16 Must-Haves Before You Start Driving
Must Haves BEFORE You Start Driving
Once you make the decision to make money with your miles by driving for Uber, it goes without saying that you would want to make sure that your driving skills are in order and up to par. However, once you get on the road there is certainly more to this ride-sharing thing than just driving. lf you ever rode in a taxi or bus, I’m pretty sure that you would not appreciate getting into a vehicle that is dirty, dingy, and full of unpleasant odors. As a driver, you should be inclined to prevent your passengers from ever feeling that way in your space by providing great road service. Doing so, demands you to make several investments that would ensure a good riding experience and generally, be in your best interest to have anyway. Below are several items that are highly suggested for you to have in your ride-sharing experience.
Smart Phone
This would seem obvious to many. However, there are still people who carry flip phones. Uber is a technology company and their driver app does not download on flip phones. Therefore, a smartphone is essential.
Another thing that is worth mentioning is to drive for a few days using different navigation apps that are used by whichever rideshare company you are driving for. These apps are usually Google Maps and Waze. It is a good idea to get familiar with each app to get an idea which one you are comfortable with.
Car Phone Chargers
I can tell you from experience that navigation uses up a lot of your phone battery in a very short amount of time. It happened to me on my first day of driving. Within two hours of driving, I noticed that my battery was extremely low and actually died just as I was ending my second trip. It occurred to me that I had no car chargers and had to stop and look for a place to purchase some, which cost me time and money.
You’ll need several chargers because in addition to your phone, it is quite common to have passengers who need to charge their phones as well. I recommend carrying at least 3 chargers: 1 for your phone, and 2 for riders. One of those two should be an iPhone charger.
Phone Mount
It should go without saying that every driver should have their cellphone mounted. This enables safety by making it easy for you to glance at directions on your navigation while driving. Holding your phone while driving is extremely dangerous because it will force you to take your eyes off the road. It’s also against the law and will subject you to harsh penalties that you definitely want to avoid as a driver. Yeah. I’m aware that some of you “know how to do it” without anything happening. Yeah, sure. No matter how well you think that you can do it, that day will come when you wish you didn’t, if you’re even able to wish at all. Please, just put safety first and avoid it all together.
There are 2 kinds of phone mounts that are commonly used: windshield and air vent mounts. It should be said that both forms are sufficient but they each come with their own drawbacks. The windshield mounts tend to fall at some point due to moisture developing between the cup of the mount and the windshield. Air vent mounts, though they will always stay in place, can be risky in the Winter time because they expose your smartphone for long periods of time to the heat, which can cause you phone to overheat. Consequently, these are things that you’ll want to take into consideration when choosing which type to go with.
If you want to order a mount, take a look at some here.
E-Z Pass
E-Z is a toll collection system that is done electronically rather than by cash exchange. In fact, it is rapidly becoming the sole method of regulating the passage of vehicles through toll roads and soon to be mandatory, leaving cashless tolling to be obsolete. As a driver you will bound around your city, be travelling from borough to borough regularly, and even to neighboring states from time to time. So it’s inevitable that you’ll have to pass through an E-Z Pass. You will need to go to the E-Z Pass website (here) in order to open a prepaid account. How it works is that you will have to put a certain amount of money in your account (at your choice) with a minimum. Every time you pass through an E-Z Pass your sticker is scanned and a certain amount of money is deducted from your account. Once your account goes under the minimum, you’ll get notified to replenish the account. You’ll also need to order a transponder, a small electronic device that holds your E-Z Pass tag. Additionally, you need a sticker to mount the transponder to your windshield.
Dashboard Camera
This is undoubtedly the most important items to invest in. Having a camera in your car is a very powerful tool in protecting yourself and substantiate your innocence in just about any situation.
Generally, once the camera is set up, it will automatically begin recording both on both the inside and outside of your car, facing frontward. Therefore, you will be able to document everything that takes place around you during your trip including your rides and passengers in your car, accidents, attempted robberies, any encounters with the police, and your general whereabouts.
For anyone looking into getting a one, I recommend the VanTrue Dash Cam N2 Pro. Check it out.
Cleaning Items
Portable Hand Vacuum
As a rideshare driver, you will have various people in and out of your vehicle regularly, likely everyday. Subsequently, these people will coming from the beach to work on a construction site and your car will eventually get messy. So it’s inevitable that you will need to clean regularly as well. A portable hand vacuum will do the trick pretty well and also cut down on the expense of always needing to visit the car wash. Cleaning frequency will depend on how often you drive. I recommend cleaning every other day for those drivers who drive full time.
A good and reasonably priced hand choice is a Black and Decker Hand Vacuum.
Plastic or Latex Gloves
For protecting your hands from bacteria.
An All-Purpose Cleaner Spray
A must have in order to keep your car seats and interior clean from various kinds of stains and spills.
A good choice is a Super Cleaner from CarGuys
Disinfectant Wipes
For smaller stains and marks.
Disinfectant Spray
Kills germs in the air and on surfaces. Check some out.
Air Freshner
Again, with having many people in and out of your vehicle on a regular basis, they will bring many different smells. Sometimes, not so good for several different reasons. This will just keep your car smelling fresh at opportune times. I like Febreze.
Microfiber Wiping Rags
Highly absorbent fabric wipes that are great for windows and other surfaces. If you want some look here
Goo Gone Degreaser
This remover is excellent in removing more stubborn substances like gum and glue.
Click over here to take a look at this great product.
Rain X
This is an excellent product that acts as both a glass cleaner and rain repellant. Just spray some on your windshield and all other windows while it’s raining and wipe them all down. As you’re driving, you will notice that your windows will not be affected by the rain and will be reduced to small balls at the most. That’s great technology right? So no excuses for not driving because of a little rain.
Take a look over here for more
Care Bags (Vomit Bags)
This item is one that would prevent a gruesome cleaning situation. Care bags are good to have at any given time of the day, but particularly good to have at night. Night time, especially Friday and Saturday nights, are typically the more festive times when people partying and out and about. Therefore, they are more likely to be drinking excessively and sometimes they have a little too much, which can lead to vomiting in your car. Care bags will prevent that from happening and you will be glad for that. I always like to have these available. I put them in my back seat pockets and glove compartment. If you sense that this will happen with any of your passengers, just let them know that the bags are available.
I recommend bags made by CareBag. They have a nice mechanism of a pad at the bottom of the bags that absorbs the vomit and a drawstring to close the bag to further prevent any mess.
Facial Tissue
These are for you or your passengers whenever anyone needs them to pick or blow your nose when you are able. Place them in areas that are accessible to you and your riders.
I recommend Kleenex Multicare tissues. These are larger, more durable tissues that can be used for other purposes such as wiping your hands.