Gridwise blog

It’s been about a year since Uber and Lyft went forward with their public offerings. Literally riding on the backs of drivers, they got all kinds of benefits from public funding, and leapt into further efforts to pump up their profits. 

Still, they gave the people who worked for them, as “independent contractors,” no benefits, no minimum hourly wage, and very little protection from economic and physical disasters.

As far back as 2015, rideshare and delivery drivers in different cities formed groups and staged protests against unfair company policies. The public offerings of 2019 inspired more groups to form, and pushed all of them to grow. Now, with the problems that emerged due to the recent pandemic, the gig workers’ movement is ready to blast off.

Organizations with the interests of gig workers foremost in mind gathered on the actual anniversary of Uber’s offering, May 8th, at a “vIrtual rally.” The COVID-19 pandemic kept them from meeting in person, but social distancing also encouraged them to join forces in a world-wide ZOOM meeting! They presented reports on their progress, and took the time to advance an agenda to address more recent issues.They also revealed how they hope to shape a more hopeful future.

In this blog post, we’re going to clue you in on the virtual rally, and tell you:

• Where drivers can watch the “virtual rally”
• Who was there
• What the groups want 
• What the gig worker advocate platform stands for
• How much progress they’ve made so far
• What’s coming next

Where can drivers watch the virtual rally?

Drivers can watch the virtual rally below.

Who was there?

Centered in Chicago, Lenny Sanchez of Gig Workers Matter/Chicago Rideshare advocates organized the event. He was joined by representatives of groups in his own hometown, and others in Boston, Philadelphia, Colorado, California, New York, Melbourne, Australia, Panama City, and Nigeria.

What do the groups want?

In general, the groups want gig workers to have the support - financial and otherwise. 

This means anything from a basic minimum hourly wage, health insurance, sick pay, and unemployment insurance to universal income assistance for non-U.S. citizens, equipment such as PPE, and hazard pay.

The list of items drivers desire grew, both in size and urgency, when COVID-19 came into the picture. “Privileges “ such as sick pay and help for healthcare and notices for health hazards became “necessities” within days of the outbreak. The raison d’etre for advocacy groups and their collective mission became unquestionable by that point in time.

At the May 8th virtual rally, Chicago Rideshare Advocates’ rep, Laurie Simmons, offered a definitive list of demands:

1. Lobby state legislature to disallow new worker classification categories that would permit corporations to avoid their responsibility to protect workers.
2. In light of the COVID-19 crisis and what may happen in the future, a minimum 4 weeks’ universal sick pay, expanded to cover existing conditions and family care. This should amount to 100% of average weekly earnings for the last 4 months. 
3. In emergencies, such as the 2020 pandemic, $50 per hour hazard pay, PPE, training on hazards and best practices for handling them, healthcare coverage, notification of hazards, and a 24-hour hotline for reporting hazards, and help with applying for sick pay and/or unemployment in the event of exposure.
4. Universal income assistance to close the gaps that exist due to immigration status; and immediate, permanent expansion to at base employees for Unemployment Insurance in every state.
5. Immediate expansion of Medicaid to all at base workers.
6. Additional national stimulus extended to all at base workers.

She also spoke to the woeful condition of the state-level Unemployment Insurance websites and computer systems, which made it difficult if not impossible to receive newly-instated CARES act unemployment benefits. Thousands of drivers had problems and questions, and when they reached out, didn’t find anyone to answer them on the other end of their communication devices.

Representatives from other states brought out the importance of these and additional issues. In New York, Michelle, an organizer for Independent Drivers Guild (an affiliate of the Machinists Union), emphasized the need for organizing to continue some of the work they’ve already done to prevent wage cuts and stop exploitation by the companies.

In Boston, Felipe Martinez says they are working on the issue of misclassification, the companies’ practice, or treating drivers as “independent contractors.” They want to organize a union, without the corporations being involved in those unions, so the group would have the ability to negotiate with the rideshare corporations.

In Colorado, the Colorado Independent Drivers United group is affiliated with the Communications Workers of America. They want to develop a strong voice on the state level, standardizing pay, capping driver limits, getting companies to account for summary deactivations, and to begin to address the issues of driverless cars.

Edan Oliva of Gig Workers Rising spoke for drivers in the San Francisco Bay area. They successfully lobbied state government to get Assembly Bill 5 passed. This bill requires the rideshare companies to classify their workers as employees. Learn more about what rideshare drivers need to know!

This group wants to continue to build coalitions, and empower essential workers, during COVID-19 and beyond, and help drivers get unemployment benefits, where they can. 

Philadelphia also has an extremely active drivers’ group, It’s called the Philadelphia Drivers Union, and Ali Razak described their efforts to organize, with the ultimate goal of forming a union. They want to stand together to protest the lack of labor and transportation law enforcement on the part of the companies, and address the issue of unwarranted deactivation.

All of the groups spoke of the need to connect with other drivers and to organize so that one day the dream of collective bargaining with the gig economy companies can finally be achieved. 

What does their platform stand for?

As you can see, there are different U.S. cities represented in the movement, and this virtual gathering even included participants from Nigeria, Australia, and Panama City. Drivers share many concerns in common, particularly when it comes to taking a stand with the companies they work for.

One organizer put it very well, mentioning that drivers need to stop believing Uber, Lyft, and other gig economy companies are our masters, and we, their slaves. Instead, we need to see that the rideshare and delivery drivers ARE these companies. If we stop working, so does their business.

Taking in the concerns from all the different groups, the gig worker advocate platform can be summarized like this:

1. Promote legislation that prohibits companies from using the “independent contractor” option with their drivers, forcing them to classify them as “employees,” with all the benefits that come with that classification.
2. Push for minimum hourly wage, sick pay, unemployment insurance, disability coverage, hazard pay, safety training and equipment.
3. Educate drivers by offering safety classes, telemedicine, eye care, discount dental care.
4. Prevent companies from manipulating the market, as in allowing more drivers to come into the system to drive down the amount they pay individual workers.
5. Push to form a worldwide union, and gain the ability to engage in collective bargaining with the gig economy companies.

What progress have they made?

Despite the companies’ efforts to lobby politicians and defend themselves vigorously when faced with class action suits, gig workers’ advocacy groups have racked up an impressive list of accomplishments. Right now, they operate on a city by city basis; but if they continue to meet, as they did in this virtual rally, their scope may eventually encompass the country, and the world!

Here’s are some of the achievements they’ve got under their belts already:

In Philadelphia:

• Joined class action suit against Uber to stop worker exploitation
• Protested against a lack of labor and transportation law enforcement
• Won back $4.3 million in reduced wages and tips for drivers
• Forced companies to provide wheelchair accessible vehicles
• Reduced licensing and inspection fees for drivers
• Brought back hundreds of drivers Uber had wrongly deactivated
• Won free commercial insurance for luxury drivers during COVID-19

In New York:

• Pushed for - and got - Uber to add an in-app tipping option
• Stopped exploitation via rate cuts
• Secured an hourly gross minimum wage of $27.86
• Created and provided free safety classes, chauffeur classes, free telemedicine, eye exams, and eyeglasses, and got discounts on dental coverage.
• Formed a wellness team of certified counselors and made their services available to drivers and their families.
• Distributed masks and gloves to drivers during the COVID-19 crisis

In Chicago:

• Presented the case for securing unemployment and rent forgiveness
• Pushed companies to pass on the increased surge prices to drivers
• Presented a list of demands that will be sent to the mayor and state legislature (see above)
• Pushed for the right to collective bargaining

In Boston:

• Built a strong group of drivers to protest pay cuts
• Formed an alliance with state government to create and pass re-classification laws
• Worked to build a strong, uniform network of drivers across the country

In Denver:

• Provided unemployment benefit information
• Protested against Uber pay cuts
• Encouraged drivers to talk to one another and form a cohesive group

In the San Francisco Bay Area and the State of California

• Worked to get Assembly Bill 5 passed; forcing companies to classify workers as employees
• Delivered petitions to Uber and Lyft protesting pay cuts and classification as independent contractors
• Shut down traffic with a caravan of cars  in front of Uber’s corporate headquarters on the day of its IPO to draw attention to the company’s unfair practices
• Helped drivers with unemployment insurance applications
• Built coalitions and empowered essential workers during the COVID-19 crisis

What’s next?

The COVID-19 crisis has mobilized the effort to unite drivers and push to form a true union, capable of being recognized in the collective bargaining process. This has happened because of the acute nature of the issues that arose. 

The risks drivers take as they transport healthcare workers, other essential employees, and the things that are needed to keep families fed during this crisis are formidible. Who makes sure the companies are taking precautions and compensating drivers according to what they deserve for taking these risks?

