Uber Eats Trip Radar is a new feature that Uber recently launched that’ll show you available orders on a first-come, first-served basis (i.e. these orders are available for anyone to accept). This feature was initially limited to a few select cities, but it seems that Uber launched this feature in more cities (or perhaps nationwide at this point). In any event, if you deliver for Uber Eats, you’ve probably started to notice the Uber Eats Trip Radar appearing in your app.
So what is the Uber Eats Trip Radar? In this post, we’ll take a look at the Uber Eat Trip Radar, analyze how it works, and discuss whether you should accept the orders that you see on the trip radar.
What Is Uber Eats Trip Radar?
At the outset, let’s look at what the Uber Eats Trip Radar is. This is a feature that Uber Eats recently introduced in their app. Orders that appear in the Trip Radar will appear at the bottom of the app, in a section labeled Trip Radar. These deliveries are available on a first-come, first-served basis, meaning anyone that sees these orders can accept them.
Here’s what the Trip Radar looks like on the main screen of your Uber Eats driver app:
As you can see, Trip Radar will show you the number of deliveries available for grabs, as indicated by the circled number. When you click the Trip Radar button, it’ll bring you to a screen that shows you all the available Trip Radar delivery requests.
The Trip Radar screen will show you all the information you’d see in a normal delivery request. That includes the payout, the distance, and the restaurant and delivery location. You can use this information to make an informed decision about whether to accept the order. It’s important to note that Trip Radar requests are available to every driver, so you’ll likely have to be quick about whether you want to accept the order or not.
It’s important to note that you’ll Trip Radar doesn’t replace the regular delivery requests you receive. Uber Eats advertises as a way to get extra trips. Indeed, in their information about Trip Radar, Uber Eats describes it as a feature that “shows you extra trips in your area.” In other words, while you may see Trip Radar requests, those don’t replace the regular delivery requests you’ll receive in your driver app.
Should You Accept Uber Eats Trip Radar Deliveries?
My understanding of Trip Radar is that orders that are repeatedly rejected by other drivers make their way to Trip Radar. This makes sense, as in the past, orders that were rejected simply sat until new drivers logged in and were sent the delivery request. With Trip Radar, these orders now have a better chance of being completed since they’ll go out to everyone in the area.
The main issue with Trip Radar requests is that most of them are terrible orders. In my time doing Uber Eats, I’ve rarely seen a worthwhile delivery request coming from the Trip Radar screen. Many are no-tip orders and/or are going long distances for little pay.
This makes sense when you think about it. Trip Radar requests, if I understand correctly, only make their way there after they’ve been repeatedly rejected by other Uber Eats drivers. If so many people are rejecting the order, likely, it’s not a very good one.
So, for the most part, I’d recommend ignoring Trip Radar requests. The exception would be if it’s an order that is on its way to somewhere you want to go and likely won’t take you out of the way or take too long to complete. I’ll sometimes accept low-paying orders when I’m commuting home simply because the order is one I can deliver on the way home. It’s part of the monetizing your life strategy I often use when I think of these gig economy apps.
That being said, most Trip Radar requests will be terrible and you’ll be better off ignoring them unless you’re desperate for deliveries. Uber Eats tends to make things seem like a game to get more people to accept orders and you can see that Trip Radar would instill a FOMO fear in a lot of people (fear of missing out). Don’t fall for it! Take your time to look at these Trip Radar requests and make sure they make sense for you.
Final Thoughts
The Uber Eats Trip Radar is an interesting feature, but ultimately one that isn’t too useful for most drivers. Orders only make it to the Trip Radar screen after they’ve been rejected by other drivers. And while it can be useful in some circumstances, for most people, the Trip Radar requests will either be too low-paying or take too long to complete (either going too far away or taking you to areas you don’t want to go). The only time I would consider accepting an Uber Eats Trip Radar request is if it’s on my way to somewhere I want to go already. Otherwise, I’m generally ignoring these requests.
Still, my experience with Trip Radar could be different than yours, and maybe you have better luck in your market. If you’ve tried out Trip Radar and have had success with these delivery requests, please let me know in the comments.
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More Recommended Ebike/Scooters
Check out these other ebikes and scooters I've reviewed:
- Urban Arrow Ebike – Last year, I made one of the largest purchases I’ve ever made – I bought a $9,000 electric cargo bike from Urban Arrow. In my Urban Arrow review, I will discuss what it is and why I decided to buy this bike, as well as discuss how impactful a bike like this can be on your journey to financial independence.
