Gridwise blog

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!

Philadelphia rideshare drivers are some of the smartest in the business.

That's because they have to be.

The Philadelphia rideshare market is booming, but also becoming more and more saturated with drivers every day. So drivers are having to think strategically and plan their routes to ensure they are profitable.

Well, I took a trip to the City of Brotherly Love to learn more about how the rideshare business works in these cities and got a chance to speak with multiple rideshare drivers that call Philadelphia home.

In today's blog post, we'll discuss the strategies that Philadelphia area rideshare drivers are using to earn more in their rideshare market.

Always plan ahead

When it comes to rideshare driving, making a plan before you start driving is necessary to use your time most efficiently and increase your earning potential.

Sure, Center City and King of Prussia mall seem like great places to be in order to take advantage of the surge, but driving during these busy times without a plan will get you nowhere fast.

In fact, experienced rideshare drivers recommend to newbies to never chase the surge. While it may be tempting, many veterans say it rarely pays off. Aimlessly chasing the surge is not only a waste of time, but also a waste of gas along with the addition of wear and tear to your vehicle.

A better course of action is to plan your days ahead of time so you can be in the hotspot areas just before the surge begins. Driving during these peak times increases your earnings per trip compared to what you would receive without the surges.

Drive for more than one TNC

The primary TNCs that currently have a presence in the Pittsburgh are Uber and Lyft, so if you already drive for one of these companies and enjoy the income, you may want to consider signing up for another company as well.

Driving for two different services at the same time opens you up to getting more requests and diversifies your income stream. Ultimately, this will lead to more money in your pocket.

If the increased earning potential from driving for more than one rideshare service sounds enticing, you may want to also keep in mind the sign-up bonuses that different companies offer.

Currently, Lyft is offering a $1,500 signup bonus while Uber is offering $2,800 in guaranteed earnings for drivers that sign up in Philadelphia.

Always check the airports

Airports are always great places for rideshare drivers to pick up riders, and Philly is no different. Philadelphia International Airport is one of the busiest airports on the east coast and serves well over 20 million passengers each year.

But that doesn’t mean you want to spend all of your time hanging out at the airport.

Make sure you’re only heading to the airport during a peak hour where passengers are coming in. For Philadelphia International, this is usually Monday, Thursday, Friday, and Sunday mornings with some busy times in the afternoon/early morning.

A better way to understand when the airport is busy is to use Gridwise to understand exactly how many passengers are coming into the airport and when, and how many drivers are in the queue.

Know the Philly hotspots

If you want to increase your earnings (which we all do) you’ll have to know the times and locations for the Philadelphia hotspots. So what exactly is a “hotspot”? Hotspots are geographic areas which experience extremely high passenger demand at certain times of the week.

In Philadelphia, the local hotspots currently include the following areas:

• Center City
• West Philadelphia
• King of Prussia Mall
• Rittenhouse Square
• Old City
• University City
• Midtown Village

How are you making more money?

We learned a ton about the Philly rideshare game on our recent trip to the windy city, but we want to know how YOU are beating Uber and Lyft at their own game.

Let us know what tricks you're using to maximize your earnings in the comments below!

There are a few days every year that are special for rideshare drivers.

The best holiday earnings for ride share drivers are New Years Eve, St. Patrick's Day, Black Friday, Christmas Day and Halloween are days where rideshare drivers can put up numbers that are unbelievable. We’re talking $100 an hour - unbelievable.

Even on the best of days, most rideshare drivers aren’t making $100 an hour like the guy above; however, long weekends and holidays still tend to provide higher earning opportunities.

Since Halloween is right around the corner, we wanted to find out exactly how much more rideshare drivers were making during a Holiday like Halloween, so we checked out our anonymized data from last year and compared earnings during the week of Halloween to earnings two weeks before and two weeks after. The results are clear:

Drivers are earning significantly more money during the week of Halloween than the weeks right before and after.

This is great to know, but what’s really going to help is understanding how these drivers are boosting their hourly earnings so significantly. We talked to a few veteran drivers who have crushed their fair share of Halloweens to find out how they plan to tackle the spookiest holiday this year and we’re sharing the five strategies that we believe are going to rule Halloween 2018.

Let’s dig in!

