Gridwise blog

Let’s not fool ourselves here… As a rideshare driver, you’re not expecting to make much money from tips.

Sure, tips are a perk that pads your wallet (and maybe your ego), but they’re not a guarantee. But still – wouldn’t it be nice to get more of them?

The trick to more tips – and more 5-Star ratings – is to give your riders a reason to like you. And that has nothing to do with the water and candy you stock your car with, and everything to do with good old-fashioned conversation.

“People don’t want to give out five stars by default,” said Mike, a driver in Baltimore and D.C. that pulls in over $1000 per week. “I think that they’re looking for a memorable experience. That means, ‘This uber driver was different than my prior experiences.’ And how you set yourself apart from that can be a lot of different things, but everyone likes to talk.”

Sure, not every rider is going to be your next best friend, and not every rider is going to want to chat, but making a connection is an important part of the job. So whether you’re a pro talker or still getting comfortable with it, here are some tips to help you up your conversation game – and your take-home.

Make a Great First Impressions

It helps to read your passenger right when they get in the car. Is their heart racing? Did they give just a quick hello? They might be in a hurry. And even though the car ride lasts as long as it lasts with or without conversation, passengers that are running late usually prefer to concentrate on the ride and skip the small talk.

If it seems like they might be open to conversation, first impressions are still important. Analyze their clothes. Are they wearing a sports team shirt? Strike up a conversation about the game last night.

Are they dressed as a comic book character? Chances are they’re at a Comic-Con conference, and there’s got to be something interesting there to talk about.

If they’re wearing a suit and it’s 5pm, you can assume they’re just getting off of work. This can open up a few avenues of conversation: a simple “Heading home?” or, “So you made it through Monday,” or, “Any weekend plans?”

You can also see if they’re carrying a camera or looking attentively out the window. These could be signs that they’re a tourist. Ask them what they’re doing in town, if they’re enjoying the city, or even give some impromptu tour guiding. They may be in need of a good restaurant recommendation, or might enjoy knowing the history of the neighborhood they’re staying in.

Breaking the Ice

If first impressions aren’t giving much away, it’s time to pull out the tried-and-true icebreakers – but try to shake them up a little bit.

Everyone’s first instinct is to talk about the weather, and that’s not a bad thing. But rather than the usual, “Wow, how about this weather?” try to think of funny or unusual lines to make it more interesting.

Something as simple as “What are you going to do to enjoy this beautiful weather?” or “What’s your favorite way to escape the cold?” can immediately take a conversation away from the weather and into plans, interests and hobbies – the things that actually get a conversation going.

Another easy icebreaker is to talk about ridesharing itself. It’s something you both obviously have in common, and you can even sneak some work tips out of the conversation.

For instance, ask your passenger about their best, worst or most memorable rideshare experience. When they launch into a story about the guy that blasted country music, or the car that smelled like hot dogs, take note.

Another safe conversation bet is to steer the conversation back to the passenger. People like to talk about themselves, and the usual “What do you do?” “Where are you from” and “How long have you lived here?” can get people talking.

If your passenger lives in the area, it can also be informative for you. Maybe they’re craft beer buffs, or just heard of a great new restaurant opening. These are things you can use in your personal life, or that you can pass on to other passengers to up those stars and tips.

Remember though: the dinner party rule applies in the car, too. Don’t bring up religion or politics, unless you have positive confirmation that the conversation will go smoothly.

Sometimes, STOP Talking

Knowing when keep quiet is just as important as knowing when to engage. Conversations are important, but only when the passenger is in the mood. Otherwise, you run the risk of doing the opposite of what you intended – your rider might give you a bad rating because of how much you talked.

Luckily, there are some simple ways to read whether someone is open to engaging or not: If they get in the car and keep their eyes on their phone, chances are they want to keep doing that.

If they put their phone away but lean their head back against the headrest, take it as a sign that they want to be left alone – especially if they close their eyes.

If none of these signs are there but your attempts at small talk are falling flat, take it as your cue to turn on a little music and give your rider their space.

However, there are still things you can do to be a standout driver and get those ratings high. Offer them a charging cord for their phone. Ask if the temperature in the car is OK. Offer to let them pick the music.

Even if they decline all of the above, you’re bound to stand out as a top-notch driver, and your ratings will show it.

Make the Ask

After all of that positive customer interaction, you still have to make sure that riders know how much you would appreciate tips and a 5-star rating.

Use a rideshare sign to politely remind passengers that you’d appreciate tips and 5-star ratings without being pushy.

If you’re in the rideshare business, you know it’s a tough game. We have to deal with road conditions, bad passengers, traffic, surges that aren’t really surges, and we even have to deal with the TNC’s themselves.

That’s a lot to master, so we enlisted some help from our favorite rideshare groups around the internet to help out our fellow drivers. Below are words of wisdom from 25 rideshare drivers around the country. See the comments section for additional tips!

Shout out to the following Rideshare Facebook communities for their input.

Pittsburgh Uber Driver Lounge

DC Uber Drivers - Uber/Lyft DC

UBER DRIVERS

Uber and Lyft Drivers - DC, MD and VA

We've blurred the names of contributors to protect their privacy, however if you see a tip that you contributed, give us a shout out and let us know which tip you contributed so we can send you a $10 Gas Card!

Let's dive in!

