Gridwise blog

Table of Contents

Lecture 1: Supplies to Keep on Hand

Having these cleaning supplies on hand ahead of time will save you lots of trouble when things get messy. Passengers are people, and people can make messes sometimes. Although most are courteous when in another's vehicle, mistakes do happen.

This list of items we recommend you have will also save you money on some of the bigger clean-ups. Keep in mind that the items we recommend you have in your ready to go kit area tax-deductible business expense, so be sure to review our tax lectures again for a refresher on how to track these types of expenses.

Items to keep in your trunk

1. Bucket large enough to hold all of your items
2. Interior detailer cleaning spray
3. Paper towels
4. Plastic bags
5. Glass cleaning spray

Items to keep in the cabin

1. Sickness bags
2. Rubber winter floor mats
3. Duster

Take Action for Lecture 1

1. Start tracking these expenses in the Gridwise app

Table of Contents

Lecture 1: (Gridwise Academy): How to Increase your tips

Tipping is not required, but you can increase the chances of getting them

1. Finish the trip safely
2. Be polite
3. Be conversational
4. Offer additional amenities

Finish the trip safely

Safe driving is the number one cause for complaints and 1-star ratings according to a survey we conducted on 1000 passengers.

Getting your passenger to where they want to be safe will be the biggest reason for you to get a tip. This means focus on safe driving at all times and good navigation to get your customer from pickup to drop off and you should see more tips and more stars in your app.

Be polite

Treat others the way you want to be treated yourself. This is even more true when you are picking up paying customers who may expect this as part of your service. Be polite to your passengers, and not only will you get polite treatment back, but you may see more money in your tip jar.

Be conversational

The average Uber or Lyft trip averages 13 minutes. That is a lot of time spent in the small confines of the car. We are social creatures, and conversations naturally occur. Be mindful of this conversational flow and go along with it. If your passenger seems to want to have a conversation, entertain them with such. If your passenger has headphones in and wants to be left alone, then leave them alone and focus on safe driving.

Offer additional amenities

Although rideshare is simply about getting a passenger from pickup to drop off, you can offer other things to make their trip more enjoyable. Many drivers offer water and mints, music, and air conditioning. These amenities are not required, but you may find yourself with more gratified customers and more tips if you do.

Take Action for Lecture 1

1. Look at offering additional services and amenities
2. Strike a friendly conversation with your next passenger
3. Start logging your tip earnings in the Gridwise app now
4. Consistently track your tip earnings over the next few weeks to see if this course helped

Table of Contents

https://youtu.be/aDRYtCkxDyc

Lecture 1: The best times to drive

Follow the movement patterns of the people in your city.

1. Morning rush hour
2. Evening rush hour
3. Sports, concerts, and shows
4. Airport schedule
5. Follow the alcohol

Rush Hour

The morning rush hour is a great time to find riders because many have to get to work. Next is lunchtime as hungry office workers head out for food, and others look to delivery. As the workday comes to an end, the evening rush hour is another great time to find rides as the same workers you drove to work have to get back home.

Sports, Concerts, and Shows

Think about the weekends in your city. What events are happening around you this weekend that the people in your city will need transportation to and from? Sporting events and concerts are major drivers of demand.

Airports

Go even further by studying your airport arrival and departure flights to get a sense of how many people are coming into or out of town.

Follow the Alcohol

Follow the drinking and nightlife scene in your city. Rather than risk a DUI many revelers opt for rideshare solutions. You’ll most likely find increased demands around last calls in areas of your city where the bars and nightclubs are. The best times to drive are the times where the people in your city are moving and in need of transportation. Once you understand this concept the question of when should you drive becomes less daunting.

Gridwise Events List

Check our events list to see the events happening near you Click Here

If you aren’t sure of the movement patterns of your city, take a clue from the driver apps. They basically tell you when and where the rides are from the surge map. Study when and where surge happens in your city and write down these locations and times. By keeping track of the surge pattern, you’ll be able to pinpoint the demand spots in your market. Try this in your driver app now!

