Uber Eats Driver Not Moving - Why Is It Happening?

Are you wondering why is your Uber Eats driver not moving? When you place an order using the Uber Eats app, you can see where your Uber Eats driver is once they’ve accepted your order. Once in a while, you may notice your driver sitting in one spot on the map, seemingly not moving or doing anything. Why is this happening?

In this post, we’ll look at the main reasons why your Uber Eats driver isn’t moving. Here are the main reasons why this could be happening.

Your Uber Eats Driver Is Waiting For A Stacked Order

The most common reason your Uber Eats driver might be in one spot for a while is that they are waiting to pick up another Uber Eats order. To improve efficiency, Uber Eats often stacks multiple orders with one driver. That means your driver may be assigned your order and another order along the way.

Most of the time, when your driver has another Uber Eats order to pick up or deliver, the app won’t show you their exact location and will instead only tell you that your Uber Eats driver is dropping off another order along the way. You won’t be able to see where the driver is until they’ve completed the other Uber Eats order and are on the way to deliver your order.

That being said, drivers can accidentally hit the wrong button and mark that they are on the way with your order before they’ve actually delivered the other stacked order. That’s why you might see an Uber Eats driver sitting in one spot for a while.

Your Uber Eats Driver Is Multi-Apping

Another common reason your Uber Eats driver might not be moving is that they are multi-apping. Multi-apping is the practice of working for multiple delivery apps at the same time. As a driver, you can dramatically improve your earnings by accepting orders from multiple delivery apps (i.e. DoorDash and Grubhub), rather than only relying on Uber Eats.

In an ideal situation, multi-apping doesn’t impact the delivery experience for the customer so long as the restaurants are preparing orders on time and customers are quick to pick up their orders from the driver. Problems can arise when restaurants are busy or slow or when a customer forces a driver to wait for a while.

If your Uber Eats driver isn’t moving, this is likely the situation that’s happening. They’re either waiting for the restaurant to finish an order or they are waiting for a customer to pick up their order from them. So long as it doesn’t take too long, I wouldn’t sweat it too much.

What Your Driver Probably Isn’t Doing

If you read comments online, you’ll see people spouting nonsense about what drivers must be doing when they aren’t moving. Most of the time, these are ridiculous assumptions. Here are things some people think drivers must be doing when they aren’t moving that is probably not happening.

Eating Your Food. While there are reports of Uber Eats drivers eating a customer’s food, the vast majority of drivers do not do this. That isn’t to say it’s not possible, but you have to believe that most people aren’t that low-class to eat your food while they’re delivering it.

Taking A Nap. I’ve seen some people suggest that drivers are taking a nap if they aren’t moving for a while. This is so stupid and is not what’s happening. Is it possible they’re napping? Sure. But it’s highly unlikely.

Doing Something Else Nefarious. Whatever horrible thing you think is happening, your driver likely isn’t doing that. Most likely, they are stuck in traffic. They could also be picking up a stacked order or they are multi-apping. Unless your food arrives extremely late, it’s not anything to get stressed about.

What Should You Do If Your Uber Eats Driver Is Not Moving?

It can be understandable to be upset if you see your Uber Eats driver not moving for a while. If the food arrives very late, then you can be upset. But most of the time, your order is probably still going to arrive in the expected time frame that was given to you.

If your food doesn’t arrive by the latest estimated arrival time in the Uber Eats app, you can contact Uber Eats support in the app and cancel your order for a full refund. Note that when you do this, Uber Eats will offer you a 20% credit of Uber Eats cash if you keep the order instead of canceling it. This is what I usually do whenever an order arrives late. I still get my food and I get a little bit of money too.

If you really want, you can message the driver and ask them what they are doing. But, my advice is not to do this. It’s annoying for the driver and most drivers do not appreciate being questioned by customers or hassled like this. Unless you have some reason to watch the Uber Eats app carefully, I say don’t look at it until you get the notification that your driver has arrived.

Final Thoughts

There are many reasons why your Uber Eats driver isn’t moving. Most likely, it’s going to be because they’re waiting for another order to be ready – either because they picked up a stacked order or they’re multi-apping (i.e. delivering for multiple apps at the same time()

Either way, so long as you get your order within the expected time window, you shouldn’t have much reason to complain. Order your food and relax, instead of sitting there watching your driver in the app.

