by on Leave a Comment

Why I’m Pissed at Uber and Lyft for Changing Rates

Have you noticed that your per mile rate has gone down over the last few months? If so, your city could have been affected by rate restructuring. In today’s post, senior RSG contributor Jay Cradeur breaks down how this has affected driver pay and what drivers can expect in the future.

Uber and Lyft recently announced some rate restructuring in many cities, including my city of San Francisco. Why did they do it?  What were they thinking?  Who does it hurt and who does it help?

New Lyft Driver - Earn 1500:week

If the rates are the same, why aren’t Uber and Lyft offering any guarantee to back up their assertions? This is a big issue.  Let’s dive right in.

Track Your Miles for Free with Stride Drive

Stride DriveSmart drivers know they need to track their mileage from start to finish. Stride Drive is a free app you can use to track your mileage, which will help you save money at tax time. 

[Read more…]

by on Leave a Comment

Government Shutdown: How Rideshare Driving Can Help Workers

Are you affected, or know someone affected, by the government shutdown? Share this quick-start guide with them, or with anyone you know looking to make extra money in a short period of time, for some tips on how to get started quickly with rideshare driving for Uber and Lyft.

Join us for our January YouTube live on Tuesday January 15 at 4pm PT!  You can subscribe to our Youtube channel here and be sure to turn on notifications (instructions here) so you know when we go live.

Many drivers choose to sign up with Uber and/or Lyft because the job is flexible. You get in your car, turn on your app, and get going. But if you’ve never considered signing up with Uber and Lyft before, you might wonder what the process is like. Senior RSG contributor Jay Cradeur shares how you can quickly get on the road with Uber and Lyft.

The recent government shutdown, now entering its third week, has put an emphasis on people losing their ability to earn revenue.  At a minimum, 800,000 people are now negatively impacted because of a disagreement over a wall (hmmm, fence).

It is unfortunate and unexpected.  This is a perfect example of why it is good to have rideshare driving in your arsenal of revenue-generating activities.  Some work situations are unstable.  All of us can lose our job for a bevy of reasons.

[Read more…]

by on Leave a Comment

Uber Driver Referral – How To Refer New Drivers For Uber

Have you noticed weird things happening with your Uber referrals for new drivers? Several RSG readers reached out to us in the last few months to ask if Uber referrals had changed. We sent RSG contributor Paula Gibbins to check out if, and how, Uber referrals have changed.

Aside from your regular earnings, promotions and other typical earnings, Uber also gives you the opportunity to refer drivers for a little extra cash for you and the person you refer. Now, why should this matter to you? Well, the biggest upside is that it’s basically “free” money. All you do is refer friends and family and you have the potential of earning money without lifting a finger.

However, there are downsides also. There have been some RSG drivers who have found it difficult to receive their referral bonuses. Some drivers have even said that Uber is making drivers contact Uber in order to confirm they know the person who referred them before allowing the money to be made by each. And others say that it saturates the market with more drivers.

You can read more about bonuses and sign up to drive for Uber and Lyft here.

[Read more…]

by on Leave a Comment

Bounce Driver Review – Top Tips To Know Before Joining Bounce

Recently, we covered a new rideshare company called Bounce, and many of you had questions about how busy Bounce rideshare is and how much drivers with Bounce can make. Today, senior RSG contributor Will Preston covers that, plus an interesting conversation he had with one Bounce rider.

Imagine trying to compete with one of the biggest companies in the world, and you’ll have some idea of what life must be like for the founders of Bounce. With all of Uber’s challenges – not the least of which is turning a profit at some point – it has been successful enough to be synonymous with rideshare. Uber has joined Xerox, Frisbee, and Kleenex as a company whose name means the thing it does. Many of my Lyft passengers say “I’m in an Uber” when they’re on the phone with a friend.

However, the founder of Bounce seems to have seized upon a few things about Uber and Lyft that might allow Bounce to attract both passengers and drivers. Bounce tells passengers that everyone pays the same fare; there’s no pricing based on where you live, where you’re going, or how busy it is. Bounce tells drivers they get a piece of the company and residual revenue based on helping the company grow.

[Read more…]

by on Leave a Comment

Uber Drivers – How To Sell Advertising Space Around Your Car

Rideshare driving is becoming more difficult – rates are declining, bonuses are changing, and promotions have been reduced drastically in most cities. What’s a driver to do? Become a NASCAR driver – in terms of advertising on their vehicles. Senior RSG contributor Christian Perea breaks down how you can earn an extra $500 – if you’re willing to!

In 2014, I was in a parking lot with other drivers, waiting for pings, in San Diego at 1 a.m. It was dead out, but even after a Lyft price cut, we compulsively checked our phones for requests. Then one of the veteran drivers uttered something that ended up become eerily prescient. He said, “mark my words – this is over. They’re gonna race to the bottom on prices until they can collect 50%+ of the fare and we’re all just driving each other around with advertisements on our cars like cabs. Everything will become like a cab again”  (loosely quoted from memory).

I’m a fairly cranky and skeptical guy. However, Ralf, the veteran driver, was at least twice as cranky and skeptical (and classy). Ralf was also right about every prediction he made for this industry.

There are now a litany of advertising and marketing companies competing for the space in your rideshare vehicle. For the right price, they will wrap your car in display ads, install a headrest mounted tablet that displays ads to your rider, or even beam advertisements directly into strangers eyeballs with a window mounted projector that turns your window into A SCREEN!

[Read more…]