A ride-share company based in Dallas has continued growing since opening in 2018. Alto started in Dallas and has since expanded into Houston, Washington DC, Miami and Los Angeles.
"We're really excited about our growth trajectory," says Director of Operations Adam Vanderpool.
Alto is now expanding into Silicon Valley with plans to grow into the entire San Francisco Bay area.
"We're planning to take this into all major metros, first in the United States and then going internationally, I'd imagine," Vanderpool says.
The company has been growing despite the pandemic starting in 2020. Vanderpool says Alto's business model has allowed for changes that can make users feel safe.
Alto uses its own fleet of vehicles. When the pandemic started, the company installed HEPA air filters and plexiglass in its cars to separate the driver from riders.
"The big things we really focus on are safety. Safety is always a top priority for us. Two: consistency. Every time you get into an Alto, you should expect to have the same excellent experience," Vanderpool says.
Despite the pandemic slowing and more people getting out, higher gas prices are now affecting ride-share companies.
"Fuel prices are something we're watching really closely," Vanderpool says. "Generally, Alto's burying the cost of increased fuel prices. On the bright side, our drivers are not impacted given our business model. We're paying for the fuel, the maintenance, the insurance, so we're able to keep them coming in and focusing on giving excellent customer experiences."
Drivers for Alto are employees of the company instead of independent contractors. Vanderpool says keeping drivers on staff and using cars owned by the company allow for more efficient routing, which can save fuel.
He says dispatchers can track Alto employees' trips and adjust trips based on where they are instead of independent drivers picking up rides at random.
Alto is also transitioning to an all-electric fleet of vehicles. Vanderpool says the company should have up to three thousand electric vehicles by the end of 2023. He says, since rideshare companies are usually hired for shorter trips and Alto owns its own fleet, they can charge cars at central locations between fares.
"For Alto, I think it's always been our vision to build technology that supports the EV future," Vanderpool says. "Because these are vehicles we own and control, we actually have that ability to make that transition that gig companies can't offer."
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