1. Never forget the Golden Rule: Don’t Chase the Surge

2. If you want tips, sell your personality

3. But know who you should be talking to..

4. And who just wants to get somewhere really fast.

5. Be prepared for the worst if you’re a late night driver

6. Even out your mood because there will be ups and there will be downs

7. Don’t drive yourself crazy by checking your earnings too much

8. Definitely Keep a dashcam in tow

A dashcam helped save this driver from a ticket

[embed]https://youtu.be/EkJUo5DZfxo[/embed]

9. Keep your car looking spiffy

10. If you’re driving full-time, split up your hours

11. Set goals and stick to them...

12. But once you’re hitting your goals, push yourself to do more.

13. Don’t mess around with your auto insurance.

14. And don’t drive around aimlessly looking for pings. You'll just waste gas..

15. Instead, be prepared and know where to drive.

[su_note note_color="#fefedf"]Free Bonus: Always know what events are going on in your city using theFREE Gridwise app.[/su_note]

16. And invest in a EZ-Pass or commuter plan for the tolls..

17. Keep a positive attitude...

18. Find a way to connect with your passengers..

19. Hang out with the right crowd.

20. Tickets ain’t cheap... So know the rules and follow the rules!

21. Choose your music wisely

22. And remember It’s not all about the money

23. Because sometimes you just gotta go with the flow

24. Cherry pick passengers at your own risk

25. And above all else:

Bonus: This guy said it all:

If you could tell a new rideshare driver one tip, what would it be? Let us know in the comments below!

I have the same conversation with rideshare drivers waiting at Pittsburgh International all the time.

Driver: “Man there are no pings coming in AT ALL… It’s going to take more than an hour to get a ride”

Me: “How many passengers are coming in?”

Driver: “I’m not sure but it’s 7:00 so there should be some planes coming in”

Me: “Ok, did you check the queue length before you drove up here”

Driver: “No… I was just hoping it is low”

Now, these drivers aren’t really wrong. Sometimes waiting at Pittsburgh International is just a waste of time, unless you just like hanging out at airport parking lots (we hear you can run over to the Sunco for a bathroom break).

If you have a strategy however, you can make a lot of money driving airports with rideshare services.

You Need an Airport Strategy

Yes, it can be frustrating to sit in the TNC lot surrounded by other drivers doing the exact same thing. But creating an airport strategy gives you an advantage they don't have.

The first step is thinking ahead. You need to understand how the airport works, how to navigate it correctly, and probably most importantly, when to arrive. I’m going to cover all those topics in more detail, but there’s something else you might not have thought of.

If you’re going to be driving to Pittsburgh International anyway, why not try to pick up someone headed that way? Hang around downtown hotels a few hours before peak hours and you might luck out and find passengers who need a ride to Pittsburgh International. If you want to really increase your chances of getting a ride to the airport then set your desired destination to airport. Nothing’s better than making money on your way to make even more.

You also need to decide in advance how long you are willing to wait - and what time it currently is. It’s not too bad to wait an extra 30 minutes if more flights are landing soon but you don’t want to realize you’ve wasted hours because there aren’t any more flights coming in until morning!

Having a solid airport strategy is the key to making money at PIT, so let’s learn more about how things work there.

How PIT Works

Uber, Lyft, and other TNC’s specially designate airports with a geofence that tightly defines the airport area. As a driver, if you have an app on in those areas, you’ll be placed in a queue that acts as a virtual driver line, kind of like traditional taxi lines.

As you wait in the queue, you’ll cycle through the line (sometimes quickly but it can be painfully slow, I know) and finally be pinged by a rider.

PIT has a designated pickup area (more on that below) which is the only place TNC drivers are allowed to wait. You’ll also want to always clearly display your TNC’s sign in your passenger window.

How to Navigate Pittsburgh International Airport

Some people don't like going to PIT because it can be a little tricky to navigate. Pittsburgh International, like most airports, has a ton of rules and regulations.

Where to Wait

PIT has pretty strict regulations for TNC drivers. We are all required to wait in the TNC lot located in extended parking. To get there, take a left turn off the Return to Terminal Roadway (behind the Sunoco) down to the sloped area.

Some people like to push the limits a bit, but to avoid getting booted from the queue it’s best to stay put here.

I know, you might be tempted to snag a prime spot in the cell lot if you see it. But if you do, you won't actually be in the queue. You could find yourself waiting and waiting and waiting with nothing ever happening. So stick to the cell lot and save yourself some time - and some gas.

Where to Pick Up

PIT has a designated pick up zone for TNC drivers. Once you've been pinged, you’ll need to go to the landside terminal and use the commercial curb. It’s easy to find. Follow the yellow sign that says “Deliveries, Rental Car Return” and then “Commercial Curb Arrivals”.

Your passengers should be waiting outside Baggage Claim Door #4. Make sure to pull up to the furthest space available. And remember that you can’t pick up from the Public Curb.

When to Go to the Airport

The biggest problem TNC drivers seem to have is understanding when to go the airport. You show up too early and you’re waiting for hours. You show up too late and you’ve missed all the fares - and the surge fees.

Finding the right time to go to the airport isn’t as tricky as you might think.

There are patterns in flight traffic that are easily identifiable, if you know what you’re looking for. You’ll usually see an influx of business passengers on Monday and Tuesday mornings, flying in for meetings or work trips. Those same passengers leave on Thursday afternoons or Friday mornings.

Maybe driving is a second job for you and you aren’t available during those times. That’s ok, there are other tricks for you too!

