Careers

There are hundreds of thousands of Uber and Lyft drivers in the U.S. (amongst other drivers working for smaller rideshare companies), and the demand for their services continues to grow each year. Have you ever thought of becoming a Lyft or Uber rideshare driver?

Whether you’ve used Uber or Lyft for a ride before and now you want to try it from the driver’s side or you’ve been looking for a relatively easy way to make a side income, there are several things you should consider before signing up to work for a rideshare company.

Becoming a Lyft or Uber Rideshare Driver

Are You Eligible to Drive for Uber or Lyft? 

Not everyone with a car can sign up to drive for Uber or Lyft. Rideshare drivers harming their passengers is a relatively rare occurrence but nevertheless something that happens enough times to warrant a few restrictions on who can sign up to be a driver.

Uber’s driver requirements are similar to Lyft’s driver requirements in that you must be 21 years old to drive (Lyft requires its drivers to have had active licenses for at least one year) and you must pass a basic background check (Lyft also checks your DMV record for driving-related incidents).

Vehicle requirements for Uber are pretty simple: your registration must be kept up-to-date and your vehicle must be 2000 or newer (2005 or newer for select cities). You should also keep your vehicle clean and well-maintained for your passengers.

Vehicle requirements for Lyft include: the car must be 2004 or newer (2006/2007 or newer in some major cities), it must have four functional doors, all seat belts must be functional, the tires must have enough tread, the A/C and heat must work, and more.

Deliver Food as an Uber Driver

Working as an Uber driver is a great way to earn a little extra money. But, if picking up strangers isn’t your favorite idea, then you may want to consider picking up their food instead.

UberEATS is a great program that’s gaining steam around the country. You make money by bringing food directly to people from the restaurants around town that they love. Depending on the laws where you live, you may be able to deliver with your car, bike, or scooter.

Here’s how you can sign up and make money as an UberEATS delivery driver. 

The Auto Insurance Dilemma

Working for a rideshare company with only personal auto insurance is generally a huge no-no. If your insurance company finds out before you disclose your new gig as a Lyft or Uber driver, they could cancel your insurance policy.

Luckily for Uber drivers, you have access to the company’s commercial insurance policy while you have passengers in your car. When you’re offline, Uber doesn’t cover you at all. But once you turn on your Uber app to start finding passengers, total liability coverage of $100,000 per incident ($50,000 for injury and $25,000 for property damage as well) kicks in.

\Once you accept a passenger’s request for a ride and drive to pick them up, insurance coverage of up to $1 million for liability, $1 million for uninsured/underinsured motorists, and collision and comprehensive auto insurance (with a $1,000 deductible) cover you as a registered Uber driver. This insurance covers you for the duration of the ride until you drop off your passengers (at which point the $100,000 total liability coverage replaces the $1 million coverage until your next passenger).

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