rideshare – THE CEO DRIVEHER

WILL GIG JOBS FORCE VACCINATIONS ON GIG WORKERS?

To take the jab, or not take the jab. The latest trend on both sides I must add are shaming those that have or have not taken the vaccination. I will try to refrain from injecting my social political ideologies from this discussion, (“try” highly emphasized) and not be subjective on the matter, so my apologies in advance if I’m not able to.

Right now the trendy thing is to flash your vaccination card on social media or curled arm with kiddy sticker saying I got my shot. This is terrifying! Your medical records should always be kept private unless you really seek to bring awareness to a matter. With all the health discriminations from insurance companies, and jobs why on earth would you publicly speak on anything; as it relates to your health that can later be used against you? (rhetorical question)

Remember, these are still classified as “experimental drugs” that are NOT, FDA approved nor are any of the pharmaceutical companies held responsible / liable for any adverse affects of the drug. Many of the providers have been liable in pass time for unethical practices and issuance of drugs. Have you seen the late night commercials asking if you’ve been diagnosed with an illness or side-effect from a drug / vaccine between the years of 19XX – 20XX? Well, you get my point.

With all that being stated, can and how will this effect our once somewhat protected private medical files? As an independent contractor, gig worker, freelancer, can you see how this degree of possible superimposed measure can lead to other infiltrations that can lead to discrimination? Are you in a financial position that if adverse effects occur you are medically covered or can take the time off needed to recoup? Will we have any financial help for any long-term effects? Most gig workers and freelancers I know do not even have medical insurance.

Who will protect us, and our rights? Right now, absolutely no one! You and only you is your first line of defense in this area. When it comes to gig platforms like Uber, Lyft, Doordash, TaskRabbit, Grubhub, etc. it will be interesting how this all plays out. Can they afford to force a huge part of their bottomline to be vaccinated (us the partners)? As independent partners can they in fact impose this being we are not traditional employees? What about ride-share drivers? If they are forced to take the jab would that not be a requirement of all parties that enter our vehicles? Can we impose that need too?

This is the slippery slop; I can clearly see in not only the gig economy but in all businesses of sorts. But, this is the biggest question; how and if this measure of action is infringing on our constitutional rights as American citizens? We all should have the choice, and each ones choice should be respected and honored! If forced to do this, do we have legal standing in the courts to holding these businesses liable for any affects?

UBER AIRPORT ALGORITHM

I have found that many people that get in the rideshare game may go through YouTube vlogs and see tons of videos on how to make the most money driving for Uber or LYFT; and one of the biggest tips is ” to do airport rides”. The problem is the airport has now become saturated with what I call airport bums seeking that unicorn trip that will pay big dollars. Well that rarely happens and some drivers may find themselves not generating the income they wish to had.

I have found the following issue with a lot of drivers waiting for rides at the airport the end up implementing bad habits such as: 1. Cherry Picking, calling the rider to see where they are going, or actually accepting the ride then cancelling it once destination is viewed. 2. If forced to take the ride and the distance is short they’re rude to the rider. 3. Have a gross expectation of receiving large tips from rider. 4. Complacency, they get real comfortable just doing airport trips. 5. They saturate the market and like hogs don’t grant opportunity to other drivers to benefit from the occasional airport run. 6. Create fraudulent surges, a disgusting practice. Regardless of your stance with either rideshare company this is criminal and you lack proper business ethics. 7. It sorta allows certain drivers to monopolize the system.

THE ALGORITHM! This is where the game will be changed. What is an algorithm | algorithm | noun: a process of set rules to be followed in calculations or other problem-solving operations, especially by a computer. Basically it is a procedure using numbers to sorta create/identify an equation then solving the problem. The thing about artificial intelligence it often needs tons of data to compute information, identify patterns, and only then the solution is made. Drivers don’t realize that every click of the button in the app, text messages, photos taken, drive time, distances, etc. all contribute to the algorithm setting your own virtual genetic blueprint, displaying your habits. Afterwhile those habits are compared to the habits of others and other things are taken into consideration. These drivers bag habits will facilitate their demise! With these bad practices you are signing your own death warrant in rideshare!

