Uber Drivers in Houston: List of frequently asked questions, and my experience

Help me help you. We both get a bonus if you use this link: https://get.uber.com/drive/?invite_code=xxcy5km8v


If you use it, leave a comment so we can help each other out. I plan on writing an ebook with the tips I learn. And there are a lot of them!

I added a section in my Amazon store of gear I have that I recommend:

http://astore.amazon.com/roblog02-20?_encoding=UTF8&node=8



I have some angles on this. Hopefully this will give you a few ideas. We have a good household income but I'm doing it for a few reasons:

• It looks like it might be interesting. I don't plan on driving late at night or in bad neighborhoods. My wife works downtown so if I meet her I can pick up a fare afterwards. Her work pays for Uber trips all the time so guess who's going to do those and get paid to pick up and drop off their own wife? :)
• I work at the airport, so if the mood strikes, I can pick up a fare there then go home. Since I live WAY across town, I have to go across Houston anyway.
• I live in a good neighborhood with busy affluent people, so I can earn a little income here and there and get to know my neighbors.
• I have an electric car I can charge for free in many places, and cheap at home. About 2-2.5 cents per mile. No real maintenance other than tires so far in almost 50K miles because the factory tires are JUNK on a Nissan Leaf

Experiences:

• iDentogo where you get your fingerprints let me just walk in a couple hours before my appointment because I was already in the area for my FAA physical. (I'm an airline pilot.) About 1130AM in the Pearland location on a Tuesday. NOBODY was there. I saw maybe 2-3 other people and it takes 5 mins.
• USA Mobile Drug Testing at the Chimney Rock location had 1-4 people maybe the whole time I was there. I called ahead and they said to walk in. They looked at my FAA physical and did a quick job. About 30-45 mins total for physical and drug test. I said if I can physically clear for a job flying jets, I ought to be ok to drive cars. There's a What-a-Burger practically across the street if you have a bit of a wait.
• The Houston Uber office is down the street from the drug test place. I got my trade dress even though my background clearance wasn't in. I showed them my drug and physical paperwork (non-sealed copy) and they let me in since I'd already spent $50. It's their policy not to let you have it until you clear, I guess for safety since you could be a fake Uber driver but it's an easy to copy sign and no one know what they are supposed to look like anyway. I get it but kind of silly IMHO. 
• You might want to pick up a fire extinguisher there (required for TNC in Houston) for $15. If not, the #1 seller on Amazon is only $20: http://amzn.to/1S2VcaO Free shipping with Prime which has a free trial: Try Amazon Prime 30-Day Free Trial
• Wal-Mart has a fire extinguisher that meets the 5 B:C requirement for $9.96. It says 'Marine' but the 5 B:C is what matters and it has that.
• My Background check took the longest. The one Uber does. It took 14 days.

Tips:

• I didn't see it anywhere else but the TNC gives you a sticker, so I guess you have to bring all the cars you might use downtown. Will report back on if they let you move the sticker. Update: Nope, they stuck it on the windshield, but the airport sticker they just handed me. Someone said they put theirs on a piece of plexiglas and stuck that in the windshield.

Want to see the secret video on how to use the driver app before you sign up?

As of 4/6/2016, my background check has been going on for 6 days, so I'll end here and update when there's more news.