The issue of unemployment, while solved temporarily by the CARES act, stands out more than it ever did. What will happen when the next disaster strikes, and drivers lose their source of income?

Self-driving vehicles, although not ready to roll quite yet, will become an issue in the future. Many advocates believe drivers will need to stand up against being usurped by these high-risk products of the wig worker companies’ most audacious technology. The threat is not imminent, but it is on the horizon.

As the companies scramble to make a profit, both during the crisis and after it ends, how can drivers be sure their income will be protected from wage cuts and excessive driver-to-driver competition? The massive number of unemployed members of our society will make it that much easier for the companies to find people desperate enough to take even the lowest rates they can offer.

It’s clear that, as the gig economy grows, the people who work within it need to have the protection unionization might bring. The trick will be to ensure that the formation of such a structure is done in a way that doesn’t permit the companies to freeze out unionized workers. That’s why it’s so important to draw on the experience of organizers who’ve already secured legislation, and all of the groups to join forces so that a wider, more powerful, and effective advocacy group can be formed.

COVID-19 keeps us from meeting in large groups for the moment, but this devastating situation has given the driver community a hidden benefit. This virtual rally - a  gathering of several solid driver advocacy groups, might not have happened if the pandemic didn’t force the groups  to meet online rather than outdoors or blocking traffic in their respective cities. 

Now, with all these groups joining forces, the movement to get fair treatment and protection from drivers could very well be...unstoppable!. 

Get even more information by searching on the hashtag: #TheGigIsUp.

What do you think?

Now that we've given you the facts, what do you think? Should drivers be getting paid more? Is employment status a good idea, and how would you feel about being a member of a potential union for gig economy workers? Let us know in the comments below!

By now you’ve undoubtedly heard about the new policies from Uber and Lyft. 

As mentioned in our previous article regarding Uber overhauling their app due to COVID 19, both companies are imposing these policies on drivers (and Uber Eats deliverers). You’ll have to complete a checklist that includes this directive:

DISINFECT YOUR VEHICLE.

There are at least two good reasons why we need to keep our vehicles not just clean and shiny, but also disinfected and safe. 

1. It’s common sense. We need to do our part as drivers to avoid getting and/or spreading the coronavirus.
2. It’s good for business. When passengers are reassured that our cars have been sanitized, they’ll feel safer and more comfortable using rideshare.

Oh, and there’s also other incentives like zeroing out the chance of getting ketchup ground into your (or your riders’) favorite jeans. 

Now, as this new policy takes effect for both Uber and Lyft, it’s become an absolute must-do. You’ll need materials and ideas about how to do this quickly, effectively and safely. Wait—did we say you’ll need materials? Yep, that too.

We understand that many of you disagree with how much the rideshare companies are stepping into our cars and making drivers comply with more and more mandates. However, since these are likely going to be the new rules for at least the next few months, we wanted to ensure that every driver knows how to disinfect their vehicles and keep both drivers and customers as safe as possible.

WIth this in mind, we created this blog post to answer and explain:

1. What are the risks of spreading the virus in your car?
2. What products should rideshare and delivery drivers use to disinfect their vehicles?
3. How can drivers ensure their surfaces won’t be ruined?
4. How drivers should clean their car (step-by-step)
5. Who’s going to pay for your cleaning materials

Here you go!

What are the risks of spreading COVID-19 in your vehicle?

Recent word from CDC tells us that, while we don’t have to be quite as worried about transmitting the virus via surfaces than we were in the beginning, there’s still concern about how much contagiousness can happen in the close quarters, where we share space in the confines of a rideshare or delivery vehicle. 

What we do know is, the COVID-19 virus spreads most prolifically from droplets in the air, namely from a cough, sneeze, saliva, or other respiratory-related fluids. In the teensy space of your vehicle, it would be pretty easy for the virus to pass from one person to another!

Without getting too graphic, just think for a moment about what happens between you and passengers in your car. You don’t know if they’ve just come in contact with droplets from the virus just before you met them; you don’t know if they are sick; and you don’t know if they’ sneeze and leave droplets hanging around in your car for them to be picked up by you or your next passenger. 

We acknowledge drivers could be just as culpable, but that’s only going to happen by accident. You’re going to take precautions and avoid spreading the virus for your own good as well as that of your passengers, at all times, right?

Knowing all this, you’re going to want to keep your vehicle not just clean, but sanitized. We dug into the best ways to do this, so we can offer you the ideas and answers you need to stay safe, and sanitized.

What products should you use to sanitize your vehicle?

Before you venture out on the often futile, often pricey quest for disinfectant wipes, let’s look at what you’re trying to destroy the novel coronavirus COVID-19. 

All disinfecting compounds are not equal, and not all are effective against COVID-19. On top of that, some can damage the surfaces in your car. That’s why we’ve listed some ideas about how to find the right disinfecting compounds for your car.

First, use soap and water

It may not be common knowledge, but viruses protect themselves with a layer of fat, and they need that layer to remain intact. Because of that, the #1 most effective way to disinfect surfaces in your vehicle, as well as any other objects (phone charger cords and your delivery bag, for sure), and your own hands is: soap and water. 

There’s no need to get the antibacterial variety; research has shown that it’s no more effective than plain soap. All you’re really looking for is plain soap’s grease-busting ability.

When you use soap and water on a surface, any COVID-19 viruses that are present will lose their protective coating—meaning their ability to infect you or anyone else will be neutralized. Possibly the greatest thing about soap and water is that it’s easy to get, and it’s also cheap to buy. 

Unlike disinfecting wipes, which tend to fly off the shelves in stores, you won’t have a problem finding basic soap. Also, with soap you won’t have to deal with harsh ingredients that can be harmful to the materials in your car, and your hands.

How is it possible to carry soap and water with you? Here’s how: Get a spray bottle, fill it almost to the top with water, add a touch of liquid soap, then shake it up. Dishwashing soap (especially blue-colored type) is an excellent degreaser, and would serve you quite well. 

Once you have your mixture ready, test it before taking off with it in your car. Try it out on a hard surface like a kitchen counter to make sure it isn’t too soapy. You’ll know you have it right when it cleans the surface, yet wipes right up without leaving a film or bubbles.

Another important step in disinfecting is rubbing. With a bit of elbow grease, and repeated back-and-forth motions, your disinfecting effort will be close to 100% effective. In your car, it’s probably best to use paper towels, and to keep things clean every time, use those towels only once.

By the way, you can use your spray-on soap and water mixture on your upholstery, too. Spray lightly, rub, and wipe thoroughly, and it should dry quickly.

Chlorine bleach

The CDC says that chlorine bleach is another basic cleaning tool that is quite effective against COVID-19. Its active ingredient, sodium hypochlorite, kills the RNA protein within the virus. Bleach is rather easy to get, and pretty cheap. You can mix it with water, just as you would with regular soap. 

The problem with it is how easily it can damage different surfaces, including leather. Even in a diluted form, you’ll have to be V E R Y careful not to get the bleach solution on your carpets or upholstery. As you most likely know, bleach removes color from fabric. Your nicely patterned seats and carpets could acquire rather unattractive non-matching splotches, and even holes, and nobody wants that.

When you use bleach, let it sit on the surface for a few moments before wiping it up. Some sources say you might need to wait at least 10 minutes to get the full effect. It’s a powerful cleaner, and will leave a distinctive chlorine smell when you’re done. You may want to crack your car’s windows so the fumes don’t get too overwhelming and harmful. 

Rubbing alcohol

Rubbing alcohol is another substance you can use to clean the hard surfaces in your car. Like soap, alcohol attacks the protective layer of fat surrounding the COVID-19 virus, disabling its ability to infect you or your riders. 

Alcohol is potent, so you should dilute it with water before using. Be very careful about using it on any aluminum finishes in your vehicle, and be aware that it can melt certain kinds of vinyl and plastic. All in all, if you use alcohol as your cleaning solution, use it with great care.

The smell it leaves behind will be reassuring to anyone who’s concerned about your car being clean, but it won’t be terribly pleasant. Crack the windows after using it, or maybe spray a refreshing scent to offset the smell that triggers memories such as, “Oh no! That doctor’s about to stick that strange looking object in my ear.” 

Disinfectant wipes

They’re quick, they’re easy, and they’re disposable … but they’re not easy to find in this environment of pandemic-era hoarding. If you do manage to score a container or seven of disposable wipes, you can use them on most surfaces in your car safely, easily, and in a manner that often leaves behind a pleasant fragrance.

