Driving for Uber is more than just getting from A to B – make sure you’re taking advantage of all the tools available to optimize your ride shares and maximize profits. Learn about the best apps for Uber drivers today!
If you have an undying love for driving a car, having nowhere to go must feel terrible. Sure driving around for the sake of driving is fun, but how many times could you do that? Wouldn’t it be nice to add a purpose to your trip? And make extra money at the same time? Okay, so maybe having some extra money is the main goal for certain people! If this sounds like you, it’s high time you consider becoming an Uber driver.
There are more benefits to driving for Uber than meets the eye. Besides spending a lot of time in the car, you get to know interesting people, often from all over the world. It’s hard to imagine a different situation where you will find yourself in such frequent and close contact with travelers from Asia, Europe, or South America. Think of the stories you may hear!
How do you qualify to become an Uber driver?
If you are interested in becoming a driver, you are probably wondering what the requirements are.
The background checks for driving an Uber are actually pretty stringent. Get your ID ready, because you’re about to go through some serious background checks. Don’t be surprised – after all, wouldn’t you want to feel completely safe if you’re alone and slightly tipsy in a foreign or just unfamiliar city – especially if you’re about to jump into someone’s car?
You’ll also need things like:
- A perfect driving record
- Insurance
- Car registration
- Have a “presentable car”, to be approved by Uber
- Have an inspection done, to Uber’s specifications of course
HyreCar has many of the details and types of Uber driver requirements if you’re truly interested in becoming an Uber Driver.
I have become a driver, now what?
Congratulations if you have made it a reality and became an Uber driver! Now you can enjoy the rides while making money and meeting new people. To make the job even more satisfying and pleasurable, you should know about some essentials every Uber driver should have. One of those is adequate mobile phone applications. Here is a list of the best apps that will help you make the most of your driving experience.
MILEIQ
The first thing you will probably lose track of when driving is the number of miles you do. At the same time, it is the last thing you should be losing track of. You have to know how many miles you drive a day, or in a month, to settle correctly, and calculate whether driving for Uber pays you off. MileIQ is an app that will help you achieve that.
It will count up to 40 rides a month for free, but you will do more than that. In such a case, consider investing in MileIQ. The yearly subscription costs around 60$ and will save you a lot of trouble remembering the miles.
GOOGLE MAPS
There is nothing that can help a driver more than a proper map. Google Maps is an app offering reliable plans to places all over the world. They are always up to date, so no worries about the closed roads or dead ends. Moreover, Google Maps offers a “Street View” feature. If you get lost, this one can become a lifesaver.
Street View allows you to take a 360 camera view of the surroundings no matter what place on earth you are. Pull up, check the signs, road conditions, highways, railways, or housing estates, and reach your destination in no time with ease. Additionally, Google Maps shows you a variety of possible routes to choose from, with their specific descriptions.
GASBUDDY
One of the most important things to remember when driving for Uber is to minimize the spendings for gasoline. Should you start wasting too much time on the overpriced gas, the fares are unlikely to pay off. GasBuddy lets you search for the best gasoline prices in the neighborhood. Use the name of a city, state, or even zip code to get valuable information. It has listings of all the cities in the USA and Canada and is updated in real-time.
WAZE
Waze will give you access to live traffic maps, road alerts, and driving directions. It features various road conditions up to the minute. In other words, using Waze, you will always know what is happening on the road, how to avoid traffic or road constructions. Don’t worry about the enormous subscription fees, Waze is free.
Conclusion
If you are looking for a way to spend as much time in the car as possible, becoming an Uber driver is a great idea. Download the apps mentioned above, and make your Uber life much more comfortable, as well as optimize your rides. Those, and some other apps for drivers, will save you a lot of time, money, gasoline, and nerves.
