Blog de Gridwise

Navigating through Washington DC as a rideshare driver is now easier than it has ever been. Following the successful launch campaign and integration into Pittsburgh, Gridwise is now available for users in the DC market. With further growth on the horizon, the team at Gridwise hopes to eliminate driver inefficiency in the nation’s capital.

About Gridwise

Gridwise is an intelligence platform specifically designed for use by rideshare drivers. Pertinent information for drivers is easily accessible through the user-friendly platform. The intention is to improve driver efficiency (and earnings) by giving you access to demand-based insights. With this wealth of information, you are enabled to increase your awareness of high-demand opportunities, resulting in increased performance over time. Whether you drive for Uber, Lyft, Curb, or some other transportation network company (TNC), Gridwise is an incredible resource to make your rideshare driving experience more meaningful and fruitful.

Features

These are the key Gridwise features you can use right from launch that can help you to become a more efficient rideshare driver:

Driver Dashboard

This is the first thing you see when you open the app. The driver dashboard conveniently places relevant driver information at your fingertips. This information is ever-evolving with continuous updates on where the demand for rideshare drivers will be.

DC is a densely-populated city, full to the brim with new events happening frequently. The Gridwise interface within the driver dashboard displays the market insight you need in a convenient and useful fashion.

Events Calendar

Events tend to attract high value fares, especially if there’s a large number of people present. It seems natural, then, that there may be a surge from larger clusters of demand. For many of the relevant events in the DC and Baltimore metro areas, Gridwise provides a 7-day calendar with start/end times and the location for any event in question. No need to scour the internet for clues on where and when to be anymore!

Airport Traffic

Just like you don’t have to go through the entire internet to find event info, you also don’t need to search through airport-specific mobile apps to look up individual airline traffic. With Gridwise, airport traffic information is all available in one centralized location.

Arrival and departure peaks are central to great airport driver strategies, because they dictate when the highest rideshare demand will be. Gridwise gives you insight into passenger peaks up to 6 hours in advance, making it extremely beneficial to those who do not wish to wait in long Uber and Lyft queues.

Real Time Alerts

Distracted driving, including talking on the phone, texting, or simply reaching for your phone while your hand is on the wheel, is an extremely dangerous practice. More than 8 people a day are killed in accidents that involve a distracted driver, and around 1160 more are injured. As a rideshare driver, you have to be alert to the road. Just the same, a non-trivial part of being a rideshare driver involves looking at your phone and responding to passenger requests.

Gridwise takes driver safety seriously. With real-time alerts around airport demand, events, road conditions, etc., you can receive pertinent information in a hands-free fashion while out on a shift.

Driver Taskbar

Do you drive for more than one rideshare company, like both Uber and Lyft? You likely use Google Maps or Apple Maps to help you navigate when you’re on shift, at least.

The driver taskbar capability lets the user conveniently bounce back and forth between different driver tools, like navigation, driver services and the rideshare apps themselves. This feature is available for drivers with an Android device.

How Gridwise Helps DC Drivers

DC rideshare drivers work in some of the most inconvenient driving conditions compared with other American cities. As a rideshare driver, have you ever just driven around Georgetown aimlessly to look for surges? Perhaps you’ve been stuck in traffic while driving to pick up a passenger from a concert (the DC metro area has the most traffic congestion nationwide) and wished that you could’ve avoided all of the stress. Then there are the road closures that happen around the city for special events, such as the Presidential inauguration. There are frequent marches and rallies that back up roads and make certain areas inaccessible by car. Even if you are completely up-to-date with local events, you could’ve benefitted from having the surge, event and traffic information ahead of time.

That’s where Gridwise comes in. Use the features and tools available through Gridwise to obtain demand-specific information like where the highest surges are at that moment and better prepare yourself for upcoming event opportunities while receiving traffic alerts in real time.

How to Start Using Gridwise

Make sure to download from either google play (for android users) or the ios app store (for apple users).

Cities across the country have been using the same taxi system for years; it’s the same system with the same rules and the same everything since 1985. The regulations and rules - those that govern income, availability, and accessibility of taxis cabs - have remained largely insulated and untouched. Saying that this system was archaic would be putting it mildly. Most taxis in DC didn’t even accept credit cards until 2013! It’s only recently that some more major reforms have begun, including deregulation efforts that set taxi prices closer to free market forces (i.e. surge pricing during peak hours).