Besides, having a pack of wipes floating around in the car makes customers feel safer. You can even offer them the option of wiping any surfaces (such as the backs of seats, seatbelts, or armrests) they may be concerned about. 

Steam Cleaning

All the ways of wiping your car clean do a lot of good, and are especially handy for when you’re out and on the go. But when you really want to get into the nooks and crannies, and kill as many of those little COVID-19 devils as you can, steam cleaning is a really good option!

There’s a company in the D.C. area, Drive Whip, which is going out of its way to help drivers feel safe about getting back into their cars. They’re offering steam cleaning of the inside of drivers’ vehicles, for free! You might be able to get a similar service in your area, and even if you have to pay for it, it can be well worth the price. We interviewed them on the Gridwise podcast!

There are also hand-held steamers that can be easily rented or purchased. They’re a good appliance to have on hand as a driver, and they’re useful all the time. (Nothing eradicates road salt and pet stains as well as steam, that’s for sure!)  Remember that you need both the heat of the steam and pressure.  The type of steamer used for clothing, unless it has an option to exert pressure, isn’t going to do it. 

How to ensure your car surfaces won’t be ruined

Make sure your door handles (inside and out), seat belt buckles, gear shift, key fob or power button, lightswitch, steering wheel, turn signals, hazard lights, delivery bag, etc. get a good wiping—but before you go nuts with any of the products we suggested here, test them on small areas, and use common sense.

You don’t want to spray water into your touchscreen, for sure, and you’ll want to avoid getting your electronically endowed steering wheel too wet. You can try spraying a small amount of cleaning solution on a paper towel and then wiping the steering wheel with it. 

As for that touchscreen, the best thing you can do is keep it clear with just a dab of screen cleaner and a microfiber cloth ... or whatever your vehicle’s manufacturer recommends.  Don’t know what that might be? Follow that ancient IT adage: RTFM (Read The *&%*$)# Manual).

How to make your sanitizing practice a safe and easy routine

Once you decide what you’re going to use to sanitize your car, let’s go step by step to make sure you’re covering all the bases. It would be wise to cover your hands - with gloves - while you go through this procedure.

Follow the below checklists to make sure you clean every spot on your car.

First, clean the outside of your car

• Begin with the door handles, including the trunk or hatchback. Get them nice and germ-free, leaving the driver door open so you won’t re-contaminate it when you go inside.
• If there are any other surfaces you or your passengers are going to touch, such as side mirrors or a wiper blade or antenna, make sure you get those too. You might consider taking care of the sides of the doors, where people often touch when they close the door on their way out.

Second, clean the inside of your car

• Wipe down all the seats, including the back sides of the front seats. 
• Get the security handles people often grab when they’re riding around in your car.
• Sanitize the seats, then the seatbelts - both the fasteners and the fabric. People often touch these surfaces - and they could sneeze or cough on them, too.
• After that, thoroughly sanitize the door handles, and the switches for the windows as well as locks, if you have them in your vehicle.
• Remove the mats and clean them separately, outside of the car. Send some sanitizer into the floor covering.
• Pay special attention to arm rests. (People could sneeze one minute, get into your car the next, and wipe their virus-slimed forearm or sleeve on your arm rest!) Make sure you get any loops or handles they might have touched
• Clean out the cup holders, and the areas around them.
• Clean the on-door compartments and look out for any items (especially tissues) people might leave in there. Candy or gum wrappers could also carry scary microbial cargo, so get rid of them as well.
• Go up front and wipe down the dashboard, the steering wheel, gear shift, turn signal switch and light switch.
• Make sure you clean and sanitize the switches for your sound system, heat and A/C, flashers, etc. taking care not to spray directly into anything electronic.

Finally, clean everything else

• If you carry a garbage bag with you, get rid of the old one and use a fresh one.
• If you use a delivery bag, sanitize it before and after your shift.

• Wipe your phone charger cable, and any extra ones passengers may have used.
• Clean your console, if you have one, inside and out - pay special attention if you have a toll device, such as EZ-pass, and make sure it gets de-COVID-ized.
• Carry cleaning solution and paper towels with you for in-between sanitation touchups.
• When you get in and out of your car, avoid touching things with your hands to as great a degree as possible. A good hip bump is a safe way to keep your hands safe from what might get left behind on the outside of a door.

A nice, finishing touch

If you want to add a pleasant, clean, and fresh smell to your vehicle, one that doesn’t reek of soap, bleach or alcohol, you can spray a solution of your favorite essential oil mixed with water. You can get oils almost anywhere, even at your local gas station variety store. Find one that’s light but also clean-smelling, like tea tree oil or eucalyptus.

Just so you know, the CDC and other official sources say essential oils do not disinfect. Still, they do smell really good.

You can also spray a disinfectant aerosol in the car, as long as you don’t overdo. Keep remembering that you’re being safe for you, and you’re also trying to remind your riders that they can trust you’ve taken steps to disinfect your car … and protect them. You’ll just want to stop short of making so all you can smell is cleaning stuff.

Who’s got to pay for this, now?

That’s a great question, but the answer isn’t so simple. Uber says it allocated $50 million to buy masks, disinfectant sprays, wipes, hand sanitizer, and gloves. They already mailed at least 23 million masks to drivers.

The rest of the supplies drivers must have, says Uber, will be distributed—but only in “select areas.” The company also announced that it’s partnering with corporations that will ultimately develop products and kits specifically designed and packaged to serve drivers’ needs.

Lyft says it will make sanitizing equipment and masks available to be picked up at its Hubs, Driver Centers, and Express Drive Centers, but theirs will also be in “select areas” only.

We don’t know when any of Uber’s corporate partnerships are going to happen, or what either Uber or Lyft means by “select areas.” What we do know is, it might be a while before we see any supplies, even if we happen to live in one of the “select” areas. At least in the case of Uber, we’ll probably get two disposable masks in the mail, which will help ... but not much.

Remember: The new policies have been in effect since Monday May 18th.

Given all this information, it’s pretty clear who’ll be footing the bill for disinfecting our cars. It’s up to us drivers! 

Keep it safe, clean … and inexpensive

As we’ve described here, the act of keeping your car in a sanitized condition doesn’t mean you need fancy concoctions, or even those precious disinfecting wipes. With a simple spray bottle, some paper towels, and cheap, easy-to-acquire ingredients, you’ve got everything you need.

In the meantime, we can still wait for Uber and Lyft to distribute materials … but holding one’s breath is not necessarily a good idea.

At Gridwise, we like to keep you up to date on what’s happening. We also want you to know we’re here for you when it comes to gathering the information you need to keep driving and making good money. 

If you haven’t already done so, download the Gridwise app, the #1 Assistant for rideshare and delivery drivers. Track mileage, figure out which of the services you work for is earning the most for you, keep track of your hourly earnings, and get the latest info from our articles and podcasts!

In terms of unpleasant surprises, the year 2020 has delivered beyond all imagination. 

Back in March, when the coronavirus nightmare was just beginning, Uber temporarily shut down all its Greenlight Hubs. 

This was reasonable since Greenlight Hubs do involve face-to-face contact, a lot of touching of surfaces, and the possible spread of the coronavirus from driver to Hub worker and back.

This was fine… for awhile.

But now, due to the recent cost-cutting measures, 40% of Uber Greenlight Hubs won’t be back during the reopening process… if they ever come back. On May 7th, Uber announced it would eliminate 3,700 jobs and permanently close 180 of its Greenlight Hubs in an effort to cut costs, and offset the losses the pandemic has brought upon the company.

In an effort to support drivers through this change. We’ll answer the following questions drivers may have in this blog post:

1. Why are Greenlight Hubs important for drivers?
2. Why are Greenlight Hubs critical in a COVID-19 world
3. How many Greenlight Hubs have been closed and which ones have been closed?
4. How will the closure of Greenlight Hubs affect rideshare drivers
5. How will 

Why are Greenlight Hubs important for drivers?

Uber first touted the Greenlight Hubs as a personal touch for drivers; an in-person resource for help with onboarding, working with the app, and resolving customer issues. In some places, the hubs even provided free vehicle inspections.

It was convenient, and it felt reassuring, to have Greenlight Hubs in our towns. Here are just a few ways that drivers could use Greenlight Hubs.

Get help with documents

Let’s say you got a new car. Submitting the insurance and registration online could keep you waiting up to a day or two to get back on the road. But when there was a Greenlight Hub, you’d just drive there, present the paperwork to the helpful specialist, grab a new decal for your window, and you’d be good to go in 10 minutes or less.