The “digital fingerprinting” which is a calculation of your actions is very real. Just because you have yet to have been caught doesn’t mean you will not be. This is why I encourage those I coach in the gig economy to be creative, in this, you still must work hard and treat what you do like your own personal business. I loath some of the practices of these gig based companies, but you, me, we cannot engage in unethical practices to make a dollar, it just isn’t worth it. I believe Uber particularly due to certain rollouts recently will be revolutionizing the rideshare platform once again and by AI (artificial intelligence). To survive they must change the game and I believe they have the data to do so, it’s now just a waiting game. Look, rideshare is here to stay and though a lot of us may be kicking and screaming at it’s practices I believe it’s best we forged some continuity and together make a better platform. I believe drivers will begin to once again take home 60% – 70% of their earnings due to the fact Uber will be doing a cleansing of their drivers. These unethical ones that believe they are owed so much, yes the pay should be much higher, but unethical practices are not justified.

It is time for the playing field to be leveled and the bad drivers ousted on their caboose so that the drivers that are fair and just can make a good living and riders are no longer being screwed over. Some people actually like the platform and are willing to meet Uber or Lyft half-way, but they will need to give what drivers want most and that is fair earnings.

HOW TO MAKE $200+ A DAY WITH UBER CONSISTENTLY

So the race is on! I have major major goals and I want to take advantage of the rideshare market right now and so should you! Some say driving rideshare is a losing game, that you’re actually losing money, but not it you do it right! I am on a mission to prove to my fellow rideshare ladies and gig economist that it can be highly profitable when strategically done. You cannot think of the gig economy in the traditional mindset, you cannot put on your employee hat if you want to get serious about making money. These gigs such as Uber is high-risk and if you want to make serious cash you will have to work split shifts and sometimes long hours i.e nine hours is what I consider long. This environment is volatile going up and down constantly there simply aren’t any guarantees, but if you work off of skill, instinct, and have great customer service you can make that money hunty, consistently.

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I am anticipating a slow summer so I am banking up in my rideshare business NOW! This summer the greater demands will be with grocery and meal deliveries, so FYI I hope you’re signed up for platforms like GrubHub, DoorDash, Insta-Cart, Postmates, etc. I’ll do a write up later on these platforms, but today we’re going to focus on reaching and maintaining these high income earnings DAILY! Daily goals must be set and you must be dead set on meeting it. Now your market may be busy or slower, but I assure you if you apply the following principles you can and will make what ever reasonable goal you set out to accomplish when driving for Uber.

Be willing to commit 7-9 hours each day. Take 1-2 breaks 15-30 minutes this is not calculated into the hours you commit to working.
Find the bonus zones particularly in the middle so you can get 3-5 rides within them to qualify for the extra duckets.
Stop ignoring your riders, great them, smile and make eye contact, service them within reason.
Take notice of your tips! I make on average $70 – $150 extra in tips a week due to my ability to grant quality service.
Know your stuff. Use the best navigational system (WAZE) especially when in prime time hours like rush hour. People love it when I get around traffic and work logistically.
Be open to taking a few Pool-Rides, this is not for money but body count so you get those bonuses. When it’s dead I’ll pick up a few solely for this reason. Those few extra rides surprisingly will put you over the top!
Take power naps. Driving is very draining, 20 minute power naps will refresh you in the most amazing way.
Eat lite fresh foods, no snacks, no gas station treats, and no sugary drinks. Ladies the preservatives in these foods and unknown sugars spike your insulin levels and send you crashing making you tired, irritabl, and create mental fogginess.
Stay hydrated! This keeps you alert, but warning you will have to get good at finding bushes to pee in. At this point I have no shame peeing on the side of the road lol.
Focus on getting as many asses in the seats! I shoot for 20 a day because on average each ride averages to $9-$10 bucks.

