Gridwise blog

Uber has been really proud of the fact that their drivers were tipped $50 million during the first 50 days that the Uber tip feature was available.

We’re talking shout it from the rooftops, Tom Cruise on a couch levels of excited about this.

Unfortunately, this leaves some of us wondering who exactly got those tips… because it wasn’t us.

The hard truth is that it’s really difficult to consistently receive tips because so much is out of the driver's control. Unlike the hospitality industry or even the taxi industry where tipping is the norm and expected, many rideshare passengers see tipping as an option they rarely need to take.

So how can you maximize your chances of making a significant amount of tip revenue?

We sat down with a few rideshare drivers over the past week that have had success getting tips and drilled them on the strategies and techniques they use. Some of them have even had days where they made $50 in tips.

Today we’re going to share with you what works best!

Be a great driver

These are table stakes folks, if you want any opportunity to make a significant amount of tip revenue or even get a decent rating, you need to be a great driver.

Know where you’re going

At the end of the day, riders want to get from point A to point B. If you can’t do this quickly, get lost along the way, or make too many wrong turns you’re not going to receive tips and your rating will most likely suffer.

Lucky for you all you need to do is make sure you have a great navigation system running and follow the directions. Most drivers like to go beyond Uber’s navigation system. Learn more about Google Maps vs Waze for rideshare drivers to see how they fare against the available built in navigation systems.

Drive Safely

Every driver knows that if you get into an accident with a passenger in your car, you’re going to have a lot of issues. The last of your worries is how much that passenger tips you.

The thing that many drivers fail to consider however is how safe you are making your passengers feel.

This means pay attention to the more subtle things you may find yourself doing like:

• Avoid speeding or excessive lane changing
• Don’t roll through stop signs
• Be extremely cautious around pedestrians
• Never, and I do mean never, give in to road rage

Save the call for later

The issue with taking a call isn’t really that it’s unsafe. Most drivers have hands-free systems that allow them to keep both hands on the wheel and eyes on the road if they are on a phone call. The problem is that you miss out on opportunities to interact with your customer.

When you’re on a call, the opportunity to spark a nice conversation, offer them a service or extra, or just inquire about their day just isn’t there, and as you’ll see in the section below, these opportunities for positive customer interactions are important factors in whether you’ll get tipped or not.

Have great customer interactions

“If you want to get tips, you have to stand out” says James, a Pittsburgh rideshare driver and Gridwise user, “If you don’t leave an impression so the rider doesn't forget you as soon as they step out of the car, then they aren’t going to remember why they should tip you.”

If you want to consistently receive tips, you need to make an impression on your passengers that cause them to remember you.

How?

Have extremely positive interactions with customers from the moment they call you to the moment they leave your car.

Keep your car clean

The very first interaction most riders are going to have with your rideshare business (yes you should think of yourself as a business) is with your car.

In this crucial first interaction, passengers will decide whether they are open to giving you a tip or not and if your car is messy or smells in any way you’re going to pay for it.

You don’t need to go get your car detailed every other week, but make sure that it’s vacuumed, washed, and odor free to make sure your first interaction with your customer is a positive one.

One rideshare driver in D.C. recommends spraying Ozium Original after every ride to maintain a fresh smell in your car.

Offer them a charger

In my opinion, the most valuable thing that a rideshare driver can offer a passenger is a chance to charge their phone.

Almost every passenger you pick up will take a charged phone over a free water or mint any day of the week. So give the people what they want!

You can pick up a dual tip charger from Amazon on the cheap along to offer your passengers a charge.

Grab this charger from Amazon for $10.99

This one gesture will make your passengers day.

Ask if they are in a rush

This is my favorite trick to make sure that I have at least one positive interaction with each of my passengers and requires very little effort.

All you need to do is simply ask your passenger if they are in a rush at all after your passenger has gotten settled into your car and you’ve confirmed their identity. If they are in a rush, you can do your best to find the fastest alternative route, and keep your passenger up to date on when your estimated time of arrival is.

Most passengers are going to politely say no, they aren’t in much of a rush, but this simple gesture gives the impression that you actually care about your passengers.

If they are up for it, spark a conversation

I love a talkative passenger.

People are incredibly interesting and one of the best perks of being a rideshare driver is that you get to meet and chat with dozens of people each week. However, not every passenger wants to start a full blown conversation with you.

“You need to read the room,” says Kate, a Lyft driver in NYC says. “Sparking conversations certainly help with tips, but some passengers just want to sit there and think about nothing. I respect that.”

If a passenger has headphones in, is working, have their eyes closed, or just looks preoccupied, be cautious when sparking up a conversation. You can throw out a question or two to test the waters, but don’t be pushy.

Let them be the DJ

Music is a big part of the in car experience so asking a passenger if they want to listen to a certain radio station is a great way to make them more comfortable. If you want to take things a step further, offer an auxiliary cord to your passengers and let them completely choose the music you listen to during the ride.

Letting the passenger play DJ also gives you the opportunity to connect with them. Some passengers will have similar tastes in music as you and you can share your experiences or recommendations with them. This is a great way to spark an enjoyable conversation.

Let them know tips are appreciated (subtly)

Passengers will often forget that tips are an important source of income for rideshare drivers, so you need to find a way to remind them, but you don’t want to be distasteful or pushy about it.

You can use a rideshare passenger sign to let your passengers know that they can choose their music and charge their phones while subtly reminding them that you’d appreciate a tip.

Check out the one below:

[su_note note_color="#fefedf"]Free Bonus: Download this rideshare passenger and post it in your car for FREE.[/su_note]

Your results will vary!

As a driver, you don’t have much control over how many tips you receive. The drivers that received tips of $50+ in a day usually work very long days or catch a lucky big tipper. You can however make $7 - $15 per day with a solid strategy like we laid out above which certainly adds up over the weeks and months.

