How to Become an Uber Driver – Requirements and Tips

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Uber managed to turn the old tradition of waving at a taxi or calling a local car service for reservation into secure service where one can call a car or taxi via a smartphone from any location.

Driving for Uber means flexibility because drivers are allowed choosing their own hours to work. Besides, they decide where to drive – in their own area or far away from it to spend a week at the seacoast, for example. Uber has a partnership with plenty of stores, garages, and other companies. What does it mean for drivers? As their car drive every day so that they need only high-quality spare car parts, for example, the best AGM battery charger or jump starters. So, they always get discounts as Uber partners.

Who Can Become an Uber Driver?

UberX, XL, Select, and POOL are the Uber services that require no commercial license or commercial insurance from drivers. What do they really need?

  • The age 21 and over.
  • Social security number.
  • The licensed experience if driving at least 1 year.
  • A car is no older than 10 years.
  • In-state auto insurance and license.

Uber Black and SUV services work for the elite segment that’s why the drivers should own late-model premium vehicles, have commercial licensing, and registration.

How to Register as Uber Partner?

After the applicant has checked the correspondence to the requirements, he/she should sign up online and provide for personal data including the type of vehicle. Before sending photos with the car, note that one should pass a safety inspection.

However, sometimes Uber arranges free inspections for their drivers (in large cities mostly). After online registration, select the city in the special sector on the Uber’s website. Then, choose a topic in Local Driver Guide to see the available services for inspection.

The next step is to apply all the necessary documents’ copies on the Uber’s website for their verifying, submission, and approval. If everything is okay, the confirmation will be sent to your account. Before driving, set the schedule to start and stop receiving ride requests with the aid of special mobile apps.

The rides are paid weekly by direct deposit, so a bank account is crucial.

How to Succeed in Uber Driving?

The quality of the car is meaningful because the majority of Uber client expects the increased vehicles. They want much space for both friends and luggage. Besides, one should keep his/her car clean smell-free. That means the drivers shouldn’t eat in the car and always remove rubbish and dust carefully.

Try to provide extras for the clients – water, candies, mobile charger, and other things may become very important for a passenger.

However, not stuff but information is of the greatest value. Use GPS to choose the optimal way and to arrive on time. Sometimes the passengers prefer their own routes. In this case, it is possible to use the Uber’s Driver app with a map onboard. When dealing with the driver’s local area, it is important to know not only the names of the streets but also their life – news, sights, and events.

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John is a serial entrepreneur and writer who is passionate about helping small businesses launch and grow. His work has been featured in Huffington Post, Entrepreneur, and Forbes.