Strategy #1: Forget about the surge

The surge isn’t dead… yet. However, in many markets like Chicago, D.C., Charlotte, Baltimore and Pittsburgh, it isn’t what it used to be. “It’s time to start getting used to life after surge,” says Jason, a Chicago-area rideshare driver. “Say goodbye to 5.2x surges and $200 unicorn rides.”

Every market is different, but if you’re in a city that has implemented flat-rate surge pricing that caps your surge fee at a certain dollar amount, you need to forget about the idea of making a ton of money on surges. That is not to say you won’t see any surges at all, but instead of hoping for and chasing surges, you need to build your strategy around finding areas with the most passenger demand and the least driver supply.

Strategy #2: Consider suburban areas

If you’re looking for a strategy that is going to position you near high passenger demand with relatively few drivers, you need to consider the suburbs. In the downtown or popular going out areas of your city, there is always plenty of demand on Friday and Saturday night. During Halloween weekend there will be more demand, but there will also be more drivers on the road. With more drivers on the road comes more traffic.

By focusing on the popular Friday and Saturday night areas you would normally frequent, you’re putting yourself in a position to get the volume of rides you normally see while sitting in traffic. This may have been more or less ok in the past because of lucrative surge pricing, but if you’re in a city with a capped flat-rate, this might not be an attractive option any longer.

Come Friday and Saturday night, consider moving out into the suburbs, which will still see an increase in overall demand, but in less dense areas with fewer drivers. This means you’ll stay busy without having to deal with traffic; and as we all know, drivers get paid more by the mile than by the minute. Rack up the most miles in the least amount of time in the suburbs.

Also, don’t forget to drive for multiple TNC’s whenever possible, so you can ensure that you are minimizing your downtime.

Strategy #3: Use destination filters to reposition yourself

If you use the strategy above to tackle the suburbs, you may find yourself taking passengers who are traveling from the suburbs, downtown. This should make for a nice long fare, but you may find yourself dangerously close to traffic in the traditionally popular areas of your city. Use your destination filter to find passengers heading back out to suburban areas.

If you are starting your night in the suburbs and want to get downtown at some point, just be sure to use your destination filter and you’ll likely catch a party goer looking for a ride into the city.

Strategy #4: Focus on Halloween Day

When Halloween falls on a weekday, many drivers assume that most of their money is going to be made on the weekend prior. However, our data shows that Halloween day is actually when drivers see the biggest uptick in their overall earnings. That’s because while there are more passengers on the road, the majority of those passengers would already be out, even if it wasn’t Halloween. People don’t usually hangout at bars on Tuesday or Wednesdays night, which Halloween happens to fall on this year.

So if possible, invest your time in going out on Halloween day, as that might be your most profitable Wednesday of the year.

Strategy #5: Have a little fun

Don’t forget that Halloween is supposed to be fun… and it doesn’t hurt that passengers tend to tip a little more to drivers that buy into the holiday. Don’t be afraid to deck out your car, wear a costume or give out a little candy.

Check out what drivers have done on Halloween in the past.

Now we want to hear from you! What’s your Halloween driving strategy? Let us know in the comments below.

Chatting with Rideshare drivers is always an experience. This industry has some of the most interesting, charismatic, and just outgoing people I have ever had a chance to work with, so every conversation I have with a driver feels like a completely new adventure.

These days, many of my interactions with drivers have been related to the new driver app that Uber rolled out over the past three months. Many drivers are really enjoying the new driver app as there are a number of really nice improvements. For one, the map interface is much cleaner and the navigation has improved.

You will also see improved messaging capabilities, an overhaul of many key screens, and your earnings are even easier to find. We won’t do a complete rundown of all of the new features in this post, but you can read about them all here.

These welcome additions should clearly help drivers, but even with all of these improvements over the last few weeks, the vast majority of my conversations with drivers have been about one thing…

The Charlotte Surge.

It sounds like a myth doesn’t it? Like a story passed down from rideshare driver generation to rideshare driver generation, except the Charlotte Surge is a real thing, it’s a big part of Uber’s new app, and drivers really hate it.

To be clear, the Charlotte Surge is just another name for Uber’s latest surge pricing system which instead of giving drivers a multiplier, gives drivers a flat dollar amount that will be added onto there regular fare as the surge fee.

This means drivers see maps that look like this:

Notice that instead of multipliers you see dollars that represent a flat fee to be added to your non-surge fair.