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This $200+ is a general amount that I’ve found most are open to, your market may differ so assess what would is feasible for to obtain. I strongly suggest you don’t simply work one platform, work multiple platforms and set goals for each of them weekly. Be open to creating a solid gig mix of side hustles so you do not become co-dependent on 1 or 2 platforms. You will need a break from rideshare trust me, the hustle is good but extremely draining, so much so it can affect you mental state. Having other gigs keep money coming in while you take a small break from time to time. Lastly. only do this 4-5 days a week, this type of goal trying to obtain everyday will take a lot out of you, remember keep a good balance!

UBER SAFETY FEATURE GOES UNUSED: AWESOME TOOL FOR FEMALE RIDERS & DRIVERS

If you’ve ever been victimized on the smallest scale often it’s not the actual event that is tormenting, but rather the constant thought of “what could I’ve done different” that cycles through your mind, especially as a woman. Hi, I am Kimberly Nuzingah Bradley an ex-officer that worked within a jail facility in multiple capacities and yes I too have been the victim of assault (a number of times) so I am speaking from first hand knowledge. I am a practicing Life-Coach and Holistic Wellness Coach that serve women of all ages and backgrounds. In addition as I continually build my practice my true passion is writing; I use various types of gig economy jobs to help fund my dreams. Of all the various gig jobs that I do hands down UBER and LYFT are the larger of them all and the riskiest. When I do rideshare I tend to utilize UBER the most both for riding and driving, the functionality of the app I am just more accustomed to. In this blog I want to quickly share with you a feature in the UBER app I believe is vastly overlooked and barely used. The feature I speak of is in the app for both rider and driver and it’s known as the “Share my Ride” tab. The setup takes literally less than a 30 seconds and is a great form of accountability. Above is a small clip from my youtube channel The CEO DriveHer on how to set it up for both user types beit rider/driver. Now I have specified “women” only because that is my target audience, but this feature is of course for everyone.

The setup is so simply the last thing you needed was a video tutorial, but for my newbies I wanted them to go right into the app without fail and quickly set this up. Dads, fathers, uncles, grandpapas, brother, and sons of the world if you have young teenage daughters 17+ and above, mother, sister, wife, etc. this feature is a must! This maps their travel in realtime and holds them accountable too. I know some people don’t like the tracking idea, but it’s all about accountability and safety. If someone is traveling 2-3 miles up the road, but the trip is taking 35 minutes you may want to phone in and check on the person.

To set-up the “Share my Ride” feature it’s this simple in the UBER app:

Log into account.
Click on you profile pic. (for Drivers only)
Click on tab at left corner w/3 lines (for Riders only)
Click on tab that say Account.
Scroll down to App Settings and click.
About 5 rows down is the SHARE TRIP icon, click on it.
Once in follow the setup instructions and customize as you like.

Mind you the app is always being updated and/or looks different for different account holders. Not sure how this workers with corporate accounts, but for personal UBER accountants the above instructions should relatively be this method.

For my female drivers you ladies rock, but I know like me you can get a bit to comfortable doing this and we tend to get a little lack in our day to day dealings when doing rideshare. We must always be alert and aware of who is getting in our vehicles. One time I use the app to my advantage, I had a dude that was making strong advances and would not back down in his requests for my number and to take me out. I was able to squeeze in the fact (casually) of how all my rides are monitored and shared for my safety. Now do I believe he was going to do physical harm to me? No. But to be on the safe side I wan’t to plant the seed that there is a monitoring system along side if someone has it, along side of a dash cam. I believe if these monitoring systems are used more often the word will get out that they too are being watched be it driver or rider.

Let’s continue to put safety first ladies, I am not trying to scare anyone. It seems like a look but in fact it isn’t. If you set yourself to use/take security measures all the time in your day to day activities it becomes 2nd nature, it becomes part of you! Remember to always go off you instinct, never silence that internal voice, it’s quiet but speaks volumes. Take care and stay tune to daily and weekly blogs and vlogs in reference to creating passive income, maximizing the gig economy and freelance culture, and rider and driver safety.