Then came Uber and Lyft, which completely disrupted the taxi system and made rideshare apps the norm. Gone suddenly were the days of physically having to hail a cab. The ease and accessibility of mobile rideshare options have, since their introduction into the market, shifted the paradigm. As key contributors to the “collaborative consumption” economy that has pervaded this decade, Uber and Lyft make it so that your own vehicle is capital for sharing. In the past, you would need to own a taxi, apply for a special medallion, work with a dispatcher, etc. Now rideshare services provide virtually anyone (who owns a car) with the ability to earn some extra income.

With this newly discovered driver freedom also came legal uncertainty. For the most part, Uber and Lyft drivers were operating without definitive backing from the law up until 2012. The “Public Vehicle-for-hire Innovation Amendment Act” enacted in 2014 allowed for the beginnings of regulation and acceptance of digital dispatch rideshare companies in DC. Legality aside, there’s still a lot of work to be done in creating comprehensive regulation in this newly budding industry.

Basic Vehicle Requirements in DC

Although the system has increased accessibility, there are still baseline standards for rideshare drivers and their vehicles. With a few exceptions (i.e. vehicle age), the vehicle requirements are streamlined. Focusing on Uber and Lyft (excluding specialty vehicles such as UberX):

Uber

Lyft

Model Year 2007 or NewerModel Year 2006 or Newer4-door car or minivan4-door car, 5-8 seats (including driver)Good condition with no cosmetic damagePass vehicle inspectionPass DMV check and background checkDriver’s License Required (>21 years old)Driver’s License Required (>21 years old)Current official (or temporary) registrationCurrent official (or temporary) registrationState/locally-accepted vehicle insuranceState/locally-accepted vehicle insuranceNo commercial branding

DC Legislative Regulations (according to the Public Vehicle-for-hire Innovation Act)

Disclaimer - this is not a comprehensive list of rules and regulations, but is an aggregate created for simplicity and is subject to change in the upcoming years.

• Privately owned vehicles may be used for public transportation, so long as the drivers are notified electronically or through an app
• Along the same lines, rideshare drivers may not pick up passengers that hail them from the street
• Rideshare drivers with companies such as Uber and Lyft may not solicit fares at taxi stands specified for DC taxi services
• If there is suspicion of illegal street hailing, the rideshare operator must provide law enforcement with access to their electronic trip records.
• Background checks and minimal levels of insurance are required for all drivers before they begin driving for the TNC (transportation network company)
• Companies must provide passengers with photographic access of the vehicle driver and the vehicle license plate before pickup
• Drivers must successfully pass a criminal background check, sex offender database check, and driver history check
• App-based services must provide primary insurance coverage of minimum $50,000 per person per accident, with up to $100,000 available to all and $25,000 available for property damage
• A private rideshare vehicle operator may affiliate with more than one rideshare service (unless specified by the company)

Common Criticisms of the Rideshare Legislation

Many taxi drivers in DC are upset about the legislation. A large percentage of drivers that were interviewed claim that the popularity of Uber, Lyft and Sidecar with consumers legitimized the services in a way that was not only above the law, but was also demeaning to veteran DC taxi drivers. They assert that the hurdles they had to go through when first applying to become taxi drivers were significantly more restrictive than those created for the current TNC drivers. Uber and Lyft drivers still do not require the same stringent screening that DC taxis have to go through. Rideshare drivers also do not face the same costs when it comes to licensing or insurance.

Then there’s the question of fair competition in the ride hailing market. Free-market rideshare apps were illegal at some point, and yet still operated and thrived. Uber and Lyft rates go up with demand-based surge pricing, whereas taxi services had to work with a fixed, regulated rate. Taxi companies have succeeded in reforms which create similar pricing options for digital dispatch taxi services. It’s still a long way to go before DC taxis can be competitive with rideshare apps.

Why even accept the ride?

If rides to and from airports are long, time-consuming and sometimes require you to sit in annoying traffic, then why do drivers even bother taking them? Well, for one, the rides you accept will be relatively pricey. Each drive you make is pricier than the average fare. With Uber and Lyft, fares from the airport to downtown Pittsburgh vary between $26-$35. With the premium options offered by these two transportation networking companies (TNCs), a typical driver could earn as much as $80 for the same trip! And depending on the amount of traffic between a passenger's destination and the airport, the drive could be as short as 25 minutes long. That’s both extra money earned and car mileage saved compared with in-city pings!

Demand for rides (and consequently fares) are high for airport rides. Thus, with the typical Uber driver averaging $15 per hour and the typical Lyft driver averaging $11 per hour, rideshare drivers across platforms might be inclined to stick to the higher guarantees.

