In-Depth Lyft Driver Review

Overview

I drive for Lyft and this is my Lyft driver review…
I have seen a lot when I have driven for Lyft. I have seen people laugh and I have seen people cry. I have seen couples madly in love and I have seen couples fighting like the world is about to end. But most of all, I have seen drunk people. Tons and tons of drunk people. But looking back on my Lyft experience, I have nothing bad to say about the company. They provide me with extra money, and I can work whatever hours I want, whenever I want. All I have to do is push the driver button and I’m in business.

Lyft Driver App

The first thing I should talk talk about before I dive into everything is the actual driver app. the app looks very similar to the passenger app, but is actually facing the opposite way that passengers see. It can be accessed by pressing the steering wheel in the upper right-hand corner of the app, which basically just tells passengers that you are available to pick them up.
From a functional standpoint, the driver side of the app is minimal but very useful. You just flip into driver mode and then when a request comes, it pops up on the screen. You have 15 seconds to accept it otherwise it moves on and offers the request to the next available driver. If you accept the request you simply go to the passenger using the integrated navigation, and then press a button letting them know you have arrived.
Once they get in the car, you start the ride, which the app automatically tracks for you. When you arrive at the destination, you press another button to end the trip, rate the passenger, and you then become available again for more passengers to request a ride from you. Simple enough!
The driver side of the app is packed with resources such as your referral code, insurance and vehicle information, as well as links to the Lyft help center that answer any questions you may have. Overall, it is very well designed, both graphically and functionally.

Customer Support

I have only had a few problems in all my time with Lyft, and customer support has done a great job of helping me through them. The app is reliable for the most part, but is slow or buggy once in a while. The Lyft team is great about updating it though to give the drivers the best experience possible.
I admit it, I occasionally forget to begin the trip or forget to log out and miss a bunch of requests. I simply email the Lyft team and they always fix my issues right away. In addition, if you get in an accident or a passenger throws up in your car (this hasn’t happened to me yet.. knock on wood) you simply call Lyft’s emergency number and they will immediately begin fixing the situation.  It is nice to know that I have them there whenever I need them.

Income

The income that I generate from Lyft is a nice addition to the income I make at my full time job. If I drive during the weekends, I usually make $150-$200. Add bonuses to this and it can be quite a bit more some times. The average ride usually nets me between $7 and $10, but I have had rides that have earned me $60+. These are rare, but they happen from time to time. While $7 doesn’t sound like much, do that 15 times a night and you are earning some nice cash by the end of the night.
If you are lucky you can hit what is called “Prime Time,” which is increased rates based on supply versus demand. If a ton of riders have the app open and are looking for a ride, Lyft will charge a percentage more based on that demand. So if a normal ride was $10, for example, with 75% Prime Time the ride would come out to be $17.50. So it is worth it to drive, especially on the weekends.
I have attached a couple of my pay statments for proof that Lyft does in fact generate a decent amount of money.

Time Consumed

The nice thing about Lyft is that you can literally drive whenever you want. All you have to do is press a button and you can start making money. I don’t know of a single job out there that allows you this same freedom. You can drive for up to 10 hours at a time, then the app will kick you off till you have taken an 8 hour break. This allows Lyft to limit the number of tired drivers on the road, simply for liability sake.
Personally, I like to drive for at least 3 hours at a time. I usually get off work on Friday evening at 5 and immediately flip into driver mode. I drive for a few hours, make some extra cash (usually about $50) then I head out with friends. In the case that my friends aren’t doing anything, I simply keep driving till I get tired and usually end up with a couple hundred dollars in my pocket by the end of the night.

Passenger Demand

Passenger demand is usually pretty volatile. It all depends on when you drive and what is going on during the week. If there is a concert or sports event in town, demand spikes before and after. But during the week usually demand is not very high. That is why I tend to drive only on the weekends or the night before a major holiday. This ensures that I am not wasting my time waiting around for requests. I drove the night before Christmas Eve and demand was insane. I was on Prime Time probably 75% of the night, which made for a huge paycheck in the morning. Again, it all just depends on where you live and when you drive. For the most part though, you can make good money no matter what.

Conclusion

In conclusion, I highly recommend driving for Lyft. The app is easy to use and you can drive whenever you want, making Lyft one of the best employers you could ask for. It has been a great experience for me, and a fun way to meet new people and make some extra money.

Sound Interesting? Apply to drive with Lyft now!

If you are interested in driving for Lyft, apply here to get started. Lyft is currently offering bonuses of up to $500 for new riders (varies by city) so sign up now to take advantage and start turning your car into a cash machine!