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Everything Drivers Need to Know About Uber Pro

Last week, we covered a new program Uber has rolled out to some drivers across the country called Uber Pro. Now that some drivers have been driving under Uber Pro for a week, we wanted to provide an update on everything we’ve learned about Uber Pro from drivers currently in the program who provided us with screenshots and their perspective on the roll out so far.

Are you a driver in the Uber Pro program? Reach out to us and let us know your thoughts! We’re planning on covering Uber Pro in the coming months to see if it’s living up to its hype – or not.

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Thank you to all of the drivers who submitted their initial thoughts (and screenshots) on Uber Pro!

    1. Do drivers start from zero or are previous driving habits taken into account?
    2. When is this coming to my city?
    3. How will I know if I’m included in the Uber Pro beta test?
    4. What will happen to Quests?
    5. Will Uber take a commission from Uber Pro drivers? Will Uber take a commission on the extra 3-6%?
    6. Will part-timer’s be eligible for this?
    7. What are the exact terms for Uber Pro?
    8. How does Uber Pro work in my specific city/state?
    9. Does the extra 3-6% only apply to time/distance?
    10. How do we know what our acceptance rate is?
    11. How do I maintain my Tier status?
    12. How are star ratings and cancellation rates calculated?
    13. Will I Get Points for UberEATS deliveries?

New Uber Drivers Get Guaranteed Earnings!

LyftSign up with Uber now and get up to $1,000 in guaranteed earnings depending on your market! Sign up here using my referral code today and start driving today. Check with Uber for guaranteed earnings amounts by city.

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Uber Pro – New Rewards Program Helps Drivers Be More Successful

Uber is releasing a new way to reward drivers with increased earnings and discounts on everything from gas to college tuition. This new program is called Uber Pro, and today, senior RSG contributor Jay Cradeur breaks down how this new program works and how it will help drivers earn more.

Uber Pro

I count myself among the thousands of driver who feel undervalued, under-appreciated and underpaid.  While Uber and Lyft have paid lip service to appreciation of their drivers, very little has changed in how much we are paid or how much we are recognized.

Recently, I sat in on a presentation in which Uber unveiled their new Uber Pro program in an effort to remedy many of the issues and complaints rideshare drivers experience.

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Are Uber Drivers Employees? Cloud Looms Over Rideshare Industry

As drivers, we are expected to do a lot of things for our “job.” While we can choose the hours we work, pay can be inconsistent and some drivers are incentivized to drive at hours they may not prefer, all for the lure of extra pay. So what does this actually make drivers – true independent contractors, or something else? Senior RSG contributor John Ince tackles this question below.

If you’re interested in signing up to drive for Uber, Uber Eats, Lyft, Postmates, or Doordash, click here to sign up

Should Uber & Lyft Drivers Be Employees or Independent Contractors?

A cloud hangs over the entire ridesharing industry. It’s a legal cloud of ambiguity as to what exactly drivers are.  Are drivers independent contractors as Uber and Lyft would have the world believe? Or are drivers employees – as two important legal bodies have ruled within the last six months?  Further adding to the confusion, Recently, the 9th Circuit of San Francisco ruled that a major lawsuit on this issue could not proceed because driver’s signed away their rights when the signed up to drive for Uber and agreed to arbitration on these issues. So the issue remains in legal limbo and likely will for the foreseeable future.

It’s a legal issue that affects everything in this new space called the gig economy. Labor advocates argue that this gig labor development has set back labor rights fifty years.  Those on the other side argue that it’s brought flexibility and income opportunities to countless people that otherwise would be wanting.

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Why Are So Many Drivers Having Trouble with Background Checks?

Over the past few months, we’ve heard from numerous drivers who were running into problems with the Uber background check. In some cases, new Uber drivers were experiencing issues getting approved, but for the most part, a lot of the issues we’ve been hearing about stem from the updated annual background checks that Uber is now running on existing drivers.

There’s never been much transparency with this process, and I’ve always disliked the fact that drivers have no idea when these checks are going to be run, what Uber is looking for and what the appeal process is, if the check turns up something that disqualifies you from driving.

You Can Fight Back If You’re Background Check Is Inaccurate

If you think you’ve been deactivated or rejected as a rideshare driver due to an error in your background check, It’s important to remember that you are entitled to an accurate background check as part of the Fair Credit Reporting Act.

Losing access to your ability to pay your bills as a result of such an error may entitle you to having your lost pay reimbursed.We recommend getting a free consultation and speaking with the Consumer Law Firm of Francis & Mailman, P.C.  in order to make  sure that you are fairly compensated.

Earlier in the year, we documented Jay’s experience getting accidentally deactivated from Uber for 6 weeks due to a simple clerical error. If a false positive can happen to a driver with 20,000 rides under his belt and a 4.9 star rating, it can happen to anyone.

Fortunately, Jay was able to drive for Lyft during that down time (and he actually hasn’t driven for Uber since), but it was a real PITA getting straight information from Uber and Checkr (the background check company).

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Want to See Where Your Rider is Going? You May Be Able to Now

Have you ever wished you could see where your passenger is going before you accept the ride? It’s one of many features drivers wish Uber and Lyft would add, but Uber and Lyft have resisted adding it… until now. Today, senior RSG contributor Christian Perea discusses the new feature Uber and Lyft may be adding to the Uber and Lyft driver apps.

Over the last month, Uber and Lyft have both been piloting a new feature that allows drivers to see more information about their trips before they accept them. The pilot provides drivers with the estimated duration of trip, and Uber’s in particular will even tell you the general direction of the request so the driver will know what to expect – all on the acceptance screen.

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