I earn only $380 a month as an app-based driver, but I dare not quit

I graduated from university three years ago. On graduation day, I imagined myself working in an air-conditioned office, wearing a crisp white shirt, exchanging emails in English. But life turned out very different from those optimistic career orientation sessions at school. After several failed job applications, I had no choice but to become a ride-hailing driver to make ends meet. What began as a temporary job gradually became my full-time work.

My day starts at 7 a.m. and ends after 10 p.m. Some days, I cover over 300 kilometers under 38-degree heat. Every late delivery costs me a rating star; one customer complaint could mean losing a week’s bonus. This pressure is invisible to others, but it weighs on every breath I take.

After some time, I began feeling back pain. At first, it was mild, but it gradually worsened, spreading from my lower back down my legs. I am only 27, yet I take painkillers regularly, like someone middle-aged. This job wears down one’s health quickly. My lunches are quick bites, cold banh mi on the roadside, and I rely on energy drinks to stay awake. By the time I return home, I just want to lie down and sleep.

Resting does not fix everything. My body began to protest. I developed a persistent cough, especially after long days riding through smog. Many of my fellow drivers said they work up to 18 hours a day, with barely any rest, not even for a bathroom break. I once had to relieve myself in a dark alley because I was rushing to complete a delivery. Small things like that are difficult for outsiders to understand.

There was a time when I felt ashamed, afraid of meeting old friends, afraid they would ask, "So what are you doing now?" But the longer I worked, the more I realized every job deserves respect. I only hope society can better understand the darker side of this work, where young people trade their health for survival. None of us want to work nearly 80 hours a week, but many young drivers like me get trapped in this exhausting cycle because we have no other choice. If we quit, how would we afford to live?

People often ask me why I do not quit. I want to. Despite working tirelessly, I make only around VND10 million (US$380) a month. But with the burden of rent, daily expenses, and money to send home, while jobs matching my degree grow increasingly scarce, I have little choice.

Time does not wait for anyone, so I put on my helmet and keep riding. I tell myself to stay strong, to keep going, to keep living. Still, deep down, I wish for the day I can stop, not because I am exhausted, but because I have found a new path that brings me back to the dream I had on my graduation day.

In my view, the ride-hailing profession itself is not wrong. What is wrong is that we are allowing an entire generation of young workers to quietly burn out, without protection, without welfare, without rest. If anything needs to change, I hope society and ride-hailing platforms will offer better compensation and policies for drivers. Authorities, too, could consider regulations on commission rates and working hour limits to protect our rights and health.

*Readers' opinions are personal and do not necessarily match VnExpress' viewpoints.