Harry Campbell - Page 2 of 71

by Harry Campbell on September 26, 2017 55 Comments

Uber Will Pay Drivers More for UberPOOL Rides

UberPOOL has been a tremendous pain point for drivers since the product’s launch a couple years ago. Picking up and dropping off passengers is the toughest part about this gig, and UberPOOL only made that worse. Uber also pays drivers less per mile and per minute on UberPOOL compared to UberX, so it sometimes feels like you’re doing more work for less money.

At times, it even seems like passengers don’t like UberPOOL, since they seem to moan and complain whenever they get matched with another rider and I want to yell “Dude, you called for an UberPOOL!”

For the most part though, I’ve stopped giving UberPOOL rides unless I’m on a Quest Bonus or using the destination filter, and I know a lot of experienced drivers feel the same way. We actually surveyed drivers here in Los Angeles, a major UberPOOL market, and 75% of them were dissatisfied with their UberPOOl experience, so it’s no surprise that there are some major improvements that can be made.

Today, Uber announced Chapter 4 of their 180 Days of Change initiative and it’s focused on improving the UberPOOL experience for drivers and riders and the changes will go live immediately in Uber’s 13 UberPOOL markets.

I think the changes are definitely a step in the right direction since they address higher earnings for POOL rides, but only time will tell if the other additions actually make drivers want to take UberPOOL rides.

Rydar: The Ultimate Assistant For Rideshare Drivers

Rydar is like radar for finding the best rides. Optimize your routes, increase earnings and effectively manage your finances. Check it out here!

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by Harry Campbell on September 25, 2017 126 Comments

4 BIG Reasons to Become a Full-Time Driver

Have you ever wondered what makes some drivers make the leap from part-time driving to full-time driving? Rideshare driving can be unstable work, but if you can leverage your time to be more efficient and earn enough, it can one of the most flexible jobs in the world. Today, RSG contributor Jay Cradeur explains why he decided to become a full-time driver.

I have been driving for Uber and Lyft full time now for over 18 months. At first, I started out like most drivers; I wanted to try it out and see what driving had to offer.

On my first day, I drove in Sacramento for about 6 hours, and made $100. It was fun, it was exciting, and I really like the immediacy of the pay. Then I began to think, what if I did this full time, what could I do with this opportunity?

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by Harry Campbell on September 13, 2017 52 Comments

5 Things I Have Learned After 12,500 Trips

Driving full-time for Uber and Lyft can be both challenging and tiring. If you’re not prepared mentally and physically to be a full-time rideshare driver, it can overwhelm even the most enthusiastic drivers. Today, we have a guest post from Jay Cradeur, a full-time driver from San Francisco who’s completed over 12,500 trips. Here are tips for new and current drivers based on what he’s learned over the last 12,500 trips.

I began driving for Uber and Lyft in January 2016 and since then, I’ve completed over 12,500 trips. I have driven in both the Sacramento market (one month) and San Francisco markets exclusively.

I moved to San Francisco early in my career in order to capitalize on this market’s unique qualities. San Francisco has both high rates and high demand. During this time, I have learned quite a bit about how to not only maximize my earnings, but also make this job enjoyable and repeatable. By repeatable, I mean you don’t need to overexert yourself or stress yourself so that you don’t want to drive anymore and quit. The turnover rate among drivers is ridiculously high.

Let me share five tips and techniques that will keep you making good money while also keeping you joyfully on the road regardless of where you live.

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by Harry Campbell on September 12, 2017 3 Comments

RSG061: How is the IDG Helping Rideshare Drivers

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Do you ever wonder how Uber decided to add in-app tipping? Hint: it wasn’t out of the goodness of their hearts. It took driver action to get in-app tipping added to the Uber app, and some help from a Guild out of New York City known as the Independent Drivers Guild. Today, I speak with Ryan Price, Executive Director of IDG about what IDG does, how it helps drivers, and how drivers can get involved on the local level.

If you’d like to read a transcript of this podcast, please click here.
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by Harry Campbell on September 11, 2017 72 Comments

How Much Should Uber Pay Its Drivers?

Uber has been making significant upgrades to the driver experience over the past few months, but one thing missing from all of these announcements is a rate increase. Tipping and additional destination filters will have a positive effect on a driver’s bottom line, but they don’t address the core issue for many people: drivers just aren’t paid enough.

Uber and Lyft cut rates 3 years in a row from 2014-2016, so drivers are making less today than they ever have. While Uber has always claimed lower rates mean higher utilization and thus higher earnings for drivers, I have never bought that argument. Lowering rates helps Uber grow its market share, but it also means more dissatisfied drivers and higher churn rates since drivers care most about pay and flexibility.

Uber has been able to make it work with lower rates because there is a learning curve for drivers and the company is able to spend heavily on recruiting new drivers to replace those that are quitting. But with losses in the billions of dollars a year, that model isn’t sustainable forever.

And while a lot of the positive changes Uber is making as part of the 180 Days of Change campaign are a good thing, the real question is are they enough? If Uber is going to tout driving as a revolutionary new employment opportunity and wants more satisfied drivers, shouldn’t they be paying the average driver more than minimum wage?

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