Honestly, this is the part that always trips me up with rideshare insurance—the whole “waiting for a ride” period. I remember when my friend started driving for one of the apps, he just assumed his regular policy would cover him the whole time, but it turns out there’s this weird gray area when you’re logged in but haven’t accepted a ride yet. Some companies treat that as a totally different risk.
What I did was pretty similar to your process, but I actually went one step further and asked my agent to spell out exactly what happens if I’m between trips and something goes wrong. Turns out, without the endorsement, my regular policy would’ve denied the claim, and the rideshare company’s coverage is super limited until you actually pick someone up. It’s such a hassle to sort through all the fine print, but it beats getting stuck with a massive repair bill.
My advice? Never trust those “you’re probably covered” answers—get it in writing, like you said. Insurance companies will look for any excuse to deny a claim if there’s a technicality. It’s tedious, but worth it for peace of mind.
I get where you’re coming from about wanting everything in writing, but I’d push back a bit on the idea that insurance companies are always looking for a loophole to deny claims. It’s true, the language can be confusing and there are definitely gray areas—especially with rideshare. But in my experience, a lot of the confusion comes from how quickly this whole gig economy thing has evolved. Policies just haven’t caught up in some cases.
One thing I’ve noticed is that some insurers are starting to offer more comprehensive rideshare endorsements that actually do cover that “waiting for a ride” period, not just when you’ve got a passenger. It’s not universal yet, but it’s worth shopping around. I’ve seen drivers get stuck because they assumed all endorsements were the same, but coverage can vary a lot between companies.
Honestly, I think the best move is to ask really specific questions and make sure you understand what’s excluded—not just what’s covered. And yeah, the fine print is a pain, but sometimes it’s less about companies being sneaky and more about the industry playing catch-up.
“Honestly, I think the best move is to ask really specific questions and make sure you understand what’s excluded—not just what’s covered.”
Couldn’t agree more. I always tell folks, if you feel like you’re grilling your agent, you’re probably doing it right. The “waiting for a ride” period is the Bermuda Triangle of rideshare insurance—some policies cover it, some don’t, and some just kind of shrug. It’s wild how much can change just based on a few words in the fine print. Don’t be afraid to ask awkwardly specific questions, even if you feel like you’re nitpicking. That’s how you avoid those “wait, what do you mean I’m not covered?” moments.
Honestly, I get the whole “ask a million questions” thing, but sometimes agents just parrot what’s in the brochure. Here’s what I do: Step 1—get the actual policy in writing. Step 2—read the exclusions yourself. Step 3—if it’s not clear, call the claims department directly. Agents can be clueless about that in-between period, but claims folks know what flies and what doesn’t. Don’t just trust what someone says on the phone...get it in black and white.
Couldn’t agree more about agents just reading off the script. I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve seen folks get burned because they relied on what someone “said” instead of what’s actually in the policy. That in-between period—when you’re logged in but not on a trip—is a gray zone most agents don’t really get. Claims departments see all the weird edge cases, and honestly, we’re the ones who have to explain why something isn’t covered after the fact. Always double-check those exclusions... some of them are buried pretty deep.