Did we miss anything? Are there any other secrets to getting tips (and 5-star ratings) that drivers should take advantage of?

Let us know in the comments below!

As a rideshare driver in Pittsburgh, you get a first-hand view of everything our city has to offer.

Sure, Pittsburgh is considered a small, mid-market city when compared to the likes of New York or Chicago, but look at all we have to offer.

Our world class airport welcomes musical artists like Bruno Mars Bon Jovi, Eric Church, and Run the Jewels to play at Stage AE in Northshore, Rex Theatre on the South Side and of course, PPG Paints Arena.

Iconic bars like Jack's on the South Side headline one of the best bar scenes that the Midwest has to offer and our cultural district boasts theatre after theatre that is home to award winning shows.

Let's not forget our renowned universities that are driving technological boom rarely seen outside of Silicon Valley, and let's not forget that we do love our Steelers, Penguins, and the Pirates.

This city has A LOT to offer, so a smart rideshare driver has A LOT to take advantage of even in a "mid-market" city. So in today's post I'm going to walk you through all of the best times and places to drive in Pittsburgh.

Let's get to it!

Weekdays (Monday – Wednesday)

The morning rush (4 am – 10 am)

The morning rush starts early on Monday and Tuesday mornings thanks to business travelers looking to catch their red eye flights. If you can wake up and hit the road early, you'll want to hang out downtown near the hotels like the Fairmont and the Double Tree. During the early morning hours from 4-6, you're very likely to pick up a rider headed to the airport.

From the airport, you'll then have a great opportunity to catch a traveler coming into the city. These are also likely to be business travelers as well, so most of them will need some transportation back into the city to check into their hotel or head to the office. You can use your Gridwise app to check the airport queue before you set off to the airport to ensure there aren't too many drivers already there.

[su_note note_color="#fefedf"]Free Bonus: Know how many other drivers are in the airport before you arrive using theFREE Gridwise app.[/su_note]

If you're coming from the suburbs, especially  North Hills, around 7:00, it's worth it to stick around for awhile as you'll most likely get called for a ride to either the airport or the city.

From 7:00 - 10:00 most of the city will see a good amount of demand. Sticking close to the downtown area will result in another trip and depending on the time of the year driving near Carnegie Mellon University can yield great results.

The afternoon rush hour (3-6)

The afternoon rush is another great time to focus on business heavy areas and professionals looking for rides either from office to office or from their offices back home.

It's not uncommon for the entire central business district to light up with surges, especially when the weather becomes a factor. This predictable surge is a great opportunity for a long ride to the suburbs and even the airport.

Late night (10 – 3)

Late nights during weekdays are relatively quiet since the bars won't be flooded. Smart drivers can still find great opportunities, however.

You can start by knowing what events are going on in town. Theatres like The Rex and Mr. Smalls regularly have shows that end around 11:00 and the entire theatre district will often be buzzing, especially in the summer time.

Plan out your week using the Gridwise app in order to take advantage of the biggest and most profitable events in town.

Around 11:30 during the fall if you drive near the Carnegie Mellon Library you'll get a pickup from one or a group of students getting in a late night study session.

Weekends (Thursday – Saturday)

The morning rush (4 am – 10 am)

Thursday and Friday mornings are going to be similar to Monday - Wednesday mornings. The exception is that you'll likely see a boost of riders heading to the airport for their weekend trips. You can predict airport demand again using your Gridwise app.

Rider demand on Saturday mornings tends to be light, aside from a few ultra late night passengers. One of the most common places to find these passengers is near the Rivers Casino. Rivers is a 24-hour casino, however, there tends to be an exodus at around 4:00 - 5:00 am.

If you're not going for the ultra late night passengers, Saturday morning would be a great time to relax and sleep in!

Daytime hours (10 - 3)

Daytime hours on Thursday and Friday in Pittsburgh are relatively quiet. Save your gas unless there is a compelling event going on.

During the daytime, the city of Pittsburgh is buzzing with events going on all around town. In the summer you can find festivals, shows, tastings, meet ups, showcases, and other events all around the city.

If you're coming from a suburb you shouldn't have a hard time finding a rider that's headed into the city. So wait around for a good ride. From there plan your riding schedule by understanding what events are going on around town.

The afternoon rush hour (3-7)

Thursday and Friday's rush hours are similar to Monday - Wednesday. Stick to your common business area's and you'll find a rider demand.

On Saturday's you need to again be strategic and focus on areas that are hotbeds for events. Around 7:00 many people will just start to go out to bars and restaurants around town.

This is again a great time to come into the city from areas like North Hill as you'll find passengers looking to come into the city.

You'll also want to keep an eye on airport traffic. During the fall you'll find an increase in airport demand due to the fans of Steelers opponents arriving to watch their team get smacked around.

Late night (10 – 3)

Late nights on the weekend are prime time hours for rideshare drivers.

When students are in town you can start your nights focusing on areas like Oakland and Squirrel Hill to take advantage of the students that will be wanting rides to the bars of the South Side, Lawrenceville, and Bloomfield.

From there you have a few options on where you want to focus. You can stick to popular bar areas and get plenty of trips. The downside is that you'll likely spend a good amount of time in traffic.

If you want to try and focus on a less saturated area of the city, again, check out what events are going on. If there are big events going on at Studio AE or the PPG Paints Arena, don't be afraid to venture toward those areas.

As the night comes to an end, you'll, of course, get your fair share of intoxicated passengers. Be a courteous driver and I would recommend engaging less than you would during the daytime. If you've invested in a dashboard camera, make sure it's just to protect yourself from fraudulent passenger claims.

With so many options for late night driving, it's hard to go wrong driving from 10pm-3am on Thursday, Friday, or Saturday nights.

Sunday

The morning rush (4 am – 10 am)

Pittsburgh likes to sleep in Sunday mornings and you should too. Especially if you were driving the bar scene late Saturday night. Later in the mornings, you can catch a few riders headed to brunch, but this is generally a quiet time.

