Being a Bird Charger – Gear You Need To Be A Successful Charger for Bird & Lime Scooters

If you’re one of the thousands of people that have taken to the streets to keep the scooter economy in tip top shape, then you’ve probably realized by now that being a Bird Charger or Lime Juicer is actually quite a challenge!

Whether it’s trying to find hidden and lost scooters, or fitting the most scooters in your car, or how to charge the most scooters at once, the gear below is sure to make your life as a scooter charger easier.

We’ve hand selected the gear below for all electric scooter chargers and mechanics. Whether you charge Bird’s, Spin, Lime, Uber, or Lyft scooters, the gear below will help you collect and charge more efficiently.

ScooterMap

This is a cool tool that pulls in scooter data for Chargers and allows you to filter by time, bounty and more.

Click here to sign up for ScooterMap.

Taxes

Did you know that you have to pay tax on the income you make from maintaining scooters? You can even deduct your business expenses, which is everything you use to charge Birds, including but not limited to your gas, phone, phone plan, gear, and even mileage. We recommend Stride Tax for tracking your miles, and you can download the app here.

Click here to learn more about self employment and what that means for your taxes
Click here to learn how to track your mileage
You can keep track of your expenses and file your taxes using Turbotax + Quickbooks

Bird Charger Forum

Join our forum, where Bird Chargers ask questions and share advice, tips, and tricks.

Click here to join the forum.

Gear to make your life as an electric scooter charger or mechanic easier:

1.) Extra chargers so you can charge more scooters at once and make the most money

Click here to purchase extra chargers

2.) Magnetic phone mount for your car since you will be constantly using your phone:

Magnetic Phone Car Mount, WizGear [2 PACK] Universal Air Vent Magnetic Phone Car Mount Phone Holder, for Cell Phones and Mini Tablets with Fast Swift-Snap Technology, With 4 Metal Plates

Cup holder phone mounts are great as well:

Sale

Macally Adjustable Automobile Cup Holder Phone Mount for iPhone Xs XS Max XR X 8 8+ 7 7 Plus 6s Plus 6s SE Samsung Galaxy S10 S10E S9 S9+ S8 S7 Edge S6 Note 5, Xperia, iPod, Smartphone, GPS (MCUPMP)

3.) Work gloves to handle the scooters with touch screen finger tips so you can still use your phone:

CLC Custom Leathercraft 125M Handyman Flex Grip Work Gloves, Shrink Resistant, Improved Dexterity, Tough, Stretchable, Excellent Grip

4.) Flashlight to help you find Birds at night:

Sale

Maglite LED 3-Cell D Flashlight, Black

Belt holster for the flashlight:

Sale

Maglite Black Plain Leather Belt Holder for D-Cell Flashlight

Or a headlamp to free up your hands. This is my favorite rechargeable headlamp that also doubles as a bike light and it’s great for camping too (it’s REALLY bright!):

Sale

Bright Eyes Newly Upgraded and Fully Waterproof 1200 Lumen Rechargeable Mountain, Road Bike Headlight, 6400mAh Battery (Now 5+ Hours on Bright Beam). Free Diffuser Lens/TAILLIGHT (Silver-Gray)

5.) Reflective vest so you look “official” and reduce the risk of getting hit by a car:

Neiko 53941A High Visibility Safety Vest, Large, Neon Yellow

6.) Dash cam to protect yourself since you’ll be spending a lot of time on the road

APEMAN Dash Cam 1080P FHD DVR Car Driving Recorder 3 Inch LCD Screen 170° Wide Angle, G-Sensor, WDR, Parking Monitor, Loop Recording, Motion Detection

7.) Power surge protector if you’re charging a bunch at a time:

Sale

Belkin 12-Outlet Pivot-Plug Power Strip Surge Protector w/ 8ft Cord - Ideal for Computers, Home Theatre, Appliances, Office Equipment and more (4,320 Joules)

Extension cord:

Sale

AmazonBasics Extension Cord - 10-Foot, Black

Or a power distribution unit which is a long power strip (WARNING: make sure your home outlet has the right Amperage/Voltage or it could start a fire):

Tripp Lite Basic PDU, 1.44kW Single-Phase, 120V, 14 Outlets (5-15R), NEMA 5-15P Input, 15 ft. Cord, 0U Vertical Rack-Mount Power (PDUV15)

8.) For the pro’s, a commercial cable management system like this:

Leviton 4980L-VFO Vertical Front Only Cable Management, 5-inch Channel by 80-inch Long, Black Snap-On Cover

9.) Back seat liner so you don’t ruin your seats (if you’re using a compact/sedan car):

Sale

iBuddy Dog Car Seat Covers for Back Seat of Cars/Trucks/SUV, Waterproof Dog Car Hammock with Mesh Window, Side Flaps and Dog Seat Belt, Durable Anti-Scratch Nonslip Machine Washable Pet Car Seat Cover

10.) Multi-tools for quick repairs:

Sale

Klein Tools 70591 Folding Hex Key Set, Nine-Key, Inch Sizes

Gerber Suspension Multi-Plier [22-01471]

11.) Ratchet straps/tie downs if you’re using a pickup:

Sale

Ratchet Tie Down Straps - 4 Pk - 15 Ft- 500 Lbs Load Cap- 1500 Lb Break Strength- Cambuckle Alternative- Cargo Straps for Moving Appliances, Lawn Equipment, Motorcycle - Includes 2 Bungee Cord

And lastly, a car phone charger if you don’t already have one.

