Before the coronavirus pandemic, ride-hail drivers would log hundreds if not a thousand or more miles per week. The wear-and-tear meant quicker-than-usual oil changes, tire rotations, scheduled maintenance and parts in need of repair or replacement.
That, of course, was before the crisis cut the traditional ride-hail business by more than half. But it hasn't been all decline for the industry giants.
Some Uber and Lyft drivers have shifted to meal-delivery services, for example. Uber says its Uber Eats business is up more than 50 percent in the COVID-19 era. And industry analysts expect plenty of work ahead for "gig drivers."
With those recent developments and the prospect of life eventually getting back to normal, the ride-sharing world remains a rich opportunity for dealership service departments to target.
Over the years, most dealership service departments shied away from Uber and Lyft drivers. The hesitation to court ride-hail drivers may have been due to unfamiliarity with their needs and older paradigms of how and when service departments operate, said Harry Campbell, founder of industry website TheRideShareGuy.com. But not only is their business out there to capture, the ride-hail companies want it.