More Recommended Ebike/Scooters

Check out these other ebikes/scooters I've had the chance to do a review for:

GEN3 Outcross Bike – The GEN3 Outcross is a solid, affordable fat tire ebike that does a good job of doing what I need it to do. It works great for city riding, giving me a smooth ride in all conditions. It’s works really well as a winter ebike since the fat tires give it good traction over snow and ice. Check out my GEN3 Outcross Review.
Himiway Escape Bike – The Himiway Escape is an interesting bike for anyone looking for a moped-style ebike. If you’re a gig economy worker, the Himiway Escape is particularly interesting and it’s possible to think of it as an investment, especially if you can opt to do deliveries with the Himiway versus using a car. It’s not cheap, but you can definitely make your money back when you compare the mileage you’ll put on your car versus using an ebike. Check out my Himiway Escape Bike Review.
Espin Sport Bike – The Espin Sport is a good ebike for someone who is looking for an ebike that feels and rides more like a regular bike. There are many ebikes that are really only bikes in name. In reality, they’re basically electric mopeds. The Espin Sport, by contrast, is a bike you could probably ride without the battery and you’d feel like you’re just riding a regular bike. Check out my Espin Sport Review.
Varla Eagle One Scooter – The Varla Eagle One is an excellent scooter that can make sense for a lot of people. It can work as a primary mode of transportation. You can use it to work on gig economy apps like DoorDash, Uber Eats, and Grubhub. And it can also be a recreational vehicle if you’d prefer to use it for that. Check out my Varla Eagle One Review.
Fucare H3 Scooter – The Fucare H3 is a fun scooter and I’ve enjoyed testing it out. For a daily commuter or quick trips or errands, the Fucare H3 is probably the scooter I’ll use. It’s portable and easy to maneuver, so it’s just easier to take on the road when I need it. Check out my Fucare H3 Scooter Review.

More Recommended Investing App Bonuses

For additional investing app bonuses, be sure to check out the ones below:

M1 Finance ($10) – This is a great robo-advisor that has no fees and allows you to create a customized portfolio based on your risk tolerance. You also get $10 for opening an account. Check out my M1 Finance Referral Bonus – Step-By-Step Guide.
SoFi Invest ($25) – SoFi Invest is an easy brokerage account bonus that you can earn with just a few minutes of work. Use my SoFi Invest referral link, fund your SoFi Invest brokerage account with $100 and you’ll get $25 of free stock. I also have a step-by-step guide for the SoFi Invest referral bonus.
Moomoo (5 free stocks) – Moomoo is a free investing app currently offering 5 free stocks (usually worth around $75-$100) if you open an account using a referral link and deposit $2,000. Read my Moomoo referral bonus guide for more information.
Webull (5 free stocks) – Webull also gives you 5 free stock valued between $3-$3,000 each if you open an account using my referral link. Here’s a guide I wrote about how to earn your free stocks using Webull.
Robinhood (1 free stock) – Robinhood gives you a free stock valued between $2.50-$225 if you open an account using my referral link.
Public (1 free stock) - Public gives you a free stock valued between $3-$70 if you open an account using my referral link.

More Recommended Bank Account Bonuses

If you’re looking for more easy bank bonuses, check out the below options. These bonuses are all easy to earn and have no fees or minimum balance requirements to worry about.