Daytime hours (10 - 3)

You'll find Sunday's during the daytime can be lazy when there isn't much going on in the city. There are some popular attractions like the Carnegie Science Center, the Andy Warhol Museum, and the Carnegie Museum of Art that usually yield groups of riders. However, your biggest Sunday's in Pittsburgh come in the fall.

8-weeks out of the year (probably more) during the fall you'll find about 60,000 people flocking from their homes and hotels to watch our Pittsburgh Steelers beat on some poor team from out of town. These are big time opportunities for rideshare drivers both before and after the games.

The afternoon rush hour (3-7)

Sunday afternoons are event driven in Pittsburgh. Whether it be a show, concert, Penguins game, or Steelers Game, events should be your main focus.

You'll also start to see airport demand start to creep up for both departing and arriving passengers. Keep an eye on your Gridwise app so you don' miss crucial airport peaks.

Late night (10 – 3)

Sunday nights in Pittsburgh are event driven as well. You’ll continue to find business travelers looking to come into or leave out of the city on Sunday evenings, so check your flight schedules using the Gridwise app. Gravitating toward the downtown area where popular business hotels are located will commonly yield you a ride to one of Pittsburgh's airports.

With any luck, you’ll arrive at a peak airport time and can catch a ride back into the city.

Pittsburgh is a city where it's important to always drive strategically to maximize your hourly earnings. There are a few times where you can count on rider demand as long as you drive in popular areas. During slower hours it’s important to be strategic and have a plan before you get out on the road. Use apps like Gridwise to help you understand what’s going on in your city and develop a solid driving plan in just a few minutes.

Now, what’s your favorite time to drive in Pittsburgh? Share in the comments below!

A few weeks back I was sitting in the Uber airport queue right when a big wave of travelers was coming in. I arrived a bit early so I was chatting with a few drivers that I had come to know while waiting in the TNC lot. After 10-15 minutes there a few planes with big passenger counts come in and BOOM! Surge. A surge at the airport is like the holy grail. After just 15 minutes of waiting I was going to get a long ride with a surge, I’m expecting a $75+ ride right now. Pretty considerable jump from the ~$17/hour median rate for DC drivers. So I jump back in my car, excited about the cash I was about to stack, when I finally got pinged.From outside the airport surge zone… 15 minutes outside the airport surge zone.

What…After a few seconds of fury, panic, crying, and acceptance, I accepted the ride. I just couldn’t let go of my 100% acceptance rate. After licking my wounds I got back to the airport and started talking to my fellow drivers about how to tackle D.C. and Baltimore’s three airports and how to avoid the dreaded non-airport airport ping of death. I’m going to share what I learned in today’s blog post including:

1. How to navigate each of D.C./Baltimore’s airports
2. When to go to each airport
3. How to mitigate your non-airport airport ping risk

Let’s get to it!

How it works

Uber, Lyft, and other TNC’s specially designate airports with a geofence that tightly defines the airport area. As a driver, if you have an app on in those areas, you’ll be placed in a queue that acts as a virtual driver line. As you wait in the queue, you’ll cycle through the line (hopefully quickly) and finally be pinged by a rider.Most airports will have a designated pickup area which, will be the only place TNC drivers are allowed to wait. You’ll also want to always clearly display your TNC’s sign in your passenger window.

Navigating BWI, DCA, & IAD

Your first few times at an airport as a rideshare driver can be a bit disorienting because of all of the rules and regulations that differ from city to city and airport to airport.Let’s first talk about what those rules are at each airport and how you can comply.

Dulles International Airport (IAD)

First off, can someone please explain to me why Dulles International Airport’s acronym is IAD? I thought there were three DC based airports for the first 3-weeks I lived here!Anyways… Let’s first talk about IAD specific rules

Where to wait

The Dulles airport TNC lot is at the intersection of Autopilot Dr and Rudder Rd.

Where to pick up

Many airports add a significant layer of confusion for picking up passengers. Dulles is thankfully very straight forward. You can just pick passengers up along the lower level outer curb of the arrivals area.

Ronald Reagan International Airport (DCA)

Much like IAD, Ronald Reagan has fairly straightforward rideshare rules.

Where to wait

Ronald Reagan airport has two designated TNC lots. The main staging lot is pictured below just off of Airport access road. There is another area meant for overflow that is off of 26th street, below Airport Access road.

There is even a bathroom across from the lot in the parking garage which can be useful. You are only allowed to leave your car for 15 minutes to use the facilities, however, and if you are gone 16 minutes don’t be surprised if you come back to an MWAA officer writing you a ticket.

Where to pick up

Again like IAD, DCA has a relatively simple pick up procedure. You can simply find and pick up passengers on the lower level, outside curb of the arrivals area. If you are pooling you may have to do a lap or two.

Baltimore-Washington International Airport (BWI)

Finally an airport with an acronym I can get behind! In the past, waiting at BWI was tricky because of Maryland’s rules and regulations which didn’t specifically let drivers wait on airport property. This means that Uber/Lyft drivers technically were not allowed to wait on airport property to pick up riders.Recently BWI and the TNC companies have come together to strike a deal that will officially allow rideshare drivers at the airport. So expect changes to come quickly!

Where to wait

Currently, there is still no official wait area at BWI airport property, so the geofence’s that Uber and Lyft have created are large enough to accommodate drivers waiting outside the property. You can wait at a few places along Elkridge Landing Rd along with a small lot off Elkridge road that Lyft has started to designate for drivers.

It’s also a good idea to move to the shell to wait for a ride request as you get closer to having your number called.

Where to pick up

Arrivals are a bit more restricted at BWI as you can only pick up passengers from arrivals (lower level) from Door 5 or Door 12. You may have to do a lap around if you are pooling.

