Contemporary Authors

• The Rideshare Guide: Everything You Need to Know about Driving for Uber, Lyft, and Other Ridesharing Companies - 2018 Skyhorse Publishing, New York, NY

• Harry Campbell Home Page - http://harrygcampbell.com/about/

  Harry Campbell is a renowned blogger, writer and entrepreneur. Despite formally studying and working for 6 years as an aerospace engineer, in 2015, Harry gave that all up to pursue his passion of blogging and entrepreneurship.

  Harry is most well known for his industry leading blog and podcast, The Rideshare Guy, that reaches hundreds of thousands of viewers each month. Harry has quickly evolved into an industry expert with appearances in prestigious media outlets like The New York Times, CNET, BuzzFeed and NPR.

  He is also a contributing tech writer for Forbes and his writing has been featured in top tech publications like WIRED, Fusion & Business Insider. When Harry isn’t working though, he enjoys traveling the world with his wife, a medical student in Southern California.

• Quoted - https://www.thezebra.com/insurance-news/5728/rideshare-guy-interview/

  QUOTED: "Over the years, I’ve personally talked to over 50,000 drivers by e-mail, phone, social media and in-person and learned a lot. This book is my attempt to consolidate all of that knowledge, plus my own driving experience in order to give drivers everything they need to be successful at rideshare driving."
  "Rideshare driving (and delivery and all the apps/tech associated with the gig economy) isn’t going away, so I thought it was necessary to write this book for people who are curious about rideshare but haven’t yet dipped their toes in, and for people who are rideshare driving right now but may not be aware of everything that goes into rideshare driving. It truly is like running a business, and many people don’t realize that."
  "this is definitely the most in-depth resource I’ve ever created. It takes all the guides I’ve made in the past, plus all the countless articles on taxes, business information, strategies and so much more and coalesces them into an easy to read book. You could find a lot of this information in the RSG archives, but the book organizes everything I’ve written, plus includes updates to reflect the current state of rideshare driving."

  One on One: A Chat with the Rideshare Guy, Harry Campbell
  May 30, 2018
  Rideshare, one of our favorite topics here at The Zebra, has (in a word) exploded. According to a recent report by Intuit, it has officially solidified itself as an integral part of the independent workforce — another recent asset to overall economic growth in developed countries. As one of the first sectors in this new gig economy, the rideshare industry has witnessed a tremendous amount of social, technological, and legal change. Whether you are a driver or rider, you’ve undoubtedly been affected by this upheaval in some way.

  harry campbell - the rideshare guy
  Rideshare enabled one man to make an abrupt (and positive) change away from engineering, to pioneering a trail for other drivers and riders to follow. We’ve worked with this man, Harry Campbell of TheRideShareGuy.com, many times before and we couldn’t be more delighted to announce his new book, The Rideshare Guide, available now.

  The Zebra was fortunate enough to speak with Campbell about his four-year crash course through the ups and downs of the rideshare industry. Covering everything from five-star ratings to proper tipping etiquette, Campbell has used his considerable experience to help everyone within the industry navigate their own success. If you’ve ever been confused about how rideshare fares are calculated, or the best times to drive, you might want to consider buying a copy.

  But, really, his success speaks for itself.

  The Zebra: Thanks for taking the time to chat with us. You’ve been featured on the Huffington Post, WIRED, and the New York Times. What has your success taught you about the overall industry of rideshare? Of the on-demand economy? Of the gig economy?

  Harry Campbell: Overall, I think one thing I’ve learned is that people really want flexibility in their lives. It’s something many Americans don’t have but crave. If there’s one thing I’ve learned talking to thousands of drivers over the years, it’s that many are willing to give up a bit of security for the flexibility and freedom of the gig economy. It allows many drivers to work part-time, supplementing retirement income, or allows students to make extra money on their free time during the summers, or after class. It allows parents to be home for their kids when they want to be.

  Of course, it’s not this magical, wonderful thing for everyone. Some drivers I’ve spoken with would prefer some security, like paid wages for sick or vacation time off, or subsidized health insurance. But overall, I think there’s still a lot of opportunity for the gig economy to develop into something that befits the 21st century and peoples’ desire for work flexibility.

