Anybody here an Uber or Lyft driver?

[djnsmith7]

Not sure how Uber drivers are surviving as full-time drivers anymore. So many customer discounts last year, you really make next to nothing.

It was always funny to hear customers rave about the discounts, but yet oblivious to the fact that the discounts come out of the driver's pocket. They were in shock when I explained how that works. Uber doesn't take the hit, the drivers do.

Not a good business model for the drivers. It's a great business model for Lyft, Uber & the passengers though.

Example: An $80 ($110 for 2 stops) cab fare from SFO (SF Airport) to Downtown SF is $35 in an Uber or Lyft. Even less for the passenger (30% savings per passenger on avg. - fare gets split) if 2 passengers sync up in an UberPool or Lyft Line fare (closer to $45 for the driver) to or from SFO.

What would normally be $80 / $110 ends up being $35 / $45.

Let's take a closer look. Someone drives from San Jose to SFO (80 miles RT). They then drive 25 miles RT to Downtown SF. Driver gets "lucky" with an UberPool fare of $45 ($45-20%=$36). That driver drove 105 miles to make $36.

Unlucky driver: $35-20%=$28 for driving 105 miles (btw, UberPool / Lyft Line fares happen ~1/50 fares).

Keeping things simple, deduct your fuel cost from $36 / $28 & that's your net income for that fare (probably safe to est. ~$10). In essence, that driver made $26 / $18 (including total drive time & time spent waiting for ping) for 2+ hours of work.

Big Picture: You ran up the mileage on your vehicle. Drove all the way to & from SF. Let strangers leave trash in your car. Dealt with strangers who were in a bad mood because of their long flight. Accepted that you weren't going to receive a cash tip, no matter how nice, polite & a great conversationalist you were, opened their door, loaded & unloaded all of their luggage & had bottled water for them on both doors.

All for less than $9.00 per hour (that's less than minimum wage here in Santa Clara County, btw). Do you really want to be one of these drivers?

 

[JDawg1536]

^ This.

When you calculate all your costs and the risk you're taking on, it isn't even close to worth it.

 

[OBLAMA2009]

I think I'm gonna start bringing cash for tips, cuz I just feel guilty.

Poor dude today got pinged when he was 7 minutes away, about 2 miles. He got to my area in 8 minutes or so but got roadblocked by construction. Took him an extra 4-5 minutes.

I tell him where I need to go and we go, about 3.5 miles and 9 minutes. So to get back to where he started from approx 20 minutes. Total time/distance, assuming he goes back to home base after dropping me off = 10 miles, 40 minutes.

He received the princely sum of $4.77 less 20% fee, or $3.82 less costs. Gas is 60 cents, so $3.22 less depreciation/other wear & tear for 40 minutes of work.

wow sounds like uber/lyft really know how to scam the drivers, whatever happened to minimumwage laws

 

[djnsmith7]

wow sounds like uber/lyft really know how to scam the drivers, whatever happened to minimumwage laws

They don't apply, since Uber / Lyft drivers are independent contractors, not employees.

 

[jlee]

Hi there! My name is Aaron Tham and I am a Lecturer in Tourism, Leisure and Event Management from the University of the Sunshine Coast (Queensland, Australia). This is a call for an expression of interest for a project that I am undertaking titled – The ubiquitous tide of Uber: Disruptive innovation in tourism and hospitality (University ethics approval no. A/15/650).

The project is aimed at exploring reasons for adoption of Uber as passenger or driver around the world. Participation in the project will be in the form of online surveys. These should take no longer than fifteen minutes of your time. All answers to the surveys will be strictly confidential. Participation in the project is voluntary and you are free to withdraw from the project at any time.

If you would like to be part of this project, please visit the online survey link: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/XXVTVZN

Thank you once again for your time and consideration on this matter.

Kind regards,
Aaron

Where's my iPod?

 

[yoyo2]

Hi there! My name is Aaron Tham and I am a Lecturer in Tourism, Leisure and Event Management from the University of the Sunshine Coast (Queensland, Australia). This is a call for an expression of interest for a project that I am undertaking titled – The ubiquitous tide of Uber: Disruptive innovation in tourism and hospitality (University ethics approval no. A/15/650).

The project is aimed at exploring reasons for adoption of Uber as passenger or driver around the world. Participation in the project will be in the form of online surveys. These should take no longer than fifteen minutes of your time. All answers to the surveys will be strictly confidential. Participation in the project is voluntary and you are free to withdraw from the project at any time.