Get help with navigating the driver app

Or, let’s say you’re not the most tech-savvy person in your neighborhood, and you can’t figure out how to use the app. You might also find that it’s acting up and you can’t get it to work right. The helpful hub attendants would personally walk you through the app’s features, teaching you how to use it and making a determination about whether the problem was the app or something you were doing.

Use the lost and found

The pain surrounding lost articles is less intense when you can simply deliver stray scarves, phones, and keys to the local Greenlight Hub to be picked up by your forgetful riders. Without hubs, drivers waste a lot of time, gas, and aggravation hauling their posterior ends all over town to deliver lost items to customers. (It gets even more aggravating when they don’t tip beyond the paltry fee you get from Uber for doing this good deed.)

We can understand why Uber might want to cut back on Greenlight Hubs, since they carry expenses like rent and salaries. Also, the company does offer some help by email and telephone; but in so many places, the hubs are going to be sorely missed. The pang of missing them might become even stronger as we re-emerge from the COVID-19 shutdowns.

Why are Greenlight Hubs critical in a COVID-19 world

As cities open back up, drivers get back on the road, and Uber lays out new safety guidelines for both riders and drivers, Greenlight Hubs will be a huge benefit for a number of reasons.

Handing out masks and sanitizing products

Greenlight Hubs would have been convenient places to distribute masks and sanitizing products. Instead, the company is mailing masks to us drivers, and as for the sanitizer, we’re on our own. 

As COVID-19 continues to grip the country, more and more drivers are going to need this equipment and being able to swing by and get more equipment could be an important win for drivers.

Handling face mask related disputes

We told you in this article about Uber’s new face mask policies for drivers and passeners.

All drivers and riders will have to wear masks, all cars will have to be sanitized, and all riders will have to sit in the back seat. We concede that the new policy will help make the reopening process seem safer for riders as well as drivers—as long as it works as planned. But what happens when it doesn’t?

Uber might be relying too heavily on technology to solve the inevitable disputes and controversies that may arise when drivers inform customers they have to comply. As it stands, drivers can cancel trips with maskless riders, or those who try to climb into the front seat. The update to the app includes an option for cancelling for those reasons without penalty.

We can’t help wondering, though … will it always go smoothly? What if your customer’s in a hurry and didn’t bother to bring a mask along? What if you’re the one who gets written up for insisting that your riders follow policy (as well as local government regulations) and keep a safe social distance?

It’ll be interesting to see how quickly and how well Uber’s customer service staff responds to requests for help the app just can’t handle, especially after they’ve been so thoroughly downsized. Already there are incredibly long wait times for person-to-person contact by phone. With fewer workers, wait times will probably get even longer.

Email help usually arrives more quickly, but it’s not terribly satisfying. It can take a lot of  time for drivers to carefully explain the nuances of a less-than-pleasant interaction with just one irate rider. Talking to a real person, or even better, seeing someone face-to-face at a hub, is so much more effective.

How many Greenlight Hubs have been closed and which ones have been closed?

Unfortunately, Uber has not released a list of the Greenlight Hubs that will be cut. However, we know that 40% of the facilities worldwide is a big chunk of the operation.

We’ll keep every driver updated as to which Hubs have been closed and which are still open as Uber releases this information, however, if you have multiple hubs in your city you should expect that one will be closed.

How will closures affect drivers?

The closure of 40% of Greenlight hubs will likely have an impact on most rideshare drivers around the world. Here’s what drivers can expect.

Many drivers will have to travel farther to get to a hub

In many cities like Chicago, NYC, and LA, drivers had multiple Greenlight Hubs that they could visit to get the help they needed. After these closures, there is a great chance that cities with multiple Greenlight Hubs will see 1 or more of their hubs close.

This means some drivers will have to go even farther out of their way to reach a hub.

Expect longer wait times

With less Greenlight Hubs that are located farther away, drivers should expect busier hubs and significantly longer wait times, especially during the first few months they reopen. Each Greenlight Hub will have to do more work, likely with less staff, so the days of being able to pop into a hub, and pop right out may be long gone.

Expect more rushed, and less helpful service

Greenlight Hubs used to be a place where drivers could expect a friendly face and a helping hand (most of the time at least). With staff being spread incredibly thin, expect a more “DMV” like experience with long waits and rushed service.

Don’t expect phone support to be any better

If you thought you could rely on phone support instead of Greenlight Hubs, you might be in for a surprise as well.

As part of Uber’s staff cuts, the company also let go of a significant amount of phone support staff. So Uber’s already legendarily bad driver support via email, in-app message, and phone is likely about to get even slower and even worse.

Drivers will have to find their own safety equipment

If Uber is going to require drivers to wear facemasks, then they need to provide them to their drivers. Without Greenlight hubs, there is no local distribution channel for these important supplies and drivers will need to spend their own money to get them.

Even as Uber mails out face masks and sanitizer, drivers will likely have to find their own equipment as there’s run out.

So, what can rideshare and delivery drivers do?

At Gridwise, we do our best to not just point out problems, but to find solutions.

However, in this case. There just aren’t many great ways to get around a poor Greenlight Hub experience for Uber and Uber Eats drivers.

The best thing that you can do is familiarize yourself with Uber’s online support, and when you do have a question, comment, or concern, try to call before heading to your Greenlight Hub.

Drivers should also expect to need to find their own masks, which we’ve written a great how to guide for obtaining free and cheap masks.

Otherwise, keep watching for more articles from Gridwise, and we’ll keep finding out what plans Uber and all the rideshare and delivery companies have in store for drivers and deliverers. We’ll also do our absolute best to provide answers to the questions that drivers usually rely on Greenlight Hubs for answers to.
If you haven’t already done so, download the Gridwise app and you can be just like Uber—hedging your bets by working the ride AND delivery markets. Our app helps you organize it all … which is why Gridwise is the #1 Assistant for rideshare and delivery driving.

Today is the last day of my orientation week at my coding Bootcamp. I am over the freaking moon.

This is just what I needed, this is going to change my life. - Kurt F. Lyft Driver

When opposites attract

Why would a coding Bootcamp want to attract rideshare and delivery drivers?

Society doesn’t generally see rideshare and delivery drivers as the tech-savvy millennials or Gen Zers that we would usually associate with a coding Bootcamp.

So why have multiple coding Bootcamps reported record low cost per application when using Gridwise to reach rideshare and delivery drivers?

At Gridwise, we’ve learned that rideshare and delivery drivers come in many forms. They’re moms, dads, retirees, college kids, budding entrepreneurs, career changers, and dreamers. 

But most importantly, we’ve learned that they’re eager and ambitious people that are ready to roll their sleeves up and work for the future they want. 

And as it turns out, a lot of them want to learn to code.

Problem

Coding Bootcamps are all the rage right now… and that’s a blessing and a curse for Bootcamps. 

Sure, there is more demand than ever for efficient ways to launch a career in tech, however, there is also more competition than ever.

Each coding Bootcamp that approached Gridwise shared the challenge of driving down their cost per application, and cost per new student and some had to do so in the midst of a pandemic.

For these Bootcamps, Facebook campaigns may have yielded cheap leads, they were also low converting leads that rarely resulted in applications and with Google Ads costs skyrocketing, these camps often were stuck paying much more than they would have liked per new student.

However, each one of these companies individually found Gridwise and found a repeatable source of students, not just leads.

The Gridwise Approach 

When you work with Gridwise, you’re not just given access to more than 120,000 drivers. You’re hiring a team of marketers and designers that are the world’s leading experts in engaging rideshare drivers who are dedicated to ensuring the success of your campaign. 

So before beginning to work with Gridwise, each one of these coding Bootcamps sat down with their Gridwise Account Management team to develop a multi-channel marketing campaign designed to engage and nurture active rideshare drivers around their unique value propositions.

These campaigns included in-app banner and card ads, custom emails to all Gridwise drivers, and partner network regargeting to give each coding Bootcamp the broadest reach and lowest acquisition cost for their campaigns.

Gridwise’s marketing and design experts then helped each coding Bootcamp create, implement, and rapidly A/B test several ad designs that produced results almost immediately.

The Results

By creating customized marketing strategies that included email, in-app ads, and some blog posts, Gridwise was able to yield the following results for our education partners. 

Education Company 1

• 6.37% email click-through rate
• 17.78% landing page conversion rate

Education Company 2

• 5.72% email click-through rate
• 21.05% landing page conversion rate

Education Company 3

• 7.88% email click through rate
• 27.23% landing page conversion rate

Education Company 4

• 6.30% email click through rate
• 41.67% landing page conversion rate

With the industry standard for average email click-through rate at about 2.5%, the results we saw for every education company we worked with was amazing. All of these companies leveraged smart ad creative to engage rideshare drivers across every medium possible which ultimately resulted in a sustained boost in conversion for a low investment.

