uDriveus launches Florida app for multi-stop travel

uDriveus has launched an app that lets travellers and drivers sign up for a dedicated driver-and-vehicle service, with Florida as its first market.

The Sunnyvale-based mobility platform targets travellers who need transport across several stops or several days, rather than a single journey from one point to another. Customers can book one driver and one vehicle for part of a day, a full day or a longer trip, with the price agreed before travel starts.

The service sits between car rental and ride-hailing. Instead of handing over a vehicle for self-drive use or requiring a new booking for each leg, uDriveus keeps the same driver and car with the customer throughout the itinerary.

Customers enter a destination and trip length, and the platform matches them with a local driver and vehicle for the full booking. Drivers are background-checked, identity-verified and insured, and the agreed flat rate does not change during the trip.

That means stops can be added and plans can change without a new booking or a revised fare. The model is aimed at travellers whose routes are not fixed in advance and who may need to adjust plans during the day.

Target market

uDriveus is focusing on customer groups it believes face the most friction in existing transport options. These include international visitors, tourists visiting national parks or scenic routes, business travellers with multiple meetings, families and groups travelling together, and people attending large events who want to avoid repeated bookings or fluctuating prices.

The company argues that ride-hailing services are designed mainly for point-to-point trips, while car rental puts the burden of driving, parking and insurance paperwork on the traveller. It is seeking to define a separate segment for what it describes as multi-stop, multi-day travel.

Ground transportation in the US already includes established markets such as car rental, taxis, livery and rideshare services. uDriveus is trying to carve out space in that broader market by offering continuity of service for the full length of a trip.

Florida was chosen as the first launch market because of its mix of tourism, long leisure journeys and major events. Nevada, Arizona and Texas are next in line for expansion, with the company citing long driving distances and high visitor volumes.

Driver model

uDriveus is also pitching the service to drivers as an alternative to short, single-fare work. Instead of completing a series of individual rides, drivers on the platform would take full-day or multi-day bookings.

The company said that approach could mean fewer bookings for drivers over the same period, with earnings concentrated in longer trips rather than spread across multiple fares. The model differs from conventional gig-based ride-hailing, where drivers often depend on a high volume of shorter journeys.

Alongside direct consumer bookings, uDriveus has created a partner offer for hotels and hospitality businesses. Under that arrangement, accommodation providers could offer guests a dedicated driver and vehicle without operating the transport service themselves.

The company is entering a market where consumer expectations have been shaped by the speed and simplicity of ride-hailing apps, but where longer and less predictable itineraries can still be awkward to organise. A flat daily rate addresses one of the most common frustrations in this part of the market: uncertainty over the final bill.

At the same time, uDriveus will have to prove that demand exists at scale for a service that is more structured than booking ad hoc rides, but less independent than renting a car. Its early pitch centres on convenience, continuity and fixed pricing for travellers who do not want to drive themselves.

Russell Kawsar, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of uDriveus, outlined the company's position in the market.

"Rental cars ask you to plan everything before you leave, and rideshare asks you to plan everything one ride at a time. We built uDriveus for the trip in between: one driver, one vehicle, one flat rate, for however long the day takes you," said Kawsar.