When to go

Being at the airport at the right time is crucial for success. Otherwise, you risk waiting around for hours for a rush of travelers to land. You can avoid this by understanding when the most passengers are both arriving and departing.There are a lot of common times when you can count on passengers coming into the airport. It’s very common on Monday and Tuesday mornings for business travelers to be arriving for a work week in Baltimore, D.C., or Virginia. At the end of the week, on Thursday afternoons and Friday mornings, there is a surge of those same business travelers leaving to go home or coming back.Other busy times for travel include:

• Christmas and Thanksgiving Holidays
• 4th of July
• Saturday’s before Ravens or Redskins games
• The week of large parades

Take advantage of these travel heavy times by positioning yourself in the queue 10 - 15 minutes before there is a peak in arriving airports. You can easily predict when these times will be using the free Gridwise App.

Don’t forget to pay attention to departures as well. You can take advantage of peak departure hours by positioning yourself near hotels to maximize your chances of getting a long airport fare.

Use your timeouts wisely

Remember that heartbreaking tale that I told you to start this blog post? Well, the truth is there is no way to guarantee this won’t happen to you. You can, however, decrease your chances of getting pulled out of the queue for another ride by using your cancels wisely and positioning yourself well within the airport zone.Uber and Lyft’s algorithms are still under lock and key so it’s difficult to completely understand how drivers are selected, however, we do know that drivers are supposed to be selected based on proximity to the rider.So that stands to reason that if you move closer to the airport and away from the surrounding city that you’ll decrease your chances of being pinged from outside the airport. The TNC lots are great for this, the cell lots would be better, however rideshare drivers are not officially allowed in those lots. So approach at your own risk.Your next strategy is to be fully loaded with “timeouts” so you can ignore a call at least once without being sent to the back of the line. Remember, you only need about a 90% acceptance rate to stay in good standing with the TNC and get your weekly driver rewards, so use the few timeouts you have at the airport if you know you’re going to incorporate them into your strategy for the day.

Things to remember

A great airport strategy can lead to a consistent and predictably high hourly income for the smart rideshare driver. We recently wrote a story about Jeff who has been conquering rideshare up in Pittsburgh for the last year by leveraging his local airport, so you can take his strategy and make it your own. Just remember a few extra things:

• Always reach out to your passenger and confirm their location right before you depart
• DO NOT cancel on a passenger after you’ve accepted a fare. You’ll be moved to the bottom of the queue and could face deactivation by your TNC
• Be mindful of law enforcement and don’t risk getting a ticket by hanging out in the cell lots
• Because of the heavy MWAA presence, be prepared when you come to the airport. This means trade dress displayed, insurance card and registration available and don’t forget your driver's license

Alright, that’s it! Everything you need to know to get started at the airports in the DMV. Are you an experienced TNC airport warrior? Did we miss any great airport tips? Let us know and we’ll add them to the list!

As I write this article I am no less than a week past committing the cardinal sin of driving for a rideshare service.

Yes… I chased a surge.

Don't laugh at me! We've all been hypnotized by that beautiful dark shade of red. I also had just dropped off a 3x surge rider so I was feeling lucky. Like today was my day! So with a glimmer of hope and determination in my eye, I set off to go conquer another surge!

What a bad idea that was.

Not only did I miss the surge, but I wasted 30-minutes stuck in traffic all while a surge appeared from the EXACT area that I had just come from.

As rideshare drivers, we must face the fact that surges just are not worth it. So in today’s post, we’ll examine why chasing surges is a no-no for good rideshare drivers and 4 tactics you should use instead.

Let’s dive in!

What surge prices REALLY do

Uber and Lyft’s surge algorithms remain somewhat of a mystery, however, our friends over at Cornell have done a great job of decoding and explaining how Uber’s Surge pricing works… But let me explain this it to you in English.

Ideally, the number of drivers in a given area will be exactly equal to the number 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 problems with Surging

This model wouldn’t be so bad in a perfect world, however, two things happen that work against the rideshare driver.

1. Riders can easily game the system multiple ways
2. MANY more drivers than necessary will flock to a surge area.

Now let's pause for a quick question.

If I offered to give you a 50% discount on your steak dinner tonight if you wait ten minutes, would you do it?

Yep, you would in a heartbeat.

Riders are the exact same way. If they can just wait for 10-minutes for a cheap ride, they will wait out the surge. This means while you and 50 other drivers are headed to an area, riders will actually stop requesting rides.

“I’ve sat right in the middle of surges downtown for 15 - 20 minutes and never received a call,” says D.C. rideshare driver David. “I used to chase surges, wait there for 20 minutes and get nothing. I stopped making that mistake pretty quick.”

By simply waiting a few minutes and even checking other apps, riders can “game” the system and wait until Uber pulls all of us drivers to their area and subsequently drops prices. So while you’re chasing the big red zone, your riders are just waiting until it disappears before calling you.

You end up driving across town for a normal fare. Not great.

Riders are also becoming more aware of the predefined surge zones that rideshare services have created, which means they can simply walk a few blocks and be in a non-surging zone. It’s not uncommon to get pinged from just outside a surge zone while you are driving IN a surge zone. Again, not great.

What’s the impact of surges?

While income from surges can add a nice boost to your daily payouts, it certainly won’t make up the bulk of your earnings. In fact, a 2017 report from RideSharingDriver indicated that less than 10% of uber driver earnings came as a result of incremental income from surges.

Given these numbers, if you’re a part time driver averaging $1,500 per month driving Uber or Lyft, you can expect surge charges to make up less than $150 of your monthly pay.

Not. Great.

Find demand, don’t chase surges

With only a small piece of our earnings coming from surges, not to mention the fact that Uber is constantly considering doing away with surges, drivers need to be maximizing earnings by minimizing ideal time and maximizing their chances for long rides. 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 area’s 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.

You’ll have to deal with riders that may have had too much to drink so come prepared with a barf bag and a few cleaning supplies to ensure that you can get back on the road quickly. Puke related accidents don’t always happen though.