What’s Next? 

As we continue to learn more about the inspiring people who make up the Gridwise community, we’ll keep working closely with our education partners. It’s our goal to expand on what we’ve learned and to increase awareness of continuing education offerings for our rideshare and delivery drivers. 

Despite the impact of COVID-19 on the rideshare community, the Gridwise audience is consistently turning to the app for ways to maximize their earnings and stay connected. Learn more about how you can get in front of our audience of amazing individuals by advertising with Gridwise here.

Back in January 2020, most rideshare drivers wouldn't have even considered working for an outfit like DoorDash. Rides were plentiful, and earnings were high. 

With our minds firmly set on the “Nothing beats rideshare--nothing!” perspective, we wondered why a rideshare driver would want to go through the extra work and time to deliver food. Who seriously orders enough food for delivery to make money for drivers? 

Those were pretty typical questions for drivers until the COVID-19 shutdowns started happening and the rideshare slowdown began. Suddenly, we could no longer stay fixated on rideshare driving. We had to open our minds to other opportunities … like, for instance, food delivery.

Because the reality is, people are indeed ordering enough food for drivers to make money delivering it, and the need is greater than ever before. The volume of DoorDash deliveries is way, way, up … and so are DoorDash driver earnings.

So how much have DoorDash drivers been earning?

Just look at the money that’s been coming in for DoorDash drivers nationwide.

Keep in mind, these figures represent median earnings per hour, which is the middle number in our sample range of hourly wages. Depending on where you are, you could make a little less than the median, or a whole lot more. However, it’s very clear that rideshare drivers are making around $16.50 per hour across the nation.

With rideshare earnings down, it makes sense for drivers to explore delivery options,, and it certainly beats making nothing, or waiting for unemployment comp that may never arrive. The money is just one reason we think driving for DoorDash is worth looking into. Here’s what you might experience when you sign up to be a DoorDash driver, known as a Dasher.

What’s it like to deliver for DoorDash?

Driving for DoorDash can definitely keep the cash flowing, even during the ravages of the COVID-19 situation. And DoorDash makes it really easy to become one of their Dashers. Here are the requirements:

• Age 18 or older
• Own any kind of vehicle; in some places, a bicycle or scooter will suffice
• Have a valid driver’s license 
• Have a Social Security number
• Consent to and pass a background check

First, you’ll have to make sure DoorDash needs drivers in your area, which you’ll find out when you sign up. If they’re not accepting drivers at that moment, you can be assured they will be before too long so hang in there. You’ll eventually get an invitation to open the app.

Once you get in, you could be taken to a short video orientation where the company shows you how to use the app and how to complete your calls. Then, you can get started.

Working for DoorDash is a lot like driving for rideshare. You wait for a ping, and then a delivery will be (briefly) described to you on the screen. You’ll be shown the restaurant where you have to do the pickup, and how long it will take to complete the order. 

At this point you can decide whether to take the delivery or not. There’s no punishment for not taking an order, but if you refuse too many you may get a message saying that you won’t be offered as many orders unless you accept more pings.

Assuming you do accept the order, you’ll park your car, and in COVID-19 conditions, you’ll look at the door of the restaurant for instructions. In some cases you’ll have to go inside. CDC and local guidelines, almost universally, require you to wear a mask when you go inside a business of any kind, but especially a restaurant. So be prepared ahead of time with a mask. 

Some restaurants have stickers on the floor showing you where it’s safe to stand, at a safe social distance from other drivers and individuals, who are also there to pick up their meals. Other establishments will ask you to use the drive-thru, and then there are eateries that ask you to wait in the car while they collect your order and bring it out to you.

Once the pickup is complete, you’re ready to drive the food to the customer. You’ll go to the delivery screen, where you’ll see any special instructions. You might be asked to leave the order at the door, or in the entranceway of an apartment building. It’s always a good idea to take a picture of the order at the door to prove you completed it.

What about hours and equipment?

Just like rideshare, you get to choose your own hours with DoorDash, but you’ll also have to use common sense. You wouldn’t want to go out from 3 to 5 p.m., for instance; you’ll want to go out during peak eating hours. You’ll have to test out your own locality to determine exactly what those hours might be. 

Maybe there’s a rush for lunch, but there’s most likely going to be a big demand for dinner. And yes, there could be those late-night snack runs as well. People aren’t gathering in big groups these days, but families big and small still get hungry for pizza and nachos at all hours.

It’s also good to know that when there’s a big crunch, DoorDash will lay two or more deliveries on you at once. It’s pretty much a no-brainer, but it can get confusing. You’ll want to make sure the orders are clearly marked, so the right food gets to the correct customers. You don’t want the three extra-large all-meat pizzas to mistakenly end up with the vegan group waiting for the tofu special. 

That’s why it will be helpful to have the right equipment, which DoorDash will mail to you a day or three after signing up. In the Dash kit will be a thermal bag and a credit card, known as the Dasher Red Card.

The thermal bag is serviceable, but you may want to carry a second one. It doesn’t hold much, and it sure wouldn’t win any awards for “most durable delivery bag ever constructed.”

Before you get too excited about the credit card, it isn’t for you! It’s for your customers. They pay for their food through the app, and in instances when the app doesn’t pay the establishment, DoorDash pays with the credit card you carry. Like any credit card, you’ll need to activate it first. Just follow the instructions in the folder it comes in, and make sure you carry the card with you when you’re out there Dashing.

How do you get paid … and tipped?

Pay for you, the DoorDash driver, comes through the app, just like rideshare. It’s based on three factors:

• Base Pay: DoorDash’s base contribution for each order. It ranges from $2 to $10, and it’s a function of time, distance, and desirability of the order. If you get a call that’s not-so-popular among drivers, your pay will be higher.
• Promotions: As with rideshare, there are peak periods and challenges. Peak periods are like surges, and challenges give bonuses for completing a certain number of deliveries in a given time period. If you get a large order, say a grocery load that costs a lot, you’ll earn a large order fee.
• Tips: We all love tips, and in the virus-mandated lockdown, people are more generous than you might imagine. They can tip when they check out of the app, or after you deliver. Service does matter, and if you do something extra, or if you’re just extra-kind and careful about COVID-19 protocol, you’ll probably get even more.You get to keep 100% of your tips, and they’re on top of base pay and promotions. 

What’s the downside of delivering for DoorDash?

Like every gig, DoorDash isn’t perfect, and there are a couple of disadvantages. The biggest one is the number of times you have to park your car, and get in and out of it. Much depends on where most restaurants around you are located, whether on city streets or in suburban or semi-rural strip malls. 

During the COVID-19 situation, parking is easier to find than usual, especially in cities. Still, it can be an issue. Getting in and out can also present problems in downpours, windstorms, and days so hot you can’t stop sweating even in air conditioning.

Other potential challenges involve the restaurants. Not every order will be ready on time. Sometimes they don’t even get the orders; you might have to put them in yourself, and then wait around for them to be filled. This is especially true at fast-food restaurants. 

You may even have to go through the drive-thru. The items your customer wants will be in the app. This can eat up a lot of your time, and be pretty frustrating when the restaurant is out of one or more of the items. 

There are some gaps in menu item availability, for sure. Some are based on supply chain issues, and other times they arise from the fact that restaurants don’t always know how much to order. You’ll have to be patient in these instances, and hope the customer is, too. You can always try to make contact by phone, through the app, to ask if they want to choose substitutions. Most people are pretty cool about it, but once in a while, they end up cancelling the order.

A great way to make decent money, NOW

Despite a few drawbacks, driving for DoorDash can be a very good thing. It’s tough waiting for unemployment compensation to come in, and it’s likely going to be a while before rideshare comes back to where it was. For now, DoorDash could be a really great way to fill the gap. One thing’s for sure: it’s more lucrative than it used to be, and it’ll probably stay like that for a long time to come.

With all that cash coming in, you’ll need to keep track of your earnings, of course. Gridwise has exactly what you need, when you need it. Download the app, and you’ll see how easy it is to track your total income, time worked, hourly rate, mileage, and other expenses for DoorDash as well as the other services you might be working for.

We wish you all the best as you endeavor to keep yourself solvent in the gig economy. We’ll keep digging up the info you need to make your wishes a reality. Do you have questions or comments? Write them in the space below. We always love to get your ideas and feedback.

For most drivers, the idea of actually being unable to work because they’ve been exposed to COVID-19, or are already sick with it, is something they worry about, but haven’t yet faced. For others, it’s real … very real. 

