So, you think driving for a ridesharing app will make you more money? For many, the dream is much better than the reality. That’s because most ridesharing folks don’t make efficient use of their time, and their vehicles. If you want to get the most out of your ridesharing experience, here are some apps successful drivers use.
Google Maps
If you want to route around accidents and get your customers to where they want to be — fast — you need a reliable map app, like Google Maps. It’s one that most successful drivers use because it’s clean and easy-to-use without a lot of distracting information.
You can also get successful ETAs, and even use native Google Search to find addresses without having to type in the entire address.
It’s a real time-saver.
Waze
Want to know where all the accidents are? Use Waze. It will route you around them because the app crowdsources information about police stops, accidents, roadblocks, and other traffic information, including traffic congestion.
This tool is especially useful at night when you’re driving. According to this Indianapolis car accident lawyers, thirteen percent of fatal collisions in Indiana involved a driver impaired by alcohol. Anytime you can remove yourself from danger areas, like popular routes leading away from bars on a Friday night (even when they represents good opportunities to pick up passengers), it makes sense to use an app like Waze.
The only downside to this app is that it also includes a lot of features and whiz-bang gadgets inside the app that you don’t need and which can be a bit distracting, like the “game” feature.
Mileage Tracking Apps
Want to track your mileage? Of course you do. You could tally your miles manually and keep everything in a notebook after every shift, but that’s time-consuming and you may forget to do it every time. You could be missing out on serious tax savings if you don’t do it though. So, instead, use a mileage app that keeps track of everything for you, automatically.
Stride Drive is one such app for iOS devices. It’s a free app that offers an automatic system that detects when you’re driving so you can log every mile without thinking about it. Hurdlr is another good mileage tracking app. And, finally, MileIQ and Triplog are the mainstream ones.
QuickBooks Self-Employed
When you drive for a ridesharing app, you are running your own business. You might work with an app provider, but you’re an independent contractor so you need to keep track of your own finances.
You can log in mileage with QuickBooks, but you can also record vehicle expenses, like gas and maintenance. You can also take pictures of receipts that are business-related, which will help you come tax time.
Roadside Assistance
No one wants to think about breaking down during a ride. But, it happens. If you got your car or truck stuck in a flooded road, or maybe you accidentally locked your keys in your vehicle. Whatever happened, Honk is an app giving you on-demand roadside assistance anywhere in the U.S. The price for this service starts at $50.
Robert Wyatt is a driving instructor. A geeky guy at heart, he enjoys keeping up with the latest gadgets and apps in the wider auto industry.
