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!
