6 Top Ridesharing Companies You Should Know

Ridesharing companies are now an indispensable part of the transportation industry. They started appearing in the space when Uber paved the way about a decade ago. Now, there are several of these rideshare companies to choose from in many cities. The interesting thing is that a lot of people don’t even know that there are more than the two popular rideshare companies.

Once you mention Uber and Lyft, then that’s it, case closed. Well, there are quite a few more of these companies that you can choose from. They are not as popular or well known as the big players, but they work just as well. Some even offer extra services that the big players do not. Also, some of these rideshare companies are larger in markets outside the US.

In this article, you learn about these rideshare companies in detail. Plus the uniqueness of each one, their major markets and their modes of operation.

Let’s begin by taking a quick look at what ridesharing is and how it has created a lucrative niche in transportation systems worldwide.

Ridesharing For Beginners

Ridesharing at its core is a transportation network where drivers operate in a similar way as taxi drivers. With a few differences, of course. In ridesharing, rides are booked in real-time and over the internet. Rides are most times booked through a mobile app or a website. These apps make use of several technological advancements to ensure that the ride-hailing process goes on without a hitch. To be able to order for rides in real-time, the rideshare app needs a smartphone. It also needs the Geo Positioning Satellite (GPS) function of the phone and a social network.

When all these are in place, all the rider needs to do to get a ride is press a button. The app then connects the rider to an available driver. The driver then arrives to pick the rider up and take them where they want to go. Ridesharing companies are revolutionizing the entire transportation industry. It has made us reevaluate how things are done and how they could be better. Riders have become more comfortable. A lot of the riders are choosing them over the conventional taxi cabs or public transport.

What is the best ride-share company?

The best rideshare company for you should be one that solves your specific needs. Whatever those needs might be. Also put into consideration the fact that the best rideshare company is one that offers the safest rides at the cheapest prices. Whatever your needs, there is sure to be one for you on this list.

Here are the top rideshare companies making waves in the transportation industry.

6 Top Ridesharing Companies

The following are the top ridesharing companies that are operating worldwide. They help millions of people to move safely from place to place.

1. Uber

Uber is the most popular rideshare company worldwide. Since they opened up for business in 2009, the San Francisco based company has basically conquered the world. There are now Uber drivers in more than 83 countries and over 600 cities worldwide. Uber has crossed the 10 billion mark in rides ordered, all from about 75 million riders globally!

Uber started their journey in the ridesharing world as an unassuming app. Users could hire black cars in major cities for their personal use. The company grew and added more services to their offerings. Now Uber has several other offerings in their core ridesharing service. There are also other secondary companies sprouting out of their core ridesharing service. These companies are also disrupting their separate industries.

What if you want to take an Uber in the cities where they operate? You now have a few options to choose from. You can take a ride on the readily available and cheap UberX. There’s also the more expensive and classy Uber Black. There is even the luxuriously decadent Uber Select, Uber Black, and Uber Lux. For those that need more room, the fancy Uber SUV and Uber XL are also available. Don’t forget UberPool. This is where riders can ride together and share the fare among themselves.

Uber is also one of the few rideshare services available that offers a disabled access option for their rides. If you order an Uber Assist in a supported city, you will get a big vehicle, one that can accommodate a wheelchair, and a trained driver. There is a ride service for everyone.

Uber has not been resting on their oars. They have been working hard to get a foot into other industries using their core rideshare platform as a springboard. One of these services is Uber Business. This is their business-facing platform. They have worked out a way to reproduce their success in Uber by helping businesses handle their transportation needs. It works much like the regular Uber. But in Uber Business, companies can control the movements of their staff from a central dashboard.

Uber eats is another secondary service that Uber offers. It is one that has made huge strides in the food ordering industry. With Uber Eats, users can order food from their favorite food spot. They  can then have it delivered to them, without hassle. It is also a great way for Uber drivers to earn even more income. They can drive for both Uber services.

Uber Freight is the Uber service that is making waves in the cargo transport industry. The service connects carriers to shippers in an easy and convenient way. Uber also has its fingers in the self-driving cars pot. Their Advanced Technologies Group is making Self-driving cars available for everyone.

Uber is a growing company that has always stayed at the forefront of innovation. That is why they control about 77% of the United States rideshare market. Uber is indeed a company that has earned its spot in the rideshare hall of fame.

2. Lyft

Launched in 2012, Lyft is an American rideshare company that has grown quickly since its launch. Lyft is regarded as Uber’s largest competitor in the United States with about 39% market share. Lyft started out as a platform that organized carpool rides for long-distance travelers. It has since grown into a company that now operates in about 350 cities in the United States and Canada.

Lyft offers many options for its users as far as transportation goes. You can go for the regular Lyft ride that can get you where you need to go fast, without breaking the bank. There is also Lyft Lux which allows you to ride around in style, at an extra cost. Lyft Shared is a service that allows you to share your ride with other Lyft riders. You will all share the cost of the ride at the end of the trip, like Uber Pool.

Lyft also offers riders the use of a variety of other means of transportation. You can ride on bikes and scooters, whichever one works for you. There is also an option that shows you schedules for public transport around you. This includes schedules for ferries, trains and buses. The service is called Lyft Transit.

