Gridwise blog

Austin is a rapidly growing city, and so is its airport. More than 1.4 million people travel through Austin International every month and the airport is now the second fastest growing airport in the nation.

This is great news for rideshare drivers because it means more opportunity IF you know how to take advantage of it. All too often we find drivers that waste time and fail when driving passengers from and to Austin-Bergstrom International because they just don’t know the rules of the airport or have a great airport strategy.

Well, we want drivers in the Austin area to maximize their airport earnings, so we’ve put together this instructional guide to help Uber and Lyft drivers be successful (and maximize their earnings) when driving at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport.

See the topics covered in this blog post below:

1. What do I need to know or do before arriving at Austin International Airport?
2. Do I need any permits for Austin International Airport?
3. Where is the rideshare waiting area at Austin International Airport?
4. What are the passenger pick up rules at Austin International Airport?
5. What are the passenger drop off rules at Austin International Airport?
6. When is the best time to drive at Austin International Airport?
7. What is the best Austin International Airport driving strategy?

Let’s dive in!

What you need to know/do before you arrive at ABIA and enter the airport Queue

There are quite a few different rideshare companies available in Austin, however, not all of them are available at ABIA and the rideshare companies that do operate at ABIA use some sort of a FiFo system meaning First in, First Out. Basically, this means that when you are in the designated area as a rideshare driver at ABIA and you have your app turned on, you’ll be automatically entered into the airport queue and assigned a number.

From there, you simply wait for your number to be called and you will receive a passenger queue.

It sounds easy enough, but there are a few steps that you should take before you arrive at the airport to ensure that you’re prepared.

Step #1: Get your trade dress

Every rideshare driver knows that having your trade dress is a absolute must, especially when you’re driving at airports. Without these decals you can easily pick up a ticket or fine. So before you do anything you must make sure that you have your Uber or Lyft decals. You can easily pick these up from one of the rideshare companies.

To get your Uber Decal you can visit the local Greenlight Hub.

To get your Lyft Decal you can place an order on your dashboard. You can also print a temporary decal if you lose yours or are waiting for one to come in the mail.

Step #2: Know the airport regulations

One of the nice things about ABIA is that you don’t need a specific airport decal to drive there, however, there are a few key rules and regulations that you must follow.

1. Always keep one of your rideshare apps on at all times while on airport property
2. Don’t wait in any other areas except the designated staging areas (see the map below). Not only is this against regulations but you also won’t be added to the queue. So if there is no room in the staging lot you must leave.
3. DO NOT pick up passengers directly from the terminal. In November 2018 the rideshare pickup point was moved which we outline below. Picking up a passenger from the terminal will result in a ticket.

Where is the Uber/Lyft waiting area at ABIA?

The waiting area for all rideshare companies at ABIA has recently changed to be on the ground level of the rental car garage. You can follow the signs for “Rental Car Return” or you can use the Google Map below.

For directions, simply click on the blue area in the map below and you’ll be routed to Google Maps.

Again, once you’re in the staging lot you’ll be automatically entered into the queue.

How should Uber and Lyft drivers pick up passengers at ABIA?

Pickups at ABIA have changed as of November 19, 2018 as the airport now requires all passengers to be picked up from the area located on the ground level of the rental car garage. You will need to follow signs that say “rental car garage” once you exit the TNC staging lot in order to find your passengers.

Your passengers will be instructed to meet you at your pick up point.

The pickup point is the purple area of the map below. You can click on the link below for directions.

You should also note that Lyft and Uber have launched their “pre-dispatch” feature at ABIA that basically tells drivers to start heading toward the pickup area before you have actually received a ride request.

A pre-dispatch message looks like this:

If you receive this message, head towards your pick up point but keep an eye on your app as you may not receive a request. I know, that’s annoying, but just drive back to the TNC staging lot and you’ll keep your place in line.

Please also note that Lyft has been turning this off at airports around the country, so this feature may disappear at any time.

How should Uber and Lyft drivers drop off passengers at ABIA?

Dropping off passengers at ABIA is a breeze. Just drop your passenger off at their requested airline and that’s it! Nothing has recently changed and there are no special rules.

One thing to note is that both Uber and Lyft offer some form of a re-match that allows drivers that just dropped off a passenger to immediately pick up a passenger. This doesn’t always happen and if it does, it will be within 2 minutes of your dropoff. So DON’T wait around the airport. That’s an easy way to win yourself a ticket!

When is the best time to drive at ABIA?

As we said at the beginning of this article, ABIA is one of the busiest airports in the southwest as there are thousands of passengers traveling through every single day no matter the season. However, you’re not the only driver that knows that. So there is also usually a ton of drivers at the airport.

So the best time to drive at ABIA is when the ratio of passengers to drivers is at its absolute highest.

To understand when this ratio is highest, check your Gridwise app and compare queue times to passenger arrival times.

There are of course certain times of year that receive more passengers like Christmas, Thanksgiving, New Years, and the Saturday before big football games (Go Longhorns!), however, the best way to understand rider demand at your airport is with Gridwise.

What is the best strategy to use at ABIA

Pick up a passenger on the way to the airport!

Don’t just be a driver that picks up passengers at the airport! Also pick them up when they are heading to the airport. Gridwise does a great job of telling you when there is also a peak in airport departures, so you can hang around near hotels at that time to maximize your chances of an airport ride.

Do not cancel on a passenger after you’ve accepted a fare

If you do, you will be bumped to the bottom of the queue and your wait starts all over again. The good news is that if it’s a short ride, some companies let you jump back in line after you’ve dropped that passenger off.