Take Action for Lecture 1

1. Look at the events happening in your city this weekend in the Gridwise app
2. Take note of your airport arrivals and departure numbers in the next 4 hours in the Gridwise app
3. Write down the top events that may attract out of town visitors and the peak arrivals and departure times at your airport
4. Write down the times you think are the best to drive based on step 3 above
5. Let us know in the comments section below!

Lecture 2: How the Surge Works

Ideally, the number of drivers in a given area will be exactly equal to the number of riders in a given area. So whenever there are more riders than drivers, rideshare services will launch a surge. This doesn’t necessarily mean there are a ton of potential riders, there is just an imbalance. So the surge is simply meant to do one thing: Redistribute drivers.

The surge is a way to get drivers onto the road when passengers are looking for rides. Random Uber Employee Tweet

How to Spot Surge In Your Driver App

The surge will be displayed as colored areas on the map in both the Uber & Lyft driver apps. Take a look at the below images for examples of what this looks like in-app.

The surge is a way to get drivers onto the road when passengers are looking for rides. When there are too many people looking for trips, for example when a sporting event lets out, there can be a sudden spike of wait times as all the available drivers nearby are booked.

By temporarily increasing prices, surge can boost the supply of drivers in that area. This increase in driver supply can be from a combination of drivers logging on for the surge payouts, and drivers from surrounding areas relocating to catch the surge.

As more and more drivers flock to the surge the number of passengers looking for rides balances out and demand stabilizes. When this happens the surge will slowly decrease and eventually disappear. The entire system is automated and completely dynamic, which means it adapts to the current situation. Think about how you can use this knowledge to your advantage.

The dynamic design of the surge system allows you to use this to your advantage. By understanding the supply and demand patterns across your city, you can predict when and where surge happens. So how do you do it?

1. Brave the bars
2. Wake up for the morning rush
3. Know about big events
4. Get out in the rain

Brave the bars

The late-night bar crowd on Thursday’s, Friday’s, and Wednesday’s can be a gold mine for the driver willing to deal with a more “exuberant” crowd. From about 9:00 – 11:00 you can find riders that are headed to the bars from the more docile parts of the city. Then from 1:30 – 3:00 you can catch riders in popular going-out areas who will need a designated driver to get them back home. These areas will almost always have big increases in demand which turn into predictable and sustainable surges.

Wake up for the morning rush

Demand during the early morning hours from 6:00 – 10:00 is very high in most cities because of the high volume of commuters either going to work, going to the airport, or leaving the airport. Depending on your city, you can find workers either coming from the suburbs or more residential parts of the city into the downtown areas.

Mornings are also a great time to catch business travelers going to and coming from airports. You can use your Gridwise app to know when flights are coming in and catch a big fare at the airport. Or hang near hotels and find a traveler catching their early flight.

Know about big events

If you want to predict rider demand look no further than your local sporting, concert, and theatre venues. When they are having some of their bigger events, hundreds to thousands of people will be looking for rides to their next destination after the event is over.

You can spend an hour looking through multiple websites for events or you can check the Gridwise events list.

Get out in the rain

Many drivers have a love/hate relationship with the rain. While it can be a pain to drive in a downpour, there is almost always a significant amount of demand during a rainstorm because riders who may have otherwise taken a long walk to their destination will decide to take a ride, while some drivers will decide it’s not worth it to try and drive.

Take Action for Lecture 2

1. Open up your driver app and see if there are any surges happening in your area
2. Check out the events listing for compound events in your city
3. Check out the airport graph for arrivals and departure peaks
4. Write down your weekend surge predictions by listing the hours you expect peak demand, and the areas you expect these to happen

Table of Contents

Lecture 1: Navigation Apps

Each has its pros and cons so let's get started with how navigation tools are similar and different. Each navigation tool works by using your mobile smartphones’ GPS location to show you turn by turn directions.

1. Uber navigation
2. Lyft navigation
3. Google maps
4. Apple maps
5. Waze

Uber navigation

Already integrated into the driver app for fluid user experience. This is super convenient when you are behind the wheel as you have less to fumble around with on your phone, although it may not be as up to date on best routes as the leading navigation apps like Google or Waze. This is especially evident when there is heavy traffic or if there are road closures and major construction delays.

