HopSkipDrive can present safer transportation for schoolchildren and senior residents than a normal rideshare app. Caredrivers undergo an in depth screening course of, and the platform gives real-time updates to folks and guardians.
This platform is offered in a number of metro areas throughout the US for on-demand transportation. Our HopSkipDrive evaluation carefully examines how households can procure secure and inexpensive college transportation.
Additional, we present the way it’s doable to grow to be a paid driver to earn more money whereas serving to households with distinctive wants.
What’s HopSkipDrive?
HopSkipDrive is a ridesharing app specializing in class and senior transportation when public transportation or help from a member of the family is impractical. The app companions with college districts and organizations nationwide to offer secure and different transportation.
It emphasizes security and has a comparatively rigorous screening course of in comparison with different ridesharing apps for extra peace of thoughts. The Android or iOS cellular makes it simple to trace the rider’s location, plus the flexibility to guide rides.
As an illustration, mother and father can manage rides so their kids don’t have to trip the bus or when a bus route is unavailable. The motive force has at the least 5 years of earlier caregiver expertise. Drivers additionally cross a background test together with little one abuse and neglect scans.
Whereas this app is especially for youngsters needing a trip between college, house, and afterschool actions, it additionally affords aged transportation. Some drivers have wheelchair-accessible automobiles to assist riders make appointments and run errands.
This flexibility is superb for working households that can’t take off from work at sure hours. Moreover, it’s useful when a caregiver or babysitter can’t decide up the rider.
How Does HopSkipDrive Work?
Right here is methods to use the platform to schedule one-time and recurring rides with out the stress that may accompany normal transportation choices.
College Transportation
Most rides contain drivers taking kids to and from college and after-school actions. Dad and mom and organizations can request rides at the least 8 hours prematurely. The cutoff time is 7 p.m. for morning rides.
Kids should be at the least six years outdated to trip with out grownup supervision, and drivers might present booster seats. Youthful kids can trip if an grownup is current to put in or take away the protection seat. Adults should accompany kids underneath the age of 4.
The platform states that it has helped over 16,000 faculties for college kids with out conventional bus routes. Along with serving to particular person households, the platform facilitates college rides for youth experiencing homelessness (McKinney-Vento Act) and foster kids.
This app immediately companions with college districts to assist college students with the next conditions:
- After College care
- Constitution faculties
- Persevering with technical schooling
- Extracurricular actions
- Individualized schooling plan
- Non-public faculties
- Particular wants
- Sports activities apply
HopSkipDrive can work with out there drivers to finalize a pickup time if mother and father or authorized guardians don’t request rides. Drivers are extra available through the college 12 months, however it’s doable to make use of the service year-round for academic and private functions.
Senior Rides
Older people can profit from the service, as nicely. HopSkipDrive collaborates with households, organizations, and nursing houses to offer transportation.
A number of the choices embrace:
- Physician appointments
- Meals on wheels
- Buying journeys
- Social outings
Along with offering rides involving disabilities and particular wants, drivers should make lodging for service animals, because the legislation requires. You should definitely embrace any requests to discover a appropriate automobile through the scheduling course of.
It’s doable to schedule these rides in the identical app as college rides. Additional, some multi-generational households use this service to schedule rides for his or her kids and growing older family.
Actual-Time Updates
Every trip implements the HopSkipDrive Secure Trip Help system, offering hands-on help to folks and trip requesters. The rideshare app gives a driver’s profile, automobile identification info, and real-time location particulars within the app.
If the itinerary has a number of stops, the progress web page signifies the present leg of the journey. It additionally reveals if the driving force is choosing up or dropping off different passengers.
Additional, a number of security practices are in place for extra peace of thoughts:
- Orange identification decals: Drivers place an orange decal or automobile to assist establish authentic drivers.
- Passenger pictures: Dad and mom can add a photograph of their little one to make it simpler for the driving force to seek out the right rider.
- Rider code phrase: The motive force and passenger will affirm a secret code phrase earlier than letting the rider into the automobile.
- Particular directions: Dad and mom can embrace superior directions resembling written permission to enter and signal out a toddler. Different examples are mentioning notable landmarks or the rider’s apparel to keep away from delays.
It’s additionally doable to contact drivers by name or textual content. Nonetheless, drivers solely reply the telephone when the automobile is stopped. The app makes use of a third-party service to detect telephone utilization throughout movement to stop speaking or texting whereas driving.
Lastly, stay chat help is offered immediately from the corporate day by day from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Pacific. Cellphone help can be for pressing issues. Chances are you’ll take into account contacting the help heart when the driving force can’t fulfill your wants.
As a father of 4, I discover these safeguards to be sensible. Whereas I don’t stay throughout the service space, they make me really feel snug requesting a trip for my little one, realizing that I can confirm the driving force’s id and observe their present location whereas en path to the vacation spot.