Look out for your short ride bump

After waiting for some time at the airport for a passenger, there is nothing worse than getting a ride that’s 5-minutes away. That’s why the major rideshare companies have some form of a short ride bump that allows you to jump back into the front of the line if you get a very short ride request.

To take advantage of a short ride bump, simply complete your short ride and look out for a text message or in-app message that gives you the option to head back to the TNC lot for a preferred spot in the queue.

Always be prepared

You never know when law enforcement will show up, so always keep your driver’s license, insurance card, and registration handy. And don’t forget to have your placard displayed.

Now you should be ready to make that drive to ABIA and actually earn money instead of snacking on candy from Sunoco. I’m not the only one who does that, right?

Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport or DFW is an absolutely legendary airport. More than 67 million passengers go in and out of the doors at DFW each and every year making it the 4th busiest hotel in the US.

For rideshare drivers, this means DFW is a huge earning opportunity if taken advantage of properly, but all too often we find drivers that waste time and fail when driving passengers from and too DFW because they just don’t know the rules of the airport or a great airport strategy.

Well, we want Drivers in the Dallas/Fortworth area to reap the benefits of having one of the world’s largest airports in their backyard, that’s why we’ve put together this instructional guide to help Uber and Lyft drivers be successful when driving DFW.

See the topics covered in this blog post below:

1. What do I need to know or do before arriving at DFW?
2. What airport permits do I need and how do I get one?
3. Where is the rideshare waiting area at DFW?
4. What are the passenger pick up rules at DFW?
5. What are the passenger drop off rules at DFW?
6. When is the best time to drive at DFW?
7. What is the best DFW driving strategy?

Let’s dive in!

What you need to know/do before you arrive at DFW and enter the airport Queue

DFW, like most other airports, works as a first come, first serve or FIFO for rideshare drivers. This means that you’ll enter a queue as soon as you get inside the “designated area” and simply wait for your number to get called.

This can sometimes be fast, but if you come at a bad time you can be waiting for more than an hour to be pinged.

However, before you get to the airport there are a few steps that you should take to ensure that you’re prepared.

Step #1: Get your trade dress:

Every rideshare driver knows that having your trade dress is an absolute must, especially when you’re driving at airports. Without these decals you can easily pick up a ticket or fine. So before you do anything you must make sure that you have your Uber or Lyft decals. You can easily pick these up from one of the rideshare companies.

To get your Uber Decal you can visit the local Greenlight Hub.

To get your Lyft Decal you can place an order on your dashboard. You can also print a temporary decal if you lose yours or are waiting for one to come in the mail.

Step #2: Get your free airport vehicle decal:

At DFW, not only do you need your trade dress, but you also need a special sticker for the airport. Luckily, it’s very easy to obtain. Just complete the below steps:

1. Print out and complete this form
2. Visit the Ground Transportation office at  2444 East 30th St between 8:30 and 4:00 Monday through Thursday or 8:30 and 2:00 on Fridays to pick up your decal

That’s it!

You should take note that rideshare drivers DO NOT need a for-hire permit to obtain a airport decal at DFW.

Once you receive your decal, you should place it on your front windshield right below your Uber sticker.

Where is the Uber/Lyft waiting area at DFW?

Ok! So you’re ready to head over to DFW to pick up some easy rides, but before you go you need to know where you should be waiting!

The first place you should go is the Uber/Lyft staging lot which is located right near terminal A off of service road.

Check out our custom map of the airport below. For directions, simply click on the map and you’ll be routed to Google Maps.

Again, once you’re in the staging lot you’ll be automatically entered into the queue.

How should Uber and Lyft drivers pick up passengers at DFW?

Pickups at DFW have gotten easier and easier to complete over the past few years. Now, when a rider requests a ride from a terminal they will be given a letter for their corresponding terminal and must meet you at the green curbs that indicate the rideshare pick up zone.

Easy!

How should Uber and Lyft drivers drop off passengers at DFW?

Dropping off passengers at DFW is easy as can be. You can simply drop passengers off at their requested terminal and that’s it! No special rules here.

One thing to note is that both Uber and Lyft offer some form of a re-match that allows drivers that just dropped off a passenger to immediately pick up a passenger. This doesn’t always happen and if it does, it will be within 2 minutes of your dropoff. So DON’T wait around the airport. That’s an easy way to win yourself a ticket!

When is the best time to drive at DFW?

As we said in the beginning of our guide, DFW is not only the main airport for Dallas, but also one of the busiest in the world, there are tons of passengers traveling through every single day no matter the season. However, you’re not the only driver that knows that. So there is also usually a ton of drivers waiting at the airport.

So the best time to drive at DFW is when the ratio of passengers to drivers is at its absolute highest.

To understand when this ratio is highest, check your free Gridwise app and compare queue times to passenger arrival times.

There are of course certain times of year that receive more passengers like Christmas, Thanksgiving, New Years, and the Saturday before big football games (Go Cowboys!), however, the best way to understand rider demand at your airport is with Gridwise.

What is the Best Strategy to use at DFW?

Pick up a passenger on the way to the airport!

Don’t just be a driver that picks up passengers at the airport! Also pick them up when they are heading to the airport. Gridwise does a great job of telling you when there is also a peak in airport departures, so you can hang around near hotels at that time to maximize your chances of an airport ride.

Do not cancel on a passenger after you’ve accepted a fare

If you do, you will be bumped to the bottom of the queue and your wait starts all over again. The good news is that if it’s a short ride, some companies let you jump back in line after you’ve dropped that passenger off.