Travel picks up around holidays, sports games, and other big events like:

• Christmas and Thanksgiving
• Spring Break
• Memorial Day, Labor Day, and 4th of July
• Steelers or Penguins games

Plan to spend some time near the airport around these events to make the most of the additional passengers. You can use the free Gridwise App to help you know when the flights are coming in. Arriving to the cell lot around 10-15 minutes before the peak is the perfect way to snag a great spot in the queue and hopefully get pinged by a passenger needing a long ride.

Can't Miss Tips

If you’ve been paying for parking at PIT, STOP!

There’s no need to pay or to leave and circle the airport every hour. Simply sign the lot ticket and tell the attendant at the lot exit that you’re a TNC driver and they’ll waive the fee. You may need to show proof, but usually having your company’s placard displayed is enough.

Consider driving for more than one TNC

The queues can get long, especially during peak hours. Driving for more than one TNC is a good way to open yourself up to more requests. While you might be 33rd in line at Uber, you could be 15th with Lyft.

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 PIT and actually earn money instead of snacking on candy from Sunoco. I’m not the only one who does that, right?

Uber has been really proud of the fact that their drivers were tipped $50 million during the first 50 days that the Uber tip feature was available.

We’re talking shout it from the rooftops, Tom Cruise on a couch levels of excited about this.

Unfortunately, this leaves some of us wondering who exactly got those tips… because it wasn’t us.

The hard truth is that it’s really difficult to consistently receive tips because so much is out of the driver's control. Unlike the hospitality industry or even the taxi industry where tipping is the norm and expected, many rideshare passengers see tipping as an option they rarely need to take.

So how can you maximize your chances of making a significant amount of tip revenue?

We sat down with a few rideshare drivers over the past week that have had success getting tips and drilled them on the strategies and techniques they use. Some of them have even had days where they made $50 in tips.

Today we’re going to share with you what works best!

Be a great driver

These are table stakes folks, if you want any opportunity to make a significant amount of tip revenue or even get a decent rating, you need to be a great driver.

Know where you’re going

At the end of the day, riders want to get from point A to point B. If you can’t do this quickly, get lost along the way, or make too many wrong turns you’re not going to receive tips and your rating will most likely suffer.

Lucky for you all you need to do is make sure you have a great navigation system running and follow the directions. Most drivers like to go beyond Uber’s navigation system. Learn more about Google Maps vs Waze for rideshare drivers to see how they fare against the available built in navigation systems.

Drive Safely

Every driver knows that if you get into an accident with a passenger in your car, you’re going to have a lot of issues. The last of your worries is how much that passenger tips you.

The thing that many drivers fail to consider however is how safe you are making your passengers feel.

This means pay attention to the more subtle things you may find yourself doing like:

• Avoid speeding or excessive lane changing
• Don’t roll through stop signs
• Be extremely cautious around pedestrians
• Never, and I do mean never, give in to road rage

Save the call for later

The issue with taking a call isn’t really that it’s unsafe. Most drivers have hands-free systems that allow them to keep both hands on the wheel and eyes on the road if they are on a phone call. The problem is that you miss out on opportunities to interact with your customer.

When you’re on a call, the opportunity to spark a nice conversation, offer them a service or extra, or just inquire about their day just isn’t there, and as you’ll see in the section below, these opportunities for positive customer interactions are important factors in whether you’ll get tipped or not.

Have great customer interactions

“If you want to get tips, you have to stand out” says James, a Pittsburgh rideshare driver and Gridwise user, “If you don’t leave an impression so the rider doesn't forget you as soon as they step out of the car, then they aren’t going to remember why they should tip you.”

If you want to consistently receive tips, you need to make an impression on your passengers that cause them to remember you.

How?

Have extremely positive interactions with customers from the moment they call you to the moment they leave your car.

Keep your car clean

The very first interaction most riders are going to have with your rideshare business (yes you should think of yourself as a business) is with your car.

In this crucial first interaction, passengers will decide whether they are open to giving you a tip or not and if your car is messy or smells in any way you’re going to pay for it.

You don’t need to go get your car detailed every other week, but make sure that it’s vacuumed, washed, and odor free to make sure your first interaction with your customer is a positive one.

One rideshare driver in D.C. recommends spraying Ozium Original after every ride to maintain a fresh smell in your car.

Offer them a charger

In my opinion, the most valuable thing that a rideshare driver can offer a passenger is a chance to charge their phone.

Almost every passenger you pick up will take a charged phone over a free water or mint any day of the week. So give the people what they want!

You can pick up a dual tip charger from Amazon on the cheap along to offer your passengers a charge.

Grab this charger from Amazon for $10.99

This one gesture will make your passengers day.

Ask if they are in a rush

This is my favorite trick to make sure that I have at least one positive interaction with each of my passengers and requires very little effort.

All you need to do is simply ask your passenger if they are in a rush at all after your passenger has gotten settled into your car and you’ve confirmed their identity. If they are in a rush, you can do your best to find the fastest alternative route, and keep your passenger up to date on when your estimated time of arrival is.

Most passengers are going to politely say no, they aren’t in much of a rush, but this simple gesture gives the impression that you actually care about your passengers.

If they are up for it, spark a conversation

I love a talkative passenger.

People are incredibly interesting and one of the best perks of being a rideshare driver is that you get to meet and chat with dozens of people each week. However, not every passenger wants to start a full blown conversation with you.

“You need to read the room,” says Kate, a Lyft driver in NYC says. “Sparking conversations certainly help with tips, but some passengers just want to sit there and think about nothing. I respect that.”

If a passenger has headphones in, is working, have their eyes closed, or just looks preoccupied, be cautious when sparking up a conversation. You can throw out a question or two to test the waters, but don’t be pushy.

