Driver Advice

by Jay Cradeur on June 20, 2018 Leave a Comment

3 Things to Never Talk About as a Rideshare Driver

One question we occasionally get at RSG is ‘what should I talk about as a driver?’ While there are many things you can talk about as a driver, should you talk about everything? Senior RSG contributor Jay Cradeur covers the three things you shouldn’t talk about while rideshare driving. Let us know in the comments if you agree or disagree!

The First Amendment guarantees all of us US drivers and citizens the freedom of speech. You and I can say just about anything we want while we are driving around in our cars, ferrying passengers from here to there. But does that mean we can and should talk about everything?

Make Every Mile Count

Did you know that every 1,000 business miles can generate $535 in tax deductions? Never miss another mile with the new QuickBooks Self-Employed automatic mileage tracker.

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by Jay Cradeur on June 11, 2018 Leave a Comment

Rising Gas Prices! What Can A Driver Do?

Gas prices have been increasing since the beginning of the year and, for now, show no signs of slowing. However, there is no sign Uber/Lyft are willing to increase commission rates for drivers to offset these increases, so how can drivers handle this cut into their earnings? Senior RSG contributor Jay Cradeur offers some tips on how drivers can save money at the pump and while driving.

As drivers, we need gas to fuel our cars and it is no secret that the price of gas is going up.

Gas is the second biggest expense in my rideshare business, behind only the cost of my rideshare lease ($149 per week). I drive a 2013 Toyota Prius, which gets 50 miles per gallon (MPG). This certainly helps to offset the increase in gas prices. But for many drivers, a vehicle that gets 20 to 30 miles per gallon means this price increase is even more significant.

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by Jay Cradeur on February 5, 2018 17 Comments

What Happens After You’re Deactivated By Uber?

Back in December, RSG contributor Jay Cradeur was deactivated by Uber for seemingly no reason. Jay chronicled the saga here, and today he has an update for us: he’s been reactivated! Here, his warning and advice for drivers who find themselves deactivated by Uber (or Lyft).

A couple weeks ago I received a call from a Customer Support Representative at Uber to tell me my account had been reactivated.

“You are back online!”

She said the background check issued had been resolved, but the rep did not tell me why I had been deactivated. I can assume there was some sort of technical glitch that impacted me and many other drivers.

In total, I was offline for 6 weeks, having been deactivated on December 6 for no apparent reason and during that entire time, I drove solely for Lyft. I completed my first 3 Uber rides the following morning, 6 weeks to the day after being deactivated.

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by Harry Campbell on February 1, 2018 217 Comments

11 Things That Can Get You Deactivated As An Uber Driver

There are a lot of great reasons to be a rideshare driver, but at one time or another, we’ve all been frustrated by at least one of Uber’s policies.

Personally, I’ve always had problems getting reliable answers from Uber customer support. And not only is it tough to get an answer, but it can also be tough to get a straight answer. But once these policies start to affect your livelihood as a driver, things can turn in an instant.

Uber and Lyft don’t make it easy for new drivers to get help – that’s why I created The Rideshare Guide, a guide for new and long-time rideshare drivers. I cover everything from how to avoid deactivation (and increase your ratings!) to maximizing your income while on the road. Check it out here.

10 Things That Can Get You Deactivated As An Uber Driver

11 Things That Can Get You Deactivated As An Uber Driver

by John Ince on January 22, 2018 33 Comments

Uber Cancellation Scams to Watch Out For

A few years ago, we covered the top ten ways passengers were scamming drivers for free rides. Many of those scams are still relevant, so go check out that post if you haven’t already read it. One scam that’s still unfortunately popular is when passengers cancel their ride while the driver is en route to their destination.

Passengers that do this are hoping the driver doesn’t see the cancelation, so the rider gets a free or mostly free ride and the driver gets little to nothing. Today, senior RSG contributor John Ince covers how the scam happened to him, Uber’s response, and how you can protect yourself in the future. What are your thoughts?

For several weeks now I’ve been getting this new type of incentive called a Streak Bonus. It’s a fairly creative way for Uber or Lyft to lock in a driver to their platform and get them out on the road during rush hour.

The way it works is you have to get your first ride started between 7-9 a.m. or 5-7 p.m. and then you have to complete 3 rides before going offline, with 100 percent acceptance and no cancellations. The bonus is minimal – $10 or $12, which basically translates into a driver supplement of $3 to $4/ride – comparable (and in addition) to other bonuses. So I decide to give it a try.

Worried about getting low ratings from disgruntled passengers? I was too, before I realized there are some simple strategies for handling passengers while maintaining high ratings. Unfortunately, Uber and Lyft really don’t help drivers understand these written and unwritten rules – so I decided to create the Rideshare Guide for drivers! This guide is for new and veteran drivers, answering questions about getting started driving to handling tricky legal and tax matters. Check it out here.

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