Always be prepared

You never know when law enforcement will show up, so always keep your driver’s license, insurance card, and registration handy. And don’t forget to have your placard displayed.

Now you should be ready to make that drive to LAX and actually earn money instead of snacking on candy from Sunoco. I’m not the only one who does that, right?

Clay and Ryan were there every step of the way to help us think through changes and strategy… love having account managers that are actually experts!

Overview

This is an incredibly valuable tool that helps rideshare drivers earn more tip income and higher ratings while giving advertisers an opportunity to engage a captive audience.

Play Octopus is the industry leader in rideshare entertainment and advertising. They improve the rideshare experience for both riders and drivers by providing tablets that feature original games, prizes, informative content, and interactive video advertisements.

Problem

“We want drivers, but we also want the most active drivers” - Nicki Martinez

Play Octopus provides a great way for drivers to earn extra income by simply placing a free tablet in their vehicle, so it’s incredibly valuable for any driver. But the drivers that get the most out of Play Octopus are the most active drivers. “We would love every driver to be using Play Octopus, but the most active drivers that are putting in the most miles and getting in front of the most passengers is the best fit for Octopus” said Nicki Martinez, Director of Driver Growth at Play Octopus.

The team at Play Octopus had been leveraging word of mouth marketing along with Facebook advertising to attract drivers, but were also looking for the most active drivers. “We’ve been leveraging other platforms like Facebook and word of mouth has been great, but we were looking for a better way to target drivers that were working 40+ hours a week.” said Nicki.

So when Nicki came across Gridwise, a platform tailor made for the most active rideshare drivers, she didn’t hesitate to reach out.

Strategy

Our blog content campaign had a 44% on page CTR. The content was instrumental in our new market launch.

When you work with Gridwise, you don’t just get access to an ad platform, you gain access to a team of digital marketers that are experts in engaging rideshare drivers that are dedicated to ensuring your campaigns success. 

So after gaining an understanding of Play Octopus’s product and needs, the Gridwise team worked the Play Octopus to develop a multichannel marketing campaign designed to engage and nurture active rideshare drivers.

Play Octopus’s campaign kicked off with in-app banner ads, Card ads, and ads included at the bottom of each email that were immediately A/B tested. Play Octopus and Gridwise’s account management team then worked to rigourselly a/b test the ads to achieve a 22% CTR increase in less than 30 days.

Shortly after Play Octopus’s in-app ads launched, Gridwise developed a dedicated blog post written by our in house creative content team that featured an interview with a Play Octopus driver. This blog post was emailed to over 50,000 rideshare drivers across the United States and saw a 44% click through rate and was a key component of their market launch strategy.

“The blog post was AMAZING for our launch. We saw a huge spike in signups the day that campaign launched.” says Nicki.

Results

22% CTR increase in first 30 days

44% CTR on blog post

Play Octopus immediately felt the benefits of working with a team experienced in engaging rideshare drivers. “Working with Gridwise wasn’t like working another ad platform. Their account management team really went above and beyond to help us drive success.” said Nicki. “We can’t wait to use Gridwise for our next market launch!”.

Their campaign included:

• Blog post
• Traffic sprint
• In app ad

“What really stood out with Gridwise was the level of service and expertise they provided.” says Nicki. “They didn’t just turn an ad on and leave us to our own devices, they helped us continuously drive better and better results.

$9.00 per hour.

That's roughly what Jeff Upton made the first time he tried waiting at Pittsburgh International Airport to score a big rideshare fare. He assumed that passengers leaving the airport were more likely to require longer rides home, which meant big payouts for him.

His thought process wasn't entirely wrong. He did land a long ride, however, he had to wait hours to finally be hailed. Those are hours that he could have been in the city picking up passengers and making more money.

Jeff's problem wasn't that the "airport strategy" couldn't work for him, he just wasn't approaching it the right way.

Like many new drivers we talk to, Jeff assumed there was a constant stream of frequent flyers arriving at the airport throughout the day, but that's not quite how it works.

As Jeff puts it "I realized that if I was going to do this rideshare thing that I had to be smart. I had to be strategic in when and where I drove."

Since that barely above minimum wage day, Jeff has refined his rideshare strategy over three years and more than 5000 rides. He's got his airport strategy down so well that he is consistently making $20+ per hour in the Pittsburgh market.

We're going to share with you how Jeff Upton learned to master the airport strategy by driving smarter.

1. Plan your day around flight schedules

“By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.” - Ben Franklin

Gone are the days when a rideshare driver could step out there door and near instantly receive calls for rides. While rider demand is increasing, so is driver supply. That's why the most important skill a rideshare driver must have is the ability to plan out his or her day.

This is a lesson that Jeff learned the hard way when he first started driving with Lyft, and then Uber. He quickly started to ask himself things like:

1. When and where should I be driving?
2. What does "planning your day really mean?
3. How do I know when to show up at an airport?
4. What should I be looking for?

Jeff needed to make the most of the time he could spend driving, and for good reason.

Jeff is a social entrepreneur and a father, so every second counts for this guy. When he's not shuffling his kids around (pretty cool that his kids have a free Uber driver), he's shuffling around the elderly, donating furniture, or helping people understand their Medicare plans as part of his non-profit Friend of a Friend.

Jeff (right) and his partner moving a donated chair into a apartment.

Like many rideshare drivers we talk to, Jeff drives because it gives him the flexibility to do the things he really loves, and giving is kind of Jeff's thing. However, he also needed to make a decent hourly wage.

