Traditional/typical carpooling apps can be a great option for one-time, long-distance trips, but it’s a tough sell for daily commutes. Here’s why:
1. Routine Rules the Commute
The daily commute is all about routine. You wake up, go through your morning rituals, and head to work. Once you establish a routine, you rarely change it. When you do, it’s typically at a significant life change, like starting a new job. Nevertheless, carpooling can also become a routine.
2. Control and Reliability
Commuting solo gives you complete control over your schedule. You know you can rely on yourself to get to work on time, without having to coordinate with others.
3. Flexibility Matters
One of the main reasons people stick to driving alone is the flexibility it offers. Whether it’s dropping off kids at school, running errands, or making spontaneous changes to your schedule, driving alone gives you the freedom to adapt.
4. Simplicity and Convenience
Driving alone is often the easiest way to commute. Many workplaces offer free or heavily discounted parking, making it an even more attractive option. Driving is usually faster than public transit, and you don’t need to learn new routes or worry about buying tickets. It’s also quicker than biking or walking, and you avoid the hassle of arriving sweaty or needing to change clothes.
5. Comfort and Control
When you drive your own car, you’re in control. You set the temperature, choose the music or podcast, and drive at your preferred speed. It’s your space, and that comfort is hard to give up.
6. Perceived Costs
While driving does have costs—like gas, maintenance, and the car itself—many people see these as unavoidable expenses. Because these costs are so ingrained in our habits, they don’t seem as significant. In contrast, public transit often has a visible, upfront cost, which can make it seem more expensive.
The Problem with Traditional Carpooling Apps
Traditional carpooling apps aren’t designed for the daily commute.
Typical carpooling apps rely on creating a marketplace of users that are both willing to drive and interested in joining a driver for a trip. This type of marketplace primarily functions for long-distance trips between larger cities or far flung destinations where travelers tend to be more flexible (they lack the routine and necessary reliability of their day to day commute) and where the tradeoffs are substantial (more expensive alternatives like trains or airplanes). In this case, these carpools do not necessarily result in fewer cars on the road as they often include shifts from alternative and more expensive public transportation options. Additionally, commute carpool matching is often restricted or functionally limited to employees at the respective work location and therefore offers a fairly small pool of matches.
The support needed for carpooling on the commute is quite different. As noted above, commuting is very routine oriented and commuting carpools tend to be the same. What this means in practice is that for those that are interested in carpooling for their commute, they tend to find a carpool they are comfortable with and stick with it. As a result, regular matching is not necessary, nor is fully digital management of carpools. Commuters manage their carpools through Informal channels (usually via text or other chat platforms).
As a result, when a carpooling app is introduced at a company, the script is usually the same. Interested individuals first try to offer a carpool. In the few cases where carpools are formed, they switch to informal coordination after a short time. If they can’t find a match quickly, they leave the platform because it offers no added value.
How Pave Commute is Different
At Pave Commute, we’re committed to reducing the number of cars on the road, starting with the daily commute. We understand that changing individual behavior is challenging, and focusing solely on carpooling—one of the least popular commute options—often leads to frustration.
Instead, we’re building a movement around sustainable commuting. We start by providing tools and recognition to those who already commute sustainably. These individuals can then inspire their colleagues to join them. Our platform allows users to form carpools or bikepools, track their sustainable trips, and be recognized by their company and peers for their efforts. Carpooling for the daily commute starts with the movement around sustainable commuting that inspires people to try out the app. Pave Commute then supports small carpool groups that can easily communicate within the app in a way similar to typical messaging apps and helps to establish new routines.
By fostering a culture of sustainable commuting, we elevate all modes of transportation. Over time, this approach will lead to more carpools and fewer cars on the road.
Sign up your team & try it today
Try Pave Commute with your team free for 30 days. No credit card required.
