Iâm not sure about you, but throughout my twenties, Iâve tonnes of friends whoâve complained about their jobs and then proceeded to utter this rather ubiquitous phrase:
âAiya, if I donât know what to do, so I will drive Grab full-time laâ
IMO, no one below 40 should be allowed to think that way.
Read also: Which Is Cheaper? Taking Grab Or Owning A Car?
Intending to be a private car-driver or food delivery person till they’re 60 is a pretty shit decision for most young people.
But first, let’s start with the main pros of this side-gig.
1. Low Barrier Of Entry
Itâs easy to join.
Assuming you get your license at 18, you could be driving for Grab by the time youâre 20.
No significant background checks, no expensive qualifications needed.
The barrier to entry is also much, much, much lower than say, being an air stewardess, or being an army regular.
2. High Starting Pay
Your âstarting payâ is pretty awesome.
There are claims of pay as high as $11,000 a month. But these are more likely the exception, not the norm.
Letâs go with the far more conservative amount of $4,000.
Thatâs pretty impressive, to be earning $4,000 at 20.
Assuming you could keep that up for 5 years, you could potentially save $120,000 by the time youâre 25.
Thatâs A LOT of capital for a 25-year-old.
Now, for the bad…
1. Insufficient, Eventually
It doesnât earn you enough.Â
Earning 4k is great when youâre 20 and fresh out of NS.
Itâs probably okay when youâre 25 and have no kids⊠but when youâre 30 and trying to:
- settle down
- start a family, or
- plan your retirement…
No way.
At some point that impressive $4,000 you earn at 20 will start to look more and more average. Then it will be below average.
This means that youâll need to take up a second job or change your job at some point.
2. Limited Room For Growth
Having conversational skills and knowing every road in Singapore is great.
But really, your future employer is gonna want more than that.
Being a private-hire driver wonât teach you how to manage projects, apply a framework to your work processes, or sell better.
3. Long Hours And Health Risk
We hear a lot of youths saying that driving Grab is like âbeing their own bossâ.
But really, with companies controlling your incentives and earnings, that phrase is nothing more than a cute catchphrase.
Compared to the heyday of this gig in 2015, drivers now need to drive long hours (at least 10 hours) just to make a decent living.
If working long hours in the office ALREADY increases your chance of getting a stroke, think about how much more risk a private-hire driver takes on doing 12-hour shifts on the road.
Yawn and blink for a second, and youâre (possibly) one car-crash away from death.
4. Zero CPF And Health Benefits
A regular job gives you some employer CPF contribution (17% of your salary, in addition to that 20% youâre forced to save).
Most Singaporeans use this money to eventually buy a house.
As a private-hire driver, youâll have none of that.
On top of that:
- You wonât have company insurance
- You wonât have leave days, so when you DO take a break, it will be at the cost of your earnings.
- You wonât have bonuses, either.
5. Technology Is (Potentially) Replacing Drivers
Tech is working on replacing drivers RIGHT now.Â
Self.
Driving.
Cars.
Everyone from the government to car companies are spending millions on research in order to make your job obsolete.
Sure, it wonât happen in one, two or three years â but itâs only a matter of time.
Conclusion
If youâre in your twenties and thinking of earning some extra income, then great. Sign up to be Grab driver. Milk the side gig while itâs still around.
But never ever look to it as the sole source of your long-term income.
Stay Woke, Salarymen.
This article first appeared on The Woke Salaryman and is part of a content syndication agreement between The Woke Salaryman and Seedly.
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