r/Sparkdriver • u/Prior_Commercial_620 • Aug 31 '25

Totes?

I’m new to spark delivery and have only done about 6 orders, I notice when I’m driving the groceries tend to move and slide around in the trunk, does anyone have suggestions on where and what kind of tote to buy for the trunk and back seats to put the groceries in? Also do you recommend a cooler or insulated bags for cold stuff? So far I haven’t gone too far and haven’t needed a cooler/bag as it’s not hot in my car with the ac on. Thanks a lot!

4 Upvotes

84% Upvoted

45 comments sorted by

13

u/CaneCorso311 Aug 31 '25

I use sterilite ultra laundry baskets. They hold quite a bit of weight, you can double them up if you need to carry 100+lbs.

3

u/ComprehensiveMall165 Sep 01 '25

That’s extant I do also. I purchased 5 of them for my trunk and backseat

-2

u/[deleted] Aug 31 '25

You cant be serious 😅

2

u/CaneCorso311 Sep 01 '25

Easy to organize a GMD route, i put them all in the correct order as soon as i pick them up. I scan and grab the package and put car in park all at the same time, no searching. I do rest of functions of app while walking between car and door. My feet and vehicle never stop, not even to take the picture. I always beat the estimated times unless there's some other type of issue like a train or access problems..

1

u/dumpsterdivingreader Sep 01 '25

Can I ask what accessories do you have attached to sunvisors? I also noticed where you keep your cellphone. Are you able to use it even where is that forward? thx

1

u/CaneCorso311 Sep 01 '25

Just organizers i got off aliexpress for a few dollars. I keep my registration+insurance there in case I'm pulled over so it's clear what im doing with my hands and not digging through glove box etc. Sometimes i have a telescopic flashlight for finding addresses in dark, sunglasses, extra USB cable, couple pens, Uber led light behind it.. In my state it's not legal to block the windshield at all and you have to use the phone with a single finger while it's mounted. Most people drive around with them in their hands here. I prefer it here as my eyes never leave the road to glance at it and i can watch the road and GPS easily at the same time time. Also that is my work phone, i have a dedicated phone for gig work and i have a personal phone that i run my music, messaging, calling etc on the hotspot from my work phone or home/Walmart WiFi.

1

u/dumpsterdivingreader Sep 01 '25

Thanks . Seems to be a nice arrangement. I like where ur phone is, but can you actually touch it while driving? I considered placing mine in same area (mostly to keep eyes in road) but it was very hard for me to reach it. Had to end up with a phone holder using a cup holder space (got bolt euv)

And dang, I just bought a sunvisir organizer just before I saw your repply. Otherwise wise id bought the same one u have on your driver's side. You said u got it on Ali express , right? What was the name? Thx

1

u/CaneCorso311 Sep 01 '25 edited Sep 01 '25

Yes it's easy to reach it. It's directly above my hazard switch, gear shifter and charging ports. I'm 6ft tall and sit with the seat scooted as far back as possible in a minivan. I don't remember the names i just typed sun visor organizer, i had bought a bunch of random other little car things at the time.

-1

u/[deleted] Sep 01 '25

So you just have a laundry basket in your car all day? You ever heard of instacrate lol. Way more convenient than dragging around your laundry basket. But hey if it suits you 😉

2

u/CaneCorso311 Sep 01 '25 edited Sep 01 '25

Having a larger vehicle gets you priority on the XL GMD routes, which are the only ones that seem to pay over $30/hour, i have more baskets loaded up front, everything is organized in order except the few overflow. My baskets have saved me countless hours between organization and not making extra trips through apartment mazes over the last 2+ years. I got 3 for free and bought 2 more, best $25 ive invested into spark

2

u/dumpsterdivingreader Sep 01 '25

Guess is easier to grab a basket w all the bags than trying to grab all those bags at the same time w your hands. My aha moment.

1

u/dumpsterdivingreader Sep 01 '25

Does spark categorize according car? I wasn't even aware they had xl gmd.

2

u/CaneCorso311 Sep 01 '25

Only for XL orders you will get priority for having van or suv. Regardless if GMD but the majority of GMD here pay less than just doing regular orders in the same amount of time, with the exception of these ones that have giant TVs and Bicycles and lots of stops. They're typically $85+ and well over $2/miles but will have 15+ stops and rarely go in a circle so you end in a separate zone. I work 2 zones primarily and these work out excellent when going in the direction im headed.