- Troxus Explorer Step-Thru Ebike – The Troxus Explorer Step-Thru is a fat-tire ebike that I’ve had the pleasure of riding for a while now. It has amazing power, great looks, and awesome range. If you’re looking for a great fat-tire ebike that offers a lot for the price, the Troxus Explorer Step-Thru is definitely one for you to consider. Check out my Troxus Explorer Step-Thru Review.
- Hovsco HovBeta Ebike – The HovBeta is a folding ebike with great specs and a lot of interesting features, and importantly, it’s sold at a good price point. I’ve had a blast commuting with it and using it to do deliveries with DoorDash, Uber Eats, and Grubhub. Check out my Hovsco HovBeta Ebike Review.
- Vanpowers Manidae Ebike – The Vanpowers Manidae is a fat tire ebike that I’ve been riding as my primary winter commuting bike and have also been using it to do food delivery with apps like DoorDash, Uber Eats, and Grubhub. After clocking in a decent number of miles with this ebike, I wanted to write a post sharing what my experience with the Vanpowers Manidae ebike has been like. Check out my Vanpowers Manidae Review.
- Sohamo S3 Step-Thru Folding EBike Review – A Great Value Folding Ebike – The Sohamo S3 Step-Thru Folding Ebike is an entry-level folding ebike that offers a lot of value for the price point. I’ve been riding the Sohamo S3 for a while now, putting the bike through its paces, and I have to say, this bike has exceeded all of my expectations. Check out my Sohamo Review.
- KBO Flip Ebike – The KBO Flip is an excellent bike. I’ve had a great time riding it and think it’s a versatile bike that can be used for a lot of purposes and can fit a variety of lifestyles. It’s worked out great for me as a general commuter bike and as a food delivery bike. Check out my KBO Flip Review.
- Hiboy P7 Commuter Ebike – The Hiboy P7 is an excellent electric commuter bike that’s offered at an affordable price point. The range and speed of this bike are both very good, so you won’t have any trouble getting anywhere you need to go with it. As a food delivery vehicle, this is also good – with how much range it offers, you’ll be able to work all day on a single charge. Check out my Hiboy P7 Commuter Electric Bike Review.
- Himiway Escape Ebike – 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 Ebike – 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.
- Varla Falcon Scooter – The Varla Falcon is an excellent scooter that offers a good amount of power at a lower price point compared to more powerful scooters. It’s not exactly an entry-level scooter, nor is it a high-powered scooter. I think it fits somewhere in-between those two categories – an intermediate scooter if I had to give it a category. Check out my Varla Falcon Review.
- Hiboy S2 Scooter – The Hiboy S2 is an excellent entry-level commuter scooter that's perfect for someone looking to save some money in transportation costs and improve their commute. Check out my Hiboy S2 Review.
- Hiboy S2R Scooter – The Hiboy S2R is one of the more interesting electric scooters I’ve been able to test out. It’s not a high-powered scooter, but for an everyday transport option, it’s very useful, especially given some of the unique features that it has. Indeed, for the price, the Hiboy S2R might be the best value scooter I’ve used. Check out my Hiboy S2R 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 ($100) – 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 $100 for opening an account. Check out my M1 Finance Referral Bonus – Step-By-Step Guide.
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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.
- Upgrade ($200) – Upgrade is a free checking account that’s currently offering a $200 referral bonus if you open an account and complete a direct deposit. These bonus terms are easy to meet, so it’s well worth doing this bonus as soon as you can. Here’s a post I wrote with more details: Upgrade $200 Referral Bonus – Step By Step Directions.
- Ally Bank ($100) – Of all the banks out there, Ally is, without a doubt, my favorite. At the moment, Ally is offering $100 to customers who open an eligible Ally account and meet the requirements. Here are the step-by-step directions to earn your Ally Bank referral bonus.
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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 $300 if you complete a direct deposit.
- 5% Savings Accounts. I'm currently getting 5.24% interest on my savings through a company called Raisin. Opening a Raisin account takes minutes to complete, it's free, and all of your funds are FDIC-insured. I explain how it works, why I'm now using it to store my emergency fund and any other cash savings I have, and why I recommend everyone check it out in this review.
- US Bank Business. US Bank is currently offering new business customers a $800 signup bonus after opening a new account and meeting certain requirements.
- 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 $100 for opening an account.
- Empower. 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.
Feel free to send Kevin a message here.
Kevin, thank you for the article on Trip Radar with Uber Eats. I just started UE today and my last hour saw this Trip Radar. Luckily for me the offer was a good one, then I received 2 add ons from a restaurant. So it worked out. The route was direct and not a high traffic issue. I usually work Grubhub or Doordash. Not a fan of Doordash. I have done really well with Grubhub. Once again thanks for explaining this feature with UE.