It works by one person or company owning a fleet of uber-ready cars which they allow drivers access to in exchange for a fee, either flat or as a percentage of their earnings.
What if this type of industry popped up for other services? With so many gig workers in the economy, would provide access to a car be enough of a draw to force delivery drivers to work for lower rates?
If this was applied to houses, could someone who cleans Airbnb rentals exchange their cleaning services for a place to sleep each night?
This seems like a race to the bottom, with drivers getting the worst deal.
There could be a story about a driver, lowest on the totem pole, who finds himself caught up in a bank robbery or other criminal activity. They prove their worth once, then are hired again, to do the same job.
Over time, this getaway driver could start up his own fleet of getaway drivers, all devoted to criminal activity. Special access and all.
The conflict could come from multiple places. A hotshot driver, law enforcement, the criminals themselves. Each of these could be fodder for a new book in a series.
Or safehouses. The person called in to clean, in exchange for a place to stay, becomes an expert at cleaning up after murders. Over time, they begin creating their own service specifically devoted to cleaning up after murders.
A good source of conflict for both of these would be the original fleet owners, who feel their turf is being infringed upon.
An interesting twist in all of it could be if the same high-ranking gangster is in charge of both services, the legitimate fleet and the criminal one, and has watched the two battle it out for supremacy all along.
Access to vehicles in exchange for a cut of earnings already happens. Through something called a fleet partner program, Uber drivers are finding themselves taken advantage of, facing harsher conditions than typically associated with the gig drivers.
Most drivers do this because they don’t have access to Uber-worthy vehicles. So they work the hours dictated by the fleet partner, for the agreed-upon rates, and have access to the vehicle the rest of the time. It’s a way to work out a lease, instead of taking a lease beforehand then making money.
It’s not just basic Uber, there are fleets of black cars as well.
The owners of the car benefit because the cars are being used to generate income instead of sitting in a lot.