Hygiene, Cleanliness, and Safety

Keeping proper hygiene while doing this job is important. The sheer number of people that touch and use the scooters everyday should be ringing alarm bells in your head. I recommend wiping down the scooters not just to keep yourself from getting sick, but to keep the riders healthy as well.

Disinfectant wipes:

Sale

Lysol Disinfecting Wipes, Lemon & Ocean Breeze, 320ct (4x80ct)

Hand sanitizer (keep some in your car!):

Sale

PURELL Advanced Hand Sanitizer Soothing Gel for the workplace, Fresh scent, with Aloe and Vitamin E - 8 fl oz pump bottle (Pack of 4) - 9674-06-ECDECO

Helmet

If you’re looking for a compact and portable helmet for yourself or your friends/family, check out Morpher Folding Helmets.

Click here to purchase a Morpher Helmet

Electric scooter charger apparel

T-shirts, sweaters, and long sleeves available

Bird Charger, Lime Juicer - Electric Scooter Charger T-shirt — Bird Charger, Lime Juicer – Electric Scooter Charger T-shirt

Bird Scooter Search And Rescue T-shirt - The Rideshare Guy

Bird Scooter Search & Rescue Long Sleeve - The Rideshare Guy

Bird Scooter Search & Rescue Sweater - The Rideshare Guy

Bird Scooter Search & Rescue Hoodie - The Rideshare Guy

Click here to purchase a scooter rescue team apparel

Electric scooters

If you want to buy your own electric scooter, these are the ones that Bird and Lime use.

Bird/Lime: Segway Ninebot ES2

Sale

Segway Ninebot ES2 Folding Electric Kick Scooter, Silver (2018 Version)

Bird: Xiaomi Mi

Xiaomi Mi Electric Scooter, 18.6 Miles Long-range Battery, Up to 15.5 MPH, Easy Fold-n-Carry Design, Ultra-Lightweight Adult Electric Scooter (US Version with Warranty)

Click here for even more gear and accessory ideas!

Chargers, have you found any other gear to be helpful on the job? Let us know in the comments.

If you’re a Bird charger, then you may also be interested in signing up to drive for Uber, Uber eats, Lyft, Posmates, and Doordash. Click here for a list of the best gig jobs.

-Chris

Being a Bird Charger – Gear You Need To Be A Successful Charger for Bird & Lime Scooters

ScooterMap

Taxes

Bird Charger Forum

Gear to make your life as an electric scooter charger or mechanic easier:

1.) Extra chargers so you can charge more scooters at once and make the most money

2.) Magnetic phone mount for your car since you will be constantly using your phone:

Cup holder phone mounts are great as well:

3.) Work gloves to handle the scooters with touch screen finger tips so you can still use your phone:

4.) Flashlight to help you find Birds at night:

Belt holster for the flashlight:

Or a headlamp to free up your hands. This is my favorite rechargeable headlamp that also doubles as a bike light and it’s great for camping too (it’s REALLY bright!):

5.) Reflective vest so you look “official” and reduce the risk of getting hit by a car:

6.) Dash cam to protect yourself since you’ll be spending a lot of time on the road

7.) Power surge protector if you’re charging a bunch at a time:

Extension cord:

Or a power distribution unit which is a long power strip (WARNING: make sure your home outlet has the right Amperage/Voltage or it could start a fire):

8.) For the pro’s, a commercial cable management system like this:

9.) Back seat liner so you don’t ruin your seats (if you’re using a compact/sedan car):

10.) Multi-tools for quick repairs:

11.) Ratchet straps/tie downs if you’re using a pickup:

And lastly, a car phone charger if you don’t already have one.

Hygiene, Cleanliness, and Safety

Disinfectant wipes:

Hand sanitizer (keep some in your car!):

Helmet

Electric scooter charger apparel

T-shirts, sweaters, and long sleeves available

Click here to purchase a scooter rescue team apparel

Electric scooters

Bird/Lime: Segway Ninebot ES2

Bird: Xiaomi Mi

Click here for even more gear and accessory ideas!

Related Blog Posts:

Related Youtube Videos:

Chargers, have you found any other gear to be helpful on the job? Let us know in the comments.