Lyft navigation

The same as Uber navigation, Lyft navigation is also built within the Lyft driver app to allow you to seamlessly use the app for each trip. The major difference is that Lyft will add additional riders to your queue automatically. This isn’t always what the driver wants do be sure to turn off new rides quickly after accepting them to avoid this.

Google maps

Google maps is familiar to many drivers especially those working on Android smartphones. This may be a natural choice of navigation app to use for those familiar with Google. A major difference between this navigation app and the native driver apps is traffic slow down updates that may be helpful when you drive rush hours. A downside is switching constantly between the driver apps and Goole maps because this is not built within the driver apps.

Waze navigation

Utilizes crowdsourced data to predict best routes in real-time allowing you to avoid traffic jams, cops, construction, or any other road hazard. Is not integrated with the driver app which means you have to tab out and switch out of the driver app into another app to use. This can be clumsy especially if you are behind the wheel focusing on driving.

We recommend using the built-in navigation tools when you first begin driving rideshare to keep things as simple as possible. You already have too many things going on at once when you first start driving to worry about switching between apps. Just use the built-in navigation on the driver apps so you can focus on learning the trip taking process. Master the art of accepting pings, picking up your passenger, and dropping them off safely first and all within the driver app. Once you get comfortable with the trip process, then explore the other options available to you.

Take Action for Lecture 1

1. Download all of the above navigation apps and play around with them
2. Find the best navigation tool experience you enjoy and stick with it

Table of Contents

Lecture 1: What to expect on your first trip

It’s okay to be nervous on your first trip

Many new drivers are nervous on their first trip. It may seem daunting to juggle the driver app, find your way around town, and then pick up a complete stranger. Feeling anxiety is normal so don’t worry about making mistakes because people are generally nice and you will get better with time.

Here’s what you can expect on your first trip:

1. Using the driver app
2. Navigating to the pick-up
3. Greeting your first passenger
4. Dropping off your passenger
5. Preparing for your next ride

Understanding the driver app

Uber makes the pick-up experience very straightforward in the app. When you tap Go, you’ll be matched with a rider and the app will switch to a navigation view giving you turn by turn directions on a map to the pick-up location.

Navigating to the pick-up

Follow the directions in your app and once you arrive close to your pickup location the app will start a waiting timer and give you the option to start the trip. Do not start the trip until the passenger is confirmed and in your car!

Greeting your first passenger

Before you let the passenger into your car make sure you positively identify them by the name listed in your driver app, and that they confirm your name and license plate as well. Be sure to let them know this is your first trip because this allows you both to lighten the mood, break the ice, and more importantly tell the passenger to have more patience with you as a new driver.

Dropping off your passenger

As you approach the dropoff point the driver app will give you the option to end the trip. Say goodbye to your passenger, and simply end the trip to see your payout. It’s important to only end the trip when the passenger leaves your vehicle.

Preparing for your next ride

Finishing a trip will automatically place you in the queue to accept the next available ping, so be sure to Go Offline by tapping the X button if you want to take a break. Taking a quick break after your first ride is important to gather your composure, and to check your car for any missing items or trash.

Take Action For Lecture 1

1. Get comfortable with your driver app
2. Gather your driver kit as outlined in our cleaning and maintenance lecture
3. Take your first trip!

Being a delivery driver seems simple enough. 

You get a ping on the app, you go to the restaurant, you pick up the order, and you drop it at the customer’s door. Easy, right? Well ... it can be. But the truth is, there’s a lot more to it than that. 

Ask anyone who’s used to working rideshare and suddenly switches to deliveries in an attempt to make up for a severe passenger shortage. Those annoying riders you love to hate can seem far more appealing after you get up-close-and-personal with the broken bags, spilled food, slow service at restaurants, and complicated directions—not to mention inconsistent and often inadequate pay—that come with the delivery game.