Since the middle of March, most rideshare and delivery companies have made public announcements about their intentions to provide sick pay for drivers affected by COVID-19. When this all started, companies stated that sick pay would only be awarded to drivers who test positive for the virus, as well as those who have been quarantined by a physician for being exposed to COVID-19.

For obvious reasons, this didn’t always work so well. What if you can’t be tested for the virus, or you’re so sick you’re unable to submit the documentation needed to “qualify” you for sick pay? The companies have made some effort, it appears, to put the focus more on those drivers who are out there still working through the crisis. Still, in many cases, it’s still necessary to get the proof of your COVID-19 situation before you can get their attention.

It sounds simple enough. You either get exposed to the virus, are individually ordered to self-quarantine, or (worst of all) are diagnosed with COVID-19; then the company gives you money. What happens, really? 

We took a look at companies’ policies and got reports from drivers who have been in this situation, and found that things are not going quite the way they’re supposed to.

The plight of the independent contractor

Why is it so hard to get sick pay to begin with? 

When you sign up to drive for rideshare or delivery, you’re told in no uncertain terms where you stand with the company. You are not an employee, you don’t get benefits, there will be no paid holidays, and there’s no such thing as sick time. It’s all part of the agreement with which we’re all familiar; part of being gig workers. 

The importance of sick pay in a pandemic

When you’re first signing on, it doesn’t seem so bad. You drive and you get money for it—but that’s when everything is normal. 

If there ever was a time when everything was far from normal, it’s now, with the COVID-19 crisis. All kinds of situations we could never have expected are upon us. On top of the “Closed” signs on the doors and windows of most every business your passengers once frequented, you risk becoming infected with a serious virus that can be deadly. 

Even in the delivery game, you won’t have a parade of riders to worry about, but you’ll still be exposed to workers in restaurants and stores, plus the people waiting for you to bring groceries, beverages, and/or dinner to their doors. In all these cases, doing your job forces you to take your life in your hands.

If you know you’ve been exposed to the virus, and you still have to work to put food on the table and a roof over your head, would you stop driving or delivering? That’s the question companies should ask when they consider the questions of providing independent contractors with sick pay of this nature during the pandemic.

If they fail to offer compensation to drivers who have been exposed to the virus, or who are at high risk due to their age or health problems, they could be contributing to the pandemic by forcing these people out into a workplace that’s extremely dangerous to them and the people with whom they come into contact. 

Perhaps out of prudence - or the desire to avoid being held liable for such catastrophe - companies have formulated sick pay policies, even for independent contractors. Let’s see what they bring to the table.

Companies to the rescue … sort of

It makes sense that the companies, who are making even more money than you are by completing your rides and deliveries, would help you out. Just what are they doing, and is it enough?

On the rideshare side, Uber and Lyft have policies that give drivers one-time payments. Here are the programs they offer, in a nutshell:

Uber

Recognizing that their first efforts at providing compensation for drivers affected by COVID-19 were woefully inadequate, Uber updated their financial assistance program in mid-April. It applies both to rideshare drivers and delivery workers for Uber Eats. Their policy was expanded to encompass those who were told to isolate because they have pre-existing conditions that put them in the high-risk category for COVID 19.

This is a sign of somewhat more compassion, and that’s the good news. The not-so-great part is that, at the same time, Uber decided to set a maximum payment per person. This gets tricky, because Uber says there is no one set amount. It will vary by location, and will be based not just on your earnings, but on the average earnings of drivers in your area. 

How payments are calculated:

Your basic payment will be figured based on the three months prior to the date of your application for assistance. There will be up to 14 days’ compensation, but this amount will start at $50 minimum, even if you did just one ride, and top off based on the average earnings of drivers in your area. Uber gives these examples:

Los Angeles: $459

Coloumbus, OH: $244

Rio Grande Valley, TX: $136

What you must do to apply, and qualify:

• Have an active case of COVID-19, or
• Be individually ordered to self-quarantine because you are suspected of having the virus, or
• Be individually ordered to self-quarantine because you have pre-existing, underlying health conditions that place you in the high risk category.

If you meet these requirements, then you need to:

• Complete at least one trip or delivery on Uber in the 30 days leading up to the date of your documentation
• Submit documentation containing your full name, full name of the doctor or public health official, their contact information, and the diagnosis date/start date of quarantine.
• Submit your documents within 30 days of your date of diagnosis/start of quarantine.

Uber says they will attempt to process requests within 7 business days, but also adds the disclaimer that due to high volume (not to mention the recent layoffs of customer service personnel), it may take longer.

Note: Once you apply for assistance from Uber, your account will be put on hold! In general, the hold will be for 14 days, unless the time period stated in your documentation states it should be otherwise.

This is an audacious change in policy, and it surely doesn’t seem to be for the better. Before April 10th, all drivers were awarded up to 14 days’ compensation, based on the previous six months of earnings. There was no maximum amount set. 

As a result, drivers in California recently took legal action against Uber, and in late April they won a little more out of the company than what it was offering. According to a post from CNet,

 “The company has agreed to pay $360 -- calculated as three 8-hour work days at $15 an hour -- to all drivers who've been diagnosed with COVID-19, had symptoms of the disease or believe they were exposed to the virus. Uber is also offering the financial assistance to drivers with preexisting health conditions that make them susceptible to COVID-19, including being over the age of 60.”

Even at that, Uber doesn’t seem to be fulfilling its responsibility in terms of protecting its drivers - or the rider community with whom they are mutually exposed. Even with the 14-day pay policy, it’s hard to imagine that a person who’s sick enough to be in ICU on a respirator would be ready to go back to work in that short of a time period.

Lyft

It would be so pleasant to be able to say this company does do better, but we can’t lie to you. Yes, they have also expanded their program to support drivers who are at high risk due to age and/or underlying high-risk health conditions. Yet, they are extremely vague about how much they will compensate drivers for this or for any other reason COVID-19 would stop them from driving. The only things they are clear on is that you must present documentation to them, and it will take some time to process your application.

With all of that, Lyft’s website makes it plain they feel they are making a huge contribution to the cause of dealing with COVID-19. They state that in addition to providing safety and sanitizing equipment to drivers and the community with a $6.5 million commitment, they are providing support for affected drivers. These are their specific words: 

“We’re providing funds directly to qualifying drivers diagnosed with COVID-19 or put under individual quarantine by a public health agency — an amount determined by the driver’s previous activity on the Lyft platform.”

This tells us very little about how much Lyft will award drivers individually. Also, they seem to believe their “additional support”, namely alerting drivers to the benefits of the CARES act (unemployment for independent contractors and PPP loans) is a big deal. And oh, right - they will also suspend your account if you indicate you need help because you’ve been exposed to or diagnosed with COVID-19.

 If that’s all they’ve got - a vague compensation policy and a few words about government programs, it’s evident that what Lyft has to offer is in no way commensurate with the risks drivers are taking, either.

Doordash, Instacart, Grubhub and the rest

Many delivery companies also offer help to drivers impacted by COVID-19. Recently, they have expanded coverage to include those who have been exposed and quarantined. In general, here’s what delivery drivers and Instacart workers can expect:

• Companies that pay by the hour offer 14 days of pay. Companies that pay per delivery base their compensation on 14 days of a driver’s average earnings.

• Instacart is offering sick-pay to in-store shoppers now, and also offering up to 14 days of pay for full-service shopper or part-time employee who is diagnosed, or placed in mandatory quarantine. 

• DoorDash and Caviar require that drivers be on the platform for at least 60 days in order to collect benefits.

• These companies have activity requirements: DoorDash (30 deliveries in last 30 days); Grubhub (one delivery in last 30 days); Caviar (30 deliveries in last 30 days); Wanelo (based on amount of time currently working).

• All companies require written documentation of COVID-19 diagnosis or medical quarantine order.

• Some companies inform you how soon payment will be received, while others do not. Grubhub says it will take two pay periods, while Postmates says you’ll get the money on the Friday of the week you’re approved.

• Some additional information: Postmates requires you to have a Starship HSA account, which is their healthcare savings plan. Instacart says additional sick pay is available, Amazon Flex says “employees with hardships” can receive $400 to $5,000, and Wanelo is extending flextime to all employees. 

Of all these companies, Doordash is the one whose policy stands out at being most comprehensive and specific. While announcements have been made about Instacart and other companies expanding their programs, little detail is immediately available. 

Because they’ve made the the particulars readily available, we’ll give more information about Doordash’s policy here:

The work requirements (30 days and 30 deliveries in a 30 day period) cited above still apply. The same requirements as Uber, namely, testing positive for COVID-19, being under mandatory quarantine or under a doctor-recommended quarantine (all with medical documentation), or at higher risk, or (and this is unique among the companies we could find details on)...you can prove you live with someone who fulfills one of the above-mentioned criteria.