Pittsburgh International Airport

It can be tough driving into or out of Pittsburgh. This is especially true during the morning and evening rush hours, but inconvenient roadblocks and frequent bridge reconstruction could make any time traffic time. Even if you grew up in the area and already have a good understanding of what the traffic is like, it can be stressful at times to be on the road.

Having to take a trip to the airport on top of all that is not at all ideal. Airport rideshare drivers navigate to and from the airport during the good times and the bad times. You can be the type of driver who avoids these trips entirely - which is completely understandable. If you need to average more than one trip per hour, then driving to and from the airport shouldn’t be your primary focus.There are, however, always going to be people who need to catch a ride to and from Pittsburgh International during peak rush hours. For those drivers who are looking for fares to and from the airport , understanding airport traffic patterns is crucial to your driver strategy.

Thanks to Gridwise, drivers now have access to airport traffic information that can help you increase your workflow efficiency Gridwise provides relevant airport arrival and departure information to help you identify the peaks of demand for fares to and from the airport.

Airport Demand

A lot of the airport driving experience is wasted time, both on the passenger side and the driver side. You drive to
the airport terminal, believing that you’ll catch at least one of the recently arriving passengers. As it turns out, there are no flights arriving when you get to the terminal because of traffic on the runway. The airport queue for Uber drivers is 45 minutes, and the one for Lyft cars is even higher at 70 minutes. You then just wait around, wishing that you knew all of this information sooner.

With the Gridwise mobile app, being prepared and methodical with your airport driving is now easier than ever. Drivers can now see real-time information on rider demand at the Pittsburgh International Airport.

Gridwise brings you the ability to monitor airport arrivals and departures. The airport supply & demand feature shows the arrival and departure peaks, how long you’d have to wait until the next one, and the number of passengers that are in a particular wave of arrivals and departures. This is obviously great for picking up passengers because you’ll know when the largest amount of people are arriving at the terminal. Having departure information at your fingertips can be great for locations within the city or immediately surrounding the city, such as hotels and the suburbs.

So instead of spending time idling at the airport, you could instead be making better use of your time by fulfilling rides across the city and returning to the airport when the app notifies you of a lower driver supply at the airport.

It's not driving more, it's driving smarter.

Use road reporting to maximize your airport strategy

Road Reports from Gridwise are great for supplementing your airport driving strategy. You can now have real-time information on road conditions around Pittsburgh, as congestion headaches like construction zones, pop-up accidents are readily posted to better inform you of when and where to drive around the city. This information is valuable to airport drivers as it provides insights into the best time periods of day to drive to avoid as much road traffic congestion as possible. In addition, you could make micro-adjustments to your day’s drive depending on what road conditions are like!

Try out Gridwise’s Airport Demand feature today and watch your earnings stack up!

Background

Name: Bill Scott

Driving for: 5 months

TNC Services: Uber X and Uber Premium

Driving Commitment: Full-time

Important Metrics:

“I usually go by a per hour basis. I do it full time, so I actually treat it like a business. I make sure I’m making at least $25+/hr.”

Don’t drive for Uber yet? By signing up through Bill you will receive $150 after completing the required trips-- in addition to Pittsburgh's median earnings per hour of $18.80.

A Unique Story from the Driver’s Seat

I had this one young individual request a ride back in January. I picked him and his brother up from Downtown Pittsburgh when I was completing a trip from the airport. I was coming along on Liberty when I got the request.

They came over with a box of long-stemmed roses. Now, before I let anyone get in the vehicle, I confirm that they’re the right person. I started the trip knowing that these two guys were going to the airport. We got to talking, and I learned that the two of them both went to school here in Pittsburgh, but that they were separated from their parents because they didn’t have their visas. That means they hadn’t seen their parents in over a year. Basically, I was getting them to the airport where they were meeting their parents for the first time in a long time. I got to bring them all back home too, so I got a nice two-for-one service trip out of it as well.

It was a really nice experience because I got to see those two people reconnected with their family.

Experience and Strategy

What are some strategies you try to use?

Priority number 1 is to treat it like your own operation. The average Uber driver gets into business because the service offers flexibility and a free schedule. Personally, I’m up and running by 7:30 each morning. You know what they say: the early bird catches the worm.

At that point, I get a couple of local trips in. Usually, one of these trips leads me to the airport. From there, I have a nice strategy that allows me to conduct my main business. This includes following trends for when students are coming in and out from vacations and spring breaks - things of that nature.

Do you try to keep track of things like traffic patterns at the airport, or when events are going on?

