As a full-time or part-time gig worker, your primary focus is likely to maximize both your earnings and savings wherever possible. Your vehicle expenses, including maintenance and insurance can be one of the most burdensome aspects of your business, especially if you are one of the 1.7 million Americans who do rideshare driving. 

When it comes to personal auto insurance, it can be especially challenging to know if you’re making the best decision for your unique work situation. You want to be protected with comprehensive coverage, but you also want a policy that is affordable. On top of this, it can be challenging to know when or where you’re covered by the gig platforms you drive for. Are you covered when you’re on a delivery shift or on your way to pick up a new passenger? What about on your way home from your last drop off for the evening?  When does my personal policy take over?

That’s where VOOM Rideshare Insurance is changing the game. VOOM is a revolutionary alternative solution to traditional auto insurance designed specifically for gig workers. VOOM provides drivers with comprehensive coverage needed during the “off-the-clock” hours on the road, fills in the gaps that exist and vary for the coverage provided by gig platform and ensures maximum savings up to 60% when compared to traditional policies. 

Before you consider VOOM as an auto insurance provider, it’s important to understand the current landscape of insurance policies and coverage within the gig economy. In this article, we’ll discuss:

  • Why traditional insurance is not always the best option for gig workers, 
  • What VOOM is doing differently to help save drivers money without sacrificing coverage,
  • Where coverage gaps exist during gig work activities,
  • And how to start the quote process with VOOM or join their waitlist. 

The Problem with Traditional Insurance 

In a 2021 survey conducted by the U.S. Department of Transportation, 62% of miles driven in the U.S. were people commuting to their place of business. As a gig worker, most of those miles are actually driven while you’re on the job working. Traditional insurance policies do not differentiate between personal and work activities adequately for gig workers who use their vehicle for their business, which comes at a higher cost to the driver as you end up paying more per mile of actual risk exposure. 

Rideshare and delivery drivers can end up paying higher premiums because of these outdated models, and the coverage included rarely reflects the risks or gaps that are left by the platform's insurance. While some traditional insurance players offer rideshare endorsements, these typically come at a much higher cost on the driver and will actually raise the premium. 

VOOM’s Unique Approach 

Started in 2020, VOOM is revolutionizing the insurance space for the more than 36% of working Americans who participate in the gig economy through rideshare or delivery services. Unlike traditional auto insurance policies, VOOM’s Pay per Mile program provides coverage only while you’re driving for personal use and are logged out of a rideshare or delivery app. However, VOOM will also step in to cover the deductible of the gig platform if you experience a claim while on the job, ensuring you have the maximum coverage you need at all times. The best part? VOOM’s monthly premium is up to 60% less than traditional providers, making it one of the most cost effective options on the market. 

By connecting to your app based platforms, VOOM calculates your work and personal mileage for your rate, meaning you only pay for the miles you need covered when you are off the clock. This means your premium is likely to go down in comparison to a typical policy as  you tend to spend less time driving for personal reasons as a rideshare/delivery driver. 

Equally important, VOOM was created specifically for rideshare and delivery drivers and has an exceptional customer service team who understands the unique work circumstances of the gig economy and the range of needs drivers have. VOOM’s team is positioned to support drivers in understanding their coverage across platforms, as well as a policy that fits them best.

Coverage provided by gig platforms

As a driver, you’re required to provide proof of and maintain personal auto insurance in order to qualify to drive for all gig platforms. Before you can evaluate the best policy for your individual situation, it’s important to understand the various nuances of the coverage provided by the gig platforms you work on. 

Insurance coverage for gig workers can be understood through three different periods of time as it relates to your driving activities:

  • Period 1: Once you’re logged into the platform, waiting for a trip. 
  • Period 2: Once a request is accepted, when the driver is in motion.
  • Period 3: Once the trip begins to when it is complete. 

Let’s take a look at some of the biggest gig platforms and their coverage: 

Uber, Uber Eats, and Lyft

While you’re logged in and waiting for a trip (Period 1), both Uber and Lyft provide third-party liability coverage if you’re not covered by your personal auto insurance policy:

  • $50,000 per person and $100,000 per accident for injuries
  • $25,000 in property damage per accident 

While you’re en route to an accepted trip or actively completing a trip (Periods 2 and 3), Uber and Lyft cover:

  • At least $1,000,000 for third-party auto liability
  • Uninsured/underinsured motorist bodily injury and/or first-party insurance (for Uber rideshare only). 
  • Contingent comprehensive and collision coverage up to the actual cash value of the car with a $2,5000 deductible (if the same coverage exists with personal auto policy). 

