RIDEGURU
On-demand dominates the news, but there are many companies that are catching up with Uber and Lyft tech to carve out business in the high-end ride niche. Here are two.
GroundLink - Black-car service that specializes in scheduled rides for airpot and corporate transit. Offers on-demand rides in NYC, Chicago, Dallas, Houston, and Boston. Pricing is similar to UberBlack and Black SUV
Blacklane - A professional car service that focuses on pre-arranged airport trips. Pricing is on par with UberBlack and Black SUV. Offers scheduled rides, not on demand
I noticed that GroundLink hires 'independent operators,' so I looked into the driver requirements to see what it takes to join GroundLink. In short, GroundLink is looking for existing commercial drivers who already have the licensing, insurance, and high-end vehicles that a pro livery drivers would need to operate. The benefit to drivers or fleet owners is joining a network that provides jobs and an app interface to accept and rides and collect payment.
GroundLink driver requirements & a job overview
Who are these services for? When would you use them instead of Uber or Lyft? Based on the pricing (generally several times more expensive than Uber or Lyft), these services are intended for corporate travelers, or those who want to pay extra for a nicer ride and a true scheduling feature.
I used GroundLink while traveling abroad. I needed to catch a 3am ride to a 6am international flight, and I was NOT going to leave that ride up to chance -- I've had Uber drivers decline long trips to the airport in the past. So I paid a little extra to schedule a ride days in advance and get contact info of the driver far ahead of time.
Comments
My impression was that I am definitely open to using their services, but they just do not seem "on-demand" enough. I want little car icons swimming around on my phone, and I want to summon one within minutes.
I did just look into them, and one good thing I learned is that while you do have to "book them in advance", they can be available as quickly as 1 hour. That ain't bad. For trips to the airport? I'd rather take that reliability.
Don't you need a livery license to drive for either of these services? That's a bar usually too high for people who drive for Uber and Lyft.
Related question. Do all UberBlack drivers have livery license? No, right?
Yes, you need a livery license for GroundLink and Blacklane. The same goes for UberBlack. All 3 can be used by livery services to fill their books if they have any gaps. So you're right, it is a high bar for Uber or Lyft drivers and I try to emphasize that in the articles I linked. I have heard from some rideshare drivers who decided it was worth it to go full livery in their markets.
I've used Limos.com. Learned about JayRide and zTrip. There are so many limo companies who are all equipping themselves with nice apps. I welcome these advancements.
Such commodity now. and these are all livery driver networks.All drivers sign up for these