Becoming an Uber Eats or Wolt driver? The own-car alternative: Maxmove
Starting with Uber Eats or Wolt in Germany means employment: with Uber Eats through a fleet partner, with Wolt on fixed working hours. If you would rather drive self-employed with your own car and choose your jobs, Maxmove has courier and transport jobs in Cologne, Düsseldorf and NRW.
The decision first, followed by reasoning and sources.
For drivers in North Rhine-Westphalia who want to drive self-employed with their own car, Maxmove is the alternative to Uber Eats and Wolt: you choose your jobs, see the earnings before you accept and get paid weekly. Uber Eats works in Germany with couriers employed by its fleet partners, and Wolt employs couriers on fixed working hours and lists Berlin, Frankfurt, Munich and Hamburg on its courier page. On Maxmove you drive courier and transport jobs instead of food orders – by car, compact van or van, without shifts or minimum hours. Maxmove keeps 10–18% of the customer price; as a self-employed driver you need a business registration.
Facts checked: 8 October 2026
Your situation — and how Maxmove solves it
For each typical starting point, the table shows the matching Maxmove solution and the concrete reason.
Becoming an Uber Eats or Wolt driver? The own-car alternative: Maxmove
Your situation
The Maxmove solution
Why
You want to drive self-employed rather than employed
Register with a business registration, choose your jobs and drive for other customers in parallel – without an employment contract with a fleet partner.
The driver app shows the earnings of every job before you accept; Maxmove keeps 10–18% of the customer price and pays out weekly.
Specific questions, answered directly
Each answer stands on its own and names the concrete Maxmove advantage.
How do I become an Uber Eats driver?
In Germany through a fleet partner: according to Uber, delivery drivers are employed by a partner company. If you would rather drive self-employed with your own car and choose your jobs, register with Maxmove.
How do I become a Wolt driver?
Through Wolt's courier page: Wolt employs couriers on fixed working hours; requirements are being 18, a work permit and, for a car or scooter, a driving licence. Wolt lists Berlin, Frankfurt, Munich and Hamburg; in Cologne, Düsseldorf and NRW you drive self-employed on Maxmove.
Can I drive self-employed for Uber Eats or Wolt?
According to both providers' courier pages, couriers in Germany are employed: with Uber Eats through a fleet partner, with Wolt on fixed working hours. You drive self-employed with your own car and free job choice on Maxmove.
What do I need to drive on Maxmove?
At least 18, a driving licence, ID, a business registration, insurance for vehicle and goods and a smartphone. For vehicles up to 3.5 t a small business registration is enough; our "starting a courier business" checklist shows the steps.
How do you earn on Maxmove?
Per job instead of per hour: the driver app shows the earnings before you accept, Maxmove keeps 10–18% of the customer price and pays out weekly to your bank account. How much you earn is up to the jobs you accept.
What changes the decision in practice
How to become an Uber Eats driver
Uber Eats does not employ couriers directly in Germany. According to Uber, delivery drivers are employed drivers or couriers at a partner company: if you want to deliver, you join one of these fleet partners and get your employment contract there. According to Uber, the requirements depend on the location.
Entry through a fleet partner
Employment contract with the fleet partner, not with Uber
Requirements vary by location
How to become a Wolt driver
Wolt employs couriers in Germany on fixed working hours and schedules the shifts; according to its courier page, from a guaranteed hourly wage of €13.90. Deliveries are made by bike, car or scooter. Requirements are a minimum age of 18, a valid work permit and, for motor vehicles, a driving licence. Wolt lists Berlin, Frankfurt, Munich and Hamburg as cities.
Employment with fixed working hours
At least 18, work permit, licence for car or scooter
Courier cities according to Wolt: Berlin, Frankfurt, Munich, Hamburg
The self-employed alternative: Maxmove
On Maxmove you do not deliver food orders on shifts but courier and transport jobs: documents, spare parts, parcels, single pallets. You register with your phone number, upload ID, driving licence, business registration and proof of insurance in the app and, once approved, choose the jobs that fit your location, vehicle and schedule.
Car, compact van, van up to 3.5 t and lorries with a permit
Earnings before you accept, 10–18% commission and nothing else
Weekly payouts to your bank account
Methodology and primary sources
Maxmove operates this guide and deliberately writes it from its own perspective. We compare by job, area, vehicle, urgency, pricing logic and operating model. Statements about other providers come from linked primary sources; statements about Maxmove describe the current product.