Becoming A Rideshare Driver: A Definitive Guide For Prospective Uber And Lyft Drivers

Every job has its good and bad sides whether you work as an investment banker or a driver. The important thing is to get familiarized with the nature of the work before you get started. With this in mind, this article was created to guide prospective rideshare drivers on what the rideshare driving job looks like.

Whether you’re contemplating driving for Uber, Lyft or both, this article will guide you on what to expect as a rideshare driver. It will also touch on some useful tips that will help you make extra cash on top of what you earn from driving.

Rideshare Driving In Perspective

Many factors could account for why someone would choose to drive for a ride-hailing company. For most people, the interest comes from a necessity to earn extra cash on the side to meet growing financial responsibilities. Others may consider driving as a way to escape boredom or loneliness. Some people simply want to feel useful and engaged, especially after retirement.

Whatever reason you have for considering driving, you have made the right choice! More important, you’re on the right path by taking time to read this article.

Becoming a rideshare driver for leading rideshare companies like Uber and Lyft can be an awesome experience. First, for the obvious reason that you will earn a lot of money (depending on how long you work each week and when you work).

Second, it’s a good match if you’re the type who values your freedom and flexibility on the time you work. This makes it easy to have a quality work-life balance. Third, you can earn extra cash by allowing rideshare advertising companies like Vugo, Wrapify and Tappin X to advertise in or on your car.

This goes without saying that working as a rideshare driver will not be a proverbial bed of roses. Like any occupation or business, driving has its own challenges as well. But the good news is the positive sides of driving for Uber and Lyft outweigh the negative sides. Driving promises to be a truly rewarding engagement. Especially if you’re a people person and you carefully study the market where you operate.

Important Things To Know Before Becoming A Rideshare Driver

Sign Up With A Rideshare Company You Want To Work With

To become an Uber or Lyft driver, you first need to register with the company of your choice. Visit the Google Play Store or the App Store and download the ridesharing app. It’s generally easy to set up your account. Both Uber and Lyft have pretty simple designs on their apps which make them easy to navigate.

Fill in your details and you will be ready to go in no time. You can now start earning by driving any time you want. With a rideshare driving job, you’re your own boss. You can set your work schedule to incorporate the time you should have for your family, relaxation and personal development.

You can learn more about Lyft’s requirements for drivers here. Uber driver requirements can be found here.

You Have Control Over How Much You Earn

It’s normal for anyone that’s about to take a driving job to be curious about their earning. How much can you potentially earn by driving for either Uber or Lyft? Nothing is definite as your earning depends on several factors. They include the following:

• First, your earning depends on how many hours you work in a week. This implies that you’re going to make more money if you drive full-time than those who drive part-time. You can earn $15-25 per hour with either Uber or Lyft. Both companies have a similar remuneration system that ensures drivers are paid based on time instead of distance.
• Second, your earnings can vary with the time of day you find yourself behind the wheel. Uber and Lyft pay their drivers more for working during “peak” hours. Peak hours are periods of the day when there’s more demand than supply. That is, the times when more passengers are more likely to order rides. Peak hours are usually morning rush hour, very early in the morning, or very late at night.

During these periods, Uber and Lyft raise their rates for customers. Uber refers to this system as “Surge Pricing” while it’s called “Prime Time” at Lyft. The pricing algorithm will also be in your favor during major festive periods such as Christmas, Halloween, and so on. So, you should learn about the peak times in your city.

• Third, the amount you earn depends on the company you work for. On each trip you make, Uber charges a 25% commission on what the passenger pays. Lyft deducts 20-25% per cent. But, this doesn’t imply that you’ll make more by driving for Lyft. It’s instructive to note that Uber is the biggest ride-hailing company in the U.S with an estimated market value of around 65-69%. Lyft holds on to 22-25%. This implies that passengers take Uber more often than Lyft. So, you’re more likely to earn more with Uber than with Lyft.
• Fourth, you should note that both Uber and Lyft do not see their drivers as direct employees. Drivers are categorized as “independent contractors.” This term is one of the creations of the gig economy. Because you are an independent contractor, the rideshare companies will not be responsible for expenses you incur on maintenance, gas, taxes, and repairs and so on. So, the more expenses you incur, the less earnings you keep.

Uber And Lyft Prioritize Your Safety

Safety concern is one big reason why many people stay away from monetizing their personal car. To be honest, it’s really important to be safety conscious. First, because you’re going to be driving total strangers, some of whom could be on drugs or sociopaths. But it goes without saying that you’re going to drive many perfectly sane, funny, and easy-to-relate-to people.

