Do you like traveling? Are you tired of searching online to find a cheap flight? Get paid to drive a car across the country and experience new things! Yes, it is possible. There are different ways to make money while traveling across the country, or at the very least to recoup some of the expenses. It’s a fantastic way to travel and save money at the same time.
In this article, we’ll go over what you need to know about getting paid to drive a car across the country without turning to food delivery. Prepare to start your journey and get things ready!
Get Paid To Drive Car Across Country
1. Travel The Country In An RV
What could be more enjoyable than traveling across the country in an RV? But driving cross-country gets expensive.
Now it is possible to take an RV with your family and travel throughout the country while earning money to do so.
Immova is a fantastic resource for finding RVs to travel. You can filter this extensive database for moving, by:
- RV type
- City drop-off
- Number of passengers
When you relocate the vehicle, it may cost you between $10 and $20 per night. But you get reimbursed with fuel costs or a travel allowance, so in the end you come out ahead. Of course, since you’re traveling in an RV, you also save money on lodging.
Possible Pay – Between $10 and $250 for each move, plus gas expenses
Special Considerations – Class A or Class B license
2. Transfer A Vehicle – Get Paid To Deliver Cars
If you don’t want to use your own vehicle, moving cars is a terrific option to make money while traveling throughout the US. There are several programs, ranging from auto dealerships to rental car companies, that will pay you to move vehicles if you have a solid driving record.
Often known as car shipping or vehicle delivery services, one of the companies that will pay you to move cars is Driveaway USA. To avoid having to travel to the departure location, you can choose a driveaway service operating out of the city where you reside.
In order to drive for these vehicle delivery services, you must:
- Hold a valid driver’s license
- Be at least 21 years old
- Have auto insurance
- Get a clean driving record
Other features of this company:
- You can drive either class A or class B vehicles
- Full-time and part-time positions are available
- Referral bonus program
- Safe driver incentive program
For contractors who don’t want to drive trucks and make enough money, this is a perfect alternative.
Depending on the kind of vehicle you’re moving and the distance you’re traveling, you can expect to make between $150 and $1,500 every week.
Another option is to use a program like Transfercar that will pay you to move vehicles for a rental business. The same requirements are similar to Driveaway USA; however, you won’t make as much money, if any, working for them. The good news is that you can take advantage of it to use a free rental car for at least some of your road trips, which may save you a lot of money on the remaining portion of your journey.
Possible Pay – Between $150 and $1,500 each week
Special Considerations – Class A or Class B license
3. Moving Service
You can make money as a mover if you’re strong and have access to a box truck (or are able to rent one). You can promote your moving services on websites like Facebook Marketplace and Craigslist. Besides, you can also work as an independent contractor for a moving company.
The prerequisites to becoming a mover are rather simple:
- You must be at least 18 years old (or older)
- Possess a valid driver’s license
- Be physically fit (in order to lift heavy items into and out of moving trucks)
It is recommended that you research insurance as you are responsible for any damage to the objects you are moving.
Moving companies normally pay between $15 and $25 an hour, although it depends on your location and the market rate in your area.
Joining Bellhop, a company that connects customers and independent movers, is a simple way to get started. It allows you to work however much or little you desire. Every week, your bank account will be directly credited with your payments.
Possible Pay – Between $60 and $750 a week
Special Considerations – Obtain a Bellhop background check, bond option, and insurance
4. Roadie Delivery Service – Jobs Driving Cars Long Distances
The delivery company UPS owns the service Roadie. By connecting drivers and senders, the service enables people to get same-day or next-day deliveries. If you already have plans to go on a long journey, making local deliveries is a terrific way to earn money using your car.
As a Roadie driver, you can earn money by accepting delivery jobs to make deliveries along the way. Before you accept a job, the company gives you an estimate of how much you could make. Roadie operates in the US and certain regions in Canada.
To drive for Roadie and make money delivering items, you must:
- Be at least 21 years old
- Possess a valid driver’s license
- Pass a background check
Depending on the size, distance, and duration of the delivery, you can expect to make $15 to $750 a gig. Local deliveries often pay between $12 and $25 a trip.
If you already have plans to drive your vehicle across the country, you can select a number of delivery jobs along your route.