Yet even with all those worries and inconveniences, there’s a lot to like about delivery driving. 

For one thing, the business is on a huge upswing now. The COVID-19 crisis fueled the rocket that got delivery off the ground, and now that people are used to it, they’ll probably want to keep enjoying it. 

Also, delivery is an almost-perfect alternative (or augmentation) to your rideshare gig. You still have flexible hours, you’re still in your car, and you still get to collect fees and tips. And if you want, you can even switch back and forth between rideshare and delivery, all on one shift.

Are you ready to become a delivery driver?

The companies you hear about most, Grubhub, DoorDash, Postmates, Instacart, and Uber Eats, are easy to join as a driver. If you already drive for Uber, all you have to do is change your settings to include deliveries.

Working for the other companies is a simple matter of downloading the app, signing up, and waiting for the background check and the rest of the application to clear. 

Unless there’s some kind of problem, you’ll be a full-fledged delivery driver in a day or three. You’ll be provided with some essential supplies, one of which is a thermal bag, usually decorated with the company logo. 

Who needs a fancy thermal bag? 

You do. 

Sure, most restaurants bag their wares, but those sacks aren’t very strong. They sometimes break, and often they don’t have enough insulation to keep food and drinks at the right temperatures like nice, thick thermal bags do. 

Those bags can also stop spills from spreading, and prevent nasty smells and stains from seeping into your upholstery and taking up residence.

Along with the bag, you may receive a company credit card of sorts. But don’t salivate yet; as nice as it would be, you’re not getting a lush expense account. 

The card is for paying the restaurant for your customer’s purchase through the company’s app. The restaurant will swipe it and that will be it. You can’t charge anything else. (#%&!#&$!)

You can use the app for delivery without using the card, at least while you wait for it to arrive so you can activate it. Until then, you’ll only be called for deliveries that are prepaid through to the eatery. 

That’s a good way to start out until you catch on to the delivery game, but it does restrict the number of deliveries available. You’ll be much busier once you activate the card, so you’ll want to do that as soon as you receive it.

Common issues to watch out for

If everything goes smoothly, you should be up and running in a fairly short amount of time. But like all endeavors, there are variables. Besides human error and navigation snafus, some other stuff can make your delivery run unusual.

For instance, there’s the driving distance between your car and the restaurant, plus the trip from the restaurant to the customer’s door to consider. When you take the call, you might not have all that information.

In many cases you do get it, and the app will actually show you how long the delivery should take—if all goes as planned. But do deliveries always run so smoothly? The keyword there is always, and the answer is of course not. Here are some other snafus to be prepared for.

The restaurant takes an ungodly amount of time to serve you

This happens a lot since at peak times, there can be tons of people in one place picking up their meals. 

Also, restaurants (like humans) have bad days. They could be short-staffed, or working with one functioning fryer or grill instead of two or three. Don’t get short-tempered, but do take this possibility into consideration when you accept the call.

Whoops! You have to place the order for the customer

Who expected that, right? This can happen with some of the apps. You’ll be cruising down a highway when you accept a call, adjust your route to drive to the restaurant, and then discover ... the customer hasn’t placed the order yet. 

Usually you can see this in the app when you go through the screens, but that’s not something you want to do while driving 65 mph, or while driving at all, for that matter.

You obviously have to pull over to see what the situation is. If you don’t catch it in time, you could arrive at the restaurant before you realize you have to place the order. Then you’ll have to wait 20 or 30 extra minutes for the food to be prepared. 

Time is money, and you don’t get paid very much for waiting. On top of that, your customer could grow pretty hangry by the time you get that food delivered.

Some portion of the order spills in your car

We know what you’re thinking: If you avoid driving drunk people around, you’re protecting your car from disgusting smells—right? Wrong. 

That spilt gorgonzola and garlic salad dressing your customer is salivating for, once dumped on your back seat, will offend your sense of smell and leave your customer hungry—and possibly mad at you.

Other items, like coffee and cola, can spill in the bag(s) and soak the food, rendering the comestibles you’re delivering worthless. Even though the spills aren’t on your vehicle’s pristine surfaces, the loss of the item (in the customer’s mind) will be ... on you.