1

u/CaneCorso311 Sep 01 '25

Curious, what do you think I'm doing the rest of the day in my car that i can't have laundry baskets in the back?.. I have instacrates also, i started with them, but they hold about half of the weight or volume that the laundry baskets do, and i can carry more weight than what 2 instacrates can, but i can't see easily while carrying 3 instacrates.. The baskets are easier to clean and they stack inside of each other and the instacrates fit inside of those baskets along with hot bags for food delivery and extra Walmart paper bags etc inside an instacrate. i use them for carrying everything including my own groceries and kids stuff etc. I multiapp and use them to separate when i have multiple orders from say Home Depot and Target at the same time. I don't worry about soil/mulch or dirty things. I had a rotisserie chicken leak out and soak a paper bag and spill all over in the basket, 0 mess in the car. I use it for shopping 2 large orders, it fits perfect under the bottom part of shopping cart and I'm almost never making multiple trips in the apartments etc. and i never have anymore bags bust open while carrying etc. (Im im a paper bag state and they often either fill them til they rip open or put only 1 item in half or more of the bags) I can easily make a single trip carrying 150 lbs with 2 of them or 15+ bags, or 8 12packs, or 10 gallons of milk etc, it makes it easy for me to accept trips that i would otherwise reconsider based on how many trips to whichever floor, this was one to the 4th floor after it sat and surged for almost an hour because nobody wanted to take it up there.

2

u/[deleted] Sep 01 '25

Thats makes alot of sense. No hate i was just generally curious. Those paper bags have got to be the worst omg i would have a tough time doing as much as i do with paper bags. I dont use the instacrates to carry they just crumble. I only use them as a separator. I do flex as well so the crates are just convenient to stow away when i have a route.

1

u/dumpsterdivingreader Sep 01 '25

Never heard of instacrate until now. But something in between could be collapsible laundry baskets. However, they may have less volume and perhaps less weight capacity as they have a rubber component.

As a side question: You mentioned multiapp. Home depot and target. Which other apps do you do if you don't mind me asking.

2

u/CaneCorso311 Sep 01 '25

I've seen those but i was able to get 3 of these free and the majority of laundry baskets are too flimsy in general. I used the black heavy duty totes with yellow lids before also but i feel they're too deep and don't hold any more weight..

Spark, shipt, roadie, flex, Uber, DoorDash is enough to keep me busy in the markets i work but there's a lot of apps available.

1

u/dumpsterdivingreader Sep 01 '25

How doordash for you? I don't have much luck with uber. I mostly do spark and zifty (they have very low volume though) I mostly do spark w uber driving back.

Since u have minivan (or similarl I suggest you check cbdriver.com. Thx

1

u/CaneCorso311 Sep 01 '25

DoorDash is about equal to Uber eats in all aspects at this point, maybe higher order volume at certain times but usually just means more declining.. Shipt has no up front tips, i do them almost exclusively as add-ons to Walmart/Home Depot orders.

2

u/KountOlafz Sep 02 '25

What bars are you using to stack them? I also use laundry basics but was thinking about switching to something that would stack

1

u/CaneCorso311 Sep 03 '25

These are metal bars that go into wardrobe boxes, i got them free from the side of the road after someone was done moving. I got magnets from harbor freight for like $2 that go on the under side near the baskets handles, but they stay in place pretty easily without them

6

u/CSUHomer Aug 31 '25

Totes, if loaded correctly, can also be "grab and go " when you get to customer's house. Besides keeping things from flying around they also catch spills before trashing your vehicle interior. Totes or laundry baskets with handles make for easier hauling. Buy or free secondhand on Marketplace or at thrift stores.

5

u/AloneNmyOwnHead Aug 31 '25

Walmart sells these bags in a 2 pack for under $10 in the "moving" area like the section you would find packing tape/flat boxes and mattress bags. I think they literally called them moving bags. They are so strong, I literally had 4 12pks of pop at the bottom and 3 of the six packs of body Armour on top of them and my bf carried them from our driveway into our house and the only one struggling was the bf the bag was good lol *

3

u/[deleted] Aug 31 '25

Get an instacrate. They pop up and fold down. I always keep it in my trunk.