Areas
HopSkipDrive is offered within the following metro areas:
- Arizona
- California
- Bay Space
- Los Angeles
- Northern California
- Orange County
- Sacramento
- San Diego
- Southern California
- Colorado
- Boulder
- Colorado Springs
- Denver
- Entrance Vary
- District of Columbia
- DMV (D.C., Maryland, and Virginia)
- Florida
- Indiana
- Michigan
- Missouri
- Nevada
- Pennsylvania
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Austin
- Dallas/Ft. Value
- Houston
- Midland
- Wisconsin
The service space is normally a 100-mile most journey distance. This service space makes it a superb platform for expansive cities and distinctive conditions in outlying areas. The service presently doesn’t present airport transportation, which requires extra allowing.
Fare Safety
In choose metro areas, drivers and riders may be eligible for this function, which ensures a minimal driver payout. For instance, a minimal trip charge helps drivers earn a aggressive wage for brief journeys.
Fare Safety additionally ensures that drivers earn at the least the estimated quantity when checking in firstly of the trip. The incomes potential can enhance when the driving time is at the least 5 minutes longer than the estimate and exceeds the minimal base fare threshold. For instance, the minimal varies by metropolis and is at the least eight miles and 35 minutes in Phoenix.
You’ll be able to guide a trip with most bank cards and debit playing cards. The app waits to cost the fee methodology as soon as the trip ends to confirm the full journey value. This apply removes the potential of requesting refunds if the driving force cancels or no person claims your trip request.
How A lot
Under are many widespread charges that riders and drivers can anticipate paying. The common trip can value between $40 and $80 with a route distance from 10 to 30 miles.
Trip Charges
The platform has a fare estimator permits you to venture fares for one-stop and multi-stop routes by plugging within the areas’ addresses. As peak hour pricing might apply, you’ll be able to choose the beginning time for a extra exact estimate.
Listed here are among the prices for pattern routes:
- $40 for 11 miles in Spokane, WA
- $45 for 13 miles within the Nashville, TN metro space
- $62 for 20 miles within the Washington, D.C. metro space
- $71 for 27 miles in Los Angeles
- $82 for 25 miles within the Nashville, TN, metro space
The above value estimates include a base fare measuring the gap and driving time. A reserving charge and native working prices additionally apply.
Peak-hour pricing applies when the pick-up time is from 6:30 to eight:29 a.m. and a couple of:30 p.m. to 4:29 p.m.
Different incidental costs may apply, resembling automobile injury, rider delays, and tolls:
- Cancellation charge: 50% for cancellations between one to eight hours and 100% for cancellations inside one hour of pick-up
- Cleansing charges: Spot cleansing ($50) and full detailing ($100)
- Injury charges: Varies
- Tolls: Price of toll
- Wait time: Varies and begins 10 minutes after the scheduled pickup time
Ideas are elective; you pay the driving force immediately as a substitute of by way of the app. Drivers preserve 100% of all suggestions they obtain.
Driver Charges
Drivers gained’t encounter incidental charges, excluding regular wear-and-tear or gasoline purchases. Optionally available security gear like booster seats could be non-reimbursable. One can search reimbursements for tolls, parking, and rider-responsible injury or soiling.
Not like most supply app jobs, this platform doesn’t supply same-day funds to a linked debit card, which incurs third-party charges.
HopSkipDrive Driver Necessities
The platform’s driver necessities are stricter than these of most ridesharing apps because you transport kids and older adults with out a guardian companion. Particularly, you want at the least 5 years of caregiver expertise, a clear driving file, and a background test.
The essential driver and automobile necessities embrace:
- Age: Are at the least 23 years outdated
- Background test: You have to cross multi-agency background checks and fingerprinting. This step additionally features a Baby Abuse and Neglect scan.
- Caregiving expertise: 5 or extra years of caregiving expertise, together with two years with kids
- Driving expertise: Minimal of three years and a clear file
- Automobile specs: Personal or lease a four-door automobile over 10 years outdated. It should additionally cross an annual inspection from a licensed mechanic.
In most states, the certification course of takes between 25 and 60 days with numerous on-line and in-person actions.
How A lot Does HopSkipDrive Pay?
Drivers can anticipate incomes between $12 and $21 per trip, in keeping with latest lively driver on Certainly. “You need to test the app day by day to guide rides every week out, they usually get snatched up rapidly. The youngsters have been nice to this point, however they anticipate rather a lot from drivers for little or no cash.”
Anticipate making $1,000 monthly or extra by finishing a number of rides every college day, in keeping with a number of drivers. This pay is earlier than driving bills, and it’s essential to calculate the full journey time to estimate your efficient hourly price.
