As a rideshare driver, you rely on your smartphone and your vehicle to earn a living. What happens if your vehicle needs to be repaired because of an accident or wear and tear?
Here’s how to handle the situation:
Get Your Vehicle in the Shop ASAP
Cars need to be repaired from time to time. It’s par for the course when you own a vehicle. But don’t put off these repairs. Get them taken care of ASAP. Otherwise, they can turn into more extensive, costly repairs in the long run.
The sooner you get your car to the shop, the quicker you can get back on the road and start earning again.
If you’re worried about the cost of the repairs, you might consider borrowing from friends or family, taking out an installment loan, or using a credit card. None of these scenarios are ideal, but if you rely on ridesharing to make a living, you need to get back on the road to start earning again.
Get a Replacement Ride to Continue Earning
Once you have your car in the shop, you’ll need to figure out a way to continue driving and earning as a rideshare driver.
If the repairs will only take a day, it may not be worth looking for a replacement ride. But if your car will be in the shop for a few days or a week, you’ll need to get back on the road to start earning.
There are a few things you can do, but it’s important to note that you cannot use a random rental company to rent a vehicle and drive for Uber or Lyft.
If you share an insurance policy with a spouse, partner, friend or family member, you may be able to use his or her vehicle to drive for Uber or Lyft.
If this isn’t an option, you can opt to rent a vehicle through Uber’s or Lyft’s rental program. Keep in mind that these programs are only available in select cities.
Lyft has partnered with Hertz for their rental program (you must be 25 years of age or older to participate), and it’s available in the following cities: Portland, Dallas, Atlanta, Baltimore, Las Vegas, Chicago, Boston, Orlando, Pittsburgh, Nashville, Miami, Denver, Orange County, San Diego, New Orleans, Tampa Bay, San Jose, Sacramento, Phoenix, San Francisco, Seattle, Salt Lake City and Washington, D.C.
Uber has partnered with Hertz, fair and Getaround to offer car rentals to their drivers. Again, each program is only available in select cities, so you’ll need to check with Uber to see if a rental service is available to you. Right now, Getaround is only available in the San Francisco Bay area, but you can rent vehicles by the hour.
Maintain Your Vehicle to Prevent Future Repairs
Every vehicle will need to be serviced at some point, but maintaining your vehicle can help prevent future repairs.
Both Uber and Lyft offer discounts and special promotions on maintenance to help keep your vehicle in tip top shape.
