Harry Campbell

by Harry Campbell on April 13, 2018 Leave a Comment

Recap of My Live Q&A With Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi

As part of Uber’s new driver app announcement that took place via Live Stream on Tuesday, I was invited to attend the event and sit with Uber’s CEO, Dara Khosrowshahi, afterward to ask a few questions. Yes, I was as surprised as you are that Uber wanted me, a lowly blogger, to hop up on stage and chat with the CEO, but I was flattered at the opportunity and happy to participate.

There were no restrictions on the questions that I could ask, but unfortunately the Q&A was not live streamed. I have included a summary below though of the questions that I, along with other drivers, asked Dara and a paraphrase of each of his responses.

Before we get into the questions though, obviously there was a ton of hype and excitement around this event. Uber sent messages to drivers about a big ‘global announcement’ via the driver app, and since no Uber CEO has ever participated in any type of driver-focused event like this before, expectations were high.

Many drivers bookmarked this event on their calendar and some even pulled over and took a break from driving just so they could watch. But based on the hundreds of e-mails, comments and messages that came flooding in from drivers afterwards, most were extremely disappointed and upset that the announcement was ‘just a new driver app’.

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by Harry Campbell on April 12, 2018 Leave a Comment

RSG072: Michael Campbell on What It Takes to Publish a Book Like The Rideshare Guide

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The Rideshare Guide comes out in less than two weeks, and in this episode of The Rideshare Guy podcast, I give you a behind the scenes look of what it takes to publish a book like The Rideshare Guide! Take a listen to this episode and let me know what you think in the comments below.

If you’d like to read a transcript of this podcast, please click here.

Find your next ride with FarePilot

FarePilot shows you hotspots to help you get more rides. Download it here.

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by Harry Campbell on April 11, 2018 Leave a Comment

How to Get Started Charging with JUMP Bikes

Many drivers complain about the short-distance trips passengers request, since they don’t make us very much money and can sometimes take us away from surge or other busy zones. JUMP Bikes is one company looking to reduce those short mileage trips. In addition, JUMP Bikes is offering a charger program to UberEATS bike couriers, similar to Bird’s Charger program. RSG guest contributor Bryan Goebel explains what JUMP Bikes is, how it works, and the JUMP + UberEATS partnership.

I’ve been riding a bicycle in San Francisco for more than 20 years, but when I first signed up to do UberEATS by bike, it was grueling work. UberEATS sent me up some of the city’s steepest streets. There were many times I had to conquer those hills on foot and even that wasn’t easy. I’m a stronger and fitter bike courier now, but during those sweaty moments I kept thinking: I sure wish I had an electric bike.

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by Harry Campbell on April 10, 2018 Leave a Comment

Uber is Releasing a New Driver App for 2018

I actually got an invite to sit down one on one with Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi at an event in Los Angeles today for a moderated Q&A panel with over 200 drivers in the audience. The session wasn’t recorded but stay tuned for my blog post on Friday to learn about what I asked him!

Over the past week, Uber has been peppering drivers with cryptic messages about a global announcement that Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi would be making on Tuesday morning. Since it was a ‘global announcement’, I wasn’t sure exactly what would be revealed, but now we know that Uber is releasing a brand new driver app for 2018. It will take a few months to roll out the app to everyone, but Android users in Los Angeles and Atlanta will get to try it out first.

I was a little surprised that there was so much hoopla over this announcement and, while I didn’t expect a huge rate increase, or an axing of UberPOOL :), I suspect some drivers will be disappointed. As you’ll see below, the new app looks great and will make driving and absorbing lots of information while driving easier, but I haven’t heard too many complaints about the old Uber driver app relative to big pain points like low pay and upfront pricing.

I think the new driver app may have a bigger impact outside of the US, where many drivers are using older Android phones and experiencing poor reception, but I don’t see it improving a driver’s bottom line here in the US anytime soon.

To Uber’s credit, they worked with 470 drivers worldwide to beta test the new app and solicit feedback through in-person group lunches, ride-alongs and one-on-one text message exchanges. And overall, all of that driver input shows. I like the look of the new app and think it does a good job of sharing the most pertinent information but not overwhelming you like the old app sometimes would do.

Uber built some strong momentum with drivers in 2017 with the ‘180 Days of Change’ and is continuing in the right direction with a new driver app, but I think the big question drivers will be asking is, could their resources have been better spent somewhere else, like increasing rates?

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by Harry Campbell on April 9, 2018 463 Comments

Rideshare Insurance Options For Uber and Lyft Drivers

We’ve made a bunch of updates to our rideshare insurance page over the past few months, so if you’re looking for rideshare insurance, you can now easily learn about the options in your state. There are still a few states that don’t have rideshare-friendly options, but there are new options being added every week so be sure to check back frequently.

If you’re not familiar with this topic, having adequate auto insurance coverage is very important. As rideshare drivers though, you need to be especially mindful that you understand the risks and insurance limits in your state. There are many states where there isn’t an officially recognized rideshare insurance policy and, although you may still be covered by Uber/Lyft, your personal insurer may drop you for being a rideshare driver.

Why Do I Need Rideshare Insurance?

Uber and Lyft only cover rideshare drivers during Periods 2 and 3. Period 2 starts once you accept a ride request and are en route to your passenger, and Period 3 starts once your passenger gets into your car. BUT when you’re online and waiting for a request during Period 1, you have no collision coverage from Uber or Lyft and much lower liability limits. So as a rideshare driver, you’re most at risk during Period 1 since you won’t get any collision coverage from rideshare companies and your personal insurer likely won’t cover you during this time either.

Rideshare insurance solves this gap by covering drivers during Period 1, and additionally they won’t drop you for being a rideshare driver. Some policies will even cover you during Periods 2 and 3 so you won’t be subject to Uber’s $1,000 collision deductible and Lyft’s $2,500 collision deductible.

I’ve covered this issue extensively, so if you want to brush up on the current state of rideshare insurance, here are some resources for you to review:

Why Do I Need A Rideshare Insurance Policy?
How To Handle Insurance After An Accident
Rideshare’s Little White Lie
Podcast: Everything You Need to Know About Rideshare Insurance
Youtube Video: What Do Drivers Need to Know About Rideshare Insurance?
All of our insurance articles

Over the past year, almost all of the major carriers have begun offering rideshare insurance policies for drivers. This is great news since we no longer need to worry about being dropped by our insurance company, if we insure with a rideshare-friendly insurance company.

But changing insurance is obviously not a simple matter since many of us have policies across our homes, other cars, etc. My hope is that one day all major carriers will offer rideshare-friendly policies but, until then, drivers will have to either switch insurers or assume the risk of going without a rideshare friendly policy.

I’d like to know what your current insurance situation looks like so please fill out this anonymous poll.

This post will continue to be updated with insurance information for each of the markets, but if you have conflicting info or would like to add to this page, please leave a comment below. Additionally, if you have an agent that you’d like to personally recommend, don’t hesitate to reach out to me with their contact info.

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