Your safety and your car’s are very important to Uber and Lyft . Uber App, especially, was built with your safety and your passengers’ in mind. You can improve safety by using The Follow My Ride feature on your Driver Uber App. This feature is powered by a GPS tracking technology.

This Is How The App Works:

Tap the safety shield on the map to open the Safety Toolkit. Select Follow My Ride. Once you select the option, the app sends a message to your designated recipient. Your designated recipient could be your parent, spouse, or a trusted friend. The feature enables them to follow up on your movement throughout the trip.

You can also use the in-app Emergency Button to call authorities if you are in need of help. The app displays your location and trip details. This allows you to quickly share them with emergency services. Usually, this information is automatically provided to the dispatcher.

Lyft also has something like Uber’s safety measure on its app. You can access the emergency dispatch by expanding a menu in the upper hand side of your driver app. Press the only available option (designed for emergency assistance) and you’re covered.

You should also take the following safety precautions:

• Don’t drive too early in the morning.
• Avoid driving too late at night (it’s true that you’re more likely to earn more during this time. But you have to be security conscious. Most crimes such as robbery occur around this time.)
• Reject or decline calls in unsafe locations.
• Do not share personal information like your username and passwords with another person.
• Always stay out of trouble.
• Respect your passengers.

Keep Your Car Clean, Always

If you were a passenger, you wouldn’t like to ride in a car with a dirty exterior and interior. You’re going to be driving some sophisticated people who love a neat environment. So, it isn’t just about driving, you need to keep your car clean and tidy.

Again, keeping your car clean can earn you positive reviews from your passengers. You can keep your car clean and neat by taking a regular trip to the car wash at least once every two days. You should also try spraying some nice smelling air freshener before picking up a passenger at their location.

Keeping your car neat tells your passengers many things about you. First, it shows them that you’re proud of what you’re doing. Second, it shows that you care about their comfort.

It Pays To Drive For Both Uber And Lyft

The two rideshare companies are rivals but it doesn’t mean you can’t maintain both accounts. Driving for the two leading companies present you with the opportunity to choose which serves your interest more. For example, the two apps don’t offer the same rates all the time. So, you can easily compare between the two and go for the one with the higher rates each time.

Earn Extra Passive Income Working With Tappin X

How about some extra passive income without any extra work? Sounds good, right? That’s exactly what you can enjoy working with Tappin X.

The ridesharing industry has not only succeeded in transforming the transportation system. It has also provided a newer, more creative and more targeted advertising option for businesses and brands to promote their offerings. This is known as rideshare advertising. One of such rideshare advertising companies is Tappin X.

Tappin X is an in-car advertising platform designed for rideshare passengers. The company displays ads that promote their clients’ products and services in an unobtrusive manner. The ads played are directly targeted at meeting the needs of your passengers.

How Does Tappin X Work?

You’re welcome to work with Tappin X whether you drive for Uber or Lyft. All you need to do is get the Tappin X app, download it to a tablet, and sign up. If you don’t have a tablet, you can get one by reaching out to the company.

You will need a tablet with a headrest mount. Once the app is downloaded on the tablet, place it in your vehicle and start earning money with every trip you take. You don’t have to do anything else to get paid by Tappin X, other than driving.

Tappin X doesn’t set unrealistic targets for rideshare drivers. All you need to do to earn from the company is make sure your tablet is on for the ads to play. The amount you earn is calculated based on passengers’ engagement rates with the ad content.

How Are Drivers Paid?

When you have a passenger, Tappin X plays promotional videos on your tablet. This video gets time stamped using facial recognition technology. The longer you drive each week, the higher your earnings. As a matter of fact, you can earn $100-200 monthly depending on the number of hours you spend behind the wheel.

To claim your payment, you will be asked to provide your weekly driver logs from your provider. Your driver logs detail your hourly rideshare activities. The process is very simple and easy to complete. You can also earn by referring other drivers to join the Tappin X platform.

Becoming a rideshare driver will require you to be generally nice to people. You must exude pleasant qualities such as kindness, good humor, friendliness, and so on. Treat every passenger you drive with courtesy and respect. This will earn you a lot of positive reviews and tips from generous riders.

There you have it, the key things to expect as a rideshare driver. Learning about these things before starting your rideshare driving career can put you on the right track and impart your success. Now, you know what to expect, how the system works, and how to get the best from the industry. You can earn extra passive income working with Tappin X and get paid for simply showing ads to your riders. It is really that simple!