Bob Burchfield
- Bob Burchfield is a delivery driver for ClusterTruck, an Indiana-based ghost kitchen.
- He's 71 years old and delivers up to 24 orders a day.
- He doesn't plan to quit any time soon, given how fit and healthy the job makes him feel.
This as-told-to article is based on a conversation with Bob Burchfield, a 71-year-old delivery driver for Indianapolis-based ghost kitchen ClusterTruck, about his role. It has been edited for length and clarity.
If I could, I would've begun my job as a delivery driver for ClusterTruck earlier but my old car wasn't functional after it suffered severe hail damage.
At the time, I could hardly afford a new car while living on just social security income. My financial advisor told me I needed to do something to supplement that income.
I've been a fan of ClusterTruck ever since it opened and have ordered from it multiple times. CEO Chris Bagott and I go way back, given that we used to be neighbours.
That's when it struck me that I ought to apply to become a delivery driver for the ghost kitchen. And so I did.
In 2019, I started driving for the company and used the income towards the purchase of a new car.
At 71, I'm one of the oldest drivers in the company.
How my day starts usually depends on which kitchen I go to. ClusterTruck has five kitchens in Indianapolis, and if I'm going to the downtown location, I start work at 7 a.m.
I typically work on the job for six to eight hours a day, if I can make it that long. On average, I carry out 24 deliveries a day, which is about four per hour.
My record has been 66 deliveries in one day.
Bob Burchfield
It's a great gig for a retiree, in my opinion, because it sufficiently supplements my retirement income and enables me to do things I wouldn't have usually been able to do, like make repairs to our house.
At my age, I think it's also good to get out of the house, so in that way, the job definitely keeps me feeling fit. I don't want to be a retiree that sits and watches television all day. I want to get out there and do something every day and stay active.
It's a job that keeps my health safe too, especially as we live through the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. This is because ClusterTruck operates a curbside delivery model, meaning I don't have to get out the vehicle when making deliveries. As a result, my contact with all customers is substantially minimised.
You've got drivers that have to get out of their car and run up to the 20th floor of a business building, for example. But we don't have to do any of that, which keeps in line with social-distancing etiquette and brings contact to a minimum.
Looking ahead, I intend to work in the industry as long as my health is good. Overall, I'm grateful ClusterTruck took a chance on an old-timer.