Introduction
If you’re a driver or passenger for a ridesharing service you should know that your smartphone is an all-in-one tool to help you with your job and ride to where you want to go.
We exist in a world where multi-tasking is the norm, and sometimes it can be hard to find the time to complete everything on our daily or weekly to-do lists.
But what if you could use your commute to work or run errands and at the same time get some things done?
Many rideshare drivers are starting to solve this problem by using apps, websites, and other tools that can help them maximize their time. This post highlights 9 incredible tools that can make your rideshare life easier and more productive.
Tracking Mileage
You can track expenses mileage and manage all the paperwork involved in being a self-employed driver with MileIQ. This iPhone and Android app help you keep track of how many miles you drive for business purposes and how many for personal use.
It’s straightforward to use, and it automatically tracks trips, so you don’t even have to open up an app every time you get in the car to start a journey. It also determines whether each trip was personal or business-related based on GPS location.
Dash Cam
Car accidents happen every day, especially when you drive as much as rideshare drivers do. Protect yourself and your passengers by installing a dashcam in your car, so you have evidence in case of an accident.
Triplog
This app automatically tracks mileage when set up correctly. There are quite a number of triggers you can use to start logging. You can set yours up to follow every time you get over a certain speed and trips a Bluetooth sensor in your car.
You can also use TripLog to log gasoline purchases. This isn’t important for tax purposes, but it helps understand to cost per mile, which is key to calculating cash flow when you are on a drive and want to know how much money you have left in your car at any given moment.
Metromile
People who drive a lot have to pay for insurance. Metromile sells per-mile insurance. It also provides a device that tracks your trips and downloads the information to its app on your phone.
It tracks your speed, location, miles, and fuel efficiency too. It doesn’t need to use up a lot of phone resources to track your mileage because the device does it instead. It takes some time for the trips to show up in the app because the phone’s processor doesn’t do all the work of tracking how far you’ve driven.
Weather Radar
Since weather conditions significantly affect the demand for and difficulty of driving in major cities, it’s essential to know about those conditions as soon as possible. Most weather-related apps have a delay of several minutes between when the event occurs and when their radar images reflect the occasion.
Radarscope
Radarscope is a popular radar app that provides high-resolution weather images. Because Radarscope has no more than a five-minute delay, it’s a neat option for travellers and weather enthusiasts alike.
Sidebar
This handy app gives you swift access to your most frequently used apps by displaying them on a sliding bar. You can use this app’s “lite” version for rideshare driving. With the free version, you can add up to eight apps to the bar, which should be enough for most people.
Bluetooth
Using your phone for GPS, either use your vehicle’s Bluetooth or get a mount for your visor. I’m fortunate to use my vehicle’s Bluetooth, and it works well.
An in-ear Bluetooth might seem like a good option, but passengers are sometimes put off by seeing you with something stuck into your ear while you drive. If you have no other choice, wear the device in your left ear and try to keep it out of sight.
Mount
A dashboard mount for your smartphone is essential for the most effective use of driving apps. You can get a mount a Droid Razr phone on Amazon or use a vent mounted holder that some ridesharing app included in their welcome packet.
In case you have never used one before, this type of mount is called an Airframe and is available on Amazon Prime. For driving on sunny days, keeping your phone cool is essential. Mounting it lower and to the left or right of the center helps keep your eyes on the road.
Conclusion
No matter what rideshare app you use, you’ll be happier with it if you have these nine tools to make your life easier. If a rideshare app doesn’t offer these tools, then consider swapping it out for another one.