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Grading Uber’s New CEO, Dara Khosrowshahi, on His First 100 Days

It’s been a few months since the new Uber CEO, Dara Khsrowshahi took over from Travis Kalanick but has much changed? Today, senior RSG contributor John Ince shares his thoughts on how Uber’s new CEO is doing, for Uber and for drivers.

Recently I gave a ride to a person who works for Heidrick and Struggles, the headhunting firm that conducted the search for Uber’s new CEO, Dara Khosrowshahi.  I asked my passenger obvious question  – “Did DK realize what he was getting into?”

Drive with Uber 1

“Oh he knew.  He knew exactly what he was getting into,” the passenger replied.

Indeed, running Uber in these tough times is a Herculean task.  Given that it’s now been just over 120 days since DK assumed his new role, perhaps it’s now time to take stock of how he’s been doing.  Let’s take a look at the nature of his influence and break it down into categories to try to get a better feel for how Uber’s new CEO has been doing on the job.

How has the new CEO of Uber done in his last 100 days? Contributor John Ince grades DK on his accomplishments and things still yet to be accomplished for drivers.

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. 

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Uber Express and Lyft Shuttle Compete Directly With Public Transit

While not available in every city (yet or ever), Uber and Lyft have rolled out two new products designed very similarly to public transit. Called Uber Express POOL and Lyft Shuttle, the services offer passengers lower fares in exchange for asking passengers to congregate in one area for you, the driver, to pick them all up. They will then be dropped off at one location. Today, senior contributor John Ince explains how this works, public feedback, and what it could mean for drivers.

Recently, Uber rolled out a new product in San Francisco and a few other cities called Express POOL, which promises passengers dramatically lower fares in return for asking said passenger to walk a short distance to predetermined pickup and drop-off spots.

Lyft has its own version called Lyft Shuttle where passengers follow pre-determined routes and everything is a flat $3 fare.

Uber’s Express POOL’s variable fares are dramatically lower than UberPOOL, often by over 50%.  And both Lyft Shuttle and Express POOL allow up to 4 passengers. If this seems a lot like a bus pickup, it’s because that’s definitely the direction Uber and Lyft are heading.  So far, these services are being tested in places like San Francisco and Chicago but it could be just a matter of time before they roll out to other cities.

Uber and Lyft are rolling out Uber Express POOL and Lyft Shuttle, designed very similar to public transit. Is this a good move for Uber/Lyft and what does it mean for drivers?

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DoorDash Updates Its Pay Structure

Happy holidays! We’re in the midst of a busy season for many people, which means some may be looking for a little more convenience in their day to day lives. Enter: delivery! It’s been a while since we’ve done an update on DoorDash, so today RSG contributor Dash Bridges shares how DoorDash’s pay structure has changed over the last few months and how that’s impacted earnings.

Signing up to be a DoorDash or Postmates delivery person is a great way to stay busy and earn extra money, especially during the holidays. Sign up with DoorDash here and Postmates here.

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Lyft Ride Streak Bonuses and Uber Consecutive Trips Boost

Uber and Lyft are releasing new driver bonuses in the form of ride streaks: consecutive rides given by drivers. But is this just another way to keep us from canceling on rides, like POOL or Line, that we don’t want to give? Today, senior RSG contributor Christian Perea lets us know what Lyft Streak Bonuses and Uber Consecutive Trip Boosts are, how they work, and how they could affect drivers.

There’s a new driver bonus in town from both Uber and Lyft, and it gives you cash for completing rides in a row during peak hours. Uber calls it the “Consecutive Trips Boost” and Lyft calls it the “Ride Streaks Bonus”. Both are similar programs that encourage drivers to accept every trip that comes their way without logging out, denying, or cancelling a ride during a set time period.

Lyft just announced they will be rolling this promotion out to drivers in all of their large and medium sized markets. Meanwhile, Uber has been testing several versions of this program in Boston, NYC, and Singapore over the last six months and are now testing it in San Francisco, Denver, and New Jersey. This leads me to believe that these sort of promotions will become a big part of driving for Lyft and Uber over the next few months.

Uber and Lyft are releasing new "ride streaks" or bonuses for completing consecutive trips. How streak bonuses and consecutive trips will affect drivers -

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Uber Driver Injury Protection Plan is Expanding

Recently, Uber decided to roll their Driver Injury Protection program out to even more states, meaning more drivers may be seeing a total increase to their earnings. In this update, senior RSG contributor Christian Perea outlines what this pay increase is for and its potential impact on drivers in the future.

Recently Uber announced a 5 cent per mile pay increase in order to fund Driver Injury Protection insurance. Uber announced they are doing this in partnership with OneBeacon and Aon as a program that could eventually expand nationwide. Drivers in these states will be able to sign up for injury protection and pay into a fund OR simply collect an extra $0.05/mile. That’s obviously not a huge pay increase, but every little bit counts.

The program is unique because it shows how Uber may pilot other driver pseudo-benefit programs in the future. On-demand work has often been criticized because there are no traditional workplace protections for those who get injured on the job. This seems to be a good way to offer full-time drivers something valuable while allowing part-timers to opt-out.

The higher mileage rate is actually meant to offset the cost of the insurance though, so if you opt in you’ll have to pay $.0375 cents/mile for every mile you have an Uber passenger in your car (on trip miles). However, the Driver Injury Protection is active the entire time that you’re logged into the Uber app, even when you’re are waiting for a request. If you don’t not sign up, you will still enjoy the increase $0.05 increase in per mileage earnings. but no coverage.

The rate increase of $0.05/mile and option for Driver Injury Protection will be effective in the following states (recent additions are in bold):

  • Alabama
  • Arizona
  • Arkansas
  • California
  • Delaware
  • District of Columbia
  • Florida
  • Georgia
  • Illinois
  • Indiana
  • Iowa
  • Kansas
  • Louisiana
  • Maryland
  • Massachusetts
  • Michigan
  • Missouri
  • Nebraska
  • Nevada
  • New Jersey
  • North Carolina
  • North Dakota
  • Ohio
  • Oklahoma
  • Oregon
  • Pennsylvania
  • South Carolina
  • Texas
  • Virginia
  • West Virginia
  • Wisconsin
  • Wyoming

Uber is planning on rolling this program out to more states, but as it rolls out, it is approved on a state-by-state basis. If it’s not in your state yet, you may see it in the coming months.

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