  TZ: You’ve got quite a serious resume when it comes to the rideshare industry. You started TheRideShareguy.com in 2014. What has changed in the industry since then? What has surprised you about this change?

  HC: That’s a great question — there has been a ton of change in the rideshare industry since 2014. Local governments are finally starting to regulate rideshare driving, although every city seems to be doing it a little differently. The industry has diversified since 2014 in terms of what they offer; Uber and Lyft have introduced UberPOOL and Lyft Line respectively, which somewhat treats a driver’s car like a mini-bus, picking up strangers around the city and dropping them off according to closest destination. This would have been unheard of in 2014.

  TZ: Since you’re the expert, let’s look at the finer points of the gig economy, even those outside of rideshare. Why has there been no definite leader for on-demand food delivery services, i.e. Postmates, UberEats, GrubHub, etc.?

  HC: It seems to me that on-demand food delivery is still hyper-local. There are so many competing companies, and some companies only work in certain markets — and yet are more popular than, say, UberEATS. Also, there’s not as much profit to be made with food delivery given restaurants’ small margins, so that could be another reason why it hasn’t gained in popularity. Finally, there may be a psychological affect in many smaller cities (i.e., not New York City or San Francisco) that people just want to “go out” for their food. Although we’ll see how/if that changes with Millennials and Gen Z!

  TZ: What other industries do you think are ripe for an on-demand overhaul?

  HC: Health care is probably one of the most exciting industries ripe for on-demand overhaul. It seems pretty antiquated that you’re tied to a certain provider at a certain location just because of the health insurance you have. I’m excited that tele-medicine is becoming more popular; it’s touted as being helpful for those living in rural communities, but it’s also incredibly helpful for people living in big cities. Who wants to take their child to the emergency room and spend hours waiting to see a doctor for a sprained arm? Who wants to drive to the doctor and infect the waiting room when they’re laid out with the flu? Much better to call a doctor and talk or see them over the phone — where, for certain conditions, they can diagnose you and call in prescriptions right there.

  In California, there’s already a company called Heal making house calls. I’m curious to see how Heal and other companies shake up the healthcare industry and how it benefits both patients and doctors.

  TZ: Why do you think Uber continues to succeed as a company, despite the overwhelmingly negative press?

  HC: Basically, Uber is the dominant rideshare company. More people have heard of, and therefore use, Uber. With that demand comes drivers. Being “first” in an on-demand market doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll lead. Uber’s done a great job of integrating quickly into markets and becoming the dominant rideshare provider, even though Sidecar was among the first companies out there doing rideshare.

  TZ: As a car insurance comparison engine, we have to ask: what makes understanding rideshare insurance so difficult?

  HC: Many people are confused about when they are covered by Uber and Lyft, how they are covered, and what the process is like going through Uber and Lyft’s insurance. In addition, some people don’t know much about Uber/Lyft’s insurance, so when they get into an accident, they call their insurer first. In many cases, they don’t have specific rideshare insurance — and then their insurer drops them. It can be a real shock.

  Uber and Lyft don’t make it easy to understand or, more importantly, to get a quick resolution when people get into an accident. Until then, the driver is out of a car (in some cases) and out of rideshare driving, which can be a strain financially on some drivers. It’s not something people expect when they get into rideshare driving.

  TZ: The latest buzz about new car technology is, of course, the advent of self-driving cars. Clearly Uber, among many others, is still struggling to work through their issues. Have you heard of any companies that seems to be doing to a better job? What has contributed to their success?

  HC: Several companies are doing a very good job under the radar with self-driving cars, but probably one of the best is Google’s Waymo. Google/Alphabet have spent a long time developing this technology, working with humans and systems to develop smart self-driving cars. It’s definitely not perfect yet, but the fact that they put an emphasis on testing and learning from mistakes is certainly one factor contributing to their success.

  TZ: What do you think of all these companies putting out “half-baked” tech onto public roads?