“I’ve completed more than 3000 rides over the past 4 years for Uber and Lyft and have never had someone vomit in my ride.” says one of our Gridwisers Jeff. “I could just be lucky, but people for the most part just fall asleep”

Wake up for the morning rush

If you’re not a night owl then you better be an early bird if you want to maximize your earnings from ridesharing services like Uber and Lyft. 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 so looking through multiple websites for events or you can check use Gridwise to see a listing of events in your area.

[su_note note_color="#fefedf"]Free Bonus: Know what events are going on in your city in seconds using theFREE Gridwise app.[/su_note]

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.

As a driver, you’ll need to take precautions to ensure that you are driving safely and deal with a bit of extra traffic, but you’ll likely be rewarded with a nice surge fair.

Incorporating demand PREDICTION into your strategy

There is no single strategy that works for all drivers because with every driver comes a unique circumstance. While you may not be able to incorporate all of the above tactics in your strategy, you can use them as inspiration.

If you are a suburban driver that goes into the city, do your best to catch a ride from the airport into the city in the morning, or possibly a commuter making their way to their downtown office. Alternatively, if you are a single dad in the city and can't drive during the mornings, find events that in the evenings and get out there on Friday and Saturday nights.

Every city is different and every driver is different, so what's different about your strategy? We want to know!

Sound off in the comments below

I found out the hard way that the time of day that you’re driving for rideshare services like Uber and Lyft can be the difference between making $30 per hour, and heading home having made $40 from a 5-hour shift. I want to make sure that none of my fellow DC rideshare drivers go through the agony (yes agony) of an unprofitable driving session, so I’ve listed out the best times to drive rideshare in DC.

Weekdays (Monday - Wednesday)

The morning rush (6 am - 10 am)

The D.C. metro system is possibly the cleanest mass transit system in America, and those sparkling benches come in handy when the infamous Red Line has been delayed 30 minutes.Again.Because of how unreliable, and expensive, the DC metro is, commuters often turn to rideshare partners to provide transportation to work. There are tons of riders who regularly ride Uber or Lyft to get to work, however, there are many riders that rely on rideshare services when their train has been delayed.Follow twitter accounts like @wmata, @Metrorailinfo, and my personal favorite @unsuckdcmetro for key alerts about metro service. When you see tweets like these:

 Go ahead and gravitate toward those areas.Many commuters from places like Silver Spring, Bethesda, and the Virginia Suburbs are going to be looking for rides into the downtown area. If you live in these areas, it is worth it to stick around and try to find a ride into the city. Otherwise, your best bet is to stay in areas of the city like DuPont Circle, Adams Morgan, and Georgetown to find students and workers getting to work.Monday’s and Tuesday’s are also busy days for business travelers, so use your Gridwise app to identify the best times to hit which airports to maximize your earnings.

The afternoon rush hour (3-6)

The afternoon rush hour is similar to the morning rush hour because the bulk of the rider demand stems from riders who are leaving work. The great thing about this rush hour is that these commuters tend to be more centrally located in areas like McPherson, NoMa, and Downtown, so if you hang near those areas you’re likely to find a rider trying to get home.Always be on the lookout for weather alerts as bad weather almost always causes train delays and many riders will forgo even attempting to ride the Metro in the rain.

[su_note note_color="#fefedf"]Free Bonus: To get instant weather and traffic alerts tailored to D.C. rideshare drivers download the FREE Gridwise app here.[/su_note]

Late night (10 - 3)

The late night hours early in the week rarely end up having much rider demand. That doesn’t mean you should completely give up on this block of time. You’ll just need to be strategic! Check your Gridwise app for events going on around town. The Kennedy Center, Verizon Center, and Lincoln Theater will all regularly have significant sized events that you should keep an eye on.  

Also, be sure to check the airport schedule. Business travelers often come in on Monday nights and will need rides from the airport to their hotels.

Weekends (Thursday - Saturday)

The morning rush (6 am - 10 am)

Expect the morning rush hours to be just as lucrative on Thursday and Friday in DC as they are Monday - Wednesday as these are still peak hours for Lyft and Uber demand. You can also look for business travelers to be heading home from some of the downtown hotels Friday morning, so check the airport departure schedules. 

 Rider demand on Saturday mornings is usually very low unless you’re taking advantage of an event. Otherwise, sleep in and prepare for the late night rush.

The afternoon rush hour (3-6)

Tourists are plentiful on Saturday’s in D.C., especially around the downtown area where many hotels are and near the monuments. These locations can be your bread and butter on most Saturday afternoons, but watch your alerts for any parades that are going on. You don’t want to get stuck trying to cross parade traffic.Also be mindful of Nationals Park near Navy Yard. Saturday games have the potential for 100’s of rides.

Late night (10 - 3)

For the weekend driver, late night rides are where you will make the bulk of your money. D.C. is full of young transplants and students that flock to places like Adams Morgan, DuPont Circle, and H Street to hit the bar and club scenes.Students coming from Georgetown and Foggy Bottom will make up a large bulk of your rides, so when school is in session hang near those neighborhoods early in the night around 9:00 o’clock and catch a ride into the more popular bar neighborhoods.From there, you’ll likely be able to give bar goers rides as they cross town going from bar to bar or party to party.The Verizon center while often have Saturday night events as well, however, keep an eye on your Gridwise app to monitor traffic. You don’t want to get stuck in gridlock traffic picking up a ride at the Verizon center when there are plenty of rides in other parts of town.

Sunday

The morning rush (6 am - 10 am)

While Saturday night is usually a frenzy of activity, Sunday morning is going to be downright boring for Uber drivers on most days. You may find a few folks heading back from clubs, parties, or bars but for the most part, you’ll see a heavy drop in rider demand.Take this time to sleep in!

