies such as Uber and Lyft generally make the driver sign-up process as streamlined as possible.
If you have a good driving record, a flexible schedule, and newer four-door vehicle, working for a rideshare app can potentially be a good source of extra income, especially if you’re willing to give up your Friday and Saturday nights to earn prime-hour cash. Your specific earnings will depend on how often you drive, when, and for how long, as well as where you are located. Uber drivers can earn anywhere from $7.65 to $39.30 per hour, with the average coming in at $20.47, according to Indeed.
2. Delivering Restaurant Food (DoorDash, UberEats)
Another way you can start driving to make money: by delivering anything from a smoothie to Pad Thai. When you sign up with food delivery apps such as DoorDash and UberEats, you’ll get notifications to pick up food from participating restaurants and drive them to hungry patrons. For every delivery, you’ll get paid.
Drivers for Door Dash can earn around $17 and $24 per hour, according to some reports, but the national average hourly pay is $18.70, according to Indeed.
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3. Grocery Delivery Services (Instacart, Shipt)
If you want to earn money driving without delivering takeout food, consider delivering groceries instead. Apps such as Instacart and Shipt rely on independent drivers to shop and deliver groceries to people’s homes.
Grocery deliverers can make between $11.95 and $35.90 an hour, with a national average of $23.76 per hour. Be sure and check for any requirements. For example, to work for Instacart, you need to be age 18 or older, have a bank account, be eligible to work in the U.S., and be able to lift 40 pounds.
4. Delivering Packages and Retail Goods (Amazon Flex)
Food isn’t the only thing you can deliver to earn money while driving. There’s a whole world of goods out there that people want delivered. Amazon Flex allows independent drivers to deliver packages on their own schedules for an hourly wage. They do require you to have a mid-size, four-door sedan or a larger vehicle and you must be at least age 21.
5. Hauling and Moving Large Items (TaskRabbit, GoShare)
If you own a van, SUV, or truck and can do some heavy lifting, you could use your vehicle and your strength to make big bucks by helping move items.
Maybe a recent grad can finally afford to move out from their parents’ place, or someone is moving to a new, nearby neighborhood. People like these often need help moving oversized items such as furniture or multiple heavy boxes a short distance.
You can check out websites like Taskrabbit to see if someone needs moving assistance, or register with an online service such as GoShare that will connect you with clients.
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6. Shuttling Children and Trusted Carpooling
With the proper qualifications, you can drive to make money by transporting children. Many working parents need help getting their kids to and from school or to their after-school activities. You can search Care.com or other childcare employment sites for part-time gigs driving children where they need to be.
Companies such as HopSkipDrive work with school districts and independent drivers to solve child transportation issues. Most of these types of jobs require around five years of caregiving experience working directly with kids, in-person interviews, and background checks among other mandatory requirements.
7. Medical Transport and Senior Assistance Driving
Some seniors need help getting around town but prefer not to use rideshare services. Check with elder-care services in your community. They may need drivers to help get their clients to a doctor’s appointment, a store, or an activity.
You will likely need similar vetting to that mentioned for chauffeuring children.
8. Hosting Local Driving Tours
If you love talking to other people and have insider knowledge of your area, being a tour guide could be a fun way to make money while driving. You could register with online companies such as ToursByLocals and create a private driver profile to promote your insider savvy.
This could involve showing tourists local highlights, or sharing hidden treasures that they might not otherwise learn about. It’s a win-win when you use your hometown smarts to boost your financial security.
9. Wrapping Your Car for Advertising (Wrapify, Carvertise)
Here’s a unique passive income idea, though it’s not for everyone: Consider turning your car into a mobile billboard. Companies such as Wrapify and Carvertise will match you with a local advertising campaign and supply you with temporary “wraps” for your car that promote a product. Depending on where you drive and the size of your car, you could make an average of $100 and $400 a month.
Typically, these businesses want to wrap cars that are on the road and visible for much of the time. If you are doing deliveries by car, this might be a way to bring in more cash to deposit in your savings account.
10. Renting Out Your Car (Peer-to-Peer Car Sharing Like Turo)
You can make money off your car without even driving it. Companies such as Turo allow you to rent out your vehicle. They will vet borrowers and cover insurance.
If you don’t want to do ridesharing, let others do it for you. Companies like HyreCar arrange to lend your car to other vetted drivers who want to earn money for Lyft or Uber. But to really make some dough, you would have to be willing to part with your vehicle often.
11. Earning Cash Back for Safe Driving (Telematics Apps)
Here’s another way that driving can bring in some cash: If you are a safe driver, you may be eligible for a bit of money. These potential perks are something to explore as you’re doing financial planning for freelancers and figuring out your income and expenses. For example, Allstate will reward you with a Safe Driving Bonus every six months if you don’t get in a fender-bender.
The State Farm insurance app will track your car to determine if you are driving safely — it monitors things like staying within the speed limit and coming to a complete stop versus a rolling one. You could get up to a 30% discount on your auto insurance.
The Takeaway
If you have a vehicle, you can use it to make extra money. Signing up with the right apps and online services can get your car (and your new income stream) up and running. Whether it’s doing deliveries, transporting a sofa, or helping a person get to their destination, it’s possible to turn your vehicle (plus your driving skills) into a profit-mobile.
Interested in opening an online bank account? When you sign up for a SoFi Checking and Savings account with eligible direct deposit, you’ll get a competitive annual percentage yield (APY), pay zero account fees, and enjoy an array of rewards, such as access to the Allpoint Network of 55,000+ fee-free ATMs globally. Qualifying accounts can even access their paycheck up to two days early.
FAQ
Do I need commercial auto insurance to make money driving my car?
You may need commercial auto insurance if you transport people or goods in your car to earn money. Check with your current car insurance provider as well as the company you are working for to find out more details, including what their policies cover.
Can I deduct gas and mileage on my taxes if I drive for a delivery app?
Yes, you can deduct the mileage you use while driving for a delivery app or the actual gas costs (you cannot deduct both mileage and gas). Choose either the 2026 mileage rate of 72.5 cents per mile set by the IRS or the actual cost of the gas you use for your job. You will need to keep detailed records of your work mileage and costs as documentation for your taxes.
Which driving app pays the highest hourly rate in 2026?
The app TaskRabbit, through which you can haul and move things for people with your vehicle, pays workers the highest hourly rate of $38 per hour, according to a 2026 report from Gridwise Analytics.
Can I rent out my leased or financed car on peer-to-peer apps?
If you lease your car, the lease contract may prohibit you from renting out the vehicle. Check the contract for more details. If you own a car and you’re financing it, you should be able to rent out the vehicle. But you may want to read over your financing contract to be sure.
Is it worth making money with an older, high-mileage vehicle?
It depends on the type of work you’re hoping to do. An older, high-mileage car might be fine for delivery work like food delivery or grocery delivery, but ridesharing apps require newer vehicles that don’t have high mileage. In general, jobs that require transporting people typically require newer cars without high mileage.
Photo credit: iStock/Hispanolistic
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