The Prepared Driver
Wait!
If you haven’t signed up for a free Amazon Business account yet, you could still potentially get these products with a discount. As soon as I found out Amazon Business customers got discounts on items they bought for their business, I jumped on it! It’s also a very good way to separate your personal purchases from your business-related purchases for an easier tax season. Check it out here.
Now that we’re ready, Here’s the deal: I have found that these ten items helped greatly with my ability to keep my car clean, my customers happy, and my ratings high.
1. Invisible Glass Reach and Clean Combo
It is so easy to grab this cleaner in-between rides when my windows get smudged. The benefit of this cleaner is that it only takes one or two sprays and a quick wipe with the tool provided to get a very good result. The microfiber cloths are machine washable!
2. Pruveeo F5 FHD 1080P Dash Cam with Wifi
When you’re on the road often, you can control your own ability to safely drive your passengers around town. What you cannot control is other drivers. I have two of these cameras constantly recording the cars ahead of and behind me as soon as I start the car. $38! Full review coming soon.
I always have this multi-device charger available for my riders. It is always appreciated whether the passenger has a critical battery or not. If you do not have a charger in your car and your passenger needs one, you risk getting a lower rating for your ride. I also use THIS extension cord to allow the charger to reach in my vehicle. If you have a USB port within 3 feet of your customers in the back, you might not need the extension.
4. Meibei Car Visor Tissue Holder
This tissue holder looks nice. It unzips to allow you to put a box or stack of tissues inside, and zips back so it can be hung on a seat or visor. I actually had this for about a year before driving for rideshare companies since it is such a useful item. It is a tad bulky so I ended up using it on the back of my passenger seat.
Providing a trash can for your customers mitigates the risk of trash being left around your car. I have yet to have issues with customers leaving trash around so I call this one a win! It straps to the back of my console, but it is versatile enough to clip on a seat or the side of the console. Whatever works for you!
Absolutely a must. If you are driving for Uber or Lyft and not using some kind of phone mount, you might want to consider making this change. Trying to navigate and work the app while looking down at your lap or holding up the phone is unsafe. Even if your rider does not complain while you are driving, the effect might show in your ratings or tips.
7. Vomit Bags
I can happily say that I have never had to use these. The idea is that they are there just in case mayhem ensues. If I do have a rider that I am worried about getting sick, I will let them know that I will work with them and pull over whenever we need to. If it doesn’t end up working out that way, these bags are there. They have a very easy to hold plastic rim and can be twisted and clipped into a notch on the rim for easy disposal. If you are planning on driving at night around the bar scene, I would highly recommend these.
8. Waze
This is the best navigation app I have used. Waze stands out in the crowd of map applications because it is social. If someone using the Waze app makes a note that there is a car accident or road obstruction, everyone driving on that route is automatically notified and sometimes re-routed to ensure they get to their destination without hiccups. On the personal side, it also allows you to send your route in real time to a friend or family member so they know when you are arriving.
9. MileIQ
To assist with you staying on top of your taxes effortlessly, the MileIQ app automatically records your drives- all you have to do is classify them as personal or business. The free version allows you to tracK 40 drives per month. I have recently switched to the paid plan since I’ve liked it so far. You can catch it with 20% off of an annual plan by clicking here.
10. Long AUX cable
Passengers light up if you offer for them to play their own music on a long ride or a ride to an event. Naturally, this is an easy way to connect with your riders! If you don’t get this exact cord but you’re still planning on getting one, just keep in mind that it will need to be a decent length for passengers to comfortably use it in the back seat. I would not recommend a bluetooth connection as it might be cumbersome to work with the passenger for them to pair the device as you are driving.
Now, go forth and be great!