When you’re a gig driver, you can’t afford to slow down to deal with common obstacles that make your job difficult. That’s why we put together this list of gig driver issues and how to solve them in a flash! Go through the list, and watch all your worries melt away as you find slick and easy solutions. Then, rest easy as you get back out there on the road.
- Rising fuel costs. No one needs to tell you that gas price increases have taken a huge bite out of your earnings. Even with recent declines, the cost of running your vehicle is way higher than it was just a short year or two ago. What can you do to cut the cost of fuel? Sign up for Gridwise Gas! You can save as much as $50 per month when you’re a Gridwise Plus user, and even if you’re not, you can still use Gridwise Gas to get savings that you can’t afford to miss.
Save $50/month on gas with Gridwise
- Unexpected medical costs. Sure, you might figure that you’re healthy enough to get away without medical coverage, and you already realize that as an independent contractor you won’t get it. Should you be worried? Maybe.
What will happen, if say, you roll an ankle or injure your back while you’re trying to be the best possible package delivery driver? There’s going to be a huge medical bill to deal with, and you’ll be left wondering if there even is such a thing as insurance for delivery drivers.
Rest easy. It’s almost a given that one day every driver will need medical coverage. Fortunately, you can get it through Gridwise Dollar Benefits. Powered by Avibra, this flexible package of inexpensive insurance coverage can provide the safety net you need to get healthcare for you and your family.
With Gridwise Dollar Benefits, access to life insurance, critical illness coverage, and even dental and visual benefits are at your fingertips.
Simply sign up in the Gridwise app. From the Home screen, tap Marketplace, then click the Benefits tab. You’ll be glad you signed up for low cost insurance that lets you worry less, so you can focus, drive, and earn more. See? Gridwise is so much more than a mileage tracker for delivery drivers!
- No paid leave. Whether you get sick, need time off to care for a loved one, or just want to take a short vacation, it’s a fact of every driver’s life that there’s no such thing as paid leave. When you don’t work, you don’t get paid. Still, there are going to be times when you want to be off work.
Whether it’s because you want to polish off the turkey with your family or take a trip to visit a kid at college, it pays to plan for those times when you just don’t want to be working.
This should be part of any good Uber driver strategy, as well as every gig driver’s plan for having a life outside of their rideshare or delivery activity. There are ways to save up and save money on travel, and this Gridwise post about planning for unpaid leave will clue you in so you can get some treasured time off!
- Accidents. Yep, it’s true. They happen. It doesn’t even have to be your fault. You can be innocently sitting at a stop sign in a congested area when, Wham! an inattentive driver hits the back of your car. With luck, no one really gets hurt, but you’re out of business until you can get your car repaired!
Here are some things you can do to protect yourself:
– Make sure you have a rideshare/delivery rider on your personal policy, so you’ll be covered, should this mishap occur while you’re working your driving gig. Without this addition to your personal policy, your insurance company could have the right to refuse your claim.
– Exchange information with the other driver, no matter who’s at fault. If it’s the other driver, then follow up with the person to make sure their insurance covers your repair costs, rental car, and other transportation costs. Get a claim number to use with their insurance company. If it’s your fault, call your agent or company right away to get the repair process going.
– Get Accident Medical Expense (AME) insurance. If you do get hurt, you’ll have emergency medical costs, such as a deductible or out of pocket expense. You can find affordable AME insurance through the Gridwise Dollar Benefits program for only $1/week.
– Use Gridwise Legal Help to get free financial and legal assistance as you recover from the accident.
Download Gridwise to use these gig driver benefits
- Vehicle breakdowns. These happen, too, and not always at the most convenient time or place. Here are some ways to make bad situations much more manageable.
Keep your vehicle stocked with emergency supplies such as
– a tire gauge and portable air compressor, if possible
– spare supplies of oil, radiator, washer fluid, etc.
– a flashlight or headlamp (for your head, not the car!)
– flares or triangles that let other motorists see your disabled vehicle
– plenty of water and snack food, in case you’re stuck waiting for a long while
– a blanket, gloves, snow shovel, road salt, and hand warmers in case of wintery weather
– personal safety equipment (whistle, horn, or other device) to keep yourself safe if you’re waiting in a place that isn’t familiar or safe.
Sign up for Roadside Assistance with Gridwise Dollar Benefits. Towing costs can border on the astronomical, so keep them down to a scale appropriate for this planet with roadside assistance that covers your tow. When you need it, you’ll be happy you have it!
Get the best prices and up to 40% off retail prices for vehicle service, repair, and maintenance with Gridwise + CarAdvise. Search for the most highly rated service personnel and the best prices, and pay far less for keeping your car in working order.
Cover your car with a Vehicle Service Plan. Save up to 44% on a service plan for your ride with this benefit from Gridwise and ForeverCar.
- Traffic jams. Traffic jams are a fact of gig driving life, but you don’t have to get stuck in them! Keep Gridwise running at all times to get traffic alerts that keep you out of trouble spots.
Speaking of trouble, let’s face it. When you do get stuck in traffic, tempers can flare. This Gridwise post about protecting yourself from road rage drivers clues you in on what you can do to defuse volatile situations. To protect yourself from losing your cool, take care of your mental health so you can be as even-tempered as possible. This Gridwise blog post on how to maintain mental health offers great suggestions for avoiding any road rage moments of your own. Also, download some relaxing podcasts or calming music to help you stay relaxed and ready for anything.
- Unsafe areas. It’s a sad fact of life that rideshare and delivery gigs will take you into areas that are not safe. The fact that drivers don’t carry cash is some deterrent to criminals, but drivers have been the victims of crimes ranging from slashed tires to car jackings, and worse.
Staying safe isn’t always easy, but you can take precautions that will make you less likely to become a victim. These include keeping your doors locked and recording everything that goes on inside and outside of your vehicle with a dashcam. Always have a flashlight handy, and use the safety features on your driving app, such as trip tracking, to keep you connected with a trusted friend or family member.
This Gridwise post covers the safety issue in detail. One of the best ways to avoid becoming a crime victim is to learn martial arts or basic self-defense. This isn’t about getting into a crazy kung fu fight. Rather, it’s a way to learn how to carry yourself with an assertive posture, how to escape if you are attacked, and how to come out alive if a struggle becomes inevitable.
- Bathroom breaks. This one isn’t funny, either. In fact, some of the best DoorDash or Uber driver advice you can get centers around this topic. When you drive for a living, you need to know where you can easily find places to relieve yourself. You’ll want that place to be clean, safe, and easy to access.
You might know some prime spots, based on how familiar you are with your area, but what happens when you’re in unfamiliar territory? Well, there are apps for that!
Some of the best, according to the National Association for Continence, include
– Sit or Squat (“Sit” is rated clean, “Squat” is a different story)
– Bathroom Scout, and
–Flush
Read this Gridwise post for more details about how to solve the bathroom problem. You’ll find it to be as entertaining as it is useful.
Now that you’ve solved the 8 common gig driver issues, it’s time to get back out there and drive! As you can see from the solutions to the problems presented here, you’ll want to take Gridwise along for the ride. Not only do you get a free mileage tracker, you’ll also get access to features, products, and benefits designed to solve all your driver problems!
