Philadelphia rideshare drivers are some of the smartest in the business.
That’s because they have to be.
The Philadelphia rideshare market is booming, but also becoming more and more saturated with drivers every day. So drivers are having to think strategically and plan their routes to ensure they are profitable.
Well, I took a trip to the City of Brotherly Love to learn more about how the rideshare business works in these cities and got a chance to speak with multiple rideshare drivers that call Philadelphia home.
In today’s blog post, we’ll discuss the strategies that Philadelphia area rideshare drivers are using to earn more in their rideshare market.
Always plan ahead
When it comes to rideshare driving, making a plan before you start driving is necessary to use your time most efficiently and increase your earning potential.
Sure, Center City and King of Prussia mall seem like great places to be in order to take advantage of the surge, but driving during these busy times without a plan will get you nowhere fast.
In fact, experienced rideshare drivers recommend to newbies to never chase the surge. While it may be tempting, many veterans say it rarely pays off. Aimlessly chasing the surge is not only a waste of time, but also a waste of gas along with the addition of wear and tear to your vehicle.
A better course of action is to plan your days ahead of time so you can be in the hotspot areas just before the surge begins. Driving during these peak times increases your earnings per trip compared to what you would receive without the surges.
Drive for more than one TNC
The primary TNCs that currently have a presence in the Pittsburgh are Uber and Lyft, so if you already drive for one of these companies and enjoy the income, you may want to consider signing up for another company as well.
Driving for two different services at the same time opens you up to getting more requests and diversifies your income stream. Ultimately, this will lead to more money in your pocket.
If the increased earning potential from driving for more than one rideshare service sounds enticing, you may want to also keep in mind the sign-up bonuses that different companies offer.
Currently, Lyft is offering a $1,500 signup bonus while Uber is offering $2,800 in guaranteed earnings for drivers that sign up in Philadelphia.
Always check the airports
Airports are always great places for rideshare drivers to pick up riders, and Philly is no different. Philadelphia International Airport is one of the busiest airports on the east coast and serves well over 20 million passengers each year.
But that doesn’t mean you want to spend all of your time hanging out at the airport.
Make sure you’re only heading to the airport during a peak hour where passengers are coming in. For Philadelphia International, this is usually Monday, Thursday, Friday, and Sunday mornings with some busy times in the afternoon/early morning.
A better way to understand when the airport is busy is to use Gridwise to understand exactly how many passengers are coming into the airport and when, and how many drivers are in the queue.
Know the Philly hotspots
If you want to increase your earnings (which we all do) you’ll have to know the times and locations for the Philadelphia hotspots. So what exactly is a “hotspot”? Hotspots are geographic areas which experience extremely high passenger demand at certain times of the week.
In Philadelphia, the local hotspots currently include the following areas:
- Center City
- West Philadelphia
- King of Prussia Mall
- Rittenhouse Square
- Old City
- University City
- Midtown Village
How are you making more money?
We learned a ton about the Philly rideshare game on our recent trip to the windy city, but we want to know how YOU are beating Uber and Lyft at their own game.
Let us know what tricks you’re using to maximize your earnings in the comments below!