This means that a driver that picks up a rider from downtown Chicago and drives out to the suburbs won’t get between 1.5x or 3x the total ride, they’ll get whatever the flat fee is, which could be much lower than they would have earned with the old app.

What really has drivers up in arms is that riders are still charged a multiplying fee. So the cash that used to go to the driver, now seemingly is going to Uber.

Well, after a few weeks and dozens of conversations with rideshare drivers about the new app, we decided to gather quantitative data from rideshare drivers across the US to understand how they are feeling about Uber’s new app, and the results of our survey are in!

So let’s take a look at what we found.

Takeaway #1: Uber Drivers Believe Their Earnings Have Decreased

Drivers that we surveyed have overwhelmingly expressed their dissatisfaction with their income after Uber’s latest Driver App update. In fact, 90% of drivers nationwide expressed that they are now making less or the same amount they were making before.

Drivers working over 35 hours per week claim to be making about $288 less per week than they were previously, while drivers working less than 25 hours per week are said to be making about $101 less per week. This represents a 27% and 26% difference in overall weekly earnings.

Takeaway #2 Uber Drivers Are Not Fans of the New Surge and are Receiving Fewer Requests

The next logical question is why. Why are rideshare drivers making earning less?

Well, you would think that the easy answer to this question would be the “Charlotte Surge” that we’re hearing so much about, and it certainly looks like that is part of the answer.

When we asked “What do you dislike the most about the new Uber Driver App?” 26 of 145 respondents to that question mentioned “surge”. Here’s what they had to say:

Surges are very bad. They show a dollar amount as opposed to a percentage. We make less $.

Earning details are delayed and surge prices are capped so long trips are not worth it.

Uber charges the rider the old fare with surge and stealing my portion

We then asked flat out “Do you feel you make as much money from surges now after upgrading to the new Uber Driver App?” 103 out of 145 respondents to this question had a negative answer indicating that they did NOT feel like they were making as much money from surges now after upgrading to the new Uber Driver App.

Takeaway #3: Uber Drivers are Receiving Fewer Requests

Clearly, Uber’s new surge pricing is affecting driver earnings, but that’s only part of the story. Drivers are also saying that they are receiving significantly fewer trips after the update.

A whopping 70% of survey respondents said they were receiving less trips.

We did not expect this.

Why would drivers be receiving fewer trips from the new app? We would think that this number would stay consistent.

Well, drivers could be feeling this way for a number of reasons. One being the technical issues that Uber seems to be experiencing. Again, when we asked drivers “What do you hate the most about the new Uber Driver App?” they had the following answers:

The app freezes more, the GPS is worst…

It has issues crashing. Causing drivers to lose trips

Glitches with trip processing

Can't get the navigation to work most times, Missing trips and payments.

It keeps freezing so I have to force quit it often and the seeing lower number of requests

These are technical issues that we would expect Uber to figure out pretty quickly.

We also found that drivers in general just were not used to, or did not like Uber’s new layout. When asked the same question as above, other drivers had the following answers:

Some things are harder to get to

Features missing. Trip type too small on ping. Nav button too small. Missing cancel and acceptance rates.

Freezes. Poor Navigation

It appears, that a number of Uber drivers are having problems just getting the app to work as it should and also getting used to the new interface. While it appears this is having a significant effect on drivers, we would expect the kinks with the app to be worked out.

Takeaway #4: Uber’s New App is Making Drivers Consider Other Services

One troubling sign for Uber is that the Uber’s new app appears to be making drivers think twice about driving with Uber. Drivers are claiming that Uber’s new app is affecting them enough to consider using other services.

It’s no secret that most drivers work with at least 1 other rideshare service regularly, however, Uber tends to be the app most drivers see as their main app. Uber’s new driver app could be pushing drivers to Lyft, Via, and Juno.

So how can drivers continue to find success even in the face of “The Charlotte Surge”?

So it’s clear that drivers aren’t fans of Uber’s new driver app and their flat-rate surge pricing, and it does appear to be affecting the wallets of drivers. But, there are a few things that drivers can do to ensure that they’re still maximizing their profits.