Chime ($100) - Chime is a free bank account that offers a referral bonus if you use a referral link and complete a direct deposit of $200 or more. In practice, any ACH transfer into this account triggers the bonus. This bonus is easy to earn and posts instantly, so you’ll know if you met the requirements as soon as you move money into the account. I wrote a step-by-step guide on how to earn your Chime referral bonus that I recommend you check out.
Digital Federal Credit Union ($100) – Digital Federal Credit Union (DCU) is a free, nationwide credit union that I recommend to readers for two reasons. First, DCU has a $100 referral bonus if you open a free DCU checking account with a referral link. Second, DCU has a saving account that gives you 6.17% interest on your first $1,000. Check out my in-depth post on how to set this account up.
Upgrade ($100) – Upgrade is a free checking account that’s currently offering a $100 referral bonus if you open an account and complete three debit card transactions. These bonus terms are easy to meet, so it’s well worth doing this bonus as soon as you can. Importantly, this bonus says that it’s now scheduled to end on January 31, 2023. As long as you get your account opened before January 31st, you should be eligible. Here’s a post I wrote with more details: Upgrade $100 Referral Bonus – Step By Step Directions.
SoFi Money ($275) – SoFi Money is a free checking account from SoFi. They’re currently offering a $25 referral bonus if you open a SoFi account with a referral link and deposit $10. You can also make an additional $250 as well if you complete a direct deposit. This is a good bank that is also 100% free, so you won’t have to worry about managing this account. Here’s a post I wrote with instructions on how to earn your SoFi Money bonus: SoFi Money Referral Bonus: Step By Step Guide.
Current ($50) – Current is a free fintech bank that’s offering new users a $50 referral bonus after signing up for an account using a referral link.Current is an easy bonus to earn and also gives you access to three savings accounts that pay you 4% interest on up to $2,000. That means you can put away up to $6,000 earning 4% interest. That’s very good and makes Current an account I recommend to everyone. Check out my step-by-step guide on how to earn your Current Bank bonus.
Fairwinds Credit Union ($100) – Fairwinds Credit Union is offering a referral bonus for users that sign up using a referral link. Fairwinds has no fees or minimum balance, so this is a particularly easy bonus to earn. Since this is a smaller credit union, my gut instinct tells me this offer won’t be around long, so if you’re in a position to meet the bonus requirements, grab this bonus before it’s gone. Here is my step-by-step guide on how to earn your Fairwinds Credit Union bonus.
OnJuno ($60) – OnJuno is a fintech/neobank that is currently offering a $10 referral bonus if you open an account using a referral link and make a deposit of $50 or more. You will also get 1000 JCOIN. The 1000 of JCOIN is cryptocurrency. At the time I'm writing this, it'll be worth about $50. Check out my OnJuno referral bonus guide here.
Varo ($30) – Varo is a free fintech banking app similar to Chime or Current. It’s currently offering a $30 bonus to new users that open a new Varo account with a referral link. The bonus for this bank is very easy to meet, all you need to do is spend $20 within 30 days of opening your Varo account. Check out my step-by-step guide to learn how to earn this bonus.
Novo Bank ($40) - Novo bank is a free business checking account that’s currently offering a $40 bonus if you open a Novo business checking account using a referral link. In addition to being a good bank bonus, Novo is also a good business checking account. It has no monthly fees or minimum balance requirements and operates a good app and website. Indeed, it’s the business checking account I currently use for this blog. Check out my post on how to easily open a Novo account.
Albert ($150) – If you can manage to do a real direct deposit, Albert is an easy account you can use to earn a referral bonus. Here’s a review about Albert I wrote. And here’s a step-by-step guide on how to earn your Albert referral bonus.
Netspend ($20 + 5% Interest Savings Account) – Netspend is a company that provides 5% interest savings accounts. If you sign up using my referral link, you’ll get a $20 signup bonus once you make your first deposit into your Netspend account of $40 or more. That means you get a 5% interest savings account and a free $20 to start! Make sure to check out my in-depth guide on how to set up these accounts.

Kevin is an attorney and the blogger behind Financial Panther, a blog about personal finance, travel hacking, and side hustling using the gig economy. He paid off $87,000 worth of student loans in just 2.5 years by choosing not to live like a big shot lawyer.

Kevin is passionate about earning money using the gig economy and you can see all the ways he makes extra income every month in his side hustle reports.

Kevin is also big on using the latest fintech apps to improve his finances. Some of Kevin's favorite fintech apps include:

SoFi Money. A really good checking account with absolutely no fees. You'll get a $25 referral bonus if you open a SoFi Money account with a referral link, and an additional $250 if you complete a direct deposit.
DCU. Digital Federal Credit Union (DCU) is a free, nationwide credit union that I recommend to readers for two reasons. First, DCU has a $100 referral bonus if you open a free DCU checking account with a referral link. Second, DCU has a savings account that gives you 6.17% interest on your first $1,000.
Novo Bank. Novo bank is a free business checking account that’s currently offering a $40 bonus if you open a Novo business checking account using a referral link. It’s the business checking account I currently use for this blog.
M1 Finance. This is a great robo-advisor that has no fees and allows you to create a customized portfolio based on your risk tolerance. You also get $10 for opening an account.
Personal Capital. One of best free apps you can use to monitor your portfolio and track your net worth. This is one of the apps I use to track my financial accounts.