One of the best aspects about driving for Lyft is its flexible and on-demand nature. Work when you want for as long as you want definitely has its appeal, making rideshare driving a perfect side hustle for many. The biggest downside to this approach is that an individual has to sacrifice a decent amount of wear and tear and depreciation in the process, as the miles can add up quick.
Enter Lyft's 'Express Drive' program, which allows individuals to drive for the platform even if they don't have an eligible vehicle or want to avoid the downside of racking up the mileage on their own car. Lyft has partnered with both Hertz and GM for separate rental programs.
Currently, the Hertz partnership is the only one available in my city (Denver), though they are very close to launching the GM program. It will be interesting to see how these competing programs work out once they are both in full operation. GM's program seems like it will be the better deal, as the $135 will cover the cost of a midsize vehicle, while the $180 bonus will cover a small SUV.
GM's rental program not available in Denver as of this writing.
The Hertz program allows an individual to rent a midsize vehicle, with choices such as the Hyundai Elantra, Toyota Corolla, Kia Forte, and Chevy Cruze. The rental comes with unlimited mileage, both while in driver mode and offline, and insurance is included with the rental. The cost of the vehicle is $180, with about $27 in taxes (taxes may very depending on your location). This cost can be reduced all the way down to just the taxes if the participant gives a total of 84 rides, 42 of which need to be during 'primetime' hours.
Less Flexibility
This is one aspect of the program I'm not thrilled with, as it basically forces a driver to work during the prime hours, which are 7-10am and 6pm Monday through Friday, 6-8pm and 10pm-3am Friday and Saturday night, as well as 8-10am and 8-10pm on Sunday. These parameters dramatically reduce a driver's flexibility in terms of when they are able to drive, as 42 peak rides is a significant amount to complete. It's certainly feasible, but requires driving both Friday and Saturday night, or going hard all other peak times and then doing a bit of driving either weekend night.
After putting down the $150 deposit required to reserve a vehicle, I picked up my rental Monday morning from Hertz. I could tell how popular the program was, as the two associates were juggling returns and pickups while letting the phone ring incessantly off the hook.
After a short introduction, I was given the keys to the 2015 Kia Forte I would be driving. As a note, I had no choice in what mid-size vehicle I received. I went out driving later that evening for the afternoon commute, and did 7 rides in about 4 hours, totaling $45 after fees. A humble beginning for sure, but hey, it's Monday after all.
Morning Commute Moolah
The next day I gave the early morning commute a try, logging on to the app just after 5am. My first ride request was almost immediate, as the number of drivers logged on at this time is likely lower than most other times. I ended up giving 9 rides in just under 5 hours, totaling approximately $81. A definite improvement over the previous day's earnings for sure.
For my Wednesday shift, I split my time between the morning and the afternoon commutes, giving a total of 8 rides and making $111 in 6 hours. Definitely my best shift thus far, aided by a nice run to the Denver Airport, which is the longest consistent rideshare given in the Denver metro area. I received a return request almost immediately after dropping my passenger off, which is a godsend, as the Denver airport is literally in the middle of nowhere.
Unfortunately, I ended up taking a wrong turn and having to cancel the ride. Bummer, there goes about 30 bucks! I was feeling like getting back home, and turned the app off. Despite the rental program's requirement of a number of peak rides, it's still nice to be able to turn it in for the night when you feel like it. I also like to split my sober coherent riders with the obnoxious drunk ones, so it's nice to avoid a night shift here and there.
After a short shift on Thursday, I was headed into the weekend needing a significant number of rides. Although I could have driven more during the week, I was disappointed that my ride total by Friday was only 35. That meant I had 39 rides to go to make the rental free. A surmountable task, to be sure, but not an easy one.
Weekend Rush
I worked about 5 hours in the evening, and did an impressive 15 rides for a total of $126. The weather was a bit miserable out, as intense bouts of blowing wet snow made for a consistent request pattern. Additionally, Lyft offered drivers an extra $4 per ride from 10pm-2am, on top of whatever the ride request came out to be. I did 12 of these rides during this time, making for an extra $48.
I pushed it hard on Saturday, doing another 20 rides on a shift split between the late morning and evening booze crowd. I ended the day making about $217, which brought my weekend total to $343. It should be no surprise that the most money to be made from rideshare driving is during the weekend night shifts. In fact, I could probably work two 12 hour shifts strategically spread out on Friday and Saturday and give most of the required rides.
I ended the week at 70 rides, which qualified me for the $135 bonus, meaning the rental cost me a total of $72. I could have brought this cost down to just under $27, had I completed an additional 14 rides. Seeing as I did not need the money that badly, I decided against getting the full bonus.
My total earnings for the week: $550, after all Lyft fees. Factoring in gas, my earnings dropped to approximately $470. I was logged into the app for a total of about 33 hours, making my hourly rate come out to $14.25. A decent wage to be sure, though not something I'd get rich off doing. Had I reached the full bonus amount and kept a similar price per ride, my wage would have come out to 15.60.
Final Verdict
Lyft's Express Drive program is a great way for someone who is in between jobs and lacking a suitable vehicle (or vehicle in general) the opportunity to make a decent wage driving strangers around their city. My one week sample size should be factored into this equation, though I also have a friend doing this program for the past 5 months and states his average for a full work week is about 500-600 dollars, which is in line with what I took home.
The obvious downside to the Express Drive rental program, beyond the ride requirements, is that a driver is unable to drive for both Uber and Lyft at the same time, which cuts down on the number of potential ride requests. And those pesky peak ride requirements practically pushes a person to work weekend night shifts, which reduces the 'on-demand' nature of the gig.
Nevertheless, the demand for rides in Denver is high enough to make a decent amount of money driving for Lyft exclusively. I personally enjoy getting the chance to meet people from all walks of life, and will likely continue to do it on the side in the future.
Express Drive is currently available in the following cities, per Lyft's website:
Atlanta | Baltimore | Boston | Chicago | Dallas/Fort Worth | Denver | Detroit | Las Vegas | Los Angeles | Miami | Nashville | Orange County | Phoenix* | Portland | Sacramento | San Diego | San Francisco | San Jose | Washington, D.C.
If you have your own vehicle and would like to sign up using my link, here it is.