1 Forget About the Surge

Even before Uber’s new flat-surge pricing seasoned drivers knew that surge chasing would leave you driving back and forth through your city getting very few ride requests. With the changes to Uber’s driver app, not only must drivers not chase surges, but you must eliminate them from your income calculations. Meaning, don’t plan to make your money based on surges. Instead, arm yourself with information so that you can drive where the most passenger demand and the least driver supply is.

2 Plan Ahead When Driving

If you’re going to focus on finding the maximum amount of passenger demand and the minimum amount of driver supply, then you need to plan ahead. That means know when and where you plan to drive before you goout everyday. You should know what events are going on in your city, when the airports will be busy, when travelers will be leaving from their hotels to go to the airport, and you should always be aware of the weather.

3 Know What’s Happening in Real-Time

Even if you plan ahead, you still need to know when certain events and happenings around your city that you didn’t plan for are ending or beginning so you can position yourself to take advantage of a peak in passenger demand. Use a tool like Gridwise ensure that you never miss out on an opportunity in your city.

4. Track Your Performance

You cannot improve what you don’t measure.

Many drivers track their mileage for tax purposes, but the true value of tracking your mileage and earnings is so you can understand what’s working and what’s not. Track your mileage and earnings on every shift so you can understand if your performance is trending up or down and figure out what driving strategies are most profitable for you.

Track your performance so you know what’s working and what’s not

Now, we want to hear from you drivers! Have you been making more or less with the new Uber App? Let us know in the comments below!

I like dogs... I really do.I may not be coming home with an 8-week old Great Dane anytime soon, but I understand the appeal.What I don't like, however, is dog fur. Specifically, dog fur in my car, on my cloth seats.Nope. Nope. Nope.So when I started driving for Uber a few years back, one of the first things that I looked up was the rules for passengers with furry friends. It turns out, that drivers actually have a fair say in this... Except when it comes to service animals.

Service Animal Policies

When it comes to service animals, rideshare companies don't make the rules, the government does.Currently, both rideshare companies and taxi companies must follow ADA laws as transportation providers. After a 2014 lawsuit from the National Federation of the Blind, Uber and other rideshare companies implemented a strict Service Animal Policy. See them below:

Lyft Service Animal Policy

When it comes to transporting riders with service animals, drivers on the Lyft platform should remember one thing: Always Say Yes. That's because drivers must comply with applicable laws and Lyft’s Service Animal Policy. The law and Lyft's Service Animal Policy state that drivers may not deny service or otherwise discriminate against passengers with service animals. This means that drivers must transport a rider with a service animal regardless of whether a driver is allergic or afraid of these animals, or has a religious or cultural objection to them.A service animal is an animal, usually a dog, that is trained to perform tasks for an individual with a disability, like blindness or deafness. Service animals are not required to wear a tag or vest or be registered. Riders with service animals do not need to display any kind of proof that their animal is a service animal. In other words, if a rider with a dog says it is a service animal, the driver should transport the rider.

Uber Service Animal Policy

State and federal law prohibit driver-partners using the Uber Driver App from denying service to riders with service animals because of the service animals, and from otherwise discriminating against riders with service animals. As explained in Uber’s Non-Discrimination Policy, driver-partners who engage in discriminatory conduct in violation of this legal obligation will lose their ability to use the Driver App.Allowing service animals is a fair policy and a legal requirement so I have no problem with it. Service animals are well trained and generally docile dogs. However, there is the question of if the animal really is a service animal. The passenger could, after all, be lying to get there dog a ride. So it would make sense to ask for some sort of proof or documentation right?Wrong.According to the American with Disabilities Act, a business or service provider is not allowed to ask for or require documentation stating that a service dog is, in fact, a service dog.You can, however, ask two very specific questions unless the need for a service animal is obvious.

1. Is this animal required because of a disability?
2. What work or task has this animal been trained to perform?

The ADA states that these questions will determine if an animal is a service animal and if a passenger answers satisfactorily, you MUST accept that ride.But... what is considered work or tasks under the ADA’s definition of a service animal? See a list of examples below:

• Assisting individuals who are blind or have low vision
• Alerting individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing to the presence of people or sounds
• Pulling a wheelchair
• Alerting individuals to the presence of certain allergens
• Retrieving items like as medicine, a phone, or other emergency tools
• Providing physical support and assistance with balance and stability

And what is NOT considered as a work task?

