Tom Kelley is one of those guys who doesn’t just talk about getting things done—he gets things done.
So in early 2019, after being a uber driver for a few months, he had an idea for an app-based radio station just for drivers.
And he decided to make it happen.
Kelley pulled together a team of people on the move: rideshare and delivery drivers, truckers, pilots, and co-pilots, and together they created TNCRadio.Live.
A few weeks ago Kelley sat down with Gridwise and shared some intriguing behind-the-scenes information. In this blog post we’ll tell you his story, reveal more about his entrepreneurial endeavor, TNCRadio.Live, and look at what the future might hold. Here’s what this post covers:
- What is TNCRadio.Live
- Tom Kelley’s story
- Early success
- How to listen and what you’ll hear
- What’s coming next
What is TNCRadio.Live
TNCRadio.Live is an Internet and app-based station that broadcasts directly to rideshare and delivery drivers.
Like Gridwise, TNCRadio offers information about local traffic, road closures, and area events. Kelley told us he believes his new station offers drivers the information “they need to do their jobs.”
After talking with drivers, Kelley noticed they often didn’t have the slightest idea how to get this kind of information.
On top of that, he says, “They don’t know what they don’t know.” This might include how to download tax information or how to contact Uber or Lyft when all the hubs are closed.
Kelley is grateful for Gridwise and all that the app offers drivers. But he recognizes how hard, not to mention unsafe, it can be to use an app when you’re driving down the road at high speed. That’s why listening in can be helpful along with keeping your eye on Gridwise.
TNCRadio.Live broadcasts all day and night, providing the latest news about the driving business, stories covering crucial driver topics, podcasts drivers should know about, and their own interviews with people whose knowledge can help drivers. Much of the programming can be downloaded as podcasts.
To give you a flavor of what listening to TNCRadio.Live is like, here’s a sample of their daily broadcast schedule:
Kelley says the station’s programming is aimed at “anybody who spends their days (or nights) driving the streets of Houston, Texas.”
How it happened: Tom Kelley’s story
Like most of the others involved in TNCRadio.Live, Kelley has a history as a driver.
He got into rideshare in early 2019 when he opted to retire after a long career as an IT executive. He says he wanted to do something “exciting and different,” so he started rideshare driving.
Kelley has driven for both Uber and Lyft, and thoroughly enjoyed it. The flexibility of the hours, the reasonable amount of money he earned, and the satisfaction of knowing that he was doing something valuable, were exactly what he’d been looking for. He even drove for Uber Eats for a while, and found that to be a positive experience as well.
Kelley noticed, while he was out there, that the other drivers waiting for rides at the airport were hungry for information. They’d tap him for what he knew from his Gridwise app and he’d share it with them. But when he suggested they download the Gridwise app, they’d say things like, “Huh? Why do I need that? I already have the Uber app.” Obviously, drivers needed more education. How could he do that, and create a substantive side gig for himself at the same time?
Around this same time, Kelley heard about a guy who was pulling in $80,000 a year playing Led Zeppelin playlists on the Internet. Who wouldn’t want to get in on that kind of gig? Kelley called some friends in the radio business, most of whom were either driving, trucking, or piloting, and they put it all together. That’s when TNCRadio.Live was born.
The initial plan was to launch in late March 2020, but we all know what happened then.
Yes. The pandemic.
Kelley could no longer drive because he had to remain quarantined for the safety of a relative who was living with him. But being the enterprising and quick-thinking person he is, he wouldn’t stay stuck in a rut. He kept going. He threw his heart into developing TNCRadio.
Lockdowns made it impossible for the newly formed group to meet in person. Even though they could do voiceovers and production work while in isolation, live radio needs that up close and personal collaboration if it’s going to sound “real.” The time to launch just wasn’t right, but they knew that when it was time, they’d be primed and ready to go.
By summer, some signs of life were stirring around Houston. Kelley says he noticed a pick-up in traffic and action, and the group had more freedom to gather and collaborate. The moving parts started to fall into place, and the team was ready to go. On July 1, 2020, TNCRadio.Live had its official launch.
Early success
About six weeks after the launch, TNCRadio.Live had about 1,000 regular listeners. From this warm reception, Kelley and the others could see that there’s a strong demand for the kind of information this station and Gridwise send out to drivers.
Despite being off to a great start, the TNCRadio.Live team is learning that the people who need the station the most are the hardest to find. They’re committed to spreading the word, though, and it will be exciting to watch them grow.
More movement, Kelley believes, will start happening as schools open. Not only will commuting families generate traffic, but parents may also be free to go back to work. After all, many jobs can be done from home for only so long. When people do start returning to work, this could be a real boost to rideshare.
While rideshare and delivery drivers are TNCRadio.Live’s main target audience, Kelley is eager to welcome people from other industries, too. He’s hearing from nurses, contractors, truckers, and others who spend a great deal of their working hours driving from one location to the next. They appreciate the information about Houston’s streets and highways, and they also enjoy hearing the banter about sports, the rideshare business, and driver stories.
In fact… if you want to share your story with TNCRadio.Live, all you have to do is get in touch with Kelley through the website. He’s always looking for people with personality to come on the air with him and share their experiences. Although at this point TNCRadio.Live is focused on Houston, Kelley says stories from anyplace else on the planet where people drive will be warmly welcomed. Use this link to get in touch with TNCRadio.Live’s driver story reporter.
How to Listen
Also, whether you live in Houston or some other location, there’s sure to be something you’ll enjoy listening to on this new station created just for drivers. The app is free and you can download it here, although right now it’s Android-only. If you have an iPhone rather than Android, you can listen directly from the website.
Because all the talent on TNCRadio.Live are also drivers, they have their fingers on the pulse of all the goings-on in the driver community. They cover such topics as:
- Smart driving practices
- Driver classification
- Government interference in the gig economy
- Connecting people with government resources
- Driver safety
- Building a better driver community
- Serving the general community
The station offers insightful tips to drivers, and the information it provides can be a big help. For instance, Kelley sees the value in knowing how long it will take to complete a ride. Passengers tend to have more patience about a traffic jam when they’re warned about it ahead of time. Happy passengers often tip, right? And that makes every driver happy.
As an example of how TNCRadio.Live helps people in their community, Kelley shared a heartwarming story about a report of someone stuck in Houston’s oppressive heat without an air conditioner. The station was able to connect the person with the right government agency, and a new air conditioner appeared. As this shows, TNCRadio.Live is not just informative and fun. Kelley and the rest of his team have a sincere intention to build and support the driver population and the surrounding community.
What’s coming next?
When we asked Kelley what his plans are for TNCRadio.Live, he didn’t hesitate. He said they want to get “really, really good at taking care of Houston.” While he believes they have a good thing going already, there’s more that he wants to accomplish so he can take it to the next level.
Once that happens, Kelley and his partners hope to take TNCRadio.Live to more cities. When they do, they’ll be looking for drivers who have radio experience and talent. Stay tuned, and you could become a TNCRadio.Live star.
In the meantime, stick with Gridwise for more great stories about cool drivers like Tom Kelley. Our blog is just a click away, along with discounts for drivers, and links to the Gridwise YouTube channel, all on the Perks tab.
Track your earnings, monitor your mileage, get airport info, event times and places, weather, and more, when you download Gridwise. And, don’t forget to enter to win a gas card in our regular driver contests on our Facebook page.