Let them be the DJ

Music is a big part of the in car experience so asking a passenger if they want to listen to a certain radio station is a great way to make them more comfortable. If you want to take things a step further, offer an auxiliary cord to your passengers and let them completely choose the music you listen to during the ride.

Letting the passenger play DJ also gives you the opportunity to connect with them. Some passengers will have similar tastes in music as you and you can share your experiences or recommendations with them. This is a great way to spark an enjoyable conversation.

Let them know tips are appreciated (subtly)

Passengers will often forget that tips are an important source of income for rideshare drivers, so you need to find a way to remind them, but you don’t want to be distasteful or pushy about it.

You can use a rideshare passenger sign to let your passengers know that they can choose their music and charge their phones while subtly reminding them that you’d appreciate a tip.

Check out the one below:

[su_note note_color="#fefedf"]Free Bonus: Download this rideshare passenger and post it in your car for FREE.[/su_note]

Your results will vary!

As a driver, you don’t have much control over how many tips you receive. The drivers that received tips of $50+ in a day usually work very long days or catch a lucky big tipper. You can however make $7 - $15 per day with a solid strategy like we laid out above which certainly adds up over the weeks and months.

Did we miss anything? Are there any other secrets to getting tips (and 5-star ratings) that drivers should take advantage of?

Let us know in the comments below!

As a rideshare driver in Pittsburgh, you get a first-hand view of everything our city has to offer.

Sure, Pittsburgh is considered a small, mid-market city when compared to the likes of New York or Chicago, but look at all we have to offer.

Our world class airport welcomes musical artists like Bruno Mars Bon Jovi, Eric Church, and Run the Jewels to play at Stage AE in Northshore, Rex Theatre on the South Side and of course, PPG Paints Arena.

Iconic bars like Jack's on the South Side headline one of the best bar scenes that the Midwest has to offer and our cultural district boasts theatre after theatre that is home to award winning shows.

Let's not forget our renowned universities that are driving technological boom rarely seen outside of Silicon Valley, and let's not forget that we do love our Steelers, Penguins, and the Pirates.

This city has A LOT to offer, so a smart rideshare driver has A LOT to take advantage of even in a "mid-market" city. So in today's post I'm going to walk you through all of the best times and places to drive in Pittsburgh.

Let's get to it!

Weekdays (Monday – Wednesday)

The morning rush (4 am – 10 am)

The morning rush starts early on Monday and Tuesday mornings thanks to business travelers looking to catch their red eye flights. If you can wake up and hit the road early, you'll want to hang out downtown near the hotels like the Fairmont and the Double Tree. During the early morning hours from 4-6, you're very likely to pick up a rider headed to the airport.

From the airport, you'll then have a great opportunity to catch a traveler coming into the city. These are also likely to be business travelers as well, so most of them will need some transportation back into the city to check into their hotel or head to the office. You can use your Gridwise app to check the airport queue before you set off to the airport to ensure there aren't too many drivers already there.

[su_note note_color="#fefedf"]Free Bonus: Know how many other drivers are in the airport before you arrive using theFREE Gridwise app.[/su_note]

If you're coming from the suburbs, especially  North Hills, around 7:00, it's worth it to stick around for awhile as you'll most likely get called for a ride to either the airport or the city.

From 7:00 - 10:00 most of the city will see a good amount of demand. Sticking close to the downtown area will result in another trip and depending on the time of the year driving near Carnegie Mellon University can yield great results.

The afternoon rush hour (3-6)

The afternoon rush is another great time to focus on business heavy areas and professionals looking for rides either from office to office or from their offices back home.

It's not uncommon for the entire central business district to light up with surges, especially when the weather becomes a factor. This predictable surge is a great opportunity for a long ride to the suburbs and even the airport.

Late night (10 – 3)

Late nights during weekdays are relatively quiet since the bars won't be flooded. Smart drivers can still find great opportunities, however.

You can start by knowing what events are going on in town. Theatres like The Rex and Mr. Smalls regularly have shows that end around 11:00 and the entire theatre district will often be buzzing, especially in the summer time.

Plan out your week using the Gridwise app in order to take advantage of the biggest and most profitable events in town.

Around 11:30 during the fall if you drive near the Carnegie Mellon Library you'll get a pickup from one or a group of students getting in a late night study session.

Weekends (Thursday – Saturday)

The morning rush (4 am – 10 am)

Thursday and Friday mornings are going to be similar to Monday - Wednesday mornings. The exception is that you'll likely see a boost of riders heading to the airport for their weekend trips. You can predict airport demand again using your Gridwise app.

Rider demand on Saturday mornings tends to be light, aside from a few ultra late night passengers. One of the most common places to find these passengers is near the Rivers Casino. Rivers is a 24-hour casino, however, there tends to be an exodus at around 4:00 - 5:00 am.

If you're not going for the ultra late night passengers, Saturday morning would be a great time to relax and sleep in!

Daytime hours (10 - 3)

Daytime hours on Thursday and Friday in Pittsburgh are relatively quiet. Save your gas unless there is a compelling event going on.

During the daytime, the city of Pittsburgh is buzzing with events going on all around town. In the summer you can find festivals, shows, tastings, meet ups, showcases, and other events all around the city.

If you're coming from a suburb you shouldn't have a hard time finding a rider that's headed into the city. So wait around for a good ride. From there plan your riding schedule by understanding what events are going on around town.

The afternoon rush hour (3-7)

Thursday and Friday's rush hours are similar to Monday - Wednesday. Stick to your common business area's and you'll find a rider demand.