It’s pretty easy for me because I was born and raised in Pittsburgh - I kind of know when things are taking place. But with Gridwise, it actually aids my ability to know a lot of the little things that are going on around the city. This allows me to strategically place myself in areas, helping me to maximize my time and earnings.

You do put an emphasis on events, generally speaking?

I deal with the events so I know where not to be stuck. For example, Steelers games are huge for a lot of folks. Me personally, I might get 1 or 2 rides out of that. I figure my daily system would have me be a lot more profitable if I stick to my plan instead of jumping back and forth when the next big thing comes in. With congestion and traffic, it’s not really worth it.

I will do the Penguins games because I live only 2 minutes from the arena. It works very nicely for me. I know there’s a lot of construction going on in the area, but I know the two ways that traffic will be going from an exit standpoint.

How do you keep up with construction in the city?

Construction is very visible because of the Hill District, which that area is connected to, has a lot of development. You just have to use your driver smarts. Be safe when you’re driving, and don’t let the excitement and anxiety of the customer get you off kilter.

Would you say that driving has been pretty profitable for you? Do you keep track of costs (maintenance, fuel, etc.)?

Absolutely - I have a degree in accounting and use what I know to keep track of costs. You read a lot of blogs where folks feel that it’s not really profitable and you’re making something like $0.30 to the dollar. I look at it more as an opportunity. I can earn my own income and set my own schedule. It lets me do a lot of other things that I feel passionate about.

What’s the best trip you’ve ever had, revenue-wise?

I had a trip in November that took me out to Nemacolin. In January, I had two young ladies that were coming home from Spring Break and they were going to Allegheny College. Both of those trips netted me well in excess of $100.

Have experiences of your own which you would like to share? Then reach out to Gridwise at info@gridwise.io.

Heinz Field & PNC Park

If you’re a rideshare driver in Pittsburgh looking to capitalize on surge pricing, then you’re looking for the pickup/dropoff spots that will maximize your regular income. A few spots that should come to mind right away are the big sports arenas, such as Heinz Field during football season and PNC Park during baseball season. Both of these hotspots draw enormous crowds, often numbering in the tens of thousands. Imagine, too, how many more people are in the north shore area when the two seasons overlap! That’s a whole lot of potential clients.

Since a lot of the fandom for the Pirates and Steelers is local, you’ll get customers who prefer a ridesharing service over driving into and out of stadium traffic. Ridesharing options help to discourage drunk driving and to facilitate the vehicle influx throughout the night. Through Uber and Lyft, the tailgate can go on without worries (and without a car?). But, the sheer number of tailgaters presents some challenges for the drivers coming into the stadium areas. Uber has a few key tips and tricks that can help you navigate the commotion as effectively as possible. To elaborate:

1. Try to be ready at the pickup spot before the game actually ends. This is a great time to pull up the Gridwise mobile app. You can monitor the game’s endtime and make sure that you’re using your time wisely. For example, if you learn that a game is going into overtime, then maybe it’s in your best interest to put in a couple of extra rides elsewhere before the game ends. Rideshare requests increase significantly toward the end of the game and after the game is over. You can easily reposition yourself into a demand hotspot.
2. Make sure that you’re as accessible as possible. There will be a large volume of vehicles, vendors, and foot traffic as the game comes to a close. Figuring out a good place for pickup in that chaos becomes an artform. There are now designated spaces for Uber and Lyft drivers, with signs at gates A, B and C. Scope out some places that aren’t heavily encumbered by the foot traffic coming out of the stadium/baseball field. At the same time, these locations need to be recognizable, especially for the folks who aren’t super familiar with the north shore. Keep your Uber/Lyft trade dress visible to maximize recognizability.
3. Give your client a call as you’re coming into position. This gets rid of any confusion that there may be about pickup location or estimated time of arrival. You will also want to know where the rider is in order to minimize wait time. The faster you and your rider reach each other the better, so a bit of communication on your part goes a long way.
4. It can be stressful to be in an environment with so many people and cars moving in and out. Be calm and be flexible. One or more of your rides may not pan out. One or more of you riders may have been drinking heavily during the game, making it more difficult to maintain communication. Realistically, there is an overabundance of opportunity for you to accept a ride request during these sporting events. With enough patience, you’ll have another request in moments.