The afternoon rush hour (1-6)

There is a mini afternoon rush hour caused by one of D.C.’s most popular pastimes.Brunch!Local’s will frequent the common bar areas to find the best bottomless mimosa deals, which means they’ll be looking for safe rides to and from restaurants. You won’t see the same amount of activity as a Saturday night unless there is a big event going on, but if you stick to popular areas like DuPont Circle you won’t have a problem finding a rider.

Late night (10 - 3)

Sunday nights in D.C. are relatively slow. You’ll find that business travelers often come into or leave out of the city on Sunday evenings, so check your flight schedules using the Gridwise app. Gravitating toward the downtown area where popular business hotels are located will commonly yield you a ride to one of D.C.’s airports. With any luck, you’ll arrive at a peak airport time and can catch a ride back into the city. Also, check for events going on at the Kennedy Center and local theaters. Always plan before you drive! There are a few times where you can count on a ton of rider demand as long as you drive in popular areas. During slower hours it’s important to be strategic and have a plan before you get out on the road. Use apps like Gridwise to help you understand what’s going on in your city and develop a solid driving plan in just a few minutes. Now, what’s your favorite time to drive in D.C.? Share in the comments below!

At Gridwise, our mission is to increase performance, efficiency, and earnings for all ride-hailing drivers by empowering the drivers of today and the future. To accomplish this mission, the Gridwise app provides a service-agnostic solution for drivers of any rideshare service.

Additionally, we want to equip drivers with knowledge so that they can make informed decisions-- which leads to greater earnings. Therefore, this article will provide you with the qualifications needed to drive for various TNC’s so that you can make the best decision when it comes to choosing a rideshare service to drive for. Specifically, we will be discussing the top 6 rideshare services that the majority of drivers are using: Uber, Lyft, Via, Gett, Curb, and zTrip.

Uber

As the most popular and widespread rideshare service, Uber has set forth an extensive list of requirements if you wish to start driving for them. However, the qualifications needed to drive for Uber may not be difficult for most people to attain.

First, let’s start with the driver requirements. To drive for Uber you must be at least 21 years of age and have 3 years of driving experience in the US, or you can be 23 years of age or older with 1 or more years of US driving experience. An Uber driver must have an in-state driver’s license, in-state personal auto insurance with your name listed on the insurance card.

Another qualification needed to drive for Uber is to pass a name-based background check, which requires a clean driving record and a Social Security number in order to process it. The background check is processed by a company called Checkr and looks over your driving record over the past 7 years for:

• No DUI or drug related offenses
• No history of reckless driving
• No fatal accidents
• No criminal record

Moving on to the vehicle requirements, in order to drive for Uber your car must be registered in-state, however, it does not need to be in your name. Whether your car is owned or leased, it must meet the following UberX vehicle requirements:

• 4-door sedan with a total of five seatbelts
• Year 2001 or newer in most cities
• In-state license plates
• No marked, taxi, or salvaged vehicles
• Pass the Uber vehicle inspection
• Up to date registration

Lyft

The qualifications needed to drive for Lyft are fairly similar to Uber. Drivers must be 21 years of age at the time of application with a valid in-state driver’s license and at least one year of driving experience.

Similar to Uber, driver applicants must have a clean driving record and complete a background check. However, Lyft is not as strict as Uber when they say “clean” driving record. Here is what you can/can’t have on your driving record in order to qualify for Lyft:

• No more than 3 moving violations in the last 3 years (seatbelts, traffic lights, fender benders).
• No major violations in the last three years (Driving on a suspended license, driving recklessly).
• No DUI’s or drug related violations in the last 7 years.
• No extreme infractions within the last 7 years (hit and run, felonies involving a vehicle).

Lyft uses a different company than Uber to process applicants’ background checks called SterlingBackcheck. The check is pretty thorough and ensures the applicants have not been convicted of any of the following within the past 7 years: felonies, violent crimes, sexual offenses, theft, property damage, and drug related offenses. Additionally, Lyft also does not allow anyone who is registered on the National Sex Offender Registry and DOJ 50-State Sex Offender Registry at the time that their background check is conducted, regardless of how long ago the individual was put on that registry.

As for the vehicle qualifications needed to drive for Lyft, they are surprisingly more stringent than Uber.

• Model: 2005 or newer (in most markets)
• Four doors: all four need to be able to open and close from the interior and the exterior, and passengers need to be able to unlock and lock their own doors
• All lights (i.e. turn signals, high beams, etc.) must work
• A/C and heat must work
• All car windows must roll up and down fully
• No cracks in windshield, windows, or mirrors with the exception of minor damage as long as it does not obstruct driver’s field of vision
• Working horn
• Tire tread depth must pass the penny test
• 5 functioning seat-belts

In addition to the standard driver and vehicle requirements, both Uber and Lyft have pretty strict requirements on their drivers’ ratings, according to The Rideshare Guy. In order to remain active on either platform, drivers must keep their rating above 4.6 (on a scale of 1 to 5). The difference between the two companies is how they calculate the ratings. With Lyft, only your last 100 rides count towards your rating and older ratings are dismissed. On the other hand, Uber takes into account your last 500 rides, which can make it difficult to redeem yourself if you get a low rating.

Via

The Via rideshare service is actually about passengers sharing rides. Currently, Via is only in New York, Chicago, and Washington DC. Via requires their drivers’ vehicles to be 2010 model year or newer, have leather or fabric seats, and to be approved for the Via System.

There is also a list of approved vehicles on the Via website. However, keep in mind that it is not a comprehensive list. If you own a vehicle which is not on this list, and you’re still interested in driving for Via, you can contact Via Customer Service to determine if your car is eligible.

Other qualifications needed to drive for Via are split between vehicles with livery plates and vehicles with private plates. For vehicles with livery plates, Via requires DMV registration, PPVL (front and back), and vehicle insurance. For vehicles with private plates, Via requires DMV registration, a valid insurance card, completion of a vehicle inspection form, and photos of the vehicle (rear exterior and interior).

