Scott Van Maldegiam

by Scott Van Maldegiam on February 1, 2018 26 Comments

What To Do About The Uber Driver App Crapping Out

Thursday Feb. 8, 2018: It appears that the Uber app is down for some drivers in the United States. Seems like Uber is aware of the problem and working on fixing it – you can follow our Facebook page here for updates.

Harry here. I often get frantic e-mails and Facebook messages from drivers who are having trouble with their Uber driver app. I’m usually able to help with a lot of these issues, but you may not have days or even hours to wait for me to respond.

E-mailing Uber about technical issues is, well, a lost cause to put it nicely, but in today’s article, RSG Senior Contributor, Scott Van Maldegiam, breaks down all of the troubleshooting steps you can take to fix the problem on your own. He’s even got a few proactive ones that could prevent problems in the first place.

What To Do About The Uber Driver App Crapping Out

We have all had times when we want to throw our smartphones against a brick wall. They can be amazing devices at times, but they aren’t always perfect. And when these devices affect our ability to make money, it can be especially frustrating.

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Today, I’ll talk about what problems may occur, and what you can do to fix the problem ASAP. I will also talk about general troubleshooting and preventative measures to avoid problems in the first place. [Read more…]

by Scott Van Maldegiam on November 20, 2017 17 Comments

The 4 Most Lucrative Days Of The Year To Be a Rideshare Driver

With Halloween fresh in everyone’s mind, I thought it might be a good idea to take a look at what other days of the year rideshare drivers might see record numbers. My reasoning behind this list is pretty simple: follow the alcohol. We already know that Friday and Saturday nights are peak demand times since everyone is out and about drinking, so it only makes sense that the biggest rideshare days of the year would coincide with the biggest drinking holidays of the year.

New Year’s Eve

If you’ve been driving for any amount of time, you’re probably already familiar with the stories from NYE. New Year’s Eve is off the hook busy: multipliers are maxed out and this year’s NYE will likely be the biggest rideshare night we’ve ever seen! When I say maxed out, this means 8x for Uber and 3x for Lyft.

Most rides after midnight between 12:30 and 2:30 were steady at this high multiplier. The rest of the night is commonly above 4x except from about 10 until 12 when there is a bit of a lull. Plan to wait to eat dinner and take a break during this time. I started this past year about 3pm and I remember having a 5.5 multiplier around 5:30pm so demand is strong most of the day.

It is not unheard of to make $500-$1,000 on NYE (even in the lowest cost market of Chicago) but you have to be prepared for the drama. There are mainly 2 types of riders on a night where there are high expectations. There are people who had fun and those that didn’t. There isn’t much in between and those that didn’t have fun will be surrounded by drama and tears, so be ready. [Read more…]

by Scott Van Maldegiam on October 21, 2016 3 Comments

Top 10 Rideshare Vehicles to Insure

Harry here. As more drivers sign up for rideshare insurance, it’s important to look at how the costs for insurance vary by vehicle. Today, RSG contributor Scott Van Maldegiam takes a look at the top 10 rideshare vehicles to insure.

I have been thinking a lot lately on how to keep my costs down in general. Along those same lines, I look to keep the costs down of any business I participate in. With rideshare, insurance is a large cost. While the cost of the vehicle and the cost of the gas outweigh the insurance costs, it is interesting to look at which vehicles cost the least to insure and why.

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by Scott Van Maldegiam on July 28, 2016 137 Comments

How To Drive For Uber And Lyft At The Same Time

If you currently only drive for one TNC, you may be wondering why you would ever want to complicate your life by running two services at once. Well, running two apps at the same time actually increases your chances of getting a request and in turn will increase your earnings.

It’s also a good idea in case there’s a big Uber-like rate drop or one service’s system goes down. Driving for multiple TNCs diversifies your income streams and spreads out the risk.

I am not beholden to any of the services, and I drive for both Uber and Lyft. I also drove for Sidecar before they went out of business. I prefer driving for the one that puts the most money in my pocket and that varies week to week and, sometimes, hour to hour.

So, now that you’re convinced, it’s important to have a process and plan in place when you’re out on the road. If you don’t, you will waste time, hurt your acceptance rate and basically, drive yourself crazy.

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by Scott Van Maldegiam on June 15, 2016 17 Comments

What Can Happen If You Don’t Have Rideshare Insurance?

Harry here. Insurance isn’t something most people think about until it’s too late, and that is especially true for rideshare insurance. Today, RSG contributor Scott Van Maldegiam shares a few real-life scenarios where rideshare insurance can play a huge role. In just the last few months, dozens of new options have become available for rideshare insurance, so I encourage you to get a quote from one of the agents on our rideshare insurance marketplace.

I get it. No one wants to think about what will happen in the case of an accident. As rideshare drivers, we are either apathetic or, more likely, burying our heads in the sand. When I first started out at as a rideshare driver, I was the latter. I had concerns about insurance and if I was covered, but the money was good so I put it in the back of my mind until… I had an accident with a taxi driver. I was not at fault, but the taxi did leave the scene. Thankfully, I was quick thinking and was lucky enough to have a witness who was willing to get involved. All my damages ($700) were covered, but I was lucky. The police officer who took the accident report said I was wasting my time and I would never recover a dime from a taxi insurance company. He was wrong because I was relentless, but this was a wake up call. Many drivers have received their own wake up calls regarding rideshare insurance but with worse results.

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