“Make more money” is often at the top many rideshare driver’s wish list. It’s easy to earn just enough cash to get by, but if you want to achieve maximum driver earnings, you need a game plan. It’s just as crucial to know how to conserve your earnings and protect yourself from catastrophic losses as to devise strategies that lead to better driver ratings and tips.
Gridwise created this guide so you can easily pick out the topics that call to you. Then, all you need to do is click through to our articles packed with information and insight that can help you make more money.
Insurance for gig drivers
You might wonder why we’d kick off a guide about making money with a topic that usually results in you doing the opposite. Insurance can be a big ticket item, but you’ll be stuck with bills you’ll never pay in a thousand years if you’re caught without coverage. We’d say that makes insurance pretty important.
- Looking for a “just the facts” kind of piece that covers insurance basics? Here you can learn what drivers need, beyond Lyft or Uber driver insurance and what coverages delivery companies offer their drivers.
- Drivers make a lot of smart insurance-type moves, but they can also be led astray. This article helps you swerve away from the insurance-related mistakes gig drivers can make.
- Treat your driving gig like what it really is—your business! This basic business advice teaches you how to get your act together and eliminate losses that can hurt your bottom line.
Better Lyft driver ratings, bigger Uber driver tips, and bonuses for delivery drivers.
Here’s where things get slick and profitable! Possible add-ons to your basic Uber Eats driver pay or Amazon Flex driver pay may not be all that obvious. Once you start digging, you’ll find there are more ways to augment your earnings than you thought. From being the best driver possible to cash in on bonuses, perks, and referrals, you need to know a fair amount.
- Whether you do rideshare, delivery, or both, getting tips is no longer something “extra” that you may or may not get. You don’t have to kiss up to every customer for a few extra bucks, but you can develop a gift for making yourself irresistibly tippable with the ideas in this article.
- Every customer has a chance to rate you, so make sure they give you the stars you deserve! You’ll find insight here on how to keep your ratings high so you can benefit from top-notch treatment from future customers and get extra perks from the company you drive for.
- Amazon Flex drivers rarely see their customers, so tipping is unusual. The extra money is made with slick moves and heartfelt hustle, as you’ll see in this article.
Lyft and Uber driver strategy, plus best delivery trips
- Every city, town, or rural area has its own flavor, culture, and distinctive “personality.” What does your location have to do with the rideshare and delivery business? A lot. You’ll see when you check out the list of top places for rideshare and delivery driving.
- The best place to drive isn’t always a city or town. Old school companies such as UPS and FedEx are updating their business models to offer gig drivers new opportunities you can discover here.
- Nothing beats data collected from real drivers when it comes to finding the best places and times to drive. And yes, it’s possible to find out where exactly, and when, drivers make the most money in your area. Gridwise shows you where the cash is lurking, with aptly named features Where to Drive and When to Drive.
- When you set goals and stick to them, getting the income you want becomes much easier. Read about 3 steps to making more money as a gig driver, and see how setting your sights on what you want makes the elusive utterly achievable.
Delivery, Lyft, and Uber driver advice: Make the most of your app
You use your gig driving app every day, but do you take advantage of all its features? If you play your cards right, you can up the ante and redefine answers to questions like “How much does Uber Eats pay per delivery?” and “How much do Lyft drivers make a week?” The trick is to know every possible way you can generate multiple income streams and keep money flowing your way.
- If you think making $1000 a week with Instacart sounds impossible, you might change your mind when you see all the ways you can expand your Instacart earning power. It’s all about devising ingenious plans for your Instacart hustle.
- A simple-seeming gig like DoorDash can turn into a cash cow, if you learn how to work it right. Picking the right orders to accept is just one pro tip you’ll find in this article about maximizing DoorDash driver pay.
- Grubhub drivers bring home more bacon than they deliver when they deploy the proper strategies. Here you’ll see how to use driver promotions, scheduling, and location to make the most out of your Grubhub gig.
- That elusive $1000 a week for rideshare driving gets much easier to achieve when you follow the right Lyft and Uber driver advice. Here’s insight into sound, professional business practices and strategies that keep costs low and earnings high. That cool grand a week can be yours in a flash!
- If you want to know how to make more money with Uber Eats, this piece dishes all the details, including how to organize your business, control expenses, get bigger tips, and generate passive income with an effective referral strategy.
Multi-apping: Double (or triple) your chances for maximum earnings as a gig driver
Ever wonder what might happen if you were to use more than one app on a given shift? Let’s say you’re in a neighborhood where Uber Eats is slow, but Lyft driving is hot. Can you switch between apps? As long as you color within the lines, so to speak, you sure can! If you don’t violate any of the rules, or do things that lower your ratings by creating confusion or delays, working more than one app is a strategy that can definitely work in your favor.
- Food delivery drivers need to look at angles for earning more, because this gig is so dependent on making the most money in the least amount of time. There are lots of options that can be mixed into a sound food delivery strategy, as shown in this post.