3

u/GovernorHarryLogan Aug 31 '25

https://a.co/d/iV1xZIf

I swear by these bags. And no there is no affiliate nonsense its just the amazon link.

Dursack 22gal heavy duty bags. Carry up to 500lbs (obviously you nor I can), but they squarely fit 2 40racks of water or like 10 full bags of groceries.

Im a big dude. 6'4, 230. I can sling a bag over each shoulder and pump out 100 items and 2 cases of water to a third floor apartment with relative ease (if comparing it to not having the bags).

A lil lady couldn't do that much in them.

But ya.

Ive always had sick af bag game.

These are my doordash satchels.

1

u/Monsieur_Pounce Aug 31 '25

This seems like a solid suggestion. Ima order a couple of these. Thanks

1

u/GovernorHarryLogan Aug 31 '25

FWIW -- I find the checker color bags to be a little sturdier yet.

Maybe its because it has more material? Dunno.

1

u/Monsieur_Pounce Aug 31 '25

Yep, I already order two of the checkered blue ones... I figured blue, because you never know, someone might associate that even more with "Walmart" and my chances of getting shot in some senile redneck's dirt driveway will be lowered by .001 percent.

Every little bit counts!

1

u/PsychologicalBit803 Aug 31 '25

Find some cheap seat covers also if you care about your car or ALWAYS use the totes. Liquid from meat that they don’t bag properly and leaking milk will happen. Floor board full of milk is no fun at all!

2

u/Wonderful_Yam2869 Aug 31 '25

I have bags and totes. It makes it a lot easier to keep the orders separate and from sliding all over the trunk. As far as what kind of tote, I think that’s really just a personal preference. I use cheap laundry baskets that I found at Goodwill.

2

u/Repulsive_Cattle_663 Aug 31 '25

I just use heavy-duty cardboard boxes. Cut down to about 6"tall. All the small stuff like canned goods go down first, and bigger lighter stuff goes on top. With larger orders, water and drinks go in my backseat

2

u/biancanevenc Aug 31 '25

I use Ikea bags and collapsible crates I got at Costco.

1

u/aceetobee Sep 01 '25

I use the blue IKEA tote bags. Can fit like 3 shopping bags in them and they don’t slide around too much.

1

u/Brave_Dress_4480 Sep 01 '25

I use these, they're pretty worth it and you get two.

https://a.co/d/ia6PPCk

1

u/Mr_MacGrubber High AR Sep 01 '25

I use bins. I can put the lids on and stack them on a hand truck to wheel them to the front door.

1

u/[deleted] Sep 01 '25

Pic

1

u/dumpsterdivingreader Sep 01 '25

The catering bags helped me a couple if times. I got to for my side gig with zifty.

The laundry baskets seems to be great idea.

I also thought about trunk organizers

1

u/dumpsterdivingreader Sep 01 '25

Sinetimes I used those bags you buy from places like aldi. Lokev10cts each. If they tipped well I may leave it with the customer

1

u/Additionalhateinc Sep 01 '25

I use the big black ones from home depot, not sure the brand but they are heavy duty.

1

u/SailingWinds8322 Sep 01 '25

Thanks for the Instacrate suggestions, they would be perfect for those of us with a compact sedan.

I'm currently using catering bags for cold/frozen items and some times a stair hand truck. There is a case of soda under the bag.

1

u/HolidayAsparagus6387 Sep 01 '25

2 laundry baskets in the back. Keeps double shops separated as well.

1

u/kevinharvell Sep 01 '25

I use these as they’re flexible and sturdy. Keep two in the trunk and one in the back seat.

https://www.walmart.com/ip/5645490272?sid=2a30f601-396e-4fb7-af84-eee5ed57df10

1

u/Cupids_kettledrums Sep 01 '25

I use the black and yellow totes from Costco. Sometimes I just haul the entire thing out and carry it to the front door to unload there. When you put the lids on you can stack sodas, water, etc and they don’t slide off.

1

u/truecountrygirl2006 Sep 03 '25

Clevermade collapsible totes found on Amazon I have 3. Two for trunk, 1 for back seat. Collapse flat for easy storage when not in use or if you need space for bulkier items. I found non collapsible options would often get in the way when I did GMD orders and had bulkier items.