Possible Pay – Between $15 and $750 per delivery
Special Considerations – Valid driver’s license and background check
Uber, Lyft, and other services have become more popular thanks to the gig economy. These are well-known ride-sharing websites that let you offer rides to other people using your own car. Those who own their own vehicles can quickly sign up to drive for ridesharing services as a side gig.
You can start earning money by offering rides and getting paid to drive a car across the country once you’ve been approved and had your vehicle inspected. Just make sure your auto insurance is sufficient and fits the needs of the specific driving service you use. Also, look into meeting other requirements from the driver sign-up procedure on the app.
Generally speaking, drivers for Uber and Lyft are permitted to drive anywhere in the state in which they are registered. So, you could arrange to pick up riders along the route if you wanted to drive from Dallas to Houston.
Maintain your car and keep it clean to give your customers a great experience and receive good ratings and tips in return. Giving customers a wonderful experience is the key to using this method to earn money for your road trip.
Possible Pay – Between $120 and $4,500.
Special Considerations – Vehicle inspection and background checks on the owner
6. Become A Travel Blogger – Get Paid To Drive Across Country
Do you wish to visit every state and hike through the trails in the US? Or perhaps you want to backpack through Europe. Starting a travel blog is a great way to achieve whatever trip objectives you may have.
A travel blog is a fantastic way to keep track of your journeys and share them with others. It is also a nice method to get paid to drive a car across the country. Your site can be made profitable by selling digital products, doing affiliate marketing, or running ads.
Before beginning your tour across North America, you should set up your blog. This includes selecting a blog design, a platform (such as WordPress or Blogger), and picking a domain name. Here are more details about how to get free domain names.
After your blog is set up, you can begin approaching travel brands and partnering with them as an influencer. Also, you can reach out to your favorite brands and apply to become a brand ambassador. You will get complimentary products and vacation experiences as a brand ambassador in exchange for promoting the business on your blog and social media accounts.
Since you can work from any place with an internet connection, travel blogging is a terrific method to earn money while driving. It’s possible to earn between $350 and $3,000 per month.
The thing to keep in mind is that creating a profitable travel blog requires a lot of time and effort. In other words, if you’re trying to earn some quick cash, this may not be the best idea. But, if you plan to stick with it, travel blogging can be a wonderful way to pay for your trips and explore the world.
Possible Pay – $350 to $3,000 per month after 6–12 months of blogging
Special Considerations – Web hosting and domain purchase
7. Start A YouTube Channel About Road Trips
Do you like being in front of the camera? If so, you can launch a YouTube channel to share your travel experience. Given that you can record videos while you’re on the road, this is a great method to earn money while you’re driving.
Your videos must be of good quality and be beneficial to viewers. You can be successful with videos by highlighting unique vacation spots, offering travel advice, or creating vlogs.
You’ll be able to earn money from YouTube’s ad program if you can amass a sizable audience. Partnering with companies that are appropriate for your channel is an additional option. Once you’ve created a sizable following, you can also start selling merchandise with the logo of your channel on it.
To start making money online with this strategy, you’ll need to invest in marketing your channel in addition to producing content. Together with editing and uploading your videos, you’ll also need to expand your audience. And, if you’re successful, this may be a fantastic method to earn money both while traveling and for the long term as the channel grows and becomes popular.
Possible Pay – Between $100 and $3,000 per month after consistent publishing
Special Considerations – YouTube account
8. Selling Stock Images – How To Make Money Driving Across Country
Enjoying breathtaking scenery is one of the nicest parts of cross-country driving. Even the most basic smartphones these days are capable of taking high-quality pictures. Selling your stock images is a way to earn additional cash if you have a talent for photography.
You may sell your photographs on some of the best image websites, including Getty Images, Shutterstock, and iStockPhoto. The images can be sold as digital downloads on websites like Etsy. You may also launch a website selling stock photos.
You must take great photos that people will pay for if you want to make money from stock photography. This entails avoiding clichéd content and paying attention to details. Browse the most popular categories on stock photo websites to get ideas on what sells.
Make sure to include keywords in the title and description of your uploaded photographs. This enables people to easily find and buy your images.
The type of photos and the website you’re using will determine how much money you make. Yet this might be a great opportunity to earn some additional money on your road trip if you have a sizable collection of high-quality images.