- If you really want to get into multi-apping, you have to think it through and work out the kinks in the system by trial and error. In all cases, you need to know what each app can do and have an idea when and where they’re going to pay off, and what rules you need to follow. Read more about the art of multi-apping and how it adds to earnings.
Cut costs and earn more in your business
Saving on expenses is a sure way to boost the total amount of your earnings. There are plenty of costs you incur as a part of doing business, but they don’t have to take huge chunks out of your pay. Get savvy about saving money, and watch your incoming cash flow rush in.
- A big cost of doing business is your fuel bill. There are many ways to avoid wasting a bunch of money on gas. It’s good for the environment, as well as for you, to keep your fuel consumption down and your costs as low as possible. Here are 13 ways you can save on gas.
- There are a lot of costs involved in getting insurance, and the biggest one shows itself when you make mistakes when getting it or not having enough coverage. Discover the mistakes drivers make with insurance, so you can avoid them.
More ways to save money as a rideshare or delivery driver
When you’re an independent contractor, no one is going to pay you when you’re not working. You have to create your own funds for the things you’d expect to get from a lot of other jobs. How do you arrange for paid sick time, retirement savings, or vacations? We know you’re disciplined and smart enough to do these things right, but here’s some extra help.
- Start with these 4 smart ways for gig drivers to handle finances. You already know that managing your money as a gig driver is different than it would be in other job situations. Find out exactly what those distinctive factors are and how you can manage them to your best advantage.
- Vacation pay? Are you kidding? Your gig company might not have a plan to send you away for a well-deserved break, but you can create one of your own. This piece shows you how to put together a strategy for getting the vacation time you need, with no economic pain.
- Insurance is a big cost, but saving on it is easy, especially when you learn to avoid the mistakes gig drivers make with insurance. Once you discover exactly what you need and how to get it most economically, you’ll stop losing money by paying too much or taking risks that could leave you penniless.
- One way to gather up the funds to start a savings account is to stop wasting money on gas. Sure, prices are high, but there’s no need to lose your shirt every time you visit the pump. Here are some tips for saving on gas.
Vehicle-related advice for rideshare and delivery drivers
Without your vehicle, your job would be impossible. That’s why you have to pay special attention to getting the right ride for your gig, and then take care of it the same way you expect it to take care of you. Here are some suggestions for keeping you and your car rolling, so you can continue watching your earnings pile up.
- Rule #1 when you work a rideshare or delivery driving gig is never skimp on maintenance. Do it yourself or pay a professional, but do it. Check out this maintenance schedule every gig driver should follow, and decide which approach is going to work best for you.
- Buying a new car, or one that’s “new to you,” can be overwhelming. Get sound advice and suggestions about choosing the right vehicle to fit your rideshare or delivery gig.
- If you’re sick of using your own vehicle into the ground with your driving gig, you might want to rent one that’s perfect for the job. Here’s some information that tells you the dos, don’ts, and hows to secure a rental.
Tax tips for gig drivers
One of the most important and annoying, things drivers need to do is take care of their taxes. It can be challenging to do this on your own, but it gets easier when you use tax tips that apply specifically to gig drivers. From knowing what is deductible and tracking it, to finding the right kind of tax specialist to help you, there are a lot of territories to cover.
- The trick to keeping most of your money at tax time is knowing how much you can deduct for your business expenses. This piece fills you in on the tax write-offs all gig drivers should know.
- Your tax return should always be honest, legal, and complete. This guide to current tax changes will help you prepare for compiling your return, as will this feature that contains updates on important deductions.
- Income tax paperwork can be overwhelming for anyone, so qualified people to assist you should be right at your fingertips. When you’re a driver, having a tax pro with insight into your business is priceless. Here’s how you can get someone to help you with your filing, and maximize your deductions too.
- A big part of any driver’s tax deductions comes from the mileage they rack up while they’re on the job. Here you’ll find the different ways to track mileage, and get suggestions for keeping accurate and complete mileage figures that you’ll need for tax time.
Gridwise features that help you save money and earn more
No guide to maximum driver earnings would be complete without listing the many features Gridwise has to offer. The app is designed to help you gain control of your business, optimize your time on the road, and benefit from deals and discounts geared toward drivers. Here’s a list of features and links to articles that describe the many reasons why every smart gig driver needs the Gridwise app.
- Earnings tracking: Sync your driving apps to Gridwise and track your earnings, compare results, and keep records of your income.
- Mileage tracking: Use the best Uber and Lyft mileage tracker there is. Gridwise gives you the exact figures for all the apps you use.
- Driving strategy: Gridwise’s features Where to Drive and When to Drive point you to the places and times you can make the most money with the least effort.
- Gridwise benefits: Insurance, affordable health care, and discounts on car maintenance, phones, phone plans, banking, legal help, and more come as part of being a member of the Gridwise community.
- Driver information: Part of achieving maximum driver earnings is knowing what’s going on around you. Gridwise lists area events and airport activity, and alerts you to traffic issues, weather, and start and end times of games and concerts.
If you want to achieve maximum driver earnings, you can’t afford to run your driving gig without this amazing app!
