I'm a Dallas mom who left Uber and Lyft to drive for Alto where I can get health insurance and a 401(k) — here's why it's a much better side gig

• Tamara Smith has always worked side hustles by making deliveries or by driving for ride-share apps. 
• The Dallas-based aircraft dispatcher said Alto is more professional than her other side hustles.
• The luxury ride-sharing app offers drivers health benefits and cars to drive.

This is an as-told-to essay based on a conversation with Tamara Smith, a Dallas-based driver for Alto, a high-end ride-share app operating in Dallas, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, Washington, DC, and San Francisco.

I always have some kind of side hustle — I think in this society, you have to. I work as an aircraft dispatcher as my day job.