UBER CANCELLATION FEES & HOW RIDERS CAN AVOID THEM

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Well hey hey hey, have you ever been hit with the cancellation bug? I am a rideshare driver and occasional rider and yes I’ve been the victim of the cancellation bug. As a driver I knew I was at fault for not communicating my location as the rider when it happen to me. I was at a large bank preoccupied on my phone. The bank sat at the corner of a major road and had 2 sides for parking and pickup. The driver never reached out to me nor was it his responsibility to do so. Reaching out to riders is a courtesy not a mandate (LYFT we must call on regular rides but not shared rides). I think it’s our due diligence to do, but that’s the luxury of gig jobs like ridesharing, we can do as we like at our discretion. I was at fault and took the loss, but in this blog I am going to advise you on how to not be the victim of the cancellation bug. For more in depth reasons and ways to avoid cancellation click on the above link for my vlog which is deeply detailed. Click above link!

I believe for the most part drivers don’t want to cancel out rides, there has been a few times I almost cancelled due to wait time and the payout was vastly in my favor. Sometimes the rider seen the inconvenience and greatly tip me, other times it was a long distance trip or had a higher surge than normal. I try to be understanding and put myself in the place of the rider. If I make a courtesy call or text usually I can discern the matter and I am willing to wait. It is those riders that care not to communicate back or totally disregard our time that annoys us rideshare drivers. What we’re asking for is basically communication, respect of time, and understanding of how most rideshare platforms works. We are not the traditional taxi by no means at all, we do not get paid on time! I want you to maximize your rideshare experience, enjoy it, and keeps more dollars in your pockets, so here we go!

THINGS YOU DO THAT CAUSES CANCELLATION FEES:

STOP PINNING your location while still in your office building or apartment. Don’t do this it throws off the GPS showing to possibly be on another street or area oppose to where you are walking to. This causes wasted time and drivers will give up.
DO NOT request an UBER while in an elevator. The elevators tend to take a long time in large office buildings and apartment building. Usually the driver is now forced to waste gas and circle the block and it’s just not worth it. Get to the lobby then send request for rideshare of your choice.
DON’T BELIEVE the arrival time. I have literally shown up 10 minutes earlier than what was projected to the rider, remember it’s just an estimated time. Be ready, be prepared.
STAND distinctly in pickup area! Stand out from the crowd, we cannot drive asking everyone we pass for their name.
(MY FAVORITE) Use the TEXTING feature!!! Communication is everything, text your clothing, where you’re standing, how many people standing w/you, etc. especially in busy areas.
Coordinate w/those you’ve requested an UBER or LYFT for. How can we know who to get if you don’t tell us it’s someone besides you. If you’re a male requesting us to pickup your wife, yet we do to the name see BOB well we’re looking for a male not female.
WALK at least a .25 of a mile outside of major events! If can’t get to you or get to the location and you’re not there I assure you we are cancelling and taking that fee for our lost time. Plus the surge will be lower. *wink wink*
DO NOT REQUEST AN UBER WHILE AT BAGGAGE CLAIM!!!! I refuse to explain as to why, but basically it’s not worth the wait. Walk to the assign rideshare pickup lot then send request.
KNOW ASSIGNED PICKUP LOTS AT MAJOR EVENTS. We are fined high fees in some of these areas if we pickup outside of the assigned lots.
DO NOT CALL OR APPROACH MY VEHICLE W/ATTITUDE!!! Please be respectful!
WRAP UP YA SOCIAL SESSIONS. We are not waiting for you to finish your conversation nor cigarette. This is rude, BE READY!!! When you clearly show disregard for our time that is one of the ultimate forms of disrespect. We don’t care about the .09 cents a minute we get for waiting.

Ultimately we’re out here to make money, drivers don’t make that much on average, they are using their own resources as independent contractors with the rideshare platforms. I love granting great service and giving an awesome rideshare experience, but this is a business, our business and we must be profitable. Wasted time is the death of us. We make most of our money off mileage, but in being able to have quick turn around on those miles; long wait times adds up and just isn’t worth the wait. I hope this piece grants you some understanding and we can continue to bridge the gap between riders and drivers so for the both of us that continuity makes for a better rideshare experience. Take care and be sure to subscribe to my blog and youtube channel!