That's why Jeff started to think deeply about his driving strategy and developed a planning process. He started to check out websites like https://www.flightarrivals.com/ and Flight Stats which do a solid job of listing when flights are coming in. This is where Jeff started to develop his strategy.

Functional, but not exactly user friendly

"I would spend a few hours per week looking up and printing off all of these flight schedules so I knew when flights were coming in. It was tedious but I started to see the strategy work" says Jeff.

The problem with his method was that he just knew how many flights were coming in. In other words, he didn't know how many passengers were actually arriving at any given time. There could be one flight coming in at 5 o'clock which is more lucrative than the eight flights coming in at 12 o'clock because there are 100's more passengers on the 5 o'clock flight. Jeff just had no way of knowing.

When Jeff realized that he could leverage Gridwise to easily understand when peak hours at the airport would be based on passenger count, his strategy really started to pay off.

"I found Gridwise about the same time that I was starting to really refine my strategy for airports, so it was really perfect timing. I really was able to figure things out."

Instead of hoping he was arriving at the airport at a good time, Jeff was able to predict exactly when rider demand at airports would be highest, which meant he wouldn't be sitting at the airport for three hours when no flights were coming in anymore.

Each day, Jeff can take five minutes to review the flight schedules and understand when peak times at the airport well occur. So no more waiting hopelessly at the airport when demand is low. He can plan ahead and only be there doing peak hours.

Jeff can also check the airport queue to see how long drivers are expecting to be waiting. If there is a long queue and few passengers arriving, he knows to stay away.

Some drivers worry about exactly when you should arrive at the airport. Is it 30 mins before a peak starts? Right when a peak starts?

[su_note note_color="#fefedf"]Free Bonus: Jeff uses Gridwise to know when peak arrival and departure times will be at his airport. You can do the same by downloading Gridwise for free here.[/su_note]

Understanding exactly when you should arrive at the airport can be an art form. The consensus among Gridwise users is that if you're getting to the airport within 15 minutes of when a peak time is scheduled to start, you shouldn't be waiting more than 30 - 40 min.

2. Catch a ride to the airport

After figuring out his airport arrivals strategy, Jeff decided to expand his strategy to include departures.

The beauty of understanding flight schedules isn't just that you know when the best time to pick up passengers from the airport will be. You also know when people will be on their way to the airport.

"The logical next step was to start hanging around downtown near hotels a few hours before scheduled departure peak times," says Jeff. "This is something that has become a big part of my daily planning."

You won't always catch a ride to the airport, there is some luck that plays into where your rides take you, however, you can dramatically increase your chances of scoring a passenger heading to the airport by hanging out in the right areas at the right time.

For drivers in the Pittsburgh market, downtown is the place to be.

However, every market is different. In DC, for instance, the downtown area is ripe with luxury hotels, but you can have just as much success in the Logans Circle, Dupont Circle, and Mt. Vernon Triangle areas.

In our conversations with Jeff and other Gridwisers, we've found that drivers are having success by being in these areas around 2-3 hours before peak departures.

3. Use Airport Alerts to Remind You When Rider Demand is Increasing

No driver can constantly stare at Gridwise, at least not when you're with passengers.

So when passenger demand is changing constantly at the airport, recieve alerts on passenger demand and delays to help maximize your airport earnings.

Jeff uses Gridwise to set up alerts about the information that he cares about. This means everytime that passenger demand is at a certain point or there are flight delays, he’ll receive an alert.

4. Always Plan Ahead

Jeff can also use his Gridwise app to check the airport graph up to 24 hrs in advance. So he can plan his entire day right out on the app a full day ahead.

Savvy drivers are taking advantage of tools like Gridwise to plan for rideshare success!

4. Don't arrive at 1:00 AM

Toward the end of our conversation, Jeff began to tell us a story.

The one thing you must understand about Jeff is that he is a people person and a great storyteller. I'm sure that has something to do with why he loves driving so much.

So during our brief time with him, he told us many great stories about his longest fares, shortest fares, and most interesting passengers, but one story that stands out is a cautionary tale about waiting at the airport late at night.

By leveraging Gridwise, Jeff was able to quickly optimize his driving strategy and increase his earnings. He checks Gridwise daily to help him plan out when and where he is going to drive and frequently checks Gridwise when he is about to end his shift.

Now, Jeff lives near Pittsburgh International Airport, so at the end of his shift, he'll often check and see if there is a peak in airport demand. After driving a late night and noticing that there was a slight up tick in arrivals at the airport he decided to swing by.

He was a little late to the peak but still got in the queue which was moving quickly. After about 10-minutes he went from 20th to 3rd position. 5-minutes more went by and he was in 1st position.

5-minutes more went by and he was still waiting.

After 10 more minutes the lights turned off and our hero Jeff realized that there would be no more passengers ordering rides from PIA tonight.

Bummer.

Advice to new drivers

Jeff is doing really well as a rideshare driver these days. He's currently driving part-time but has plans to start driving full-time in the near future so that he can focus even more on Friend of a Friend and his family. He credits rideshare services like Uber and Lyft for affording him this opportunity but is careful to note that he had to develop his strategy through trial-and-error in order to build a method that works for him.

His strategy includes driving airports, events, and avoiding traffic (he swore us to secrecy on how he does this), but this is HIS strategy that works well for him.

