In order to help you determine whether being a rideshare (Uber and/or Lyft) driver is a good fit for you, here are eight important steps you must be open to taking in order to make rideshare driving a positive, enriching experience for you.
1. Recognize that driving for Uber and/or Lyft is NOT a career, but rather a stepping stone to something more.
If you see Uber and/or Lyft as a way to make a long-term living, you are likely to experience a lot of stress and frustration. If you were to rely only on rideshare driving for your income, you would likely average about $15 an hour, NOT including the cost of gas, oil changes, and car maintenance. Quite simply, you can make a living off of driving for Uber and/or Lyft, but Uber and/or Lyft will not make you rich. You should also be aware that both Uber and Lyft are working on creating self-driving cars, which could mean that Uber and/or Lyft drivers will be obsolete in the future. On the other hand, if you see Uber and/or Lyft as a way to supplement your income, to make a living temporarily, or to help you start your own business, it is a lot easier to be grateful for your work rather than resentful of it when the going gets tough. It is crucial to have a good exit strategy. In the meantime, you can view driving for Uber and/or Lyft as a fantastic way to get paid to network with potential clients!
2. Understand that you will be putting a lot of mileage on your car.
The average American drives about 13,500 miles a year. A rideshare driver who drives 40 hours a week will accumulate an additional 50,000 to 55,000 miles each year. If you are interested in selling your car any time soon, Uber and/or Lyft might not be the best option for you.
Every car is different, but a basic, well-made sedan like a Toyota Camry can last through 250,000 miles. Some cars can even last 400,000+ miles, assuming, of course, that they are well-maintained. While putting so many miles on your car might sound unappealing, doing so will allow you to make huge deductions on your income taxes. The current deduction rate is 53.5 cents for every business mile, which means that if you drive 55,000 business miles for Uber and/or Lyft in a year, you can deduct $29,425!
3. Be willing to drive on weekends.
In order to maximize your earnings with Uber and/or Lyft, you must be willing to sacrifice time on the weekends that you might otherwise spend having fun. Fridays and Saturdays from 7:00 PM to 3:00 AM and Sundays from 9:00 AM to 2:00 PM are some of the most lucrative times to drive.
4. Be willing to drive early in the mornings and during rush hour on weekdays.
Similarly, if you want to make the most of rideshare driving, you have to be willing to drive from 6:00 AM to 10:00 AM and/or 4:00 PM to 8:00 PM Monday to Friday. This will allow you to pick people up who are headed to work and are going back home.
5. Be open to improving your driving and social skills.
If you do not maintain an Uber and/or Lyft rating higher than 4.6 stars, you are at risk of being deactivated! In order to maintain a high rating, you must have good driving and social skills. If you know that your ability to drive safely and interact with customers leaves something to be desired, you must be open to developing your skills. Qualities of a good driver include not just following the rules of the road, but also smooth braking and acceleration. Good social skills include being able to read passengers’ body language and tone and knowing how to maintain conversation.
6. Be disciplined.
While it is nice to be able to decide when and how much you want to drive for Uber and/or Lyft, you have to be disciplined in order to maximize your earnings. One definition of discipline that I have found helpful is a vision for the future that helps you act today. This means that, in order to be a successful rideshare driver, you must have a clear vision of how much money you want to make. Once you have that vision, remember it. You must work every day in order make that vision a reality, whether you feel like it or not.
7. Maintain a positive sentiment towards the city you drive in.
People are more intuitive than they realize. If you have positive feelings towards the city you drive in, people will pick up on that and enjoy their experience with you as their Uber and/or Lyft driver. If you decide to drive for Uber and/or Lyft in a city that you hate, people will likely pick up on your negativity, and that can really hurt your ratings.
8. Avoid being anxious about the possibility of being attacked.
Staying aware of the possibility of being attacked while driving for Uber and/or Lyft is one thing. However, if you are terrified of that possibility, it might be best for you to avoid rideshare driving.
If you are still interested in becoming a rideshare driver but are wondering about what you can do to protect yourself, I recommend learning a martial art or some other form of self-defense. Second, remember to keep breathing and to remain as calm as possible, no matter how tense, uncomfortable or scary a trip might become. Be conscious of the position of your potential attacker at all times and keep your phone at hand so you can call for help if necessary.
Uber or Lyft?
So you believe that being a rideshare driver is a good fit for you. Now, should you drive for Uber or should you drive for Lyft? My personal experience driving in Orange County is that generally you are going to be more busy with Uber but you might have more pleasant passengers with Lyft. Ultimately I would say it is not a bad idea to do both! Whether you choose to drive for Uber, Lyft, or both, feel free to sign up with my referral codes!
Signing up to drive with Uber using my Uber referral code gets you a guarantee cash bonus. The amount of your guarantee cash bonus will vary depending on your city and certain other conditions, but it could be worth up to $1000! This bonus is meant to represent the amount of money you would make driving a set number of trips, usually within 30 days. For example, as of October 2, 2017, if a person from Orange County uses my code to sign up with Uber and makes at least 75 trips, he or she will be guaranteed to make $475. Again, the guaranteed cash bonus amount and terms differ from city to city and may even change from time to time.
Signing up to drive with Lyft using my Lyft referral code will get you an actual cash bonus. Your city and certain other conditions will determine the amount, but it could be worth up to $800! Unlike the Uber guarantee bonus, this is meant to represent the amount of money you would make in addition to whatever amount you make from the fares, usually within 60 days. For example, as of October 2, 2017, if a person from Orange County uses my code to sign up with Lyft and makes at least 240 trips, he or she will earn an additional $340. So if the person made $1800 from those 240 trips, he or she will get an extra $340 increasing the total earnings to $2140! To reiterate, the cash bonus amount and terms differ from city to city and may even change from time to time.
If you do decide to do both Uber and Lyft, I would highly recommend that you only select one of them in the beginning and focus on completing the bonus for a month or two before signing up for the other.
To get started with Uber:
1. Complete the Uber Driver application here with my referral for a guarantee bonus worth up to $1000.
2. Complete an Uber car inspection.
3. Wait for your background check to clear.
4. Go online using the Uber Driver app and begin driving.
To get started with Lyft:
1. Complete the Lyft Driver application here with my referral for a bonus worth up to $800.
2. Complete a Lyft car inspection.
3. Wait for your background check to clear.
4. Go online using the Lyft Driver app and begin driving.