On Saturday's you need to again be strategic and focus on areas that are hotbeds for events. Around 7:00 many people will just start to go out to bars and restaurants around town.

This is again a great time to come into the city from areas like North Hill as you'll find passengers looking to come into the city.

You'll also want to keep an eye on airport traffic. During the fall you'll find an increase in airport demand due to the fans of Steelers opponents arriving to watch their team get smacked around.

Late night (10 – 3)

Late nights on the weekend are prime time hours for rideshare drivers.

When students are in town you can start your nights focusing on areas like Oakland and Squirrel Hill to take advantage of the students that will be wanting rides to the bars of the South Side, Lawrenceville, and Bloomfield.

From there you have a few options on where you want to focus. You can stick to popular bar areas and get plenty of trips. The downside is that you'll likely spend a good amount of time in traffic.

If you want to try and focus on a less saturated area of the city, again, check out what events are going on. If there are big events going on at Studio AE or the PPG Paints Arena, don't be afraid to venture toward those areas.

As the night comes to an end, you'll, of course, get your fair share of intoxicated passengers. Be a courteous driver and I would recommend engaging less than you would during the daytime. If you've invested in a dashboard camera, make sure it's just to protect yourself from fraudulent passenger claims.

With so many options for late night driving, it's hard to go wrong driving from 10pm-3am on Thursday, Friday, or Saturday nights.

Sunday

The morning rush (4 am – 10 am)

Pittsburgh likes to sleep in Sunday mornings and you should too. Especially if you were driving the bar scene late Saturday night. Later in the mornings, you can catch a few riders headed to brunch, but this is generally a quiet time.

Daytime hours (10 - 3)

You'll find Sunday's during the daytime can be lazy when there isn't much going on in the city. There are some popular attractions like the Carnegie Science Center, the Andy Warhol Museum, and the Carnegie Museum of Art that usually yield groups of riders. However, your biggest Sunday's in Pittsburgh come in the fall.

8-weeks out of the year (probably more) during the fall you'll find about 60,000 people flocking from their homes and hotels to watch our Pittsburgh Steelers beat on some poor team from out of town. These are big time opportunities for rideshare drivers both before and after the games.

The afternoon rush hour (3-7)

Sunday afternoons are event driven in Pittsburgh. Whether it be a show, concert, Penguins game, or Steelers Game, events should be your main focus.

You'll also start to see airport demand start to creep up for both departing and arriving passengers. Keep an eye on your Gridwise app so you don' miss crucial airport peaks.

Late night (10 – 3)

Sunday nights in Pittsburgh are event driven as well. You’ll continue to find business travelers looking to come into or leave out of the city on Sunday evenings, so check your flight schedules using the Gridwise app. Gravitating toward the downtown area where popular business hotels are located will commonly yield you a ride to one of Pittsburgh's airports.

With any luck, you’ll arrive at a peak airport time and can catch a ride back into the city.

Pittsburgh is a city where it's important to always drive strategically to maximize your hourly earnings. There are a few times where you can count on rider demand as long as you drive in popular areas. During slower hours it’s important to be strategic and have a plan before you get out on the road. Use apps like Gridwise to help you understand what’s going on in your city and develop a solid driving plan in just a few minutes.

Now, what’s your favorite time to drive in Pittsburgh? Share in the comments below!

A few weeks back I was sitting in the Uber airport queue right when a big wave of travelers was coming in. I arrived a bit early so I was chatting with a few drivers that I had come to know while waiting in the TNC lot. After 10-15 minutes there a few planes with big passenger counts come in and BOOM! Surge. A surge at the airport is like the holy grail. After just 15 minutes of waiting I was going to get a long ride with a surge, I’m expecting a $75+ ride right now. Pretty considerable jump from the ~$17/hour median rate for DC drivers. So I jump back in my car, excited about the cash I was about to stack, when I finally got pinged.From outside the airport surge zone… 15 minutes outside the airport surge zone.

What…After a few seconds of fury, panic, crying, and acceptance, I accepted the ride. I just couldn’t let go of my 100% acceptance rate. After licking my wounds I got back to the airport and started talking to my fellow drivers about how to tackle D.C. and Baltimore’s three airports and how to avoid the dreaded non-airport airport ping of death. I’m going to share what I learned in today’s blog post including:

1. How to navigate each of D.C./Baltimore’s airports
2. When to go to each airport
3. How to mitigate your non-airport airport ping risk

Let’s get to it!

How it works

Uber, Lyft, and other TNC’s specially designate airports with a geofence that tightly defines the airport area. As a driver, if you have an app on in those areas, you’ll be placed in a queue that acts as a virtual driver line. As you wait in the queue, you’ll cycle through the line (hopefully quickly) and finally be pinged by a rider.Most airports will have a designated pickup area which, will be the only place TNC drivers are allowed to wait. You’ll also want to always clearly display your TNC’s sign in your passenger window.

Navigating BWI, DCA, & IAD

Your first few times at an airport as a rideshare driver can be a bit disorienting because of all of the rules and regulations that differ from city to city and airport to airport.Let’s first talk about what those rules are at each airport and how you can comply.

Dulles International Airport (IAD)

First off, can someone please explain to me why Dulles International Airport’s acronym is IAD? I thought there were three DC based airports for the first 3-weeks I lived here!Anyways… Let’s first talk about IAD specific rules

Where to wait

The Dulles airport TNC lot is at the intersection of Autopilot Dr and Rudder Rd.