• Emotional support
• Comfort
• Companionship
• Crime deterrence or potentially violent protection

Non-service Animal Pet Policy

So yes, drivers must ensure that service animals are accommodated for legal reasons, however, the pet policy for non-service animals gives drivers more freedom to choose.

Lyft/Uber Non-Service Animal Pet Policy

Although drivers aren't allowed to bring their own own furry friends along for the ride when driving (after all, some passengers have allergies or are otherwise uncomfortable with unfamiliar animals), some passengers will ask to bring their pets along with them when requesting a ride. Unless the passenger has a service animal, it's entirely up to the driver whether or not to allow the passenger’s pet in the vehicle.Drivers certainly don't have to allow passengers to bring pets, however, if you take certain steps it shouldn't be a problem to allow most dogs in your car AND avoid a hairy mess by communicating a few rules to your passenger.

Ask passengers to bring a pet carrier

Many owners of small dogs or cats will naturally bring a pet carrier when traveling, so if you have a passenger that calls and tells you they are bringing an animal, request that they bring a cage and have the animal stay in the cage for the entire ride.

Ask passengers to bring a towel

For larger dogs and animals that don't have cages, I recommend either having your passenger bring a towel or blanket for the dog to sit on, or keeping one in your car. This will help keep the dog's fur and claws off your seats.

Be mindful of the size of your car

Most passengers with larger dogs will naturally order an Uber XL and call you before attempting to get in the car with a 100-lb German Shepard. However, if you do run into someone that attempts to bring a large dog in an UberX, make sure that you can still safely and comfortably drive. If not, have the passenger request a larger vehicle.

Warn passengers about a potential cleaning fee

Unfortunately, even when we take precautions pets do occasionally make messes. If someone brings an uncaged pet in your vehicle, give them a heads up that sometimes cleaning fees occur. They'll appreciate your transparency.

Sometimes, rideshare drivers just need to vent and someone to relate to.

After dealing with “interesting” passengers all day, it can be therapeutic to connect with someone going through the same experiences as you. Fortunately, rideshare drivers are a tech savvy bunch and dozens upon dozens of drivers have flocked to YouTube to create compelling content around their rideshare experiences.

So in today's blog post we're going to mix things up. Instead of talking about strategy and how much rideshare drivers make, we're going to give a shout out to the top rideshare drivers on YouTube that are entertaining us every day.

This list is in no particular order and is not all inclusive, however, these are some of the most unique and entertaining driver channels we've had the pleasure of watching.

1. Ryan Is Driving

Arguably the most popular rideshare Youtube personality is our guy Ryan. He's been making video's for just over a year, and his most popular video "Woman Tries to Get a Free Ride" has over 10M views.

Not a bad audience for a rideshare driver.

Ryan's content is usually more conversational than this video. His content is great because of the real conversations that he has with his passengers. This channel's not about strategy or education, you're just here to witness a couple people in a car having a conversation, and somehow it just works.

He's also active on Twitter, so check him out and be sure to follow!

2. Marc Freccero

One of the original rideshare YouTubers and one of the most well known rideshare YouTubers is Marc Freccero. He does a ton of the more educational content on YouTube and his hit video "10 Things I Wish I Knew BEFORE Driving for Uber & Lyft" has over 850k views, so there is a good chance you've watched his content before.

The interesting thing about Marc however is that he doesn't just talk about the rideshare business, he talks about his entire life and really shows how drivers are a group of people that are generally using rideshare as a step to something more. That could be entrepreneurship, acting, being a DJ, or just being their for your family.

A lot of great content on his channel.

3. Drive Girl Drive

In my opinion, the most under-viewed rideshare Youtuber is Cecily and her Drive Girl Drive channel.

She brings a women's perspective with great videos like "My Scariest Moment as a Woman Uber Driver", which is content that we need, however, her most brilliant content comes when she is speaking directly to her viewers and giving them real advice.

4. Terry Tips

I'll be honest, as of 2 days ago I had never heard of Terry Tips and certainly had never watched one of his videos...

But after this video, he's made a instant fan.

Don't ask questions, just watch his rideshare commercial.

5. Ollie B

Ollie B is pure entertainment. He's really more of a rapper who sometimes dresses up like a nerd or grandpa, turns on the Uber app, and goes out and performs for a few passengers. The thing is he is actually a pretty good rapper and the passenger reactions are priceless.

He doesn't put out a ton of videos, but what he does is gold.

