Lyft vs Uber

by Christian Perea on August 18, 2017 26 Comments

Will These New Features Make Driving for Uber and Lyft Better?

Uber and Lyft are competing to make their apps and driver efficiency better, but will these changes really improve the driver experience? Today, senior RSG contributor Christian Perea outlines potential upcoming changes to our Uber and Lyft driver apps – some that will make a big difference to drivers.

Over the next few days, Uber is set to announce even more information as part of their 180 Days of Change. Stay tuned for an announcement here on Tuesday, when Uber is set to unveil Chapter 3 of the 180 Days of Change.

We’ve seen competition heating up between Uber and Lyft ever since Uber started to put the heat on Lyft with their “180 Days of Change”. We’ve compiled a list and roundup of all the leaked screenshots, rumors, and tests that are going on for drivers that haven’t even launched yet. Whatever happens, hopefully we will get some more money out of it!

Uber and Lyft are almost always testing features among different drivers throughout different markets. Some of these features make it out to the public while some are quickly put back in a box and never heard from again. Right now though, both are testing a lot of interesting changes to their apps that I think have a strong chance of being rolled out to everyone.

And of course, we’ve already seen some big changes in the last few months. Tipping on Uber, 24 hour phone support, increased pay for Lyft Line rides, and showing PrimeTime on incoming requests.

All of these are part of a big push right now to make the app better for drivers.

Rydar: The Ultimate Assistant For Rideshare Drivers

Rydar is like radar for finding the best rides. Optimize your routes, increase earnings and effectively manage your finances. Check it out here!

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by Harry Campbell on August 14, 2017 37 Comments

Are There Any REAL Differences Between Uber and Lyft in 2017?

Join us for our next Youtube Live Q&A session Tuesday August 15 at 5pm PT! RSG contributor Christian Perea and I will both be live to answer your questions, so you won’t want to miss this one! You can subscribe to our Youtube channel here and be sure to turn on notifications (instructions here) so you know when we go live.

I’ve always preferred driving for Lyft over Uber. Maybe it’s because I signed up for Lyft all the way back in 2014 and, at the time, they were all about the driver experience. Lyft was throwing parties for its drivers, setting new drivers up with a mentor ride and drivers could get tips in the app! It felt a lot less like work and a lot more like fun.

My first experience with Uber was with a recruiter who was trying to get me to sign up as quick as possible so we could both cash out on a $500 bonus for doing just one ride. Not the most welcoming experience, but the money was definitely nice!

Over the years though, Lyft has cut back on some of the programs and initiatives that made them stand out while Uber, especially with their 180 days of change campaign, is making huge strides to improve the driver experience. I never would have guessed that Uber would add a tipping option to their app, but they surprised me big time with that announcement and have continued to make significant positive changes ever since.

So what are the real differences between Uber and Lyft in 2017?

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by Harry Campbell on March 27, 2017 33 Comments

How Much Money Can an Uber and Lyft Driver Make in 2017?

There are a lot of opinions out there about driving for Uber and Lyft, but I’ve never tried to convince anyone that they should or shouldn’t do this job. Driving for rideshare services isn’t for everyone, but one thing I do know is that there are hundreds of thousands of people doing it and thousands more signing up every month. And if you’re considering it or you’re already a driver, my job is to provide the best information possible and serve as a resource to help answer all of your questions.

A few years ago, I posted about the earnings potential of a driver in the Los Angeles/Orange County area, but a lot has changed since then. Although that article extensively broke down my earnings, I figured it was time to update it.

So during a recent week of driving, I decided to track all of my rides and analyze my total income and driving strategy. I’m always looking for ways to earn more by working smarter, not harder and I think it’s important to take a break from driving every once in a while to reflect on ways to improve your driving strategy and increase your bottom line.

If you’re just in it to get in the car and drive, great. But if you’re like me, you probably want to maximize your revenue and figure out what the best strategies to drive are that fit in with your lifestyle. And since not everyone has the time to analyze a week’s worth of rides, I’ve done it for you!

The Takeaway: I tracked all my rides for a full week of driving in Los Angeles and averaged around $24 per hour before expenses. During the slower weekdays, I was closer to $15-$20 per hour but during a busy Saturday night, I made $262 over 8 hours of driving ($33.16 per hour) plus an extra $80 for hitting my 20 trip incentive. I also calculated how much I earned after expenses and taxes, since that’s something that drivers often overlook.

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by Harry Campbell on January 17, 2017 49 Comments

RSG 2017 Survey Results: Driver Earnings, Satisfaction and Demographics

Even though I’ve personally communicated with tens of thousands of drivers over the past few years, it’s always good to back up everything I’ve learned about drivers with some data. For example, I’ve been telling people for years that drivers stay busier with Uber but prefer driving for Lyft, but when you get a thousand other people to confirm it, your argument becomes a lot more convincing.

This year’s survey ended up being one of the largest rideshare driver surveys ever conducted. We received 1,150 total responses from drivers primarily from platforms like Uber and Lyft. If you filled out the survey, thank you! I personally reviewed every single entry (and yes, it did take a long time) but the feedback was invaluable for me and we were able to uncover some interesting observations and trends for rideshare drivers. Here’s what we found:

(If you’d like to review our full PDF report of the data, please click here. If you’re a media member or researcher and would like to see a full list of questions and/or calculations, please contact me.)

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by Harry Campbell on December 26, 2016 46 Comments

Driver App Shootout: Uber Driver App vs Lyft Driver App

Harry here. Over the past year, we’ve seen a lot of changes to both the Uber and Lyft driver apps. Not everybody likes change, but in my opinion, the driver apps for both companies are getting more powerful by the day and 2016 saw a lot of new driver-friendly features being added. Today, RSG contributor W. Curtis Preston stacks up how the Uber driver app compares to the Lyft driver app.

Any driver who’s worked for both Uber and Lyft has things that they like about the driver app and things they don’t like. Today, I’m going to let you know what I think about both apps and which one you might prefer.

Why do this, you ask? Perhaps you are a driver of one platform and are considering another platform. It would be nice to know how its driver app works before driving with them. Or maybe you are someone responsible for app development at Uber or Lyft, and would like to know how to make your app better. (I can only hope.)

I have been driving for Uber and Lyft in San Diego for over six months and currently drive at least 20 to 30 hours a week. I turn on both apps and drive with whichever service pings me first, which in San Diego is usually Uber. I then go offline on the other app so that I do not get dual requests. Once I am done with a particular ride, I will go online with the other app after waiting a minute or so.

Driving for both apps at the same time increases my request volume and helps me make more money. Even if you don’t want to drive for both apps at the same time in your market, it makes sense to have a back-up app just in case. You never know when the Uber app is going to crash, or you may get locked out of your account and be unable to work until customer support unlocks your account. Let’s take a look at how the two driver apps stack up.

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