Where to pick up

Many airports add a significant layer of confusion for picking up passengers. Dulles is thankfully very straight forward. You can just pick passengers up along the lower level outer curb of the arrivals area.

Ronald Reagan International Airport (DCA)

Much like IAD, Ronald Reagan has fairly straightforward rideshare rules.

Where to wait

Ronald Reagan airport has two designated TNC lots. The main staging lot is pictured below just off of Airport access road. There is another area meant for overflow that is off of 26th street, below Airport Access road.

There is even a bathroom across from the lot in the parking garage which can be useful. You are only allowed to leave your car for 15 minutes to use the facilities, however, and if you are gone 16 minutes don’t be surprised if you come back to an MWAA officer writing you a ticket.

Where to pick up

Again like IAD, DCA has a relatively simple pick up procedure. You can simply find and pick up passengers on the lower level, outside curb of the arrivals area. If you are pooling you may have to do a lap or two.

Baltimore-Washington International Airport (BWI)

Finally an airport with an acronym I can get behind! In the past, waiting at BWI was tricky because of Maryland’s rules and regulations which didn’t specifically let drivers wait on airport property. This means that Uber/Lyft drivers technically were not allowed to wait on airport property to pick up riders.Recently BWI and the TNC companies have come together to strike a deal that will officially allow rideshare drivers at the airport. So expect changes to come quickly!

Where to wait

Currently, there is still no official wait area at BWI airport property, so the geofence’s that Uber and Lyft have created are large enough to accommodate drivers waiting outside the property. You can wait at a few places along Elkridge Landing Rd along with a small lot off Elkridge road that Lyft has started to designate for drivers.

It’s also a good idea to move to the shell to wait for a ride request as you get closer to having your number called.

Where to pick up

Arrivals are a bit more restricted at BWI as you can only pick up passengers from arrivals (lower level) from Door 5 or Door 12. You may have to do a lap around if you are pooling.

When to go

Being at the airport at the right time is crucial for success. Otherwise, you risk waiting around for hours for a rush of travelers to land. You can avoid this by understanding when the most passengers are both arriving and departing.There are a lot of common times when you can count on passengers coming into the airport. It’s very common on Monday and Tuesday mornings for business travelers to be arriving for a work week in Baltimore, D.C., or Virginia. At the end of the week, on Thursday afternoons and Friday mornings, there is a surge of those same business travelers leaving to go home or coming back.Other busy times for travel include:

• Christmas and Thanksgiving Holidays
• 4th of July
• Saturday’s before Ravens or Redskins games
• The week of large parades

Take advantage of these travel heavy times by positioning yourself in the queue 10 - 15 minutes before there is a peak in arriving airports. You can easily predict when these times will be using the free Gridwise App.

Don’t forget to pay attention to departures as well. You can take advantage of peak departure hours by positioning yourself near hotels to maximize your chances of getting a long airport fare.

Use your timeouts wisely

Remember that heartbreaking tale that I told you to start this blog post? Well, the truth is there is no way to guarantee this won’t happen to you. You can, however, decrease your chances of getting pulled out of the queue for another ride by using your cancels wisely and positioning yourself well within the airport zone.Uber and Lyft’s algorithms are still under lock and key so it’s difficult to completely understand how drivers are selected, however, we do know that drivers are supposed to be selected based on proximity to the rider.So that stands to reason that if you move closer to the airport and away from the surrounding city that you’ll decrease your chances of being pinged from outside the airport. The TNC lots are great for this, the cell lots would be better, however rideshare drivers are not officially allowed in those lots. So approach at your own risk.Your next strategy is to be fully loaded with “timeouts” so you can ignore a call at least once without being sent to the back of the line. Remember, you only need about a 90% acceptance rate to stay in good standing with the TNC and get your weekly driver rewards, so use the few timeouts you have at the airport if you know you’re going to incorporate them into your strategy for the day.

Things to remember

A great airport strategy can lead to a consistent and predictably high hourly income for the smart rideshare driver. We recently wrote a story about Jeff who has been conquering rideshare up in Pittsburgh for the last year by leveraging his local airport, so you can take his strategy and make it your own. Just remember a few extra things:

• Always reach out to your passenger and confirm their location right before you depart
• DO NOT cancel on a passenger after you’ve accepted a fare. You’ll be moved to the bottom of the queue and could face deactivation by your TNC
• Be mindful of law enforcement and don’t risk getting a ticket by hanging out in the cell lots
• Because of the heavy MWAA presence, be prepared when you come to the airport. This means trade dress displayed, insurance card and registration available and don’t forget your driver's license

Alright, that’s it! Everything you need to know to get started at the airports in the DMV. Are you an experienced TNC airport warrior? Did we miss any great airport tips? Let us know and we’ll add them to the list!

As I write this article I am no less than a week past committing the cardinal sin of driving for a rideshare service.

Yes… I chased a surge.

Don't laugh at me! We've all been hypnotized by that beautiful dark shade of red. I also had just dropped off a 3x surge rider so I was feeling lucky. Like today was my day! So with a glimmer of hope and determination in my eye, I set off to go conquer another surge!

What a bad idea that was.

Not only did I miss the surge, but I wasted 30-minutes stuck in traffic all while a surge appeared from the EXACT area that I had just come from.

As rideshare drivers, we must face the fact that surges just are not worth it. So in today’s post, we’ll examine why chasing surges is a no-no for good rideshare drivers and 4 tactics you should use instead.

Let’s dive in!

