Uber and Lyft drivers reveal what they wish they knew before signing up to work for the apps

"I wish I'd known ahead of time that customers are typically in no hurry to get into your car," Barb said.

Drivers are paid in most markets to wait on customers, but it's not nearly as much as the per-mile rate that serves as the biggest source of income.

"You hit the button to request the ride. What are you doing?," Jeff, a driver in Colorado, said, referring to riders who are slow to get in the vehicle.

People are on the move at very specific times of day, and that affects when demand for rides peaks.

"I try to advise new drivers on the best times to drive," Jenny, an Uber driver in New Jersey, said. "Where I am, morning airport runs are really good, but the middle of the day can be slow."

Michael, a driver in Washington DC, says it all comes down to numbers.

"Know your numbers," he told Business Insider. "Know your costs and how much you'll make per ride. what you're doing here is a lot more than just picking people up and dropping them off."

Traditional taxi drivers have known this forever: there aren't many places to go when nature calls while driving.

"I like to use the bathroom at drugstores," Jenny said. "They're usually cleaner than gas stations or truck stops."

As independent contractors, drivers are responsible for withholding all of their income taxes instead of having an employer deduct it from their paycheck. On top of that, expenses can be categorized differently for drivers.

"Tax stuff is really difficult," said Jenny. "There are things specifically for Uber drivers, but the company isn't always completely clear with their guidelines."

Harry Campbell, who runs a blog called The Rideshare Guy, has compiled a handy list of tax tips for drivers, but there's no substitute for a tax professional — and those can be expensive.

With no boss — and technically, no coworkers either — being on the road all day can be lonely.

Georgetown researchers noted this in a study earlier this year, when they spoke to drivers in the Washington, DC, area about their experiences.

But the same isolating aspect is a positive for some drivers.

"It's a great chance to meet new people," Jessica, a driver in Texas said. "I talk to like 20 different people a day from all walks of life."

Yvonne, a driver in Atlanta, said she learns new places in her hometown she'd never even visited before.

Unaccompanied minors, or people under 18, aren't allowed to take Uber or Lyft rides alone. However, drivers say the issue comes up on an alarmingly regular basis.

"I'm increasingly getting pinged by parents to pick up their high school and junior high kids, which is against the rules," Jamie, a driver in Phoenix, said. "Most people do not know that you have to be 18 to ride in an Uber alone. When I turn the student down and tell them I can't take them, they just keep trying until they find a driver who does not care."

The issue received national attention in June, when a Florida family claimed their 12-year-old daughter took an Uber ride to a parking garage in Florida earlier this year, where she jumped to her death.

Tyler, a driver in North Carolina, said he's had passengers even get angry when he requests they wear their seat belts or use a car seat for their infant.