To be successful, a rideshare driver must think about their unique circumstances and develop a strategy and planning process that works for them. This could mean driving around airports, leveraging events, focusing on the rush hour, tackling the late night riders on the weekend, or any number of other strategies. As Jeff puts it "The key to success in the rideshare world is to treat this like your own business because that's exactly what it is. Strategize and plan like the entrepreneur that you are.

"We couldn't agree more Jeff.

Jeff uses Gridwise to optimize his driving strategy and double his earnings.

Do you remember what a great year 2014 was?……

Back in those days, we could we still watch a Seahawks game without someone saying “They still should have ran the ball”

I still can't believe they didn't run the ball though

And rideshare companies had yet to slash their rates (again), and decide to take a larger cut on every ride (again).

Well, it’s not 2014 anymore. We all have to accept that. But that doesn’t mean you can’t make great money as a rideshare driver. You just have to have a great strategy.

A D.C. area Gridwiser, Vegas, realized this when he started driving for Uber late last year in his town of Newport News, Virginia.

“The thing about driving for Uber, Lyft or Via is that you have to be smart. You need a strategy that really works for you, and that’s what I developed,” says Vegas.

For Vegas, this meant learning how to make airports work for him - and he’s not the only one. In Gridwise’s latest survey, nearly 40% of drivers said an airport was their most lucrative venue.

We caught up with Vegas and a few other rideshare drivers over the last few weeks to talk rideshare strategy, and airport strategy and today I want to share what we learned in this 4 step strategy for maximizing airport earnings for rideshare drivers. We’ll cover:

1. Always understanding rider demand
2. Avoiding long queues
3. Never forgetting about departing passengers
4. Using airport alerts to improve your awareness of rider demand

Let's dive in!  

Always Know how Much Rider Demand is at Your Airport

Vegas currently lives in Newport News Virginia but travels to D.C. almost every week to drive since rider demand is higher in the D.C. Metro Area. One of his first stops is always one of the D.C. area airports.

“Once I get near the Fairfax area, I start to think about what airport is going to be surging or have the most rider demand. That’s where I head first,” says Vegas.

He figures this out by turning on his Gridwise app and checking passenger demand. With Gridwise he can even see detailed flight information to see if there have been any canceled flights.

He simply checks the three D.C. area airports and finds out what airports are going to have the most passengers, and that’s where he heads to.

From there, he usually ends up somewhere in the city of D.C. and can make the decision to hang out in the city and wait for a ride, or head over to one of the other airports.

“After I complete an airport trip I check Gridwise again and see when the airport is going to be peaking. If Dulles or Reagan is going to be peaking again soon, I’ll usually head back over.” says Vegas.

Many other rideshare drivers actually use Gridwise to plan when they’re going to be at the airport a day in advance.

“Every night I check the airport graph,” says Jay, an Atlanta area rideshare driver. “I can plan my entire day out right on the app, a full day ahead.”

By keeping a constant eye on airport demand, drivers are able to always know where they should go to find long and lucrative fares.

Avoid Long Queues

While we were talking to drivers about their airport strategy a driver said something that struck me.

“I’m finding more and more that it’s not just about finding where the most rider demand is, but it’s also about finding where there is the least driver supply.”

We could not agree more with this, especially when you’re tackling airports.

That’s why drivers that frequent airports will check the Gridwise airport queue to make sure they are coming in at a time where passenger demand is high, but driver supply is moderate or low.

D.C. drivers like Vegas are also able to add their position in the queue to let other drivers know if they will have a long wait. Working together as a driver community like this helps us all make better driving decisions and be more profitable.

Don’t forget about departing passengers!

Rideshare drivers must remember that the airports have both arriving AND departing travelers and the departing passengers need to get to the airport too. That’s why drivers like Roger in Chicago are hanging close to the common business hotel areas a few hours before a departure peak.

“Two hours before a peak departure you can find me hanging out near the Westin in River North.” says Roger. “More times than not I’ll find a passenger in a HURRY to get to O’hare. Then I can usually pick up a passenger at the airport and head right back downtown.”

Use Airport Alerts to Remind You When Rider Demand is Increasing

Roger can’t always be staring at Gridwise though, not when he’s with passengers.

“Passenger demand at the airport is always changing during the day. Receiving alerts on passenger demand and delays has been critical for helping me maximize my trips to and from the airport.”

Roger uses Gridwise to set up alerts about the information that he cares about. This means everytime that passenger demand is at a certain point or there are flight delays, he’ll receive an alert.

When You Get a PAX, Build Rapport Early

We’ve talked on our blog previously about the power of positive interactions and how you should create as many powerful interactions with your prospect as you can.

Vegas does this by greeting his passengers with a smile and making sure they know exactly when he turns the trip on.

“Many people think showing passengers when I turn the trip on doesn’t matter. For me, this just helps build trust right off the bat. It makes passengers feel comfortable that I’m not a bad guy trying steal from them.” says Vegas.

This type of trust building technique immediately helps Vegas build rapport with his customers and brings their guard down, so sparking a conversation with them becomes much easier.

Now, Vegas has the advantage of being an incredibly charismatic guy… the entire time we were talking he was cracking jokes, smiling, and just having a great time.

But without building rapport with passengers by showing you’re genuinely trying to help them have a better day, it can be tough for that charisma to come out.

That’s why another common tactic drivers use at the beginning of their ride is to ask passengers if they are in a hurry, to show that they are genuinely trying to do their best for them as a customer. If a passenger is in a rush, there is likely not a lot you can do, but showing this concern goes a long way.

After these two positive interactions that build rapport with passengers, Vegas is more easily able to spark a conversation that leads to a fun ride, a great rating, and a nice tip.

