Driver's Corner

by Jay Cradeur on April 16, 2018 Leave a Comment

6 Reasons Why Lyft is Better Than Uber

Like Lyft more than Uber? You’re not alone! This week, we’ve challenged senior RSG contributors Jay Cradeur and Christian Perea to explain why they like Lyft (Jay) and Uber (Christian) more than the other service. Don’t agree with Jay today? Stay tuned for Wednesday, when Christian explains why he likes Uber more than Lyft.

On Monday, I took my blue Prius to the local Firestone for the recommended monthly minor service. From there, I took several Uber trips around the city running errands and back to Firestone.

I had three conversations with Uber drivers, and each one of them told me they drove exclusively for Uber. They presented some sound rationale for their driving decision. And still, after hearing all their well thought out reasons, I choose to drive primarily for Lyft. While each driver will have his or her individual desires, wants and needs, mine lead me straight ahead toward Lyft as my primary rideshare company.

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by Harry Campbell on April 11, 2018 Leave a Comment

How to Get Started Charging with JUMP Bikes

Many drivers complain about the short-distance trips passengers request, since they don’t make us very much money and can sometimes take us away from surge or other busy zones. JUMP Bikes is one company looking to reduce those short mileage trips. In addition, JUMP Bikes is offering a charger program to UberEATS bike couriers, similar to Bird’s Charger program. RSG guest contributor Bryan Goebel explains what JUMP Bikes is, how it works, and the JUMP + UberEATS partnership.

I’ve been riding a bicycle in San Francisco for more than 20 years, but when I first signed up to do UberEATS by bike, it was grueling work. UberEATS sent me up some of the city’s steepest streets. There were many times I had to conquer those hills on foot and even that wasn’t easy. I’m a stronger and fitter bike courier now, but during those sweaty moments I kept thinking: I sure wish I had an electric bike.

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by Harry Campbell on April 10, 2018 Leave a Comment

Uber is Releasing a New Driver App for 2018

I actually got an invite to sit down one on one with Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi at an event in Los Angeles today for a moderated Q&A panel with over 200 drivers in the audience. The session wasn’t recorded but stay tuned for my blog post on Friday to learn about what I asked him!

Over the past week, Uber has been peppering drivers with cryptic messages about a global announcement that Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi would be making on Tuesday morning. Since it was a ‘global announcement’, I wasn’t sure exactly what would be revealed, but now we know that Uber is releasing a brand new driver app for 2018. It will take a few months to roll out the app to everyone, but Android users in Los Angeles and Atlanta will get to try it out first.

I was a little surprised that there was so much hoopla over this announcement and, while I didn’t expect a huge rate increase, or an axing of UberPOOL :), I suspect some drivers will be disappointed. As you’ll see below, the new app looks great and will make driving and absorbing lots of information while driving easier, but I haven’t heard too many complaints about the old Uber driver app relative to big pain points like low pay and upfront pricing.

I think the new driver app may have a bigger impact outside of the US, where many drivers are using older Android phones and experiencing poor reception, but I don’t see it improving a driver’s bottom line here in the US anytime soon.

To Uber’s credit, they worked with 470 drivers worldwide to beta test the new app and solicit feedback through in-person group lunches, ride-alongs and one-on-one text message exchanges. And overall, all of that driver input shows. I like the look of the new app and think it does a good job of sharing the most pertinent information but not overwhelming you like the old app sometimes would do.

Uber built some strong momentum with drivers in 2017 with the ‘180 Days of Change’ and is continuing in the right direction with a new driver app, but I think the big question drivers will be asking is, could their resources have been better spent somewhere else, like increasing rates?

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by Christian Perea on April 4, 2018 Leave a Comment

Should You Rent or Own The Car You Drive For Rideshare?

Sponsored by QuickBooks Self Employed

In this article, we examine the cost to rent a vehicle for Uber & Lyft versus the cost to purchase a vehicle. This article is sponsored by our buddies over at QuickBooks Self-Employed whom support the site by sponsoring articles centered around the financial health of rideshare drivers on the site. If you’d like to run your business like a grown-up then check them out!

How many miles do you put on your car while rideshare driving? As more drivers track their miles, they’re beginning to find out, in some cases, that they’re putting a ton of miles on their cars. Some drivers are deciding it’s better to rent a car and not worry so much about mileage than to put that wear-and-tear on their vehicles. But are they really a good long-term commitment? Or is it cheaper to rent a car than it is to purchase one and pour maintenance and miles into it?

Let’s find out!

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by Melissa Berry on March 30, 2018 Leave a Comment

Tips for Driving in a Mid-Size Market

We talk a lot about driving in California, but this post is for all those mid-size market drivers! Today, RSG contributor Melissa Berry interviews Jeff Brown, who drives in Columbus, OH.

Jeff drives in Columbus, OH, a city of just about 900,000 people. He first started driving because he wanted to earn some extra money after becoming a new Dad. He was also interested in the sharing economy, as he has worked as a trainer and public speaker, and figured it would be a great way to meet new people.

Jeff first started driving in 2016 and almost immediately started tracking his earnings. He found that he made well-over minimum wage, and recently he reached out to Harry to discuss what he found, share his earnings tracking sheet, and share his best practices for drivers in mid-range to small-sized cities.

The following is based on an edited and condensed interview with Jeff, where he shares his top tips for driving in a mid-size market.

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