  HC: I’m not really sure it’s half-baked tech. Sure, Uber did disable some of the safety features on the autonomous vehicles it was testing in Arizona, but there’s also the human error element. Also, local governments have allowed these companies to put the self-driving tech on the road, because of job promises or the desire to be seen as a “tech hub” (as is the case in Arizona). There are clearly some regulation challenges to self-driving cars, but there are few industries that haven’t seen hiccups in the early stages of development.

  Of course, when things like the accident in Arizona happen, I do think the cars should be taken off the road and improvements should be made. At the same time, I don’t think all companies (for example, Google’s Waymo) should be taken off the road because of another company’s serious errors.

  TZ: So, would you take a ride in a self-driving car on the open road (not a parking lot test drive)?

  HC: Yes!

  TZ: Everyone seems to be on the brink of being the first company to revolutionize self-driving cars, but no one has taken the lead. What needs to happen before driverless car technology can be perfected?

  HC: From what I’ve read, there seems to be friction between the human operators and the autonomous driving system. Self-driving cars are either still too cautious or rely too much on humans, which means they are still running into human error.

  TZ: Let’s get to your fantastic new book, The Rideshare Guide. How did it come about? Why was it necessary to write this book now?

  HC: I’ve been driving for Uber and Lyft for five years now and blogging about it the entire time. But four articles a week, 52 weeks a year for five years straight means that there’s a LOT of content on this site. And while a lot of the posts I wrote years ago are still pretty relevant today, they can be hard to find.

  Over the years, I’ve personally talked to over 50,000 drivers by e-mail, phone, social media and in-person and learned a lot. This book is my attempt to consolidate all of that knowledge, plus my own driving experience in order to give drivers everything they need to be successful at rideshare driving.

  Rideshare driving (and delivery and all the apps/tech associated with the gig economy) isn’t going away, so I thought it was necessary to write this book for people who are curious about rideshare but haven’t yet dipped their toes in, and for people who are rideshare driving right now but may not be aware of everything that goes into rideshare driving. It truly is like running a business, and many people don’t realize that.

  TZ: Wow, that’s a lot of experience! But, how is this different from your other guides or resources? What can people expect?

  HC: Well, this is definitely the most in-depth resource I’ve ever created. It takes all the guides I’ve made in the past, plus all the countless articles on taxes, business information, strategies and so much more and coalesces them into an easy to read book. You could find a lot of this information in the RSG archives, but the book organizes everything I’ve written, plus includes updates to reflect the current state of rideshare driving.

  TZ: Your number one tip for new drivers is to ride as a passenger. What did you learn on your first ride as a passenger and how did you incorporate it into your own driving?

  HC: I learned to drive like there’s a baby in your back seat. A lot of drivers forget that their passenger may not like an aggressive driving style and they should consider that.

  TZ: What’s one great and one not-so-great experience you’ve had using Lyft/Uber, either as a driver or passenger?

  HC: I don’t have any real horror stories, like being robbed or assaulted, but obviously when there are millions of rides every day, some bad things are bound to happen. No one has puked in my car (yet), but I do take precautions like providing vomit bags and generally just keeping an eye on people in my back seat. If you drive the party hours though, it’s bound to happen eventually.

  I’d say the worst thing that has ever happened to me was just having to deal with extremely unruly passengers. I had a group of college guys once who were just over the top drunk, not wearing seatbelts, yelling at me, threatening me, etc. One of them even opened the door while we were driving down the street! It was one of my first rides and I honestly didn’t handle the situation very well, but if that were to happen again, I’d be much better prepared.

  However, there are a lot of good stories to choose from but one of my favorite rides to this day was a pick-up in Los Angeles of a very elderly gentleman. His nephew had installed and setup the Uber app on his phone and it was his first ride ever, but he managed to request a car and he got me. He was pushing 80, yet very active, and we had an awesome 45-minute ride where we talked all about his life, why he was out in LA, and how Uber was already changing the way he could get around the city. It was really inspiring to hear how he planned on using Uber going forward to meet friends he hadn’t seen in a while and get around the city.