BONUS: Be Memorable

We mentioned that Vegas was a charismatic guy before. But there are a lot of rideshare drivers with the gift of gab. There definitely are not a lot of drivers that give their passengers as memorable of an experience as Vegas.

How?

By making sure that he has a way to remember them.

“It’s cool that I get to meet 100’s of people, but I want to remember my interactions. Uber lets riders post messages to drivers after the ride and let them know they appreciate them, but we don’t know who they came from. I like to have people sign my guestbook so I can document all of my interactions.” says Vegas.

We love this. This doesn’t mean every driver should have a guest book in the back of their car or some gimmick. It does, however, help to do your best to make your passengers day. Them remembering you will go a long way when it comes to ratings and tips.  

What’s your airport strategy?

Now we want to hear from you rideshare drivers! Are you driving airports? What’s your strategy? Let us know in the comments below!

There’s no question that 2018 was a year to remember for rideshare drivers.

But when we think about 2018, should we remember it as a year where drivers earned more than ever, or the year when drivers said goodbye to surge as we know it?

Should we think about the effort that Dara Khosrowshahi made to reach out to drivers, or should we think about the fact that Uber Pool is still largely unpopular (and unprofitable) when we think about 2018?

Well, in a year when the term “fake news” has been thrown around more than a few times, we thought the best way to figure out how we should remember 2018, and think about 2019, is to start with the facts.

So in this report, we’re going to give you a complete rundown of the facts.

We’re going to look at how much drivers have been earning across the United States, what services they’ve been using, how they have found success, what their most profitable hotspots were, and much much more.

Let’s dive in by looking at 4 key takeaways from this report.

4 Key Takeaways From This Report

Takeaway #1: Drivers made on average $18.65 per hour in 2018

Takeaway #2: Drivers made on average $1.33 per mile in 2018

Takeaway #3: Drivers that are using 2 or more services are making $1.05 more per hour

Takeaway #4: Nearly 40% of drivers said their most lucrative driving venues were airports

How we built this report

Rideshare drivers log 10,000’s of miles per day and track $10,000’s per week using Gridwise. So for our earnings reports, we look at the anonymized driving statistics for drivers in a number of markets. For the purposes of this report, we have analyzed the earnings and mileage of over 30,000 drivers in various markets across the United States.

Because of our data collecting methodology, our earnings reports are far more accurate than any driver earnings surveysavailable as drivers log their trips & earnings on Gridwise as they drive multiple times per week. So not only are the reported earnings accurate, but drivers don’t cherry pick their best or worse days to show us. This gives us the most realistic view of how much drivers are really making over time.

This report also includes qualitative driver information that we have received from a survey of over  180 rideshare drivers across the United States.

The Results

Driver Earnings - Per Hour

Across the United States, drivers generally made an average of $18.65 per hour in 2019 before expenses. However, earnings are heavily affected by the city where you drive.

Earnings Per Hour Across The US

Earnings Per Hour: Pittsburgh

Earnings Per Hour: Chicago

Earnings Per Hour: D.C.

Earnings Per Hour: Baltimore

Driver Earnings - Per Mile

This year, we're also measuring earnings per mile, and in 2019 rideshare drivers across the United States made an average of $1.33 per mile before expenses. Again, earnings are heavily affected by the city where you drive.

Earnings Per Mile: Pittsburgh

Earnings Per Mile Chicago

Earnings Per Mile: DC

Earnings Per Mile Baltimore

Bad weather matters…

Inclement weather does play a role in overall earnings per hour, but it appears that in the winter months this difference is much more pronounced. As you can see below, earnings per hour in inclement weather are about the same as earnings per hour in non-inclement weather except for January and February.

Inclement Weather vs Non-Inclement Weather Earnings Across the Nation

It pays to drive with multiple TNC’s

Our data shows that one of the most important factors in profitability for rideshare drivers is the number of TNC’s that a driver drives for. Across the US, we observed drivers making more while driving for at least two rideshare companies.

Earnings Per Hour When Driving for a single TNC vs Multiple TNC’s Across The US

Only about half of rideshare drivers have dedicated rideshare insurance

Insurance remains a big question for rideshare drivers going into 2019 as almost half of drivers don’t have dedicated rideshare insurance and thus, may not be fully covered.

Most rideshare drivers are giving goodies away

Services like Cargo are repopularizing the idea of having snacks and goodies available for riders as a way to increase tips and boost ratings. It appears that many drivers are using goodies as giveaways in some form.

The most lucrative place to drive in 2018 was airports

It appears that airports were their most lucrative venue in 2018 for rideshare drivers with Night Events being second, and surprisingly, suburbs coming in 3rd.

This could be a sign that rideshare companies are beginning to have more and more widespread adoption outside of big cities which is allowing drivers to expand their footprint outside of popular downtown and bar areas.

Overall, about half of drivers were satisfied with their experience as a driver in 2018

For the most part, drivers were satisfied with their experiences as drivers in 2018.

But more than half of drivers are very dissatisfied or somewhat dissatisfied with their Uber Pool Experience.

However, drivers continue to be extremely dissatisfied with their experience with both Uber Pool and Lyft Line. This is a glaring issue that the rideshare companies will need to work on with drivers as they push these services more and more.

Predictions

Now that we’ve reviewed what happened in 2018, let’s look forward to 2019 and understand what changes rideshare drivers can expect.

Lyft will exceed 35% market share

While both Uber and Lyft are growing quickly, Lyft is reportedly growing twice as fast as Uber and cutting into Uber’s market share. In 2019, expect Lyft to continue to grow faster than Uber and reach 35% market share in the US.

