Spotlight on the fast-paced driving scene in Austin

Interview with Anthony, a veteran driver

Austin is one of the cities in particular that's got us jazzed about the future of transportation network companies. Drivers have adopted fast, been hyper-connected, and now have supportive regulation to grow even faster.

Hundreds of Lyft and Uber drivers are now driving in Austin since ridesharing launched their this past spring, and over 100 of them are using SherpaShare.

Lyft and Uber rally in Austin

Anthony's one of the veteran drivers in Austin, who's been championing ridesharing as well as championing SherpaShare. We caught up with him earlier this week:

Sherpa: Hey Anthony, tell us about driving in Austin and when you first started?

Anthony: I have been driving since the very beginning in Austin, six months ago. I started with Uber then signed up for Lyft 3 weeks later. I drive part-time and continue my consulting job, where I work mostly from home. I hope to continue to drive as long as it is worthwhile.

Sherpa: Why has ridesharing grown so fast in Austin, and why have so many started using Sherpa?

Since ridesharing came to Austin in the spring, the local media has helped promote it while the city has been debating about how to respond. The City Council debate has brought a lot of local attention to these services and help grow the local Facebook groups. Around the same time, many of us started using SherpaShare and sharing it on our local Facebook groups. We're very engaged drivers who were looking for more information. Some of the Sherpa data has helped us new drivers realize that actually a) the Austin driving community is growing and b) there is money to be made in this business.

Austin is a young, high tech city and very well connected to others. It still seems like a smaller city to me, but it is #11 in population in the USA. So we are not as small as we used to be.

Sherpa: So what are your top tips for drivers looking to make more money and get the most out of driving?

Drive for as many platforms as possible. You never know when one platform is busy and the other is not. Work when other drivers are not working. Early mornings are great for airport runs and of course Friday and Saturday nights. After 2AM is always a hot time, but you need to be willing to risk taking the drunks home.

Sherpa: What worries you most about driving?

A couple things that can get to me: Picking up drunks late at night and having to deal with them. And secondly, over saturation of the market with drivers. Finding the balance between supply and demand is always a challenge, and there's a concern that demand may not grow as fast for all of the new drivers.

Left to right, Amy, Josh, City Council Member Chris Riley, a big supporter of Austin ridesharing, Anthony, and Raul

Connect with drivers in your city and track your earnings and mileage. Sign up for free.

austin, lyft, uber, driving, regulation,

Also read: Fresh Tax Savings Tips for Freelancers...