You need ID from your customer, but he/she asked for contact-free delivery

Most of the time you won’t have to ask for ID unless the customer orders alcohol. If that is part of the order, you’ll typically know it in advance, and the customer will realize that ID needs to be shown.

Now you’ll probably laugh, but this actually happened. A customer asked for contact-free delivery, but the app wouldn’t close without a picture of her ID because it said she ordered alcohol. There was no booze in the order, but there was ... wait for it ... WINE VINEGAR DRESSING. 

The AI in these apps is getting good, but the little robots in there need to work on their discernment skills. The driver had to shut down the app and call the company to get the order to clear. The customer got the order, but she didn’t get billed until the next day. Lucky for the driver, she left an awesome tip.

And now for your 20 helpful hints! 

After reading this far, you may be starting to see the not-so-simple part of delivery driving. You’ll want to do things that avoid wasting time and not leave room for confusion or messes. The best delivery drivers out there are well-prepared, and they work smart, fast, and thoroughly. Here are 20 things you can do to be one of them.

1. Get a bag. If your company provides one, great, but get another one. If the company doesn’t provide any, buy at least two. You won’t believe how much food people can order. It might not fit in a single bag, and we already told you what can happen if you don’t use one.
2. Get a box or crate. This is how you keep everything upright and prevent spills. It can also help to keep food away from the other stuff in your vehicle, such as windshield washer fluid and motor oil.
3. Get a tarp. Some food orders (like deluxe-sized pizzas and 4-foot hoagies) won’t fit in your thermal bag OR your crate. Drape the tarp to cover the floor of your cargo area or the back seat to prevent damage to your vehicle.
4. Activate the company card. If you don’t, you’re going to miss out on a lot of orders.
5. Bring foul weather gear. You’re going to be in and out of your vehicle far more than you’ve ever been with rideshare.
6. Equip your car with cleaning supplies. If that gorgonzola-garlic spill happens, you’ll want to mop up as much as you can ... ASAP.
7. Un-bag beverages and put them in your cup holders. That way, they’re far less likely to spill all over the place.
8. Carry an oven glove or better yet, two. Some orders, especially soups, stews, or trays of lasagna, can be hot enough to burn your hands—and are easy to drop.
9. Make cleanliness a priority. Check your bag and crate often for spills and smears, and keep them clean. They may not stink right away, but a foul stench could develop within hours.
10. Keep your hands on the wheel. If you’re doing anything more complicated than accepting a ping, PULL OVER to interact with the app.
11. Observe your app. If you’re not sure whether you have to place the order, check it out before you travel to the restaurant. And what about alcohol and ID?
12. Scan the restaurant. Many have pickup sections that are separate from the food service area. Don’t stand in a line unless you know it’s the right one.
13. Observe all policies within the restaurant. For instance, you might have to wear a mask and/or abide by social distancing in the space.
14. Watch the app for combined orders. The company will often double you up with two or more deliveries in one trip, if they’re coming from the same eatery or a place nearby, and/or are being delivered in close proximity. Don’t miss picking up the extra food or knowing where it goes.
15. Carry a sharpie pen with you to mark the bags, especially when you’re making a run for two or more customers. Would you want to get Kung Pao chicken when you ordered vegetarian chop suey? Didn’t think so.
16. Watch for cancellations. They will almost always come before you get to the restaurant, but you won’t want to be there picking up a bag of food nobody’s going to pay for.
17. Pack up some extra napkins, utensils, straws, and condiments. When you go out of your way to keep your customers happy, they’ll be more likely to give you big tips.
18. If there’s too much to carry in one trip, make as many as it takes. There’s no award for carrying the most bags with two arms ... and then dropping three containers of soup in the driveway.
19. Always bring your insulated bag(s) or a crate with you when you’re picking up a large order. This will make it easier to manage, and lessens the risk of broken paper or plastic bags.
20. Follow the customer’s instructions, always. If you have questions, CALL THEM. If you communicate clearly, and graciously honor their wishes (within reason, of course), you’re going to make lots of great tips—and you’ll be that best driver out there.