Why does this matter to rideshare drivers?

More riders on Lyft means that more and more drivers are going to need at the very least have Lyft as a secondary platform, if not their main platform.

Uber delays their IPO to 2020

One surprising effect of the longest government shutdown in US history is that the IPOs of both Uber and Lyft may be delayed to 2020.

You see, because of the shutdown the SEC is unable to provide feedback and approval on filings that issuers need to move their registration statements forward. In other words, the government shutdown is slowing down IPOs enough to push Uber’s offering to 2020.

Why does this matter to rideshare drivers?

It’s not completely clear how a rideshare IPO will affect drivers, but many industry experts believe that by going public, there will be more pressure on services to increase profitability and thus, take more money for every ride. This, of course, will take money from the pockets of drivers.

Without an IPO there will be less investor pressure for rideshare companies to reach profitability which should be good for drivers.

Government regulations will slow the growth of self-driving cars

Self-driving cars had an up and down 2018, but they will continue to press forward in 2019. Expect ridesharing companies like Waymo to do their best to rapidly expand their fleet of self-driving ridehailing vehicles.

However, you can also expect government regulations to slow the growth of the self-driving car business in 2019 as safety concerns stemming from high profile accidents in 2018 will continue.

Why does this matter to rideshare drivers?

Many people believe the days of rideshare drivers are numbered because of self driving cars. However, 2019 will prove once again that rideshare drivers are going to be around for the long haul as we see how far self driving cars have to go to become mainstream.

We will see more and more regional rideshare service, providers

In 2018 we saw the launch of multiple regional rideshare service providers including Jayride for airport trips, Safr for women, SpotOn for pet lovers, and a Dallas based rideshare company called Alto.

In 2019, expect to see more of these regional and market specific rideshare services to pop up that are servicing a very unique market and clientel.

Why does this matter for drivers?

More driving services mean more apps that drivers will need to know about and juggle to ensure profitability. Keeping up with these new services will be a new challenge for rideshare drivers in 2019.

Drivers: Take Action

Now that we know how much the average driver is making and have an idea as to why, we can look at how drivers can stay ahead of the curve.

Drive for Multiple TNC’s

The number of TNC’s that you drive for clearly matters. If you’re just driving for Uber, Lyft, Via, or Juno, you are missing out on income. So do yourself a favor and sign up for another TNC and start driving! You’ll also likely be eligible for a nice bonus as well.

Monitor your performance

As we saw time and time again when reviewing these figures, keeping up with what’s happening in your city and your driving performance is paramount.

It is very difficult to be a profitable driver if you don’t have a keen understanding of where to drive in your city and when to drive in your city. New drivers can use Gridwise to help them immediately understand their city while also taking cues from blogs like this one, along with city-specific Facebook groups and forums like UberForum.

Items for our next report

We’re going to do continue to improve these reports as we grow. For our next release, we plan to include:

• Earnings per trip
• Earnings per shift

Let us know if there is anything else that you would like to see in future reports.

Now we’re curious, are you seeing earnings in line with these various reports? What do you think is the biggest factor in your earnings success? Let us know in the comments below!

If you think Uber and Lyft’s insurance is going to cover you if you get in an accident, think again.

That’s because rideshare companies only provide limited coverage during certain “periods” of driving.

You see, rideshare companies think about rideshare coverage as different periods as stated below:

• Period 1 – Online & WITHOUT a ride request
• Period 2 – Online & WITH a ride request (en route to pick-up or waiting for a rider to come out, etc)
• Period 3 – Online & with a rider in the car

Rideshare companies only provide very limited coverage during period 1 that DOES NOT include collision coverage which leaves drivers vulnerable. The rideshare companies do provide basic collision coverage for periods 2 - 3, but it doesn’t cover all situations. See the coverage and deductible amounts for rideshare companies below:

BUT if your insurance company finds out that you are driving for a rideshare company and you get in an accident, they could refuse your claim, drop your coverage, or hike your rates astronomically.

So what are my options as a rideshare driver?

If you’re a rideshare driver, this is what you need from an insurance company:

• Insurance made for rideshare drivers that includes full coverage during ALL rideshare driving periods
• Reasonable deductibles
• Affordable prices
• Flexible policies so you can choose when you’re covered

The problem is that most insurance companies don’t know how to cover rideshare drivers. Some are still too risk averse to cover rideshare drivers at all and if you mention that you’re a driver, you could instantly get dropped. On the other hand, many are offering coverage, but at ridiculously high rates that still don’t give drivers exactly what they need.

So does that mean your only options are to overpay for basic coverage or to rely on the insurance that the rideshare companies offer and remain vulnerable?

Nope.

There’s a new option available to drivers that allows you to protect your earnings and your rideshare business with on-demand rideshare insurance that gives you access to coverage across all driving periods for just cents per mile.

Oh, and you can buy coverage for 4-hours at a time, giving you the flexibility to buy coverage only when you need it.

It’s called optOn.

How does optOn work?

optOn provides drivers with micro-policies using their mobile app (iOS and Android) that last 4 hours or less, and you’re only charged for the distance you actually travel. So if you only drive 10 miles, you only pay for those 10 miles.

Getting coverage is an absolute breeze. You just download the app, sign up, and then press the big blue “Get Coverage” button on the home screen of the app. From there, select your coverage option, click purchase, and you’re covered!

That’s it. No lengthy background, driving history, or credit check. You just need a valid drivers license, valid credit card, and a car that 15 years old or newer.