Check out his grandpa rap below.

6. Uber DC

Uber DC is a YouTuber out of, well, D.C., who is famous for his "Tip Jar Tuesday" videos where he counts his tips and talks about his week as a driver.

It is surprisingly awesome because while he is one of the nicest guys we've ever met (yes we've met!), he keeps it real and tells drivers exactly how it is.

He does a few really cool trivia videos where he plays trivia with his passengers, however, this is truly a rideshare YouTube channel for rideshare drivers.

7. munchkym

One of the most informational drivers out there making content is munchkym, AKA Kym who is also very active on Twitter.

Kym is a smart driver. She is experienced and clearly does tons of research and is thoughtful about what she says in her videos. Her ability to be real, while speaking intelligently on subjects makes for some interesting Q&A videos like the one below.

8. Baltimore Rides

One of my all-time favorite YouTubers right now is Mike who makes the Baltimore Rides channel. He started out as a fresh driver and was offering interesting tips and takes on becoming a rideshare driver. However, the video series has evolved into really a window into his life. He talks candidly about his home life, his career, and his interactions with passengers.

Not the most popular channel, but great content that goes deeper than just rideshare.

9. The Passive Driver

Will from The Passive Driver has been a YouTuber for about 10 months now and has already released some great informational videos and is tackling a few interesting questions that not a ton of people in the rideshare business have thought to ask and answer. Will is definitely a thinker and likes to experiment with different tactics and strategies, so if you are looking to drive more strategically, he's your guy.

10. Shaq

Because Shaq (and Lyft's own YouTube channel) is the awesome.

Is there anyone on this list that we missed? Did we miss you? Share with us who your favorite rideshare YouTubers are in the comments below so we can enjoy the great content!

Over the last few months, we've interviewed countless rideshare drivers in an effort to learn from their experiences as a driver, and spread their advice among the rideshare community.

Well, we wanted to go beyond sharing general advice from drivers and start sharing more data-driven insights derived from our anonymized driving data, and we're starting by trying to understand the answer to one of the most important and common questions we hear from drivers.

When is the most profitable time to drive?

Well, conventional wisdom says that driving late nights and during rush hours proves to be the most profitable. But, let's take a look at what the data says, we'll start by looking at Earnings Per Mile by time of day.

Here, we can see that across almost all markets, driving during a rush hour period means that your earnings per mile will be significantly less than other times. We can also see that driving during late mornings in Pittsburgh, D.C., and Chicago is one of the MOST profitable times to drive from a per mile basis, which is generally considered a non-peak time period.

Let's also take a look at the average total earnings per trip:

Here we can see that again, Pittsburgh, Baltimore, and D.C. have significantly higher total earnings per trip in the late morning hours than any other time, while rush hour earnings lag behind.

Rush hour is a peak hour... shouldn't it be more profitable?

Many drivers that we speak to talk about the rush hour as one of the best times to drive. It is, after-all, a time where there are significantly more potential passengers. So why would earnings per mile skew lower during these off peak hours?

To better understand this, let's think for a second about how earnings are calculated.

A drivers earnings per trip is made up of 4 variables:

• Base Fare
• Pay per mile
• Pay per minute
• Surge

The calculation for drivers earnings looks like this:

Drivers Earnings = (((Base Fare + Time(X) + Distance(Y)) x Surge Multiplier)) - Commission

Drivers generally get paid more by the mile than by the minute, so it's more profitable to take longer distance rides where you are always moving quickly than shorter distance rides that take about the same amount of time.

So if a driver were to drive a certain distances with virtually no traffic, as opposed to that same distance with traffic and a longer trip from a time perspective, he or she would likely see their earnings per hour increase while earnings per mile would remain about the same. In fact, earnings per mile may actually increase if you are driving slow enough.

So why does the morning and afternoon rush hour, tend to result in lower earnings per mile?

We have found that significantly more drivers come online to drive during these hours along with more passengers. This increase in drivers can often start to outweigh the increase in demand, which means that even if you are available during the rush hour, you may have to drive farther and farther to actually reach your customer.

This means you are putting extra miles on your car between trips, which drives your overall shift mileage up and drives your earnings per mile down because of those "dead miles".