But most importantly, track your earnings!

You simply cannot improve what you don’t measure. That’s why it’s important for every driver to understand how much they’re earning per service.

Drivers can use Gridwise to track their mileage, and earnings, for free, so you can understand what apps are making you the most money.

So if you don’t already have Gridwise app, download it now for free! 

So what are you waiting for? Download Gridwise and start tracking your earnings now!!!!

It’s part of the preliminaries

Signing up with Uber is fairly simple, and you’re in control of most of it. Upload your license, registration, and proof of insurance, and you’re almost there.

But the final part of applying to be a driver, the background check, is a little more complex and isn’t something you can find out about on the spot. You’ll have to wait until Uber has completed a full check of your driving history and criminal record to make sure letting you drive for the company isn’t a risky proposition.

The wait, in most cases, isn’t that long. You’ll usually hear back from Uber within three to five days unless there are delays, such as county records that aren’t available electronically. 

Who’s looking into your background?

Uber uses a third party company, Checkr, to perform background checks on potential drivers. If your check comes back clean, an Uber representative will contact you after the company has had time to review it. Be patient. Once Uber is confident that your background doesn’t pose a risk, if everything else is in order they will be happy to welcome you as a driver.

Uber will also contact you if anything turns up on your record that could make you an unsafe driver.

While you’re waiting for the results of your background check, you can log into Checkr’s Candidate Portal, fill out a brief online form, and find out your status. 

What are they looking for?

You may have heard that Uber often gets sued by riders, drivers, and even the states where the company operates. Because of the litigation risk, Uber must protect itself from any liability associated with exposing a potentially dangerous person to the public. Background checks vastly reduce that liability. 

Equally or even more important than the threat of litigation is Uber’s responsibility to keep riders and drivers safe. That’s why your DMV records, as well as any criminal records, will be thoroughly reviewed during this phase of your onboarding with Uber.

To pass the background check, you must have a valid driver’s license from a U.S. state for at least one year, and for at least three years if you’re 22 or younger. (Just in case you were wondering, this time requirement doesn’t include learner’s permit driving time.)

Your license must not have any disqualifying records, which might include:

• Major moving violations, such as driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs (DUI) or reckless driving, within the last seven years
• More than three minor moving violations in the past three years, such as speeding tickets (20+ mph over the speed limit), or failure to obey traffic laws

If you have a criminal record, it must be free of:

• Felony convictions 
• Violent crimes
• Sexual offenses for the last seven years
• Outstanding charges that haven’t yet been resolved in your favor

Note that this is a general list of qualifications; some states have stricter standards than others. In California, for example, you must not have had a DUI conviction within the last ten years.

In New York City, rather than background checks being performed by Checkr, the Taxi and Limousine Commission (TLC) will perform the check as part of its licensing procedure. You must be licensed by the TLC to drive for Uber in New York City.

Check your locality for the standards and the number of years required for Uber to clear your background check and allow you to drive.

Will they check my credit?

No, Uber will not check your credit unless you’re renting a car through them. If you’re using your own car to drive for Uber, you won’t need to worry about a credit check.

Is all this checking confidential?

Yes, background checks are completely confidential. Personnel at Checkr, as well as those at Uber who review the results, are forbidden from sharing information about you outside the purpose of conducting the background check and determining if you qualify to be a driver.

What’s this background check going to cost me?

The background check is totally covered by Uber. It won’t cost you anything except the time and trouble of submitting your information and waiting for the results.

Can I monitor the background check process?

Uber won’t usually contact you until the background check is complete. If you’re curious about how it’s coming along, you can visit Checkr’s Candidate Portal, or check your status in the Uber app by tapping My Profile. You’ll be able to see what your status is based on the word used to describe it. For instance … 

• Onboarding is Uber’s way of saying your documents and background check are under review;

• Waitlisted can mean there are issues with your documents. Or, if you’re already a driver, Uber might be re-running your background check;

• Consider is a yellow light that could turn red. It means your background check is being closely reviewed because there are issues;

• Active means you’re good to go. You can move into driver mode and start earning money;

• Rejected is exactly what the word implies: you didn’t get accepted, or you were deactivated. You can try to reapply, but your first step is finding out why you weren’t approved.

