MOMENTUM
THE MAGAZINE FOR UBER PARTNERS
HOW TO FILL YOUR BACKSEAT Coming events and dates for peak ridershipTWEETS, PERKS, AND WHEELS Social media buzz, rewards to enjoy, new car dealsTHE SPLENDID SIXTH STAR Honoring Uber partners who go beyond the call of duty
LAUNCH ISSUE
POWER STEERING
Savvy partners are putting Uber on the map
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YOU CAN JOIN THE CONVERSATION by tweeting @Uber or by engaging directly with your city at: @Uber_NYC, @Uber_BOS, @Uber_CHI, @Uber_OK, @Uber_OHIO, @Uber_LA, @Uber_SF.
We want to strengthen the sense of community among our driver partners, make sure you feel up to date on new developments within our company, and give you new ways to connect to us and one another.”
WINTER 2015
3
POSTS & PICS
#
UBERPARTNERS
What’s keeping your fellow partners busy on social media?
Everything from the spicy...
WELCOME
DEAR UBER PARTNER:
Noel Olken@UberNoel
Look what I got tonight from a rider.#Sriracha #tip
To the sublime...
uber tales@uber_tales
drove @courtney love to @poquitomas for burritos and @bristolfarms for fancy cakes. she never learned to drive so she really loves @uber.
But most of all, they’re sharing #UberLove!
Nick McClanahan@Rev_McClan
Started driving for @uber last week, just in time for the Final Four. It was EPIC! Noth-ing but 5*s for me so far!
Uber driver partners are sharing the good...
Noel Olken@UberNoel
Don’t come knocking when this uber is a rocking!
The bad...
Emmanuel@myUberDriver
One of my daily challenges as an Uber driver is finding a decent restroom. ... there’s got to be an app for that, right?#uberdriverproblems
And the ugly...
Liz Pugh@|1zpugh
The dread/hope/nausea I feel every time I am on my way to pick up an uber pas-senger with the same name as any exAs this is the first issue of
MOMENTUM
, I want to start by saying THANK YOU—thank you for putting your trust in our platform, and the many hours of your hard work that have made Uber ev-erything that it is. 2014 was a monumental year: We expanded to 210 new cities, averaging a new launch every two days. We entered many new international markets and now serve 64 per-cent of the U.S. population. None of it would have been possible without your partnership. Not a single hour of the day goes by without us thinking about how we can make partnering with Uber a better experience for you. We’re tirelessly focused on making the Uber platform work better for partners. In fact, that’s what this magazine is all about: We want to strengthen the community of our driver partners—currently 150,000 people strong—by making sure you are up to date on new developments within our company and giving you new and improved methods to connect to us and one another. As we gear up for another big year of improvements, we look forward to hearing from you about what more we can do to ensure you have the most positive experience possible on the road with our platform. Thank you for everything you do to make each Uber ride a success. Thanks to you, we’re now in 275 cities around the globe, spanning 54 countries and every inhabitable continent—and with your support, we’re not slowing down any time soon. Sincerely,
RYAN GRAVES
Head of Global Operations / Uber Technologies, Inc.
Produced by DCP / dcpubs.com
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No matter how good you may feel, annual checkups are an important part of maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Make sure to see a doctor regularly. See Page 6 for in-formation about getting health insurance through Uber’s partnership program with Stride Health.
WINTER 2015
54
MOMENTUM
IN THE DRIVER’S SEAT
HEALTHY TIPS FOR BETTER TRIPS
Uber spoke with
Alexandra Sowa, MD,
a doctor in New York City, to get her insights on potential health issues for Uber partners and ways to keep yourself safe and healthy
SLEEP
It can be tempting to drive a few extra hours for more fares, even if that means giving up some sleep. But don’t—it’s unsafe for you and for others on the road. Sleep deprivation can impair judgment and reaction time. Sowa says, “In order for adults to have optimal energy every day, you need seven to nine hours of sleep. For drivers especially, this is not a luxury, it’s a neces-sity.” And a coffee break can’t replace any of those hours of sleep, Sowa adds. “Caffeine and other stimulants don’t over-come severe sleep deprivation—it just doesn’t work.”
BACK/SHOULDER HEALTH
We know it can be hard to catch a break between trips, but keep in mind that sitting in the same po-sition without a break isn’t good for you and can cause back, shoulder, or neck pain. The good news? It’s easy to prevent these problems. Sowa rec-ommends stretching frequently, even just getting out of the car and walking around briefly, and that driv-ers avoid sitting on wallets or other hard objects. Sowa also suggests shopping for back support pillows and cushions, partic-ularly if your car seat doesn’t provide great lower back support.
LIFTING
Carrying luggage or packages for riders is always a nice gesture if you are physically able. Sowa simply cautions, “Don’t bend at the waist, always lift by bending at the knees.” This can pro-tect your back from taking the full weight of what you’re lifting.
HYDRATION
Drinking water throughout the day is always important. Experts recommend six to eight glasses per day. Even if you’re trying to maximize driving time, don’t skimp on drinking wa-ter because you don’t want to take time to find a bathroom. Among other risks, Sowa observes, “you can be prone to kid-ney stones if you’re dehydrated.”
CARDIOVASCULAR HEALTH
Driving is sedentary, meaning a seated, inac-tive job. A completely sedentary lifestyle can put you at increased risk for heart disease and weight gain. But you don’t have to take hours out of your day to exercise to avoid this. According to Sowa, “as little as 10 minutes [of aerobic exercise] a day can help fight off weight gain and problems with your heart.” Aerobic exercise is anything from climb-ing stairs or jogging to kickboxing or swimming.