We could also be seeing drivers repositioning themselves to what they believe are more profitable areas. These dead miles can easily add up during your shift and cause your earnings per mile to decrease. These reasons for dead miles also include:

• More cancellations in peak hours as riders try to "shop around"
• More miles spent driving trying to find a passengers drop off or pick up location

We can also see that earnings per trip is lower in almost all cities except for Chicago during the rush hour. What we are likely seeing here is earnings per trip decrease during rush hour because of the types of trips drivers are likely receiving.

Let's take a look at the total size of these cities:

Chicago: 234.00 Square Miles
D.C.: 68.34 Square Miles
Baltimore: 92.28 Square Miles
Pittsburgh: 58.35 Square Miles

People getting rides during a rush hour are usually either going to or from work/school. These trips tend to be shorter than your average trip, unless you are in a large city because work/school is more likely to be farther away.

Chicago is a much larger city than any other city in our study, so it is understandable that these trips "home" are taking much longer than those same trips home in the smaller D.C., Baltimore, and Pittsburgh.

Would it be better to look at earnings per hour?

When looking at total profitability, it is important to measure your profitability against your costs to understand what is your ROI. For many professions, this is simply earnings vs. hours spent as time is the most valuable asset you exchange in this case.

However, for rideshare drivers, while time is an important asset that we are exchanging, we are actually spending a finite amount of money per mile in order to do our jobs. In fact, Ridester released an article last year that states per mile expenses for a rideshare driver who drives a hybrid vehicle will be about $.43 per mile.

Since we want to measure our return based on our most valuable exchanged asset, we will be looking at earnings per mile primarily. However, earnings per hour is a very important metric.

Looking at earnings per trip will help tell us a story about the trips that drivers are receiving and tells us how long vs short trips effect earnings per mile.

How should drivers approach non-peak hours?

Our data suggest that non-peak hours can indeed be the most profitable, which goes against conventional wisdom. But, how?

Well, generally speaking, there are fewer passengers out on the road during non-peak hours, but there are also fewer drivers out on the roads along with less overall traffic. So if drivers can find pockets of demand in those peak hours, then they can find more open road and be more profitable.

Off-peak hour drivers will have to be more strategic, so check your events calendar on Gridwise to understand where rider demand might fluctuate and when rider demand at airports will be highest.

Drivers should also be working to avoid traffic by leveraging a mixture of Gridwise, and your preferred navigation tool (we prefer Waze!).

Use these tools to not only avoid traffic while you navigate, but also gravitate away from traffic as you pick up passengers. If you find yourself continously getting sucked toward a traffic area, you may want to go as far as setting your destination filters to an area with less traffic.

Don't Abandon a Surge

Avoiding too many other drivers is important, however, if you are consistently finding that peak hour surge, make sure you are taking advantage of them. We have found that drivers in Chicago are likely to find surges during off peak hours, so that could also contribute to their increased rush hour earnings. So if you are driving during a rush hour and frequently see surging in a certain area, continue to take advantage of that surge.

If you are not seeing surges, however, consider looking at different areas and different times.

More to come

We love data-driven insights, so we'll be providing you with more blog posts that leverage this sort of information on this very topic and many others. For our Gridwise users, you'll also receive a weekly report that helps you become a higher performing driver by giving you insight into how well you are performing compared to your peers in your city who drive as much as you do.

So check your inbox every Monday for your report, and if you aren't a Gridwise user, download the FREE app so you can start tracking your performance metrics today.

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Possibly the most underutilized tool at a rideshare drivers disposal is the destination filter.

This isn't to say that drivers aren't using the feature at all, many just aren't taking full advantage of all of that a destination filter can help you with.

The Gridwise team has been hanging out at airports in Chicago, Pittsburgh, and D.C. over the last few weeks, so drivers have been schooling me on how they are using destination filters to maximize their earnings.

These D.C. drivers taught me a few things last fall

They gave me the OK to spill the beans on their secrets to success, but let's first dive into what exactly destination filters are and how they work.

How the Destination Filter Works

Destination filters are easy to understand. You simply set a desired location, and Uber or Lyft will do their best to give you a ride headed in that general direction. It doesn't take you exactly where you want to go, but it SHOULD give you a ride headed in that general direction.

There are a few slight differences between Uber and Lyft's offerings.