DoorDash

DoorDash does not offer driver coverage while drivers are waiting for a delivery (Period 1) — in this case, your personal auto insurance is responsible for any claims prior to any deliveries being accepted. 

Once you accept a delivery request (Periods 2 and 3), DoorDash covers up to $1,000,000 in BI/PD to third-parties until the order is delivered, unassigned, or canceled. However, DoorDash does not cover any physical damage. 

Amazon Flex 

Because Amazon Flex schedules shifts in delivery blocks, Amazon flex does not provide any driver coverage prior to the shift beginning (Period 1). 

Once your shift begins and you’re actively working, Amazon covers up to $1,000,000 in auto liability coverage for uninsured motorist/under-insured motorist coverage, and contingent comprehensive and collision coverage. Any passengers are not covered under this policy.  

Other platforms like GrubHub and Instacart do not provide any driver platform coverage. Please note that coverage may differ slightly from state to state and consult the individual platforms for the most accurate coverage information. . 

How VOOM fills in the gaps

You’ll notice there is rarely platform coverage for the time before and after you are logged in and waiting for a trip(Period 1 and prior). This means you are responsible for finding personal auto insurance coverage for these “off-the-clock” miles. 

When you consider how traditional insurance policies operate, as well as the varying levels of coverage provided by these platforms, it’s possible you could be paying for a personal insurance policy that covers more than you need during the wrong times — and spending more on your premium.

With VOOM, your premium is directly correlated to the miles driven for personal use while covering the variance in deductible amounts by platform, meaning considerable savings are passed on to you if you use your vehicle primarily for gig work. 

How VOOM works in practice 

Let’s review how VOOM’s coverage dynamically accounts for what you need for your day of gig work. 

Say you’re online and waiting for your next Uber rideshare trip (Period 1). While Uber provides minimal liability coverage, VOOM enhances driver protection by automatically extending its coverage beyond Uber’s limits and also providing physical damage coverages.

While you’re actively completing a passenger drop off (Periods 2 or 3), VOOM’s coverage will let the gig platform take over. However, VOOM will cover any gaps in the deductible amount, meaning if you’re in an accident while on the job and a payment of $2,500 is owed but you have a deductible of $500 with VOOM, VOOM will reimburse you for the $2,000 difference, greatly reducing the amount you are required to pay. This coverage can help significantly from hurting your bank account in a time of need. 

When you’re ready to call it quits after a long day of work, VOOM’s coverage will kick back in on your drive back home until you’re ready for the next work day. 

How Can I Get Started with VOOM? 

Getting a quote from VOOM is fast and simple, and you can start here. Here’s what you’ll need to do during the quote process:

  1. Connect your rideshare or delivery platforms to VOOM. By simply connecting your platforms, VOOM is able to account for the miles you’ve driven for work vs. your personal miles. If you’d like, you can also connect your accounts after you receive a quote, although your quote may be higher and less customized without your mileage information. 
  1. Customize your coverage and limits. Easily customize the coverage you need for non-work related use and understand the savings you’ll get by not paying for any overlapping coverage like you would with a traditional policy. 
  1. Upload a photo of your odometer. VOOM keeps track of your vehicle mileage through your odometer reading and your gig platforms so they know which miles to include in the Pay Per Mile Policy. 
  1. See the quote!  VOOM is saving drivers up to 60% on their personal auto insurance policies. 
  1. Ready to go? Purchase the policy in just a few clicks. 
VOOM's quote process is simple and fast

VOOM is currently available for rideshare and delivery drivers in Arizona and Tennessee, however VOOM has big plans to expand throughout the U.S., with Texas, Colorado and Georgia as the next stops. Joining the VOOM waitlist here. 

Final Thoughts

It’s no secret that navigating insurance in the gig economy can be both murky and expensive.  No one platform is the same, and the responsibility is placed on you, the driver, to ensure you’re covered both on and off the clock. Let VOOM be an option for you to consider as you evaluate policies by starting the quote process or signing up for their waitlist. 

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