  TZ: Thanks so much, Harry! Best luck with the new book and we’re looking forward to hearing your take on what’s to come from the rideshare industry.

• Forbes - https://www.forbes.com/sites/jaclyntrop/2018/06/21/want-to-drive-for-uber-or-lyft-this-guy-wrote-the-book-on-it-literally/#7ad6be753740

  QUOTED: "One of the stories we talk about in the book is that of Herb Coakley, who founded Mystro, a personal assistant app that allows drivers to drive for both Uber and Lyft at the same time. He actually found one of his first investors while driving for Uber in San Francisco and the company went on to raise millions of dollars and get accepted into Y Combinator. Today, it's one of the most popular apps around for rideshare drivers."

  Want To Drive For Uber Or Lyft? This Guy Wrote The Book On It. Literally.
  Jaclyn Trop
  Jaclyn Trop
  Contributor
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  Autos
  I decipher the world of sheet metal for the masses.

  Harry Campbell, a.k.a. The Rideshare Guy, wrote a guidebook on driving for Uber and Lyft.THE RIDESHARE GUY
  Harry Campbell, known as The Rideshare Guy for his eponymous blog, podcast, and YouTube channel, knows a thing or two about driving for Uber and Lyft. His recently published guidebook for rideshare drivers, The Rideshare Guide: Everything You Need to Know about Driving for Uber, Lyft, and Other Ridesharing Companies serves as the definitive playbook for a fast-growing segment in the gig economy.

  With more than two million rideshare drivers in the U.S. alone, Campbell has a readymade market for his book. “There are many drivers who aren't connected online but still have a lot of questions about driving for Uber and Lyft, and I wrote this book to help them, answer their questions, and connect them to resources out there,” he told Forbes.

  Campbell started working as a part-time driver in 2014 and quickly began earning more than he did as an aerospace engineer for Boeing. Now, in addition to driving a few hours each week, he coaches potential rideshare drivers on how to sign up, maximize profits, and maintain that elusive five-star rating. From navigating legal matters and tax codes to mediating fights between UberPOOL passengers, The Rideshare Guy tells all.

  What surprised you while researching for the book?

  Just how many people are using rideshare driving as a jump off for other careers, entrepreneurship opportunities, and more. Driving is an excellent way for business-minded people to validate ideas and connect with people. Some of the people I spoke with have gone on to launch apps, successful YouTube careers and more, and none of those things would have happened without ridesharing driving as a catalyst. One of the stories we talk about in the book is that of Herb Coakley, who founded Mystro, a personal assistant app that allows drivers to drive for both Uber and Lyft at the same time. He actually found one of his first investors while driving for Uber in San Francisco and the company went on to raise millions of dollars and get accepted into Y Combinator. Today, it's one of the most popular apps around for rideshare drivers with thousands of paying members and I'm proud to be an advisor for the company.

  Do you think Uber and Lyft (and drivers) are prepared for self-driving vehicles?

  There are a lot of things to tackle before self-driving cars will be mainstream. Beyond the issues they've been having with just driving, there are questions like "How does an AI vehicle handle a drunk passenger? Who cleans up the puke?" I know it sounds like a silly question, but there are a lot of intangible things drivers handle on a daily basis that I'm not sure Uber or Lyft has thought of. Driving for hire seems like an easy job, but once you start doing it, you realize that it's really the ultimate combination of safe driving, navigation, customer service and running your own business. Everything from how to handle two UberPOOL riders who are fighting with each other to knowing how to handle requests for drive thru's, bringing alcohol into the car, and pukers etc. adds a challenging dynamic.
  Are rideshare drivers prepared for self-driving vehicles?

  Many drivers don't stay drivers for long. I would say most drivers driving right now for Uber or Lyft are worried but not too worried as they don't anticipate being around by the time self-driving cars launch. More than 23% of drivers in our 2018 survey indicated that they plan on driving for Uber and Lyft indefinitely so it's clear that a majority of drivers aren't thinking about this gig as a career but more of a stopgap or something that they know won't be around forever.

