When two friends couldn’t find a cab ride in Paris in 2008, they had an idea about booking a cab using a smartphone; they chewed cud about and started working on an app a year later. The first booking of a cab through the smartphone app UberCab happened in 2010. The concept of hiring a cab at the click of a button caught the imagination of the consumer and then the rest is history. The two friends who scripted the start of a new and booming business model were Travis Kalanick and Garrett Camp. The name of the company was changed to Uber In 2011. They went international in 2012, and today, they operate in about 785 metros across the world. We can access their services through their website and their smartphone app.

Uber stats that will blow your mind
As of December 2018,

• Uber has 91 million active monthly users
• Uber completes about 14 million trips every day
• It has completed 10 billion trips worldwide
• They are present in 63 countries and over 700 cities
• Uber employs about 22000 drivers.
• 50000 military personnel earn money driving UberMilitary

Uber services and products
Today, Uber operates

• UberCab – Transportation services with varied classes of vehicles.
• UberPool – Shared transportation.
• UberEats – Food delivery.
• UberFreight – Tool for the trucking industry.
• UberHealth – A B2B platform for healthcare providers, which assign rides for all their business needs and patient’s needs.
• Jump – An e-bike and scooter service.

How to Become an Uber Driver?
Today, about 22000 drivers work with Uber, and with its constant expansion into new locations, there is a need for new drivers who can join them. There have been many instances where Uber has had to face complaints regarding its drivers. To reinforce their commitment toward the safety of the passenger, Uber put in place a three-step process to ensure that their drivers are the best and safe. Drivers have to satisfy minimum requirements specified by Uber, submit the required paperwork, and go through a background check. There could be variations in these requirements based on location but, broadly, Uber drivers need to go through these 3 steps.

Step 1
The minimum requirements to become a driver are

• Minimum age of 21 years
• At least 1 year of experience driving
• The driver should possess a valid driving license issued in the US
• The driver must drive a vehicle which is 2006 or earlier – it could be a car (4 doors), van or truck. The vehicles must have a clean title.
• They should be in possession of all the paper work
• Their vehicle should pass the vehicle inspection – it is a 19-point checklist that will ensure that the vehicle is safe and the passengers can expect a pleasant journey.

Step 2
Along with an application, Uber expects a driver to submit the following paperwork:

• A valid driver license issued in the US
• Documents to prove the vehicle is insured
• Documents to prove that the vehicle is registered with the DMV

Step 3
The paperwork and the request for a background check can be submitted along with the application when the driver signs up for a position online. The requirements to pass this check depends upon state laws and might vary from one state to another. The more general requirements that the driver needs to fulfill during a background check are

• The valid driver’s license should show no major violations, or reckless driving in the last 7 years
• Minor tickets or violations should not be over 3 counts in the last 5 years
• In the last 7 years, the driver should not have any criminal record. They should not have received any conviction for felony, violent crime or sexual offense.

Uber Car Requirements
Like passengers of Uber have requirements for a particular car, the drivers too can choose the car that they want to drive. So, the cars they drive too need to meet the Uber car requirements. The requirements vary for each type of car and the requirement is quite exhaustive and specific for each type of car – be it UberLUX, UberSUV, UberBLACK, UberSELECT, Uber XL, and UberX. Once the driver’s choice of car passes, there is an assurance that the driver has a car they are familiar with and can drive comfortably and ease.

Acceptance and Disqualification Criteria
If the driver clears all the three steps, they are eligible to become a driver. But if they do not clear the background tests, then the driver is likely to face disqualification and, hence, automatically loses the chance of finding employment with Uber.

There are many criteria that could lead to disqualification and it is quite extensive. Reasons could include driving without a license to more serious offences like violent crime or sexual offences.

As far as the driver is concerned, they can either be a driver cum owner (where they drive their own vehicles) or drive under partner (vehicle owned by a non-driving partner) or not drive under the Uber umbrella but own one or more vehicles and employ one or more drivers.

Once they have all the necessary paperwork ready, they can log in to the Uber website, sign up and fill in all the information, and wait for the background check to be completed.