You can take pictures that sell for more money if you spend some time learning about lighting and composition. There is a wide variety of resources available to help you get better with your photography skills.
Possible Pay – Between $100 and $1,500 a month after a period of listing photos
Special Considerations – A camera and a user account on a website where you can sell photos
9. Place Ads On Your Vehicle – Get Paid For The Miles You Drive
Placing ads in the form of car wraps on your vehicle is another option to get paid to drive a car across the country. It’s one of the best ways to make money while advertising. Companies that specialize in this kind of vehicle advertising include Wrapify and Carvertise.
They’ll give you a wrap to attach to your car if you sign up with them. The company’s advertisement will be on the car wrap, and you’ll be paid based on the number of miles you travel.
If you drive often and have a reliable car, this is a good option. You can work based on your schedule and earn income in a semi-passive manner without having to alter your driving style. The drivers who work for ridesharing services and delivery companies that spend a lot of time outside benefit the most from these car advertising schemes.
Also, you don’t need to do much other than put the car advertising wrap and continue driving normally to generate this passive income stream.
But there are certain drawbacks:
- You will need to make room in your vehicle for the advertisement
- If you reside in a smaller town, you might not be able to get wrapped
- To be admitted into the program, your car must be in good condition
If you fit these criteria and don’t mind having an advertisement on your car while you’re driving around one of the big cities, this can be a terrific opportunity to make some additional cash. You can increase your monthly income by anywhere from $250 to $1,250 per campaign.
Possible Pay – Between $250 and $1,250 for each advertising campaign
Special Considerations – Newer model vehicle in good condition, keeping track of daily mileage or a ridesharing agreement
10. Housesitting
Consider signing up with Trusted Housesitters if you’re trying to find a free place to stay while you travel. You may housesit for people using this platform while they are away. You get to live in a city in exchange for not having to pay for accommodation.
The registration fee for this service is $167 per year, however, it can be recouped in just a couple of housesits.
Possible Pay – Free stay
Special Considerations – Trusted Housesitters account
11. Become A Dog Walker
A long drive calls for frequent stops to stretch your legs. So why not walk dogs during the trip and earn money at the same time?
A dog-walking app like Wag allows you to register and get paid while traveling to walk pets. You’ll need to specify your home address and location when you join Wag. You may always change the location to wherever you are, whether that is your place or residence or in another part of town.
You can decide whether or not to accept the task after viewing a list of available dog walks in your neighborhood. While some walks are scheduled for a specific time of day, others are available right away. The address, start time, and length of the walk are all provided once you agree to go.
You’ll need to take pictures of the dog once the stroll is over to make sure everything went as planned. The owner will then rate you, and you’ll get paid via the app.
In addition to financing your trip, this method will ensure that you get some exercise while you are on the road.
Possible Pay – Between $100 and $750 a week
Special Considerations – Wag account
12. Become A Mystery Shopper
With secret shopping missions, people now have more options to supplement their income thanks to the gig economy. Secret shopping is a fantastic method to earn additional cash while traveling. You can register with services such as IntelliShop and other businesses. You can choose jobs across the nation using their online job board. Any location you happen to be driving by can be searched on the board.
These tasks typically require you to visit a store or restaurant and rate the level of customer service you experience. You must record your experience and may have to complete a survey after.
Since you can usually complete the projects at your convenience, this is an interesting way to earn extra money while traveling. Also, you can get complimentary meals or merchandise as a result, further reducing the cost of your road trip.
Possible Pay – Between $15 and $250 per shopping session
Special Considerations – Mystery shopper account (different companies)
Conclusion – How To Get Paid To Drive Car Across Country
These days, it’s getting easier to earn income while traveling. You can take advantage of your car and make a living, especially if you dread the 9 to 5 work life. It’s a dream come true for some people that traveling across the country could have some financial benefit.
There are many interesting opportunities that are available without having to change your driving habits. You are able to earn a full-time living or just some extra money to support your trips.
It is possible to get paid to drive a car across the country, but it takes some creativity and work. This includes using a ridesharing app or delivery gig jobs among other things.
Don’t wait any longer. Use one of these ways to make money if you’re arranging a cross-country trip!
For buying and selling cars, you might also be interested in checking out the Carvana review: Is Carvana legit?