“I’m on the road all day making money since the world opened up again.”
I’ve heard from readers who have started making money from rideshare driving now that the world’s opening up again.
Before the current pandemic started, I wasn’t so sure that being a rideshare driver was the best side hustle. Now it’s come to my attention that the gig economy is booming and companies are looking for drivers to match the increasing demand as customers return to travelling and socializing.
Should you be driving for Uber or any other ridesharing company out there? Should you be looking into working as a rideshare driver as a side hustle? Let’s take a look at the idea of being a rideshare driver right now…
Many years ago we had a post go viral about driving for Uber as a side hustle. While there are better side hustles (like starting an Airbnb Experience) it was interesting to see how many rideshare drivers were willing to share their experiences. There was a mix of positives and negatives about being a rideshare driver.
This entire pandemic has been challenging for many of us. I’ve heard from many readers who lost their jobs and had to pivot to make ends meet. We’ve researched many side hustles to try to help people make money during this difficult time. One gig that has popped up again is rideshare driving. Many folks have turned to driving to make some extra cash and we’re going to revisit this side hustle today.
It has been intriguing to see which side hustles emerged from scratch and which made a triumphant return.
Let’s look at the idea of being a rideshare driver and working in the gig economy right now…
Here are the benefits of being a rideshare driver right now..
There are many side hustles and income opportunities out there these days. You just want to find the right fit so that you can make money without wasting your time when you could be doing something else.
Why should you consider driving for profits? What are the benefits of driving for Uber or being a rideshare driver these days?
You can set your own hours.
The main benefit of being a rideshare driver is that you can work whenever you want to. All you have to do is turn on the app and then you’re set. You can turn the app on at any time that you wish.
What this means is that you make money on your own schedule. This works perfectly for those who have other things going on in life or who want a flexible side hustle.
You could try to land a regular 9-5 gig or spend your time any way you wish to.
When I spent a summer driving for Uber, I would use the app whenever I had some free time and wanted to make more money. This would happen at any time of the day, ranging from afternoons after writing to late nights when I couldn’t sleep.
Here are examples of how I made money as a rideshare driver on my own schedule:
- My Mom asked me to pick up something from far away. So I turned on the app and waited until I had ride requests that took me downtown.
- I would turn on the app on a Friday evening and see where the app would take me. I ended up working until the sun came out a few times. The money was going and I was making profits from the surge pricing.
- I turned the app on at random times when I was just editing an article or scrolling through social media
- When I was bored, I would turn the app on to see if I could make some money.
Long story short: You can turn the app on whenever you please and start making money. It’s tough to find any gig with this kind of flexibility out there.
On that note…
You don’t have to commit to full-time work.
With a traditional job, you have to accept full-time hours or some kind of contract. With a part-time gig, you have to agree to specific shifts.
With rideshare driving, you set your own hours and don’t have to worry about committing all of your time to this venture.
With many side hustles, you have to work for extended hours without getting paid in hopes of making money one day in the future.
For example, if you wanted to start a blog or grow a business, you would have to work for free for many months. When you need cash in your pocket, you don’t have this option. You have to get paid for the time that you put in.
You also don’t have to commit to any specific hours. If you were to take on a part-time job, you would have a strict schedule where you would have to make your shifts.
You get instant access to cash.
This isn’t one of those side hustles where you have to create a 17 email script or message hundreds of strangers on social media to make a sale. You don’t have to wait to get paid. You don’t have to worry about trying to find experience for months.
You simply turn the app on, get in your car, and start making money. You have instant access to money when you work as a driver.
I understand the importance of making some money during this stressful time. Short-term freelance work that’s offered with the gig economy allows you to make more money.
You get your first start in entrepreneurship.
Making money on your own is pretty exciting. When you test out driving for rideshare apps, you’ll see what it’s like to make money on your own. This could motivate you to work on other income streams in the future.
Becoming a rideshare driver the perfect entry into the world of working for yourself. It doesn’t matter if you drive for Lyft or Uber, you can set your own hours, work on your own schedule, and see if you can handle the stress that comes with working for yourself.
You can meet interesting people.
In my time as a driver, I was able to meet some interesting characters from around the world. This is certainly a unique side hustle when it comes to networking and meeting new people.
That’s why you should consider working as a rideshare driver for some extra money right now.
What should you know about being a rideshare driver?
There are a few things to think about before you move forward with this side hustle. The rideshare industry has gone through many changes.
There are different ways to make money from the gig economy as a driver.
If you find that you don’t like to drive people around, there are other ways to make money with these ridesharing apps and the gig economy.
Here are some examples of how you can make money:
- You can deliver groceries. More people these days are relying on grocery delivery services. They have busy schedules and need someone to bring everything to them.
- You can deliver alcohol. This business was booming during the height of the pandemic and many folks got used to ordering their booze.
- You can deliver household goods. People are also ordering household items in certain parts of the world to avoid long lines.
- You deliver food on bike. If you don’t drive, you can deliver food on your bike. You can deliver food on foot. You can even deliver food on foot if you live in a downtown area.
There’s more than one way to make money by driving. You can even double up. Some people will use a combination of apps to make money from the gig economy. You could deliver alcohol and pick up passengers in between deliveries.
You have to find the optimal schedule for making money.
The one thing that I need to stress about rideshare driving is that you have to find the best schedule depending on your situation and where you live.
What this means is that you’re going to want to experiment with different times, rideshare apps, and strategies for making money. The good news is that there are so many different options for you to test out.
On that note…
How can you maximize earnings as a rideshare driver?
The goal is to make the most money possible from this venture right now. It’s on you to figure out how to make the most money.
What are different ways to make money?
- Aim to be at a popular destination. You may want to try to make it near the downtown core on a busy evening to take advantage of the people going on long-distance trips.
- Take advantage of surges. There will be times when you get surge pay because there’s an increased demand.
- Test out different times. You have to play around with the times to see when you can make the most money.
- Combine different apps in the gig economy. You could sign up for random jobs on TaskRabbit to ensure that you’re staying busy when you don’t have any passengers to pick up.
What should you consider when trying to make money as a rideshare driver?
Before you sign up to drive for Uber or Lyft, there are a few things that you should consider. What frustrated me about rideshare driving was the idea of spending so much money on other expenses.
Here are a few expenses to consider as a rideshare driver:
- Gas prices have skyrocketed.
- You’ll have to go for oil changes more often.
- Vehicle maintenance.
Don’t forget to value your time.
What’s your time worth? Are there better ways to be spending your time?
This is the final point that I would consider before signing up as a rideshare driver. You want to be able to figure out what your time is worth to see what you’re actually making. It’s on you to see if there’s enough money to be made from being a rideshare driver in the gig economy.
That’s what you need to know about making money as a rideshare driver. This could be a decent side hustle if the hours and timing work for you due to the flexibility.
If you find that you’re not making any money, then I would switch to another venture in the gig economy immediately.