What surge prices REALLY do

Uber and Lyft’s surge algorithms remain somewhat of a mystery, however, our friends over at Cornell have done a great job of decoding and explaining how Uber’s Surge pricing works… But let me explain this it to you in English.

Ideally, the number of drivers in a given area will be exactly equal to the number riders in a given area. So whenever there are more riders than drivers, rideshare services will launch a surge.

This doesn’t necessarily mean there are a ton of potential riders, there is just an imbalance. So the surge is simply meant to do one thing:

Redistribute drivers.

The problems with Surging

This model wouldn’t be so bad in a perfect world, however, two things happen that work against the rideshare driver.

1. Riders can easily game the system multiple ways
2. MANY more drivers than necessary will flock to a surge area.

Now let's pause for a quick question.

If I offered to give you a 50% discount on your steak dinner tonight if you wait ten minutes, would you do it?

Yep, you would in a heartbeat.

Riders are the exact same way. If they can just wait for 10-minutes for a cheap ride, they will wait out the surge. This means while you and 50 other drivers are headed to an area, riders will actually stop requesting rides.

“I’ve sat right in the middle of surges downtown for 15 - 20 minutes and never received a call,” says D.C. rideshare driver David. “I used to chase surges, wait there for 20 minutes and get nothing. I stopped making that mistake pretty quick.”

By simply waiting a few minutes and even checking other apps, riders can “game” the system and wait until Uber pulls all of us drivers to their area and subsequently drops prices. So while you’re chasing the big red zone, your riders are just waiting until it disappears before calling you.

You end up driving across town for a normal fare. Not great.

Riders are also becoming more aware of the predefined surge zones that rideshare services have created, which means they can simply walk a few blocks and be in a non-surging zone. It’s not uncommon to get pinged from just outside a surge zone while you are driving IN a surge zone. Again, not great.

What’s the impact of surges?

While income from surges can add a nice boost to your daily payouts, it certainly won’t make up the bulk of your earnings. In fact, a 2017 report from RideSharingDriver indicated that less than 10% of uber driver earnings came as a result of incremental income from surges.

Given these numbers, if you’re a part time driver averaging $1,500 per month driving Uber or Lyft, you can expect surge charges to make up less than $150 of your monthly pay.

Not. Great.

Find demand, don’t chase surges

With only a small piece of our earnings coming from surges, not to mention the fact that Uber is constantly considering doing away with surges, drivers need to be maximizing earnings by minimizing ideal time and maximizing their chances for long rides. So how do you do it?

1. Brave the bars
2. Wake up for the morning rush
3. Know about big events
4. Get out in the rain

Brave the bars

The late night bar crowd on Thursday’s, Friday’s, and Wednesday’s can be a gold mine for the driver willing to deal with a more “exuberant” crowd. From about 9:00 - 11:00 you can find riders that are headed to the bars from the more docile parts of the city. Then from 1:30 - 3:00 you can catch riders in popular going out area’s who will need a designated driver to get them back home. These areas will almost always have big increases in demand which turn into predictable and sustainable surges.

You’ll have to deal with riders that may have had too much to drink so come prepared with a barf bag and a few cleaning supplies to ensure that you can get back on the road quickly. Puke related accidents don’t always happen though.

“I’ve completed more than 3000 rides over the past 4 years for Uber and Lyft and have never had someone vomit in my ride.” says one of our Gridwisers Jeff. “I could just be lucky, but people for the most part just fall asleep”

Wake up for the morning rush

If you’re not a night owl then you better be an early bird if you want to maximize your earnings from ridesharing services like Uber and Lyft. Demand during the early morning hours from 6:00 - 10:00 is very high in most cities because of the high volume of commuters either going to work, going to the airport, or leaving the airport.

Depending on your city, you can find workers either coming from the suburbs or more residential parts of the city into the downtown areas.

Mornings are also a great time to catch business travelers going to and coming from airports. You can use your Gridwise app to know when flights are coming in and catch a big fare at the airport. Or hang near hotels and find a traveler catching their early flight.

Know about big events

If you want to predict rider demand look no further than your local sporting, concert, and theatre venues. When they are having some of their bigger events, hundreds to thousands of people will be looking for rides to their next destination after the event is over.

You can spend an hour so looking through multiple websites for events or you can check use Gridwise to see a listing of events in your area.

[su_note note_color="#fefedf"]Free Bonus: Know what events are going on in your city in seconds using theFREE Gridwise app.[/su_note]

Get out in the rain

Many drivers have a love/hate relationship with the rain. While it can be a pain to drive in a downpour, there is almost always a significant amount of demand during a rainstorm because riders who may have otherwise taken a long walk to their destination will decide to take a ride, while some drivers will decide it’s not worth it to try and drive.

As a driver, you’ll need to take precautions to ensure that you are driving safely and deal with a bit of extra traffic, but you’ll likely be rewarded with a nice surge fair.

Incorporating demand PREDICTION into your strategy

There is no single strategy that works for all drivers because with every driver comes a unique circumstance. While you may not be able to incorporate all of the above tactics in your strategy, you can use them as inspiration.

If you are a suburban driver that goes into the city, do your best to catch a ride from the airport into the city in the morning, or possibly a commuter making their way to their downtown office. Alternatively, if you are a single dad in the city and can't drive during the mornings, find events that in the evenings and get out there on Friday and Saturday nights.

Every city is different and every driver is different, so what's different about your strategy? We want to know!

