For many people, the words “end of summer” evoke intense emotions. Some are excited to cruise into the back-to-school grind and are looking forward to the cooler weather, but they’re probably in the minority. When people get sad about summer coming to an end, what do they do? They make the most of it! Bring on all the cookouts, the outdoor parties, amusement park visits, concerts, street festivals, road trips, and long-haul travel the average gig driver can handle.
In this post, we’ll look at some of the activities that tend to peak during Labor Day weekend, and put forth some strategies that are sure to earn you more money while also saving you time. After all, you might want a chance to catch a few rays before the pool closes for the season, right?
Here’s what we’ll cover:
- What people will be doing on Labor Day weekend
- Labor Day activities that drive rideshare and delivery business
- 5 places rideshare and delivery drivers will want to be for Labor Day weekend
- How to save time and make more money with insider info
What will people be doing on Labor Day weekend?
It’s true that summer won’t officially be over until autumn arrives later in September, but most (if not all) of those fun summer places will be closing for the season after Labor Day. That means people will be grabbing at their last chances to swim, surf, ride roller coasters, and have family cookouts.
People will also be traveling… a lot. According to TripIt, a booking site that specializes in trips originating in the U.S., Americans are going to be on the go during the big end-of-summer weekend. TripIt says that travel bookings are edging their way back up to pre-pandemic levels. With that said, rental cars are the hottest commodity. They’re being booked at a rate of 413 percent over 2020 bookings and 75 percent over 2019.
Flights are up by 196 percent over 2020, and lodging has soared to 199 percent over 2020. Vacation rentals were huge during the height of the pandemic, but as the situation has somewhat eased, they show a gain of “only” 114 percent over Labor Day weekend in 2020.
Train travel is expected to be more crowded than usual, too. In California, Amtrak’s Surfliner, which serves 27 stations along 351 miles of golden California coastline, will require reservations for Labor Day weekend. Amtrak plans to add additional train cars, as well. It’s a given that other train lines offering access to beaches will be packed, including the Long Island Railroad near New York City.
A huge number of people will be traveling by car, too. Even though AAA has no official forecast for Labor Day weekend, the Washington Informer spoke to some of the auto club’s experts. They expect that road travel on Labor Day weekend will meet or exceed travel during the 4th of July weekend (2021), when travel was up 70 percent over 2020 in the D.C. region. “Folks are just waiting to get that last trip in before the summer ends,” says Debra Calvert, AAA’s managing director of merchandise and auto travel.
Even those staying close to home are likely to get out to enjoy local activities that celebrate the unofficial end of summer. There will be baseball games, and football season will be starting up as well. There are also street festivals and other family-friendly activities such as water parks and adventure attractions that appeal to everyone who wants to squeeze in the last of the fun for this summer.
Labor Day activities that drive rideshare and delivery business
Trying to keep track of the action going on during Labor Day weekend can be mind-boggling, so let’s focus on what really matters: the happenings that drive the rideshare and delivery business. Here are some that we think will keep you busy:
- Air travel: With air travel up, more passengers will be coming and going – and this is perfect for rideshare drivers. As for delivery, more people are likely staying in hotels close to airports, where they might be prone to have a great meal delivered to their rooms rather than settling for overpriced and less-than-savory room service fare. You’ll need information about departures and arrivals to stay on top of the best times to earn.
- Train and bus travel: Don’t forget about potential passengers who may need a lift to and from the station. Check local schedules and make a note of the peak travel times, especially where beaches are involved. Delivery drivers can count on some travelers ordering take-along food for the long trip ahead.
- Cookouts: Huh? Don’t most people drive themselves to their friends’ and families’ homes? Many do, of course, but the wise ones who don’t want to be pulled over for impaired driving will want a driver to get them there and back without pain (or jail time). Delivery drivers might be carrying extra groceries to grillmasters throughout the weekend.
