Driving during the summer has its ups and downs. On the one hand, you might notice an increase in ride demand in places full of tourists and events. On the other hand, you might experience a slower pace as many people leave to go on holidays. It really depends on the city where you work. But it also depends on how well you know some tips and tricks to increase your earnings!

Tips to earn more money as a driver during the summer

1. Keep an eye open for upcoming special events

Events happening in your city will likely mean a bigger demand for driving services. Because of that, it’s good to be aware of festivals, fairs, games, concerts etc happening in your city. Check the local events schedule ahead of time and make sure to work on those days! Working on days when a lot of people is typically off can also mean an increase in your earnings, such as working on the 4th of July.

There are plenty of jobs available in many parts of the world! If you want to look into driving jobs in your area, check Lyft and Uber for Canada and the US, or ViaVan and Bolt for Europe.

2. Learn some interesting things to share about your city

This applies to you if you want to become a driver in tourists cities. When you’ll be giving a ride to tourists, they might ask you for recommendations, such as the best restaurants, the place most worth going etc. Try to prepare for that and have some information handy (almost like a tourist guide!), know what’s unique to the city you live in – that can definitely increase your chances of tips in the summertime!

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3. Keep an eye on the airports

Another tip on how to make more money driving is to keep an eye on the nearby airports. If you live close to a busy airport, you can try driving there to get rides with the passengers arriving at your airport. You can take a look at the airport’s online arrival board to figure out at what time of the day you can expect the most passengers.

4. Find out what are the best hours to drive

Getting good earnings on driving apps is all about driving smartly and strategically, and one important step to do that is to learn what are the best hours to drive in your city. Once you start driving you’ll start noticing when you get more and when less work, so in your early days experiment and try driving at different times of the day to get a good perception.

Also be aware of bonuses available during the busiest times – with Lyft it’s called Primetime and with Uber look for Surge. Getting rides marked with those labels means you will get paid extra for them.

5. Go the extra mile to make your passengers more comfortable

If you’re trying to work out how to get more money driving with Lyft or Uber, then making sure your car is clean is an important thing you might have been missing. Preferably vacuum it after every shift, make sure it smells nice, take it frequently to the car wash. This will make your passengers more comfortable, and will increase your chances for tips and getting good ratings. You can also think about getting a radio for your car which will allow your passengers to plug in their phones and play their own music, or providing a charger your passengers can use to charge their phones during the ride.

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6. Get the snacks ready

Another one of the tips for drivers to make more money in the summer is to have some small refreshments ready in your car that you can offer to your passengers. This could be things such as a cooler with water on hot days, mints, snacks, etc. Not everyone will take some but everyone will appreciate it, which will reflect in your ratings and your tips. And tips are especially important if you’re dealing with the lower demand during summertime!

7. Don’t follow the crowds

Use the passenger app to see where are the most drivers. The more drivers there are in an area, the lower your chances of getting a ride there. If you’ve been waiting for a long time for a passenger without success, this could be the reason why. So, check out the location of other drivers in the app and go to places that have fewer drivers there instead.

8. Drive smartly

When you’re waiting for a passenger, don’t drive around – remember that you’ll have to cover the cost of gas. Try to find parks, parking lots and areas that are good for waiting for your next ride and are close to busy areas.

Another thing to keep in mind is the time you spend waiting on your passengers. You have the option to cancel the ride and receive a cancellation fee if the passenger is late and is not showing up. If the app suggests to you that you can now cancel the ride, you should probably do it. Remember that every minute you spend waiting you could be making money giving a ride to someone else.

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9. Sign up for multiple apps

A good tip for drivers to make more money in the summer is to use two apps at the same time. Once you accept a request from one app, go quickly to another app and set yourself as offline. After the ride, once you find yourself waiting for the next passenger, you can set yourself as online again on both apps to increase your chances for getting that ride. And make sure to use referral bonus codes – using someone else’s referral code will give you bonus money on the start.

If you’re wondering which apps could you be drive with, you can take a look at Lyft and Uber in Canada and the US, or ViaVan and Bolt if you live in Europe. You can also combine your driving gig with working with food delivery apps, such as Postmates or DoorDash.

10. Get ready for your taxes

When you’re working as a driver, you can deduct some expenses you made for your car or while you were driving from your taxes. That can mean the cost of gas, car washes, air fresheners, snacks you’ll be offering to your passengers etc. In order to be able to deduct some expenses from the taxes you will need the receipts, so make sure you keep the receipts after each purchase! This can save you a lot of money in your taxes.

Make the best of your driving gig this summer

Hopefully, you’ll have many tourists visiting and events happening in your city this summer and making a good paycheck with your driving gig won’t be a problem. But even if summer is a slow period in your area, with these tips you can keep on track and make sure you’ll have good earnings at the end of the week!

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