Sound off in the comments below

I found out the hard way that the time of day that you’re driving for rideshare services like Uber and Lyft can be the difference between making $30 per hour, and heading home having made $40 from a 5-hour shift. I want to make sure that none of my fellow DC rideshare drivers go through the agony (yes agony) of an unprofitable driving session, so I’ve listed out the best times to drive rideshare in DC.

Weekdays (Monday - Wednesday)

The morning rush (6 am - 10 am)

The D.C. metro system is possibly the cleanest mass transit system in America, and those sparkling benches come in handy when the infamous Red Line has been delayed 30 minutes.Again.Because of how unreliable, and expensive, the DC metro is, commuters often turn to rideshare partners to provide transportation to work. There are tons of riders who regularly ride Uber or Lyft to get to work, however, there are many riders that rely on rideshare services when their train has been delayed.Follow twitter accounts like @wmata, @Metrorailinfo, and my personal favorite @unsuckdcmetro for key alerts about metro service. When you see tweets like these:

 Go ahead and gravitate toward those areas.Many commuters from places like Silver Spring, Bethesda, and the Virginia Suburbs are going to be looking for rides into the downtown area. If you live in these areas, it is worth it to stick around and try to find a ride into the city. Otherwise, your best bet is to stay in areas of the city like DuPont Circle, Adams Morgan, and Georgetown to find students and workers getting to work.Monday’s and Tuesday’s are also busy days for business travelers, so use your Gridwise app to identify the best times to hit which airports to maximize your earnings.

The afternoon rush hour (3-6)

The afternoon rush hour is similar to the morning rush hour because the bulk of the rider demand stems from riders who are leaving work. The great thing about this rush hour is that these commuters tend to be more centrally located in areas like McPherson, NoMa, and Downtown, so if you hang near those areas you’re likely to find a rider trying to get home.Always be on the lookout for weather alerts as bad weather almost always causes train delays and many riders will forgo even attempting to ride the Metro in the rain.

[su_note note_color="#fefedf"]Free Bonus: To get instant weather and traffic alerts tailored to D.C. rideshare drivers download the FREE Gridwise app here.[/su_note]

Late night (10 - 3)

The late night hours early in the week rarely end up having much rider demand. That doesn’t mean you should completely give up on this block of time. You’ll just need to be strategic! Check your Gridwise app for events going on around town. The Kennedy Center, Verizon Center, and Lincoln Theater will all regularly have significant sized events that you should keep an eye on.  

Also, be sure to check the airport schedule. Business travelers often come in on Monday nights and will need rides from the airport to their hotels.

Weekends (Thursday - Saturday)

The morning rush (6 am - 10 am)

Expect the morning rush hours to be just as lucrative on Thursday and Friday in DC as they are Monday - Wednesday as these are still peak hours for Lyft and Uber demand. You can also look for business travelers to be heading home from some of the downtown hotels Friday morning, so check the airport departure schedules. 

 Rider demand on Saturday mornings is usually very low unless you’re taking advantage of an event. Otherwise, sleep in and prepare for the late night rush.

The afternoon rush hour (3-6)

Tourists are plentiful on Saturday’s in D.C., especially around the downtown area where many hotels are and near the monuments. These locations can be your bread and butter on most Saturday afternoons, but watch your alerts for any parades that are going on. You don’t want to get stuck trying to cross parade traffic.Also be mindful of Nationals Park near Navy Yard. Saturday games have the potential for 100’s of rides.

Late night (10 - 3)

For the weekend driver, late night rides are where you will make the bulk of your money. D.C. is full of young transplants and students that flock to places like Adams Morgan, DuPont Circle, and H Street to hit the bar and club scenes.Students coming from Georgetown and Foggy Bottom will make up a large bulk of your rides, so when school is in session hang near those neighborhoods early in the night around 9:00 o’clock and catch a ride into the more popular bar neighborhoods.From there, you’ll likely be able to give bar goers rides as they cross town going from bar to bar or party to party.The Verizon center while often have Saturday night events as well, however, keep an eye on your Gridwise app to monitor traffic. You don’t want to get stuck in gridlock traffic picking up a ride at the Verizon center when there are plenty of rides in other parts of town.

Sunday

The morning rush (6 am - 10 am)

While Saturday night is usually a frenzy of activity, Sunday morning is going to be downright boring for Uber drivers on most days. You may find a few folks heading back from clubs, parties, or bars but for the most part, you’ll see a heavy drop in rider demand.Take this time to sleep in!

The afternoon rush hour (1-6)

There is a mini afternoon rush hour caused by one of D.C.’s most popular pastimes.Brunch!Local’s will frequent the common bar areas to find the best bottomless mimosa deals, which means they’ll be looking for safe rides to and from restaurants. You won’t see the same amount of activity as a Saturday night unless there is a big event going on, but if you stick to popular areas like DuPont Circle you won’t have a problem finding a rider.

Late night (10 - 3)

Sunday nights in D.C. are relatively slow. You’ll find that business travelers often come into or leave out of the city on Sunday evenings, so check your flight schedules using the Gridwise app. Gravitating toward the downtown area where popular business hotels are located will commonly yield you a ride to one of D.C.’s airports. With any luck, you’ll arrive at a peak airport time and can catch a ride back into the city. Also, check for events going on at the Kennedy Center and local theaters. Always plan before you drive! There are a few times where you can count on a ton of rider demand as long as you drive in popular areas. During slower hours it’s important to be strategic and have a plan before you get out on the road. Use apps like Gridwise to help you understand what’s going on in your city and develop a solid driving plan in just a few minutes. Now, what’s your favorite time to drive in D.C.? Share in the comments below!