What can I do if I get rejected?

First, don’t panic; mistakes can be made during the background check. If you believe that you meet all the qualifications to be a driver, and you’ve been rejected, it’s worth contacting both Uber and Checkr to find out what’s going on.

If a problem is found with the background report, you’ll receive an email from Checkr, so you can first try replying to that. Checkr doesn’t have the last word, though, when it comes to whether or not you’ll be activated. 

If you can get Checkr to amend the report by correcting the error, you’ll then have to re-submit it to Uber.

Remember, however, that Uber cannot do anything to change the results of your background check. Rather, the company uses the findings to make a determination as to whether you’re eligible to drive. 

If you want an explanation about why you’ve been rejected, you can request that by getting in touch with Uber. You can call or email, but for something this personal and important, you may want to visit an Uber Hub in person. Here’s a list of all the hubs with addresses, driving directions, phone numbers, and business hours.

Although it’s important to advocate for yourself, Uber officials won’t change their minds about the results unless there really is something incomplete or inaccurate in your original background report.

Once it’s over, will I have to go through the background check again?

Uber will repeat the background check at least once a year. They’ll want to know whether you’ve received any recent citations or if any new criminal charges have been filed against you. 

As long as Uber’s standards remain the same from year to year, and you haven’t had any new citations or criminal charges, you’ll remain in good standing with the company. If, on the other hand, Uber does change its standards and your record doesn’t meet them, you could be deactivated.  

It is also possible that another employee could review your background check after the first review, and make a different decision. It always pays to contact Uber if you have questions about your status as a driver, and why it might have changed.

Be safe, stay safe

Being a rideshare driver requires you to be safe and responsible, both on and off the road. Protect yourself, protect your riders, and keep the Uber community safe.

There’s nothing like stating the obvious: The gig economy has been turned upside-down these past few months. Most drivers prefer carrying passengers over doing deliveries, mainly because passenger rides are more lucrative and easier to come by. Delivering food involves parking, getting in and out of the car, carrying sometimes heavy loads, possibly spilling potent-smelling foodstuffs in your nice, clean car, and after all that … not getting much money. Before COVID-19, most drivers weren’t all that excited to work for delivery companies because they didn’t have to. But now, everything is different.

The big gig shift

There’s still a lot of fear over COVID-19 and all the risks associated with its spread. That, combined with government stay-at-home and shelter-in-place orders, has decimated much of the driving business. While we certainly expect that the day will come when people resume going to and from work, then out to dinner, drinks, and/or large events, right now driving is a very sporadic and challenging way to generate income.

Where are our passengers? Most of them are at home, either working from there or furloughed from their jobs. Whereas they once ran their own errands and did their own shopping, they’re now willing to pay for the privilege of staying huddled in their houses—which means they’re shelling out extra money to get their purchases delivered. And they’re tipping pretty well, too.

This situation makes working for delivery services much more attractive than it was when driving passengers was profitable. The restaurants our riders used to frequent are now takeout only. The bars where they met their friends after work are shuttered. So, people are looking for ways to get their favorite foods and beverages delivered to their homes. 

This shift in customer activity has done more than just make delivery companies seem more attractive than before. It’s created a business boom for these companies, as well as a demand for more gig workers to keep their machinery moving. One in particular is making a splash due to an immense amount of expansion: Instacart. 

An app-based service for grocery, pharmacy, and pet-supply shopping, Instacart has hired more than 300,000 shoppers and delivery drivers in the last few months alone, and plans to hire 250,000 more. Just like the coronavirus itself, no one saw the staggering demand for new workers coming. Even Instacart didn’t anticipate this level of growth. In an April 2020 interview, Instacart president Nilam Ganenthiran said that because of the coronavirus pandemic, “Every day is a new Black Friday for us.”