Gett

With the promise of up to 25% higher pay than Uber, Gett can be an appealing rideshare option for drivers in NYC. Gett is a global network that serves over 100 cities across four countries, however, New York City is the only location for this service in the US.

When it comes to qualifications needed to drive for Gett, along with standard driver requirements, you must have a higher level of driving expertise to be considered as a Gett driver. However, with a higher level of expertise comes a higher paycheck: sedans get $0.70/min net plus tip where SUV’s get about $0.85/min, plus there are generous referral bonuses. Overall, the money drivers can make with Gett can be significantly higher than with driving for Uber or Lyft.

According to Gett, vehicles must be at least 2011 or newer and it must be black, dark blue, grey, silver or white. It should also be registered with the NYC Taxi & Limousine Commission.

Curb

The Curb app is available in 65 US cities and focuses on their speed of service by claiming that a ride can be requested in seconds and a driver will arrive in minutes. Besides using quick, convenient service to their advantage the company also homes in on safety by only working with professional taxi drivers. Every time you ride with Curb you’ll ride with a fully licensed, insured driver without any exceptions.

Curb is the solution for the ever-growing popularity of rideshare services that have seemingly taken over the traditional taxi. The company employs over 100,000 drivers.

So what are the qualifications needed to drive for Curb? As stated above, Curb only hires professional drivers with a valid license to drive a for-hire vehicle (taxi, sedan, or other). Besides that, the requirements are pretty standard: the driver must have a valid government ID and receive approval from the Curb Team.

zTrip

The zTrip app allows drivers to choose between a black car or taxi, customize their pickup options, and pay up-front. zTrip is available in over 30 cities and services over 70 airports. Drivers are given two options for vehicles: they can choose the Yellow Z service, which allows them to use their own car, or they can lease a zTrip car to prevent wear and tear on their personal vehicles.

The zTrip driver application will ask you the following questions:

• Are you over 23 years old?
• Are you a citizen or permanent resident authorized to work in the US?
• What is your name, address, and phone number?
• Which city would you like to drive in?
• Have you been convicted of a felony?

After reading the requirements for these 6 rideshare services, which one do you think sounds the most appealing as a driver? Leave us your thoughts in the comment section below!

Ride-hailing has traditionally been a tipping industry. When you took a ride in a taxi you were expected to tip your driver. Then, Uber stepped into the game and put an end to this expectation. From the very beginning, Uber promoted itself for offering a cashless experience to riders. All payments could be completed through the app, yet the app failed to include a way for riders to tip their driver. The company claimed that tips were already calculated and added to the driver’s fare (although most drivers would argue that this was not the case).

At first, this helped Uber gain traction over cabs. Riders liked that cash tipping was not part of the equation. Even though riders were pleased, quite the opposite was true for Uber drivers. Especially when rivals such as Lyft released an in-app tipping feature, which started to win over frustrated Uber drivers. In order to stay on top of the game, Uber announced that they would finally be adding a tipping feature to their app.

According to The Verge, the Uber tipping feature will debut in three cities (Seattle, Minneapolis, and Houston) and will be extended to the rest of Uber's American service areas by the end of July. The Uber tipping feature gives passengers the opportunity to tip their driver after a ride with either a pre-determined amount of $1, $3, or $5, or they can choose to enter a custom amount.

Since Uber has trained customers for almost a decade that tipping is optional and maybe not even necessary, what can you do to start bringing in those tips and increasing your earnings? The new Uber tipping feature opens up the door for all rideshare drivers to start thinking about ways to increase tip earnings. To get you started, we have gathered some of the secrets we’ve learned from drivers and experts on how you can start increasing your tip earnings regardless of which TNC you drive for.

1. Change your mindset

By clicking on this post, we know that you’re interested in how to increase your tip earnings so that you can maximize your income as a rideshare driver. A simple way to accomplish this is by changing your mindset, meaning instead of thinking about driving as a job start thinking about it as a business.

HyreCar suggests that the question to ask yourself should not be “How do I make more money,” it should be “How do I run a better business?” By changing your mindset, you’ll start considering and planning for how you can make money come in longer, more often, and in bigger numbers. The ideas below will go further into detail on how you can start running a better business and how you can set yourself apart from your competitors.

2. Anticipate your passenger’s needs

Whether your passengers are tipping through an app or handing you cash, you may notice that you’re often only receiving a few bucks, if that. According to Psychology Today, customers only tip the minimum because they feel obligated by social norms. However, customers will tip more if they like the people who serve them.

It goes without saying that your passengers will be more inclined to like you (and tip you) if you always remain friendly and courteous. Smile, introduce yourself by name, and exchange the typical pleasantries when your passenger enters the car. However, be sure to look for cues that might suggest he or she may need some quiet time during the ride. On the other hand, if your conversation begins to flow easily, stay engaged in conversation with your passenger. Understanding the level of interaction that your passenger needs is important so that you don’t offend or bother them, which could deter them from leaving a tip.

Another way you can anticipate your passenger’s needs is by creating a comfortable environment. In fact, Psychology Today says that “the key to receiving higher tips is to create an environment that predisposes customers to be more generous.” A comfortable environment starts with keeping your vehicle clean and organized. Offer water bottles and snacks. Plus, you can almost guarantee that an airport passenger who has just spent the whole day travelling is going to love you if they find an extra phone charger in your car. It’s the small details that encourage your customers’ delight and increase your tip earnings.

3. Add a sign

Even with the new Uber tipping feature and other in-app tipping features, adding a sign asking for tips can help to increase your tip earnings. The Rideshare Guy explained that many drivers are a little bit shy about using a tip sign because they fear that it will affect their ratings. However, many experienced drivers that have added tip signs say that it has not negatively impacted their rating. Of course, you should always make sure your sign politely solicits tips. Remind customers that tips are not required, but they are always appreciated.

