As rideshare increases in popularity around the globe, more and more people are getting involved as drivers. Those folks who meet the rideshare driving qualifications can get started pretty quickly. Due to the low barriers to entry, many different types of people decide to take on this line of work. Drivers start working with Uber, Lyft, Curb, Via etc. from any and all possible backgrounds.
Each rideshare driver exhibits a persona that reflects their level of experience and the scope of their work. These aren’t exclusive in any way, but for the most part rideshare drivers typically fall into one of these 4 categories:
Know-It-All
You might think that being a know-it-all is associated with being annoying or bothersome in some way. But in this case, the know-it-alls are the people who are literally the most knowledgeable. These are the rideshare drivers who have spent a significant amount of time as a professional driver.
Most are veteran drivers who have spent 3 years or more driving professionally before moving into working rideshare. Former taxi drivers also fit into this rideshare description if they’ve switched over to driving for Uber/Lyft/other TNCs. These drivers are efficient and completely capable when seeking the information they need to make a drive.
For some professional drivers, this became a chance for a brand new start. There are options now for people who are trying to breach the ridesharing industry, and further opportunities for those who are experienced and have their CDL. Those ex-taxi drivers who choose to venture into the world of rideshare come in already fully prepared with all of the tools. They are disciplined in their approach to driving and are essentially experts in their craft.
In Transition
Not all full-time drivers are created equal. While there are a number of drivers who chose this life from the get go, many come to it from another career. These people might have gone through a rough patch in their career and need a reset. Others were simply tired of the work they were doing before and looking for a fresh opportunity or change of pace.
Either way, the rideshare industry has full-on created an avenue for the people who come into driving from doing something else. These newly minted Uber and Lyft partners see driving as an opportunity to start their own business. The amount they earn is entirely up to them as a rideshare contractor, so they end up working as many or as few hours as they need. To earn a living from it, full-time drivers (including in transition drivers) typically drive over 40 hours a week.
Supplemental
When their main gig isn’t enough to keep them afloat financially, people seek out other means to bring in extra cash. Or, if they’re looking for a bit of spending cash or travel money, driving for a rideshare TNC could be an attractive option. Outside their regular work hours, folks take the free time they would have had and turn it into money by driving. They may be creative types relying on freelance work to satisfy their creative thirst, while others might work at a restaurant/bar or another nighttime establishment. Extra income from driving is just as viable an option as any other.
Rideshare drivers seeking supplemental income are in the business either because they need to be or because they like the freedoms that come with supplemental income earned at their own pace. There will always be folks who truly enjoy the work, but often, driving is just a means to an end. That’s nobody’s fault; the need for a sustainable income is universal. Everyone has something that they need to support, whether it’s a family, a dog or a lifestyle.
Part-time drivers may work in the rideshare industry because they need the flexibility. Freelancers, entrepreneurs, and all sorts of creatives work best without a stringent 9-5 sort of job. In this way, setting a personally-optimized schedule for supplemental income allows people to do things they couldn’t otherwise accomplish in restricted time frames.
Pin Money
These people don’t really need the money. They work as a rideshare driver to make pocket change and have a little extra cash flow. They may drive a few hours each week whenever they decide to make the time. Since their livelihood isn’t affected by how much they drive, pin money rideshare drivers work without real obligations and may not project any sense of urgency.
Reliability is not the mantra with pin money drivers. They tend to be fickle, changing their level of commitment based on whether they feel a “need” for the money at the moment. For these part-time drivers, their freedom to decide when and where to drive is more important than having a set schedule.There’s also some element of preparation that you tend to miss with these Uber and Lyft drivers. Since this income is disposable to the driver, the work they do requires less strategy and considerably less effort (as is the nature of a side job).
Which one of these categories do you fall under? Let us know in the comments below!