  What do you think is the biggest challenge rideshare companies face in managing drivers?

  Pay is ultimately the biggest challenge right now. Uber and Lyft are trying to do everything they can do around the edges like investing in customer support and trying to improve pickups and drop offs for UberPOOL. But pay and flexibility are the main things that drivers care about, and everything else just isn’t that important. Until the companies figure out how to price rides for passengers and compensate drivers, driver relations and pay are going to be an issue.

  I am an award-winning journalist and automotive reporter, dividing my time among the car cultures of Los Angeles, Detroit and New York. I was awarded a Knight-Bagehot fellowship in business and economics reporting from Columbia University, where I also earned a master’s degr... MORE

QUOTED: "This is a quick study, though there's a danger that some information could easily become outdated."

The Rideshare Guide: Everything You Need to Know about Driving for Uber, Lyft, and Other Ridesharing Companies
Raymond Pun
Booklist. 114.16 (Apr. 15, 2018): p5.
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2018 American Library Association
http://www.ala.org/aboutala/offices/publishing/booklist/
Full Text:
The Rideshare Guide: Everything You Need to Know about Driving for Uber, Lyft, and Other Ridesharing Companies.

By Harry Campbell.

May 2018. 168p. Skyhorse, paper, $9.99 (9781510735316): e-book (9781510735323). 388.4.

Campbell, a former engineer who began driving for Uber and Lyft before founding TheRideshareGuy.com--a website, blog, and podcast--has been featured in various media outlets for his expertise on the subject. In his first book, he relays how to become a ride-share driver and maximize one's work opportunities doing so. Campbell presents the different levels of company policies and city laws as well as how to manage one's finances as a ride-share driver. This is a quick study, though there's a danger that some information could easily become outdated due to the very nature of the relatively new and rapidly evolving ride-sharing economy. Readers who want to learn more about the sharing economy; current trends in technology, labor, and transportation; or how these ride-share applications work will find useful information here. Frequent customers and drivers of these apps may also be curious about the emerging companies competing for business with Uber and Lyft and how these companies are developing new strategies for success.--Raymond Pun

Source Citation (MLA 8th Edition)
Pun, Raymond. "The Rideshare Guide: Everything You Need to Know about Driving for Uber, Lyft, and Other Ridesharing Companies." Booklist, 15 Apr. 2018, p. 5. General OneFile, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A537267981/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=d8db3ffb. Accessed 30 Sept. 2018.

Gale Document Number: GALE|A537267981

• Chicago Tribune
  http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/columnists/wisniewski/ct-met-rideshare-book-getting-around-20180515-story.html
  Word count: 1140

  'The Rideshare Guy' offers tips to Uber, Lyft drivers
  'The Rideshare Guy'
  Lyft and Uber driver Harry Campbell, aka "The Rideshare Guy," has written a book called "The Rideshare Guide" full of tips for drivers. (Harry Campbell photo)
  Mary Wisniewski Mary Wisniewski Contact Reporter
  Chicago Tribune
  One day, while driving for a ride-hailing company, Harry Campbell was stopped at a red light when all three of his passengers stripped to their underwear, got out of the car, ran around the outside and switched seats. They had lost a bet and this was their punishment.

  It’s the sort of thing that can come up when you are driving for Lyft and Uber, as Campbell has done since 2014. His new book “The Rideshare Guide” contains tips for getting the most out of the job, including understanding surge pricing, dealing with difficult passengers and figuring out your taxes.

  Uber, Lyft and other ride-hailing services have become sources of full or part-time income for millions of people — Uber said it has 900,000 drivers in the U.S. alone. In Chicago, almost 70,000 vehicles provide four or more ride-hailing trips a month, according to city figures.

  But because the industry is so new, there is not much training or information about how to make it a success of it. Campbell, 31, who drives in Los Angeles and runs the popular blog “The Rideshare Guy,” said he wrote the book to help fill that void.

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  “A lot of drivers are looking to get into this and make a couple hundred bucks a week,” said Campbell in an interview. “Once they start doing it, they start learning there’s more to the job than they thought.”