Keep in mind, though, that if you’re going to ask for tips, you should provide a level of service or amenities that other drivers aren’t. As mentioned above, this improves your likeability and will help you stand out from the pack.

4. Don’t act entitled

Even though the new Uber tipping feature gives riders the opportunity to tip their driver, it doesn’t mean that tips are required. If your passenger starts talking to you about tips, The Rideshare Guy reminds drivers that it’s important not to seemed entitled to receiving a tip. Once again, if your goal is to increase your tip earnings, you have to offer value to your passengers. Going above and beyond your passenger’s expectation of just getting from point A to point B will increase your likelihood of receiving a nice tip.

In conclusion

With the announcement of the Uber tipping feature on everyone’s mind, it’s more important than ever for drivers to implement new ways to start bringing in tips. As always, our goal at Gridwise is to help increase your performance on the road by providing recommendations like these as well as all of the resources and features in our app. Download the app now to see everything it can offer you as a rideshare driver!

If you are considering a career as a rideshare driver in Washington DC, knowing how much the various TNCs pay drivers in DC can be helpful. Of course, your actual salary depends largely on how many hours you put in behind the wheel. But if you would like to estimate your salary based on the number of hours you can commit to driving, this article will give you an overview of how much TNCs pay drivers in DC.

Uber

Fortunately, Uber posts on their website driver salary projections for various cities, including Washington DC, and updates the numbers frequently.

As an Uber driver, when someone takes a ride with you they are charged a fare plus a “Rider Fee”. The fare for UberX in Washington DC is currently $0.17 per minute plus $1.02 per mile. On top of that, there is a $1.15 base fare plus a $1.55 booking fee. Thus, according to Uber the average Washington trip pay out for an UberX driver is $13.73. Since Uber drivers on average make about 2 rides per hour, the hourly earnings for an UberX driver equates to approximately $27.46.

Assuming an average Uber driver commits to work about 30 hours per week, the overall per-week earnings would be $824 — making annual salary for Washington UberX drivers equal to $42,838.

However, this estimation does not include if you drive during a time when “surge pricing” is available. Surge pricing means Uber increases the fare prices during certain times of higher demand, making these hours more attractive for drivers. If you drive during surge pricing, then the entire fare is multiplied by that number.

Uber often advertises that they only charge a 25% commission of the fares. According to The Rideshare Guy, however, these figures ignore the “Booking Fee” that the company adds on top of each ride, which goes solely to the TNC. The booking fee amount varies from city to city. The resulting effects of this fee and the 25% commission mean that when passengers step outside of their Uber and only see a $5 charge, the driver will receive around half of that.

Lyft

Similar to Uber, there are advertisements about Lyft taking only 25% commission, but once again this company does not include the “Trust and Service Fee” which they take for each trip.

According to Lyft, driver pay includes time spent waiting, starting one minute after you’ve confirmed your arrival. The ride fare includes base fare, cost per mile, and cost per minute. In Washington DC, the base fare is $1.15, the cost per mile is $1.02, and the cost per minute is $0.17.

Alvia.com shares methodology for calculating the earnings of a Lyft driver in Washington DC based on the following:

An average trip for a Lyft driver pays out approximately $11.26 in the Washington D.C. area, and Lyft drivers are able to complete about two full trips per hour (i.e., a total of $22.52). Since an average Lyft driver works about 30 hours per week, the total per-week earnings are $675.60 per week — making a year’s salary for a driver $35,131.20.

Additionally, at times of high demand your fare may be subject to a ‘Prime Time’ multiplier to keep vehicles available. The multiplier, if any, will be communicated to you at the time of your ride request.

Via

Even though Via is the new rideshare app on the block, it turns out this TNC pays drivers considerably more than both Uber and Lyft. As mentioned above, both Uber and Lyft take a 25% commission from their drivers. Whereas Via takes only a 10% commission from drivers in DC.

The Rideshare Guy reports that Via will pay per trip in a similar manner to other rideshare companies, with rate cards similar to Uber or Lyft. Via has also recently announced Rocket Rates, which are equivalent to surge pricing with Uber and prime-time pricing with Lyft. The Via website explains that during high demand hours, fares will be multiplied by the “Rocket Rate” that will be announced to drivers through text message. Multipliers have been in the range of 1.3 to 2.5 times the fare, which can make trips more profitable. However, one Via driver shares that the rocket rates only operate during Flex mode hours, which fall between midnight and 6am.

At all other hours, Via has an undisclosed, guaranteed hourly rate for drivers that fluctuates throughout the day. For example, during peak hours (i.e., from 7-9am and 5-8pm) Via offers $30/hour while online. This means that drivers can be paid regardless of how many passengers they pick up. The rate also varies based on the type of car you drive. It has been reported that luxury SUV driver earnings start at $1,800 per week and those who drive a sedan can make $1,200 per week.

One key difference, though, is that Via will automatically apply a pay boost to rides that are “matched” with other riders. This incentivizes drivers to get matching rides in order to increase their earnings. The premium ranges between 5% and 20% depending on what city you drive in or how many matches you get.

Curb

Curb only employs professional drivers for their service, which can be hailed through the Curb app. The Ride Guru explains that since Curb drivers are traditional taxi drivers their payout is based on the standard average taxi cab driver payout. However, the Curb app does take $2 from each payout for using the app.

To estimate how much this TNC pays drivers in DC we can look at salary reports for the average DC taxi driver. According to Salary.com, the annual base salary for taxi drivers in DC is $36,547. Therefore, it can be projected that Curb pays drivers in DC approximately the same minus the $2 Curb fee. Unlike other rideshare services, though, cabs have traditionally been a tipping industry, so receiving a tip is more common through this service than all of the others.

As a rideshare driver, what do you think about how TNCs pay drivers in DC? Leave us your thoughts in a comment below!