The Gig Bridge

Bridge Launch Checklist

Companion to "Getting set up without getting burned."

Two evenings, in order. Record dates as you go. Do not drive a paid trip before the insurance line is checked.

Plan header

Primary plank (first application)
Secondary plank (same night)
Evening one date
Evening two date
City / state license check: search run?	☐ Yes Search terms used:
Gated or licensed market found?	☐ No ☐ Yes, requirement:

Evening one: paperwork and money plumbing

☐ Separate checking account opened for platform income (before first payout)
☐ Mileage tracking app installed, tested on one drive (from trip one)
☐ City and state license rules checked for your planks
☐ Driver's license, insurance card, registration, and vehicle photos current
☐ Primary and secondary platform applications submitted (background checks run in parallel)

Evening two: insurance and platform specifics

☐ Insurer called, rideshare or delivery endorsement added, effective date:
☐ Personal policy still carries comprehensive and collision (car financed): ☐ confirmed
☐ Vehicle inspection done where required
☐ Orientation video completed
☐ Direct-deposit form filed (to the separate account)
☐ Tax classification form signed (sole proprietor by default)

Endorsement first, trip second. The delivery variant exists at most carriers and costs a few dollars a month.

Three onboarding burns, in the order they injure people. Driving before your endorsement is active: the gap claim you feared, realized. Using a friend's or family member's account, or letting someone run trips on yours: instant permanent deactivation on most platforms, and it voids the insurance. And paying a third party for "guaranteed activation" or a "driver starter kit": the platform charges you nothing to onboard, ever, so anyone charging you is selling you nothing.

First-week protocol

Action	Log
Accept more offers than your economics justify (build the ratings sample)	Trips taken:
Work small windows, two to three hours	Window 1: Window 2:
Log everything: hours, gross, miles, how you feel at the end	Card kept in:
Sunday: index-card math, net vs the fit-check prediction	Predicted / Actual
Set floor 1: minimum dollars per hour on this plank	$ per hour
Set floor 2: weekly hours protected for the far bank	hours per week

Fee record start

Open one page per platform. Record the fee stack as you actually experience it: base pay, tips, promos, and the platform's cut on the payout screen. Use the Platform Fee Snapshot Tracker for the weekly rows.