“Relies on the place you reside , however the place I’m, I’m able to make 300-400 {dollars} weekly , however that’s solely doing 4-5 rides a day. It’s the excellent facet gig for somebody with a gas environment friendly automotive. There are bonuses on rides which might be pressing, so if in case you have time all through the day I’d positively do it. Simply be sure you plan out your day appropriately, that means you might be extra environment friendly, hope this helps,” says sad-improvement-123.
Your journey pay contains a number of components:
- Base fare
- Boosts and promotions
- Additional wait time and driving time
- Optionally available buyer suggestions
These wages are aggressive with most supply apps, however some drivers say they will earn extra of their native market with a standard ride-sharing platform. Consequently, you should be snug transporting adults who could be extra troublesome should you work on nights or weekends. Nonetheless, it’s a satisfying approach to generate profits out of your telephone.
The platform advertises that new drivers can earn as much as $50 per hour. This incomes potential is feasible with back-to-school promotions that assure a minimal payout after finishing a minimal variety of rides through the promotion interval.
HopSkipDrive Evaluations
Listed here are a number of driver and buyer opinions from optimistic and unfavourable views to assist acquire an inside have a look at the platform.
“Up to now so good! More than happy with the Hop Skip and drive service for my highschool son. My son additionally said that each driver that has picked him up has been glorious, dependable, affected person, courteous, respectful, pleasant, and sort,” — Sylvia S.
“This driving job is mainly an “Uber” for teenagers underneath 18. Simple to make use of app and an honest caring customer support staff. Nonetheless paid in full for last-minute (cancellations). Loads of alternatives in LA/Orange County areas. Scheduling children frequently is a plus and consistency and relationship with the children.” — A Los Angeles driver on Certainly.
“I’ve been a care driver for HopSkipDrive for 4 years and have discovered it to be a straightforward and fulfilling job. It’s nice that I can decide my very own rides and take time without work if I have to. Extremely suggest!” —A Pleasanton, CA driver on Certainly.
“After spending the time to enter all the info, my request for a driver was rebuffed stating that there weren’t sufficient drivers in our Phoenix space to help this request. Remember the fact that I used to be putting the request 5 days prematurely, not final minute.” — AggieinAZ
“The pay is ridiculous, and reserving consecutive jobs is difficult as a result of most faculties get out on the similar time.This isn’t an everyday Uber job. Many occasions, you must go into faculties and meet children within the workplace. This provides to your time. If a job doesn’t get picked up, they attempt to entice you by including a “increase’ like $2.” —A Las Vegas driver on Certainly.
“Good ambiance working with kiddos and offering consistency to them attending to/from college. The motive force help is pretty good. You continue to receives a commission when it’s a no-show. Want there was all-year enterprise however normally it’s simply throughout (the) college 12 months.” —A Madison, WI driver on Certainly.
Options to HopSkipDrive
These driving facet hustles might present extra paid alternatives in your neighborhood. You might also take into account these supply duties to generate profits in your free time outdoors of faculty hours:
- DoorDash: Ship meals and merchandise from eating places and shops. This platform is offered nationwide, together with in rural areas.
- Instacart: Store for and ship grocery orders with a versatile schedule. Many supermarkets and low cost retailers take part. It’s doable to be an in-store shopper with scheduled shifts in choose cities.
- Uber: Drivers might take into account Uber to ship passengers and Uber Eats for meals. The motive force and automobile necessities are extra versatile as an Uber Eats driver.
Steadily Requested Questions
Listed here are a number of questions that you could have earlier than becoming a member of HopSkipDrive.
Is HopSkipDrive Secure?
The platform implements rigorous security protocols to seek out eligible drivers with related expertise and a clear background test. It additionally has a number of trip monitoring instruments for fogeys to confirm their little one safely reaches their vacation spot.
How Do I Grow to be a HopSkipDrive Driver?
You’ll be able to apply on-line when residing in an lively service space. First, add the mandatory paperwork and full the digital orientation. The ultimate steps contain an in-person background test and automobile inspection.
Can You Make Cash with HopSkipDrive?
Most drivers earn roughly $20 per trip and earn at the least $1,000 month-to-month by driving day by day. Drivers may have to say trip requests a number of days prematurely on a first-come, first-serve foundation. You should definitely calculate the commuting prices and dealing time to find out if the estimated earnings is value it for a selected request.
What’s the HopSkipDrive cancellation coverage for drivers?
Drivers obtain half of the estimated fee if the dad or mum or caregiver cancels the trip between one and eight hours earlier than the beginning time. Full compensation is feasible when the requester cancels inside 60 minutes of pick-up. There is no such thing as a compensation if the dad or mum cancels at the least eight hours prematurely.
Abstract
HopSkipDrive generally is a secure public transit different for fogeys with one-time or recurring trip requests. It will also be a satisfying facet hustle for unbiased contractors who wish to assist households and want versatile working hours.
The app’s most important weak point is that it solely operates in choose cities throughout the US.