They also help drivers secure medical documentation by offering a discount code for Doctor on Demand, which would provide a virtual visit for $4.00. Financial assistance for childcare is also available, and all this can be accessed through the Doordash support web form. 

Do companies offer realistic COVID-19 assistance, considering the risks drivers and shoppers take?

The feedback we’re getting tells us companies are getting mixed reviews so far—and that’s putting it politely. Not only are drivers reporting delays and obstacles when they apply for compensation, there are other issues companies don’t seem to have taken into account.

One of these is the issue of underlying health problems, including being over age 60, and being of increased risk. Uber and Lyft have specified they extended their policies to cover this group, as has Doordash, but other companies have not. Will they have to continue working, even though they know they should be at home?

It seems the companies really fumbled the ball over the issue of protecting their independent contractors from harm during this pandemic, and even the “band-aids” they’re applying at this stage fail to make it much better.

In this Business Insider article, an Uber spokeswoman admitted the company’s hastily rolled out policy may not cover enough people. And there are other matters the companies seem to have overlooked as well. Many drivers, for instance, are now taking care of children who are not in school, or perhaps tending to older or disabled relatives who have gotten sick. How are these drivers supposed to continue to work now that their family members are at home and in need of their care?

Even when drivers meet the companies’ requirements of being infected or exposed, some odd things tend to happen. Drivers have reported, for instance, that telling their companies about relatives who are COVID-positive has resulted in an immediate suspension of their accounts, but no compensation (or at least a long wait for it). 

This could lead to drivers who have been exposed to COVID-19 feeling forced to keep it a secret. They may continue working—which means they’re taking scary chances with their riders’ health, as well as their own. Yet they have to make a choice: either keep a paycheck or lose it after having a medical check-up.

COVID-19 war stories: delayed responses

An Uber driver in San Francisco developed COVID-19, which he believes he caught from two passengers he picked up at the airport. Wisely, the driver stopped taking trips, went to get tested, and found he was indeed positive. 

When he uploaded his doctor’s letter, which ordered him to self-quarantine, the driver was taken aback by Uber’s response. The company requested further personal information, along with several requests to accept conditions related to being an independent contractor rather than an employee.

Another driver reported having to wait an inordinate amount of time to hear back from Uber about his request for COVID-19 compensation. In both cases, these drivers got on Twitter and called out Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi in their tweets.

The social media machine did its usual thing and Khosrowshahi’s shaming was pretty effective. Uber responded rapidly to the drivers’ requests ... but unless you’re healthy enough and willing to embarrass a major executive on the Twittersphere, you could be waiting a long time for your sick pay compensation.

The companies’ side of the story

To be fair, the companies are scrambling to cope with the coronavirus pandemic as much as the rest of us. They’ve been flooded with driver requests, their own operations are severely hindered by stay-at-home orders, and it is likely that many of their employees have gotten sick or are quarantined.

Let’s remember that the companies have benefited from the government’s recent easing of unemployment regulations. With the recently enacted CARES Act, independent contractors can apply for their state subsidies and collect $600 per week from the federal government. 

If you find yourself in a situation where you’re unable to work because there isn’t enough business, or you have to care for a family member, unemployment compensation might be a good option for you. (Read more about how drivers can get unemployment compensation here.)

Be smart and stay healthy

At Gridwise, we want nothing more than for you to stay healthy and avoid catching this beast of a virus. But we want you to have the peace of mind that if you’re facing a COVID-19 diagnosis, or are threatened by exposure to it, you’ll receive the benefits you deserve.

Rideshare and delivery companies are still absorbing the shock of this situation, as we all are. Even they seem to recognize that they could be doing a better job. Let’s hope they get there before it’s too late.
Keep up to date on this situation and everything you need to know about rideshare and delivery driving when you download the Gridwise app. Still haven’t?  Do it now!

Most rideshare drivers think of delivery as that thing other people do, or maybe something they’ll try from time to time. Rarely would a driver think of delivery as more profitable than riding with passengers. When times were good, drivers could opt out of those Uber Eats deliveries whenever they wanted.

So why would a rideshare driver consider switching to grocery shopping and delivery? Isn’t that even less profitable than being a take-out food courier? 

You might be surprised.

It’s a fact that the normal paradigm has shifted for drivers due to the ravages of COVID-19 on the gig economy. Passenger traffic is way down, the distance drivers have to travel between trips is long, and the hourly rate for rideshare has plummeted. Learn more about how much gig drivers are making during the COVID 19 pandemic.

With so many of our riders working from home, schooling their own children, and trying their best to avoid getting out too much, fewer people need those rideshare trips. No longer are they going out to dinner, or meeting friends for a drink, or spending the evening at a pub. So (at least for now) they don’t need the safety of your rideshare car to shield them from the illegalities of combining alcohol and driving. 

And they certainly don’t need a ride home from the office. They’re alone, together with their families, and they don’t need you to drive them around.

So, what services are the #AloneTogether crowd paying for? Turns out it’s delivery.

This really isn’t that surprising. In the COVID-19 lockdown era, many adults are trying to perform their jobs from home while also making sure the kids are being schooled, entertain ed, and fed. And speaking of feeding, people are cooking more—which means they’re buying a lot more groceries than they used to. So it only makes sense that the people you used to pick up after happy hour are now interested in having their grocery shopping done for them and their order delivered to their front door.

In case you’re still on the fence about this, we have some numbers that might convince you.

So how much are grocery delivery drivers making?

We’ve compiled anonymized earnings data from more than 105,000 drivers, and found that grocery delivery drivers are making as much as or more than rideshare drivers were making—even before the COVID-19 crisis.

As you can see, the earnings for grocery delivery drivers is not too shabby. The peak of $20.72 per hour for the week of April 13 is certainly what most rideshare drivers would expect on a good day. The average hourly rate, based on the entire time period from March 30 through the week of April 27, is $17.93. That’s also pretty good.

It sure beats what drivers were getting from rideshare at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. Check out national rideshare figures from late December 2019 to late March 2020. Even the highest figure, $19.36, doesn’t match the highest figure for grocery delivery driving. The low for rideshare, $12.35 in mid-March, is significantly less than what you can make as a grocery gig worker.

How does grocery delivery work?

Good question. It’s always best to understand exactly what you’re getting into before making the leap. The first thing to know is that there are two main companies in the business: Instacart and Shipt. 

With Instacart you have two options, the first of which is working directly for the company as an employee. This arrangement requires you to work in stores, filling orders for customers and packing the orders to be picked up, either by the customer or a driver who will deliver the items to the customer’s door. You’ll make an average of $9 to $10 per hour and will receive unemployment insurance, but not health insurance. Instacart caps working time for shoppers at 29 hours per week.. Beyond providing your own transportation to and from the store where you work, you won’t have any expenses.

Your second option with Instacart is being a full-service shopper. You’ll be responsible for driving to the store, doing the shopping, and delivering the orders to customers. The money can be very good: up to $25 per hour including tips, and about $15 per hour if you don’t count tips. As an independent contractor, you’ll have the convenience of flexibility: being your own boss, and setting your own schedule and hours. 

Of course, part of being an independent contractor means you forego most benefits and perks that are available to hired employees, including health insurance. In addition, you’ll need to keep close track of your expenses because you’ll need that information at tax time. Learn more about your options for working on the Instacart platform here.

Shipt, another grocery delivery leader, is a membership-based shipping-for-hire business headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama. Similar to Instart, as a full-service Shipt shopper, you handle the task from order through shopping and delivery. Once you get the call about an order, you’ll drive to the store, shop for the items in the order, and deliver it all to the customer. 

According to Shipt, experienced shoppers make an average of $22 per hour. All the independent contractor conditions apply here as well. For more details about becoming a Shipt shopper, visit the website. 

Is grocery delivery right for you?

Only you can make this decision, of course. You can temporarily hang up your rideshare driver tip jar and dive right into a career working in grocery delivery. You might enjoy it, and you could make really good money. 

Many other drivers are permanently getting out of the drivers seat and joining code and UX design camps like the ones offered at Kenzie.

But what if your instincts tell you not to give up rideshare just yet?

There’s another option. You could do some rideshare and take-out delivery with one platform, and then do a little grocery delivery driving with another. If you approach work this way, diversifying your business activities, you could soon find that you’re making as much as you did before COVID-19 came on the scene and put a damper on everything.

