| Savings & Tips

Your car becomes a taxi; you choose your route and your passengers; and you set your own hours. Sounds like a pretty great idea, right? That’s what Uber thought when it starting hiring drivers as independent contractors and allowing them to be their own bosses. That idea isn’t just limited to Uber, however. The crowdsourcing model has expanded beyond the taxi or pizza delivery driver model to be more inclusive and, frankly, more fun. Here are four career options to consider if you love to get behind the wheel.

Become a Favor Runner

Ever been asked, “Can you do me a favor?” Answering, “Yes” could now earn you some extra cash. Favor “runners” will deliver basically anything: take-out, groceries, office supplies, or even dog food. You name it, they deliver it. According to the folks at Favor, delivery drivers earn 100% of their tips, at $15 per hour on average, with a guaranteed minimum of $9. If you live in Austin, Boston, Dallas, or Houston, check out your Favor options here. (Among the criteria to be a driver is the need for proof of insurance, so you will need to make sure you have an affordable car or motorcycle insurance rate to make the job financially worthwhile.)

Join Relay Rides

Behold the next step in car-sharing: RelayRides, the peer-to-peer car-share company. Car owners can list their vehicle along with a description, photos, and calendar availability, and searching customers can find, coordinate and book a rental. You can rent your car from your own home, offer the delivery of your car to customers to places like airports, or coordinate with an airport and reserve a spot in an official lot.

Become a Courier

Couriers deliver for all kinds of businesses: labs, legal offices, express delivery services, and even plain old local companies. Most businesses’ couriers use company vehicles, but some take drivers on as contractors to use their own vehicles and include gas reimbursement; it just depends on the company and the job.

Advertise with adverCar

The idea behind Carvertise is simple: earn money for something drivers already do: drive! You’ll get paired up with a company, have a temporary wrap put on your car, and head out into your community. Carvertise works with all kinds of companies, from nonprofits to sports teams to restaurants. The best parts? Drivers could earn $450-$1500 per campaign.

Keep in mind…

Before you start using your car or bike for a little extra cash, make sure you know what the insurance situation is with your new gig. Most private passenger auto policies exclude coverage if you are using your car for business purposes, so before starting a new enterprise, be sure to talk to your insurance agent first to make sure you have the right insurance at the right limits.

Do your research! Make sure your driving gig is safe, legal, and properly insured before you hit the road.