When every day feels like the busiest shopping day of the year, you know there are employment opportunities galore at Instacart. There are a few different ways you can work for the company. You can shop and then deliver, pick up and deliver only, or simply be a shopper. This flexibility might make it easier for rideshare drivers to adjust to working for an outfit like Instacart.

What about Instacart worker safety?

It’s pretty obvious why customers (including our past and future riders) enjoy getting their groceries and other items delivered; it’s always convenient to use a service like this one. But with the COVID-19 scare it has become, quite literally, a life-saver. The main reason people use this shopping service so much and so often is they don’t want to go into the stores and risk being infected with the coronavirus.

One of the difficulties Instacart has faced recently is directly related to worker safety. After making recent promises to provide hand sanitizer and other safety equipment to their drivers, they were unable to deliver the goods. Drivers and shoppers also felt let down in other ways too, and they were unhappy with Instacart’s response to their demands. So, in late March 2020, Instacart workers went on strike. 

Although the company didn’t meet all demands, they did take measures to help protect the shoppers and drivers who work for them. They have instituted safety programs, and even worked with a third-party manufacturer to create their own line of hand sanitizer. They began providing safety kits to all workers that contain a reusable cotton mask, a thermometer, and hand sanitizer. 

Another safety precaution implemented in April 2020 involves shoppers and drivers participating in mandatory wellness checks before starting work. They take an in-app survey about whether they’re having any COVID-19 symptoms such as fever, coughing, or shortness of breath. If they have no symptoms, they can begin their day’s work. But if they do have symptoms, they’ll be temporarily deactivated and told to call their doctor. 

While this is a step in the right direction, there’s no guarantee workers will be honest about that fever or nagging cough, and the app can’t take workers’ temperatures—not yet, anyway. Still, it probably does comfort shoppers and their customers to know these precautionary measures are in place.

Is working for Instacart worth it?

Until the rideshare business comes back, most drivers need to consider other ways to make money. As long as you’re healthy, and don’t have any high-risk considerations to factor in, a job like this one might work out for you. Sure, unemployment is available for gig workers during the COVID-19 crisis, but we’ve heard from many drivers who say they’re facing long and frustrating delays.

What are the risks with COVID-19 and beyond?

Once the novel coronavirus is finally under control and the “all-clear” sounds, the economy will inevitably be different. Will rideshare come back to the way it was before the coronavirus crisis? Maybe, maybe not. If it doesn’t, it would be a good idea to have a Plan B in place, like working for Instacart to back you up and supplement your income.

The other side of the after-COVID equation is whether Instacart’s services will still be in demand when the fear of catching the viral disease dies down. It’s hard to know for sure—but our research tells us that people have grown fond of having someone else do their grocery shopping, so the demand for this service is likely to remain strong.

It’s a huge timesaver, and many people consider it well worth the extra money Instacart tacks on for its fee. The ebb and flow of economic trends seems to indicate business may not be as brisk as it is right now, but it will probably remain much stronger than it was before the outbreak. 

What about money?

Feedback on working for Instacart is mixed. There are many reports of big tippers. There are also complaints that people put the big tip on the order, and then remove it just as it's been completed. Drivers left holding the bag are stuck with the average $15 per delivery. Those who get big tips, however, can make as much as $25.

Just as with rideshare, delivery pay will vary according to the market where you work. Your take will be bigger in more densely populated areas, and you’ll make more at certain times of the day. Also remember that if you decide to be a full-fledged shopper, you’ll be spending time inside the store, standing in line to get in and to get checked out, on top of driving there and delivering the items to the customer.

Overall, if you can make some money, that’s preferable to making NO money while you sit and wait for the rideshare business to pick up again. Right?

Is Instacart for you?

Once you’ve binged yourself numb on TV series and old movies, you could come to the point where you either want or need to get out of your house and get to work for a service like Instacart.

So here’s a link to help you get started. When the future is uncertain, it’s always a good idea to keep your options open. And remember—with Gridwise, you can track your earnings, as well as your rideshare stats, right on the app. Download it now!