  For example, some drivers do not know that they can get sign-up bonuses, which can range from $25 up to $500 in bigger cities, Campbell said. The book explains the requirements, including an existing driver’s referral link — Campbell offers his own.

  The book also notes the differences between driving for the biggest ride-hailing companies. According to Campbell’s unscientific survey of 1,100 drivers last year, 75.8 percent reported that they were satisfied driving for Lyft, while 49.4 percent said they were satisfied driving for Uber.

  Lyft was the first to offer features like “in app” tipping, which gave it a better reputation among drivers. However, Campbell said drivers believe they get more rides and make more money from Uber.

  More than 67 percent of drivers sign up for more than one company, and Campbell said that is smart, but drivers should wait to get comfortable with one before adding another.

  “Uber and Lyft probably won’t tell you to sign up for your competitor, but I will!” Campbell writes.

  He quit TV to drive for Lyft; now Anthony Ponce is behind the wheel on-screen »

  Campbell also gives advice for getting five-star ratings, which are crucial, since while someone might gladly eat at a four-star restaurant, a four-star driver gets fired. While some drivers try to pump up their ratings by offering amenities like mints and bottles of water, Campbell said the most important consideration for passengers is safe driving and navigation.

  “My best advice is to drive like your toddler is in the backseat,” said Campbell. Another important safety and customer satisfaction tip is to get a phone mount, since no one likes a driver staring at his lap every few seconds.

  Campbell also recommends providing passengers with phone charging cables, and a two-way dashboard camera to provide evidence in case of a crash or misbehaving passenger.

  Campbell offers tips on getting the highest wages while driving, including driving on weekends and during commuting hours, and paying attention to surge pricing — the times when prices are highest due to a lot of demand. He said one key is to “follow the alcohol,” as most people rely on rideshare services when they have been out partying.

  “There are some downsides since you’ll have to drive around a bunch of drunks, but the income usually makes up for it!” Campbell writes.

  Maximizing profits is important since ride-hailing drivers typically do not make much. A report last week by the Economic Policy Institute found that an Uber driver’s wage averages $9.21 an hour, subtracting fees, vehicle expenses and taxes.

  One of the downsides of ferrying drunks is the passenger who loses his dinner — a driver can get a $150 fee for this, but needs to take good pictures to document the mess. Campbell also notes that if a driver reports a “puker” to Uber and then drives soon after, Uber will not reimburse cleaning fees because it looks like it must have not been bad. Campbell recommends drivers clean up, then switch to Lyft for the rest of the night.

  Campbell said he finds most passengers pleasant, and enjoys talking with them. But if a passenger is making a driver feel unsafe, the driver has the right to head to a police station or well-lit gas station and ask the rider to leave.

  Of course, passengers also have charged drivers with bad behavior, and ride-hailing companies have been criticized for how they handle allegations. Both Uber and Lyft last week said they would scrap rules binding passengers and drivers to private arbitration and confidential settlements in cases involving allegations of sexual misconduct.

  Chicago-area Uber driver Tom Haubold, 51, said he is grateful to blogs like “The Rideshare Guy” and other drivers for tips about the business, but he wishes the company itself would offer more training.

  “It would be helpful if Uber had a class to help you know your surroundings if you’re not from the area, and how different things work,” said Haubold.

  Transportation song quiz
  Last week’s transportation song is about a reluctant space traveler, sung by Poe Dameron, Kylo Ren and the man who brought sexy back. The song is “Please Mr. Kennedy,” performed by Osaar Isaac, Adam Driver and Justin Timberlake in the 2013 movie “Inside Llewyn Davis” about a 1960s folk singer. Fran Fredricks, of Elburn, was first with the right answer.

  The lyrics to this week’s song are slightly suggestive, by Edwardian standards. It was often used for car scenes in Warner Bros. cartoons. What’s the song? The first person with the right answer gets a Tribune tote bag, and glory.

  mwisniewski@chicagotribune.com

  Twitter @marywizchicago