RIDEGURU
Hi, I’m new to the forum. One of the reasons I was invited by the CEO is because I drive for 6 apps, 3 of which are for kids. I’m the San Francisco Bay Area and drive for HopSkipDrive, Kango and Zūm. HopSkipDrive is also available in L.A. and Denver, and Zūm in L.A. I’d like to hear from anyone who drives for any of these companies. If there are other kid rideshare drivers out there in other areas, also make yourself known.
For those you unfamiliar with kid rideshare, it’s typically for kids 5-17, though there can be younger children or even adults as well. Driver screening is more thorough, including fingerprinting. Drivers must have experience working with children. Some may count parenting. I’m a teacher. Rides are generally scheduled in advance. Single rides can be scheduled, but most rides are recurring (going to and from school M-F is very common). You will always know the destination and pay for the ride before you accept it. You can also choose how far you’re willing to drive. Rates are higher for parents because the companies have insurance that will cover unaccompanied minors. Parents are notified when the driver arrives, they can track their chikd’s Ride on the app and are notified when dropoff is complete. There is someone in the office monitoring all rides and if anything arises, help is just a phone call away.
Comments
Boston driver here. We have one company here called Sheprd. I thought about applying, but they seem to be very selective and they provide their fleet of cars (i.e. All Land Rovers.). Doesn't seem much like a rideshare but more of a school bus driving.
The diver schedules are henerated on a periodic basis and they are adjusted on a daily basis. It seems like a regular car service.
Are other companies like that? I think Sherprd is the only one in Boston that takes kids. (I think.)
Kango in the San Francisco Bay Area has both drivers in their own cars and company-provided vans. I drive my own car.
Thanks. Naturally, the conversation moves to the insurance if you are driving your own car. Are you an independent contractor? And who pays for the liability insurance? Is it similar to Uber's?
Driving kids must require crazy and special insurance policies, I'm thinking. One thing I know not to do is to open myself up for big liability.
The rideshare companies provide the insurance. Drivers just need their personal insurance like Uber and Lyft. I also have a separate rideshare policy. It’s more expensive to ride with the kid rideshare companies due to the insurance that covers unaccompanied minors.
Zemcar is available. I'm pretty sure it started here.
It says they pay 1.5x to 2.0x more than Uber
https://www.zemcar.com/driver
That page says they provide insurance but it's only for during rides. So you aren't covered when ou are waiting or on the way to the pickup.
That scares me.
Yeah, but in regards to the kids thing, you just want to make sure you are covered for when you are with the kids, right?
Other times, your personal polcy should cover you. (And yes I know there's a gray area when you are on the way to the pickup.)
That’s why you get rideshare insurance, to fill in the gray areas.
Oh, that's what that is? I thought it was just a way for the insurance companies to barge you more money.
I guess it is, because they're supposed to covering me for all legs, at least all legs when I'm not driving customers.
Isn't Safr from Boston?
I do have a lot of questions on these kid rideshares. I mean lots. The biggest question I have is how much you can make while babysitting kids. I assume there's a lot more trouble, messiness, more time incurred on pickups and drops-offs, etc. Not sure if it's worth it.
I've spoke to a few who tried it and they told me they do pay better, but how much better?
Zūm and Kango also offer sitting services. I don’t do that. I only drive. You can choose to drive only locally to keep time on pickups down. I’m willing to drive longer distances for pickups. I average $20 per ride. And most of the business is from 3-5 pm, when it’s ususlly slow with Uber and Lyft. It’s also busy before school, but since I’m a teacher, I don’t do mornings. Kids are much better behaved than many adults! And less messy too.
As a woman driver, I need to be concerned with my safety as well. Kid rides allow me to drive mostly during the day. I don’t really like driving late nights. If I do drive late, I do airport pickups.
Those are solid arguments. I particularly like how they provide work during Uber/Lyft's slow periods and how it enables you to drive during the day.
No money in the world will make me drive other people's bratty kids. It's hard enough with adults, where I'm on a three weekend puke streak. I don't need to add juice spills and Cheerios on the floor
Yes, bratty. How can they not be taking $25 rides to soccer practices, each way. These aren't the regular kids you see at town pools.
I’ve only had one problem child. I was given a negative rating, and when they do that, you will be blocked from their account. The kids I’ve had have been very well behaved. I don’t allow food in my car. Many of my kid passengers are actually 17-18 year olds, on an internship with Genesys Works, so they are really like adults. Most of them work at high tech companies in the South Bay, from San Jose to Redwood City, and they have been a pleasure to give rides to.
They should make it so kids can be banned and deactivated. We all know some kids can be punks and are troublemakers.
and yes, drivers should be able to put kids on the blacklist, just as the kids (and their families) can.
Actually, since you have experience, here is my question to you:
Do you rate the kids too and can you block certain kids from appearing?
Hi Kristen, thanks for the post. My company Kidcaboo, including our apps, is a Driving Nanny service for children. We begin service in NJ and in multiple other states beginning this August. Our website it www.kidcaboo.com. Please let me know if you have questions. Again, thanks for the post and stay well! Best, Rebecca Lock
LA the lunie toons of America . if I'm going to drive kids I will get a job as a school bus driver where I get paid an hourly salary plus full benefits and a 401K plan
Does anyone know how these companies are doing? Like profitability? or are they having issues like all other rideshares? I suppose many are just trying to get the idea/concept to take off. Probably all in a investing mode and working at a loss.
Uber and Lyft are always the ones in the media. The kid rideshare companies are so much smaller and I’ve never seen anything in the media about their profitability, only about their existence. One of the supervisors at Kango told me she used to work for another kid rideshare company that is no longer operating. HopSkipDrive recently expanded to Denver after just being in the S.F. Bay Area and L.A., but that still doesn’t say anything about their profits.
I really wish these were available in Seattle. Uber did it briefly.
Wait, what. Uber did this? UberKids?
but if it's gone now, I guess it didn't work out. Probably too complex and too much on liability.
Have you tried Pogo? https://ride.guru/content/newsroom/rideshare-services-for-children
Pogo is just a software that you parents can use to organize a bunch of parents to drive. I don't think they act as a rideshare company. not ad-hoc.
6 apps!! That's a lot.
Have to admit, it is a little intimidating… however, it might be fun. As long as there are good security measures in place... I like the tracking part... I might be willing to give it a go. However, I do not think there is anything like this in Charlotte, NC
It would seem improbable that you could make much in a day, as I would think there are probably only a narrow field of hours these rides are needed.