- Street festivals: Public transportation is the most responsible way to travel to urban experiences and suburban adventures that revolve around food and cultural attractions. Still, many who partake in these experiences and adventures will want to use rideshare to get around town. (Delivery drivers won’t have the same luck here, unfortunately.)
- Sports and cultural events: No one wants to pay for parking at the stadiums and arenas where big events happen, which is why these events generate lots of surge prices and general passenger traffic for rideshare. Tailgate parties might pay off for delivery drivers who don’t mind wading through the puddles of spilled beer to deliver some extra spicy wings and fries.
- College events: They’re baaaaack! Students populate college campuses again, and they’ll be looking for things to do over the holiday weekend. While many will stay close to their schools, more than a few will be venturing out to see what university life is like at other locations in the area. Some will also be making runs to the home supply stores to outfit their dorm rooms and stock up on ramen and spaghetti O’s for the fall. Delivery drivers might find students in the party mood ordering up some grub to fuel their early fall impromptu mixers.
- Bars and restaurants: especially in resort areas. Even if people drove from Nanuet to Nantucket, it’s unlikely they’ll want to drive themselves from bar to bar on streets and roads that are sure to serve as fruitful DUI checkpoints. Bars and restaurants will be booming for the holiday weekend, and will likely be well-endowed with orders for delivery.
5 places rideshare and delivery drivers will want to be for Labor Day weekend
- Airports (mainly rideshare): Even if you don’t regularly make your way to the airport to pick up or drop off travelers, you’re sure to score big if you hang where the planes fly this weekend. Sit it out at the cell phone lot or other rideshare waiting areas if you wish, or work the hotels for tourist departures. You’ll need to know when the flights are coming and going, so be sure to check into your Gridwise app for airport info!
- Colleges and Universities (rideshare and delivery): Know your town and be where the students hang out. They eat all different kinds of meals at all kinds of strange hours. Remember: wherever there are college people, there is almost round-the-clock food delivery demand, and rideshare on a holiday weekend might yield longer runs than the normal quad-to-class quick trips.
- Event venues (rideshare and delivery): You need to know what’s happening in your town, where it’s going down, what time it starts, and when it will be letting out. Who on this planet has all that info? Gridwise, that’s who! Our driver-centered approach to dispensing event information delivers it all.
- Popular amusements (mainly rideshare): Theme parks, water attractions, zoos, museums, and just about anything that keeps people happy, smiling, and busy will be well-populated on Labor Day weekend. Check for open and close hours – and keep in mind that in bad weather, people don’t stop doing fun stuff; they just take the experience inside.
- Beaches, parks, and outdoor party venues (rideshare and delivery): Yes, people do get fed up taking public transportation to beaches and parks; and outdoor party-goers may not want to stay sober enough to drive themselves. Anywhere there are hungry people means there could be possibilities for deliveries! Scope out restaurants near to these locations and try to be the closest Dasher, Grubhub driver, or Uber Eats driver when the big orders roll in.
How to save time and make more money with insider info
Like we said earlier, we know what you’re interested in: making more money in the least amount of time possible. That’s why we want to show you how it’s possible with insider information from Gridwise! Here’s what you get when you use the Gridwise app:
- Airport information: arrivals, departures, and queue lengths at your location
- Weather: current information and weather alerts
- Traffic: traffic alerts
- Gas deals: save up to $0.25 per gallon with Gridwise Gas
- Event information: everything you need to know about local events
- When to drive: a new feature that tells you the best times to drive in your area for rideshare, food delivery, and delivery of groceries and packages
Gridwise helps you earn more money and save time. You won’t have to guess where the best places to work are, and when – Gridwise will be your guide.
On top of all this great information, Gridwise seamlessly tracks your earnings and expenses. Merely link your gig apps to Gridwise and your earnings stats and mileage will be logged automatically. You can enter expenses as they arise, and then watch all this info about your gig driving business appear before your eyes in gorgeous graphs like these:
When you drive on Labor Day weekend, or any time, you’ll earn more money and save more time when you go with Gridwise. Download the app today!