How Lyft's Destination Mode Works

Lyft calls their destination feature "Destination mode" and according to Lyft, when Destination Mode is activated, you'll only receive requests from passengers that get you closer to your destination. You may not always be closer in terms of miles, but you will be closer to your destination in terms of travel time to your destination.

What Lyft appears to do is map what route you would be using to go to your destination, and gives you rides that take you along that route. This means that sometimes you could get a passenger that moves you slightly away from your destination IF the route that you would otherwise take to that destination calls for that.

This is an important distinction to keep in mind.

Lyft also allows you to use destination filters six times per day.

How Uber's Destination Filters Work

Uber's destination filter feature works similarly to Lyft, except it is less tied to the route that you would take to get to that destination. Meaning, Uber tries its best to get you to that area, unlike Lyft which tries its best to get you on your route. I suspect this is because Uber tends to have more volume and you're more likely to find a rider headed toward your location.

Uber gives you two destination filters per day.

When to use Destination Filters

The original thought behind Uber creating these destination filters seems to be for drivers that are headed home and want to get that last ride. That's an obvious and extremely useful use case, but savvy drivers have found more and more interesting and profitable times to use destination filters.

When Driving Back to Civilization

If you're usually a city driver, I'm sure there have been times when you have been taken out into the suburbs and have gotten the feeling you're in the middle of nowhere. Well, usually you have two options in this situation. You can head back to a more populated area, or hangout in the suburbs driving around to see if you can grab a few rides.

A few drivers we spoke with during our Chicago trip earlier this year had different ideas, however.

Coffe and donuts with Chicago drivers... it's a bit cold

Instead of just heading directly back to the city, they checked Gridwise to see if there were any events going on in the suburbs, and then checked to see what the airport queue was.

If the airport was about to peak for departures, they would set a destination filter to head to the airport.

Being out in the suburbs a few hours before a departure peak means that passengers are likely to be headed toward the airport which means a nice long airport trip. What's even better is when there is also an arrival peak, meaning many passengers are coming into the airport.

There isn't always an airport peak, however, which is why drivers also check to see if any big events are going on in the suburbs.

If nothing is going on in the suburbs, drivers will simply check and see what events are going on in the city and set their destination there.

"One of my favorite moves is to set my destination to the CIBC theatre when I'm out in the suburbs in the evenings because a ton of people are headed to see Hamilton." said Reggie, a Chicago rideshare driver "I get into the city with a passenger easily."

Head Toward Hotels Before Peak

I love this move.

You all know that you can check Gridwise and understand when passengers are arriving at the airport and when they should be departing, which means we can understand when people at hotels are most likely leaving to head to the airport.

What some drivers are doing is setting their destination to busy hotel areas about 2.5 hours before a departure peak which is when passengers are most likely headed to the airport. From there, they're reporting getting rides to the airport when they hangout here the majority of the time.

This is a great way to ensure a long trip to an airport.

This can also be expanded on if there is an arrival peak around the departure peak. That way you can get a long ride to the airport, and back.

Head Toward the Airport Before an Arrival Peak

Speaking of being at the airport for an arrival peak, you can always set your destination for the airport where ever you are if you see an arrival peak that you want to take advantage of.

Moving Away From Traffic

Traffic sucks.

Not only is it boring, but it makes you less profitable as a driver because speed is a major factor in your overall profitability. You see, drivers get paid more by the mile than the minute, so the faster you can pick up rides, drop them off, and get to the next one, the more money you make.

That's why trips per hour is such an important stat for rideshare drivers.

Drivers are using destination filters to make sure they don't get stuck in traffic by setting their destination away from known heavy traffic areas, or areas they get traffic alerts from Gridwise about.

Getting Back Downtown During Rush Hour

Some cities like Chicago, D.C., and Pittsburgh have VERY profitable rush hours for rideshare drivers. Between 4:00 pm and 6:00 pm business districts are hotbeds for rides and surges, however, you have to make sure that you are able to stay around the business district in order to reap the benefits.

So many rideshare drivers are heading to these business districts, getting rides away from them, and then using destination filters to get back to these business districts. They are using Lyft's filters as there are significantly more of them to do this.

This is a great tactic that can keep a driver busy for an afternoon while using 3 or 4 destination filters.

How Are You Using Filters?

These are just a few interesting ways we've seen drivers use destination filters, but now I want to hear from you. How are you using destination filters? Let us know in the comments below? Your fellow drivers thank you!