Lyft Business is a transportation management platform. It takes care of the transportation needs of your staff. Lyft Business helps companies and organizations manage their transportation from a central portal. From the portal, you can manage rides and manage your team’s access to ride programs. It also helps you know how much your company is spending on transportation each time. There is also a concierge service on the Lyft Business dashboard. This service gives you the option of sending rides to clients or partners, whether they have the Lyft app or not.

These are some great service offers from Lyft. No wonder they are gaining so much ground in the rideshare market. The company also has a fun and engaging culture that has endeared them to many riders from the beginning. Lyft riders are encouraged to have fun on their rides and engage with their drivers. Each Lyft car even comes with a pink mustache attached to the dashboard.

3. Via

Via is a rideshare company with headquarters in New York. Via operates in over 20 countries worldwide, including the United States. Via is focused primarily on shared rides. When a rider chooses a driver, the Via app then matches the same driver with other riders going in the same direction. To make the route of the driver as direct as possible, riders usually have to walk to a pickup point.

Via operates as a sole rideshare company in 6 cities globally. But in others, the company partners with government, Universities, taxi companies and so on. In an interesting twist on the ridesharing concept, Via licenses their ridesharing tech to other companies. These could be Software as a Service or Transport as a Service agreements. This has turned out to be a pretty lucrative arrangement for the ridesharing company. Via now has agreements with some of the world’s biggest transport authorities. This includes Transport for London, LA Metro and many more.

Via also offers some interesting service options for the modern rider. Apart from its shared ride, the platform also offers private rides. Besides this, Via also operates ViaVan. This is a collaboration between Via and Mercedes-Benz. ViaVan is a European service that provides on demand, shared transit vans to users. Via’s more public approach to rideshare is working well for them, it seems. They are gaining more popularity as they expand their services and their reach.

4. Gett

Gett, which was formerly known as GetTaxi is an Israeli on-demand transport company. Gett connects users with transportation as well as goods and services. Users can order a ride or courier through the Gett website or the Gett app. The rideshare company currently operates in over 120 cities across the world. Gett recently expanded their operations to the United States. They acquired a growing rideshare company in New York City known as Juno.

The two companies are planning on expanding their services in the not too distant future to other cities in the United States. Gett pricing is considerably more reasonable than other rideshare platforms. They also do not charge a premium for busy periods like Uber does with their surge pricing.

Gett prides itself on treating their drivers very well. They offer 24hr support for drivers, in-app tipping and good hourly rates. According to the company, “if you treat drivers better, they will treat riders better.” This philosophy has been working for them as they have gained a reputation for great service from their drivers.

Another advantage that Gett has over other rideshare companies is their security certifications. The rideshare company is ISO 27001 certified. This is a certification for Information Technology Management Systems (ITMS). They are also GDPR compliant and already about to have an ISO 27018 certification. This is for cloud privacy. These certifications stem from the value Gett places on privacy and data. This is why communication between rider and driver does not happen through phone numbers. Gett uses a voice proxy, and it has worked well for them. Gett is a rideshare company that is not afraid to roll up their sleeves and get to work moving people safely.

5. Juno

Juno’s founder is Talmon Marco, the entrepreneur who sold his messaging app Viber for about a billion dollars. Juno prioritizes driver welfare as shown by the fact that they take only 10% of the fare as their cut. This is in contrast to the 30% that Uber takes or the 20% that Lyft takes from each fare. Juno also had a plan that provided drivers that have been with them for a long time with Restricted Stock Units. This means that these drivers would eventually own a part of the company. Although, this plan was abandoned when the company was acquired by Gett in 2017 for a whopping $200,000,000.

The Juno app is a bit barebones now as it is still undergoing improvements. This means it does not have some features that other rideshare apps have. The good news is that riders joining Juno can now get 30% off their rides for a period of two weeks. Juno currently operates in New York and New Jersey.

6. Wingz

This San Francisco based ridesharing startup offers rides to and from the airport. At least, that was how they started, but now they also offer private rides around town in some cities. Founded in 2011, Wingz has now expanded to 30 cities in the United States. Wingz offers something a little more than what other rideshare companies offer. Riders can request specific drivers to come pick them up. They are also allowed to collate a list of their favorite drivers for future bookings.

Another peculiarity of Wingz is that users can book rides from 2 hours to up to 1 year in advance. If the ride is from or to the airport, riders can input their flight details. This is so the driver can be updated about the status of the flight. Riders can also request for special services like a car charger. They can also provide details about the size of bags or if a pet is coming along for the ride.

Wingz operates a flat-rate policy, as far as fare rates go. There is no surge pricing here. You pay only the estimated price of your ride after the ride has ended. On the part of the drivers, they get a higher percentage of the fare as opposed to other rideshare platforms. Drivers also get something extra if they are requested as a favorite driver.

Conclusion

For drivers, these ridesharing companies offer them an opportunity to earn extra income at their convenience. You get to work, only when you want to. These companies also provide drivers an opportunity to earn extra passive income through rideshare advertising. Drivers can display ads to their riders and earn money based on their engagements. Companies like Tappin X help driver further monetize their vehicles.

Rideshare companies are here to stay. They offer an easy and convenient mode of transportation. No waiting on curbsides for rides. Instead, you could whip out your phone and order a ride with just a few clicks. You could even ask Alexa to order a ride for you, it is that easy. Uber and Lyft are the most popular names in this emerging industry. But there are several others making waves in their own way. Most of them offering specialized services that the major players don’t offer. They do this to try and capture their own market.