Your coverage will last up to 4-hours.

Great… but what does my coverage include?

With optOn you get true coverage for rideshare drivers the entire time you’re driving for your rideshare business or even delivery business. So that means UberEats, Postmates, DoorDash, and Amazon Flexors are covered with optOn as well.

optOn has three tiers of coverage, Primary, Preferred, and Premier, that offer various levels of coverage depending on your needs. Check out your options below:

 How much does optOn cost?

As stated, optOn charges you just for the distance that you actually travel, but the per mile rate varies depending on various factors like your age, location, time of the day, and weather.

Check out optOn’s rate card below:

Download the optOn app and sign up to see a personalized quote.

Should every driver use optOn?

optOn provides drivers with flexible, full coverage at an affordable price AND a lower deductible than many rideshare companies offer.

But optOn isn’t for everyone. If you’re a full-time driver that’s putting 4,000 - 5,000 miles on your car every month, then on demand insurance might not be the best option for you. However, drivers that are part-time or just beginning their journey as a rideshare driver and not ready to commit to spending 1000’s on a rideshare insurance policy will greatly benefit from optOn’s flexible coverage.

So if you’re still relying on your personal insurance or Uber/Lyft’s insurance to protect your rideshare business, stop putting yourself at risk and protect your earnings with optOn!

 Want full affordable insurance built for rideshare drivers?

Get rideshare insurance for just pennies a mile using by signing up here!

A few weeks back we wrote an article going over how to maximize earnings on Halloween that covered the rideshare driving strategy of successful drivers during Halloween and we promised we would revisit that article to understand how much drivers made during Halloween in 2018.

Today we’re making good on that promise with our Halloween 2018 Rideshare earnings report which will give you insight into how much drivers in 4 major markets made during the Halloween holiday.

No long intro this time! Let’s cut to the chase and get to the data!

How much did rideshare drivers earn during Halloween 2018?

Methodology

Rideshare drivers log 1000’s of miles per day and track $10,000’s per week using Gridwise. For reports like these, we look at the anonymized driving statistics for drivers in a number of markets. For the purposes of this report, we have analyzed the earnings and mileage of over 25,000 drivers in Chicago, D.C., Pittsburgh, and Baltimore.

This report is far more accurate than any driver earnings report available as drivers record their statistics exactly as they drive multiple times per week. So not only are the reported earnings accurate, but drivers don’t cherry pick their best or worse days to show us. This gives us the most realistic view of how much drivers are really making over time.

Hypothesis

There are three days during the Halloween season that we would expect higher than average rider demand. Those days are Halloween day, the Saturday before Halloween, and the Friday before Halloween.

Based on our knowledge from being rideshare drivers ourselves along with conversations with other rideshare drivers and last years statistics we would expect earnings to be higher on the Friday and Saturday before Halloween as these days are traditionally the days when most adults dress up and go out to celebrate Halloween, so we would expect more rider demand than a usual Friday and Saturday night during October.

We would also expect that on Halloween day earnings would be higher because there should be more rider demand than your average Wednesday.

Finally, we would expect earnings per hour during the entire week of the 22nd to be higher because that week includes Friday and Saturday before Halloween while earnings for the week of the 29th should be higher than the previous two weeks, but not higher than the week of the 22nd.

Results

Rideshare earnings statistics are heavily dependent on the city that you’re analyzing, so we will look at each city independently for this report.

Let’s start with Chicago.

Chicago

Let’s look at how much drivers made per hour during the week of Halloween vs the 2 weeks before, and the week after.

Here we can see that drivers earned on average about $1.00 more per hour during the week of Halloween than the week before and more than $2.00 more per hour than the week before that. Surprisingly, the week of Halloween day did not yield higher earnings per hour.

Washington D.C.

Let’s look at how much drivers drove during the week of Halloween vs the 2 weeks before, and the week after.

Again, during the week of Halloween weekend, we can see drivers made about $2.00 more per hour, while the week of Halloween day was again the lowest earnings week.

Baltimore

Let’s look at how much drivers drove during the week of Halloween vs the 2 weeks before, and the week after.

Here, for the first time, we can see that the week of the 22nd which includes Halloween Weekend is not the most profitable week. The week that actually includes Halloween is the most profitable which could indicate that the day of Halloween is a bigger money maker for drivers in Baltimore.

Pittsburgh

Here’s how much drivers drove during the week of Halloween vs the 2 weeks before, and the week after.

In Pittsburgh, the week before the 15th was an abnormally highly profitable week, so it looks as if the week before Halloween weekend was the most profitable. The week of Halloween was still more profitable than the other two observable weeks.

Key takeaways

So what have we learned from all of this data?

Drivers are making more money during Halloween

Let’s end this argument right here and right now.

Drivers do make more money during Halloween week than they do otherwise. They are making more money per hour and per mile in 3 out of the 4 cities that we covered. So we can confidently say that it’s likely that drivers across all markets are more profitable during this Holiday.

Drivers are generally on the road much more during Halloween

Drivers are driving longer hours and more miles during Halloween, and likely most other holidays. This isn’t surprising as most drivers are likely perceiving a greater amount of earning power during holidays like Halloween so are ensuring they hit the road.

This also means that rider demand has traditionally been higher during these holidays.

How much did you make during Halloween?

Our data is showing that drivers are indeed making more during Halloween than they otherwise would have, but what are you drivers seeing? Are you making more during Halloween? If so what’s your strategy?

Share your knowledge with the community below!