Many drivers are diversifying like this for a couple of reasons: one, to capitalize on opportunities to make money; and two, to avoid being inside their cars with several different riders per day, which elevates the risk of being infected by the virus.

In any case, the decision is totally up to you.

Is it possible to tell which app earns me the most?

Yep. To keep track of your earnings, expenses, mileage, and all the other information that’s crucial to your driving gig life, all you need to do is...

Download the Gridwise app!

You’ll see right away why Gridwise is the ultimate rideshare and delivery assistant. You can enter your earnings from each app you’re using, and get a definite grip on which services are making you the most money. You can analyze what days are good for delivery versus rideshare, and optimize your time according to the data you save in the app.

You can also track mileage and other expenses to maximize your tax deductions, and cut your calculation time down to a bare minimum. Then, once this virus crisis is over, you’ll get a heads-up on all events, and the lowdown on all the airport action. It’ll be great to sit in those long queues in the cell phone lot once again, won’t it?  

Also, if you haven't signed up to be an Instacart driver yet, you can use the link below to sign up!

It’s easy to understand why it’s been necessary for drivers, and riders, to stay home and maintain social distancing during the COVID-19 crisis. Slowing down the spread of the novel coronavirus and staying safe are top priorities for everyone right now.

Still … many of us are more than ready to get back on the road. And in many states, stay-at-home orders are being relaxed by government authorities. As a result, many drivers—and the riders we seek—are starting to emerge from isolation, and once again we’ll be sharing space in our rideshare vehicles. 

This could be risky, so it’s important to create an environment that’s safe for everyone, even if we have to cope with some slightly inconvenient rules.

So, because health risks will continue to linger long after stay-at-home orders expire, Uber is implementing a significant safety policy. The company will require all drivers and riders to wear masks or other face coverings while using the Uber platform. Although no official policy statement has been announced, Uber confirmed the decision to CNN Business on May 3, 2020.

Have Lyft and other companies required face masks?

It appears Uber has taken the lead on this, since there’s no evidence of Lyft or any other rideshare companies making similar decisions. 

Uber may want to get out in front of this issue in order to make both drivers and riders feel safer about coming back out to reanimate Uber’s bustling business.

Lyft generally follows Uber’s lead on major initiatives like this, so we would expect Lyft to implement a similar policy.

When will this policy be fully implemented?

Uber has been mum about this new policy, but drivers should expect to see official communication from Uber over the next few weeks. A spokesperson from Uber has confirmed that they will begin rolling the requirement out to markets in the coming weeks.

How will this policy be enforced?

The more rebellious among us may be thinking about how to avoid abiding by the new rule, while others are happy to comply. Enforcement of the mask-wearing rule could get extremely controversial, and we can’t help wondering what it will look like.

Uber hasn’t told us exactly how they’ll execute their new mask policy, but those of us who drive for them can probably guess. The company already has a facility on the app that’s used to identify drivers. 

Sometimes when drivers tap the app to go online, a message pops up asking them to pull over, take a selfie, and submit it. They must do so before their app will open and start receiving requests. Drivers fit their faces into the circle on the screen, snap the picture, and after it’s been confirmed to match the photo on record, they can proceed. It’s possible Uber will use this same tactic to verify that drivers are wearing masks as the company has confirmed that it is in the process of developing technology to detect drivers' usage of face coverings.

This could be challenging, however, because facial recognition technology relies on face shape. If you’ve worn a mask, you’ve probably noticed your phone’s face-related lock doesn’t know it’s you until you remove it—or just give up and enter the passcode. Uber has a very clever technology department, so they may have already found a way around this.

What about the passengers? How will the policy be enforced for them?

This new policy leaves a lot of questions about passengers.

How will Uber enforce their mask-wearing rule on passengers? 

Should drivers refuse to pick them up if they’re not wearing a mask, or won’t put one on? Should drivers take a photo of them to prove it? 

Are drivers supposed to take the hit, both in terms of losing ride revenue and enduring verbal abuse from irate passengers? What if the customer decides to take off the mask during the ride? These and other questions will have to be answered before Uber can enforce wearing masks as a definite policy.

Since none of us has ever lived through a global pandemic before, it’s no wonder everything seems so uncertain, and sometimes downright frightening. We seriously don’t know what’s going to happen from one day to the next. So it only makes sense that widespread mask-wearing is strange to us—and we need to remember that it’s also strange for our passengers. Will they trust us more or less because we’re wearing a mask? What will happen when we inform them it’s necessary for them to wear one? What if they don’t have a mask? Even if we carry spares, how do we enforce the policy when a rider refuses to put one on?

Let’s hope we don’t run into that. Hopefully, our passengers will understand why we’re wearing masks, and why they must also wear one. That would certainly be ideal, but as we know, experience with driving people around for a living removes any preconceived notion that everyone is nice, kind, and courteous. In fact, anyone who’s ever driven rideshare has most likely had some experience with the difficult passenger. 

Until Uber (and other rideshare and delivery companies) come up with clearer policies, you’re going to have to be proactive. The fact is, riders are not always thinking about your welfare. They may object when you refuse to take them because they aren’t wearing a mask. They may write to your company and complain that you’re not wearing one, even if that isn’t true.

How do you prevent your own reputation from being damaged, and protect your account from being deactivated as the result of a false report from a cantankerous customer?

The best thing you can do is be polite but firm when explaining the regulations, and communicate with your rideshare service if there’s a problem with a rider. You’re likely to get a complaint email, but you’ll also get a chance to tell your side of the story. Do that by answering the email promptly and completely. 

It’s also wise to be proactive. If you can arrange it, stop driving for a few minutes and write your own complaint about what happened. As long as you stick to the facts and remain courteous throughout the interactions with the passenger and your company, chances are the company will trust that you’re doing your best to keep everyone safe.

What will wearing a mask do for your safety?

Do you feel safe while wearing a mask? Would you feel safer if your riders were wearing masks? Although they can be inconvenient, the policy of having you and your riders wear masks can help protect you and them. Still, the cloth masks you are likely to encounter are not a complete safeguard. 

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that in addition to wearing masks, people should continue to maintain social distancing. This paragraph is from an article on the CDC’s website:

“Wearing cloth face coverings is an additional public health measure people should take to reduce the spread of COVID-19. CDC still recommends that you stay at least 6 feet away from other people (social distancing), frequent hand cleaning and other everyday preventive actions. A cloth face covering is not intended to protect the wearer, but it may prevent the spread of virus from the wearer to others. This would be especially important if someone is infected but does not have symptoms.” 

As the CDC notes, even while you’re wearing a mask the recommendation for social distancing remains in effect. This can be awkward when you have passengers who want to sit in your front seat—but your first priority is safety. Your passenger should sit in the back seat, and if you do not feel safe, you don’t have to take the ride. 

As long as you’re following the guidelines set forth by the CDC and your individual state/city, a disgruntled passenger would have a hard time getting your company to penalize you for protecting yourself. And once the social distancing rule is relaxed, you may then feel comfortable enough to let passengers sit in the front seat. 

What more can Uber and other companies do?

It’s been a big disruption to shut down our way of life for these past weeks, and it will take big adjustments to bring us back to operating again. The companies  depend on drivers to work for them, and before we all run back out, possibly exposing ourselves to the dangers of COVID-19, we need some assurances.

Here are some suggestions for the companies to consider:

• Be clear about policies, with riders as well as drivers. Drivers shouldn’t be put in the position of reminding riders to wear masks. It might be helpful for the company to warn riders they could risk losing their access to the platform if they don’t comply with the rules.

• Provide masks and materials. Uber is handing out masks, but so far they can only service the areas that have been hit hardest by the pandemic. If they can’t furnish masks to everyone, maybe they could reimburse drivers for buying a supply to keep on hand for themselves and their passengers.

• Educate drivers and riders about the importance of compliance. Sometimes it isn’t enough to just expect people to be considerate of others. In-app push notifications to passengers as well as drivers could help them to learn why it’s so important to protect one another from the scourges of COVID-19.

What more can we all do?

If we ever hope to get back to normal, we have to acknowledge and provide protection from the risks that face us now, and also convey a sense of feeling safe. As a driver, it’s up to you to protect yourself, while offering a sense of safety to your passengers. Comment and let us know how you feel about Uber’s new “mandate for masks,” and what you would like to see the companies do to protect you and your customers.

One really great way for drivers to deal with the issue of COVID-19 safety is to be supplied with face coverings and masks. Check this Gridwise article for information about where you can get them, or how you can make them. And make sure you download the Gridwise app so you can stay up to date with COVID-19 issues and everything you need to know to make the most out of your driving and delivery gigs.