PPG Arena

Most of what was said about the previous two stadiums holds true for PPG Arena. It’s still a high volume, stressful environment full of crazy sports fans and even crazier drivers on the road. If you’re up for the challenge, it can be just as lucrative as a ride request from the other side of the river. Driving downtown means there are a couple of differences to think about before you arrive:

1. Downtown/Uptown already has some consistent traffic, especially during rush hour and evenings when the cultural district holds events. Since traffic is consistently heavy during those peak times, it is crucial for you to have a good route that bypasses the most traffic possible. Know where you’re coming from and know where you want to go. Keep that in mind and always plan ahead!
2. The standing area immediately outside of the arena is guaranteed to be packed with taxis and rideshare vehicles by the time the event is over. Come early if you want to secure a spot at the beginning of the line. If you’re coming just after the event is over (perhaps you completed a ride for folks who left the event early) and you still want to capitalize on surge pricing, it could be beneficial to arrive a block or two away from the stadium. Don’t forget to let your client know where you’re going to be!

Don't forget to track your mileage and earnings. And check out the Gridwise platform to help you circumvent the challenges of event ridesharing and ride more efficiently!

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Why should I try a rideshare rental program?

If you’ve ever been a vehicle owner, you have no doubt experienced the financial responsibility of maintaining the car. In Washington DC, it costs an average person $392/year for repairs/maintenance, $1273/year for car insurance, and $618/year for gas. That’s a total of $2283 every year going toward just having the vehicle, not including what the car actually costs or what you’re paying in financing. If any of your income comes from driving, you’re putting more money into your car than majority of drivers on the road. Whatever commutes you make outside of work affect the total number of miles on your car just as much as those you make on the clock.

To take some of the financial burden away from the drivers, rideshare companies like Uber and Lyft are providing opportunities in Washington D.C. and other major cities to make driving more affordable and accessible to anyone looking to become a driver. There are now programs that offer low-cost rental options for interested drivers who don’t wish to use their personal vehicles for rideshare.

Lyft’s Express Drive Program

This is a worthwhile option if you’re looking to drive full-time for Lyft. Your rental fee could be waived entirely with a sufficient number of drives every week. Currently, providing 75 or more rides every week offsets the rental price. You are incentivized to give as many rides as possible when choosing this option. With a full-time work schedule, that averages to about one ride every 32 minutes. It’s manageable with an average of 2 rides each hour, although any number of conditions (i.e. weather, congestion, road conditions, etc.) could make it harder to keep up with that average. If you’re not interested in driving full time, then you’ll need to pay a weekly fee. For the lowest payment option, choose a compact or mid-size sedan rather than an SUV. Any personal miles cost $0.25 each, regardless of how many trips you take every week.

Uber’s Rental Programs & Incentives

Enterprise has partnered with Uber in D.C. to allow Uber driver partners to rent out their mid sized-sedans for rideshare. A weekly fee of $245/week (plus fees) affords the driver unlimited miles and liability coverage. It requires that the driver put down $350, with flexibility and no-notice returns to their Falls Church, VA location after the first week. The reservation must be for at least a week in order to be eligible.The driver must be an approved Uber partner with a current, valid driver’s license. He or she must also be at least 25 years of age.

Hertz offers a similar rental program, but with a few more restrictions and alternative features. The vehicle can only be taken out for 7-28 days, as opposed to the Enterprise program which incentivizes having the vehicle for long periods of time.

This program is less for the full time driver and more for the folks who wish to drive while on an extended trip into the city. As in, you already had a need for a rental car when you got Washington D.C. If you have the free time during your stay, this could be a simple way to make extra cash or perhaps simply offset the costs of renting the vehicle in the first place.

On the other hand, this program may not make much sense for you financially. You need to pay $245 per week to rent the car with Enterprise, for instance, plus the $350 down payment you would need to make at the start of the rental. The average trip pays out at $12.87, so you’ll need to make close to 20 trips just to pay back the weekly fee. If you’re dependent on the income you obtain as a driver, and you can set aside 20+ hours of the week toward driving for Uber, then this is a net positive investment.

HyreCar

HyreCar is exactly the service for personalized driver rental. People with unused, dust-collecting, rideshare-eligible vehicles can list their vehicles out for rent. Rideshare drivers can then take their pick of the cars listed and take it out for however long they would like. Hyrecar takes care of insuring the vehicle for you, and you can take off without a hitch within 24 hours of signing up. You can rent out on an hourly, weekly or monthly basis, with most of the discounts applied at the monthly level. The average users are earning $12,000/year from loaning out their cars to Uber and Lyft partners.

The choice of daily, weekly or monthly payments give you options if you’re taking a shorter trip into the city. Hyrecar can be an expensive if you’re looking to rent long-term, especially compared with owning or leasing a car. On the other hand, the service covers insurance and removes the burdens of maintenance.

Did we miss anything that you can think of? Let us know-- and check out a more national, updated list here.