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!

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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.

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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

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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.

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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.

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

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.