If you would like to be part of this project, please visit the online survey link: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/XXVTVZN

Thank you once again for your time and consideration on this matter.

Kind regards,
Aaron

Interesting survey. You could also try the uber forum. cheers

 

[RossMAN]

I haven't used Uber in a while and have a question.

I need to have them pickup someone and be able to text or speak with the driver before the pickup, is that possible? Is there a comments section or something?

 

[AznAnarchy99]

I haven't used Uber in a while and have a question.

I need to have them pickup someone and be able to text or speak with the driver before the pickup, is that possible? Is there a comments section or something?

Set the pick up and then you can text/call them.

 

[djnsmith7]

You can specify the pickup location when you request the Uber. Once that request is accepted, you can text and / or call the driver.

For example, you want a driver to pick someone up at the airport. You specify the airport's location on the app, then call or text the driver.

 

[RossMAN]

Thanks!

 

[Bock]

For example, you want a driver to pick someone up at the airport. You specify the airport's location on the app, then call or text the driver.

Do not ever do this specifically. The second a driver figures out your not at the airport & it's some1 else, they will cancel you making sure you get hit with the fee.

 

[RossMAN]

Do not ever do this specifically. The second a driver figures out your not at the airport & it's some1 else, they will cancel you making sure you get hit with the fee.

Can someone please confirm if this is true?

 

[AznAnarchy99]

Can someone please confirm if this is true?

unless the driver has some vendetta about picking up for someone else. He gets paid the same way anyway.

Also any fee I've ever had with Uber I've disputed and gotten my money back.

 

[BrokenVisage]

I thought you have a problem with reading comprehension, this proves it.

And those who said that I'm mad because I didn't think of it first? LOL, how shallow and simple minded. Think a bit deeper.

Wow, let's profit off a supposedly legal carpool program, and try to work around the laws. Why didn't I think of that???

So you're saying it's perfectly OK to skirt all the regulations, safety, license, bonds, insurance, etc... that governs the taxi industry, and instead allow any knuckleheads to drive around and pick up people. All in the name of... what?

So, they took the "share ride" or "carpool" idea, fudge it a bit by saying "not charging", but "tips are encouraged" and makes an illegal taxi service OK?

See, all the liberal ideas are always shallow, and at first would seem to be "OMG AWESOME!!1!!!1" but if you think just a bit deeper, the whole idea usually falls apart.

Never mind entire industries and professions that are dependent on the regulation of the taxi industry for their livelihood, let's just make it OK so some hippies that can't do shit else run around with his or her cars with a stupid giant pink mustache on it crowding up SF streets competing with legal taxi services. Great job, libertards! :thumbsup:

Oooh oh, I have an idea, let's just cook stuff and sell it out of my garage, and call it "neighborhood food sharing program" and thumb my nose at the city restaurant regulators. You see? Thinking of an idea is not difficult, it's thinking beyond it, and what it might affect takes a bit more effort. You should try it.

I'm liberal yet I'm still giving this post a :thumbsup:

 

[Aharami]

Not sure how Uber drivers are surviving as full-time drivers anymore. So many customer discounts last year, you really make next to nothing.

It was always funny to hear customers rave about the discounts, but yet oblivious to the fact that the discounts come out of the driver's pocket. They were in shock when I explained how that works. Uber doesn't take the hit, the drivers do.

Not a good business model for the drivers. It's a great business model for Lyft, Uber & the passengers though.

Example: An $80 ($110 for 2 stops) cab fare from SFO (SF Airport) to Downtown SF is $35 in an Uber or Lyft. Even less for the passenger (30% savings per passenger on avg. - fare gets split) if 2 passengers sync up in an UberPool or Lyft Line fare (closer to $45 for the driver) to or from SFO.

What would normally be $80 / $110 ends up being $35 / $45.

Let's take a closer look. Someone drives from San Jose to SFO (80 miles RT). They then drive 25 miles RT to Downtown SF. Driver gets "lucky" with an UberPool fare of $45 ($45-20%=$36). That driver drove 105 miles to make $36.

Unlucky driver: $35-20%=$28 for driving 105 miles (btw, UberPool / Lyft Line fares happen ~1/50 fares).

Keeping things simple, deduct your fuel cost from $36 / $28 & that's your net income for that fare (probably safe to est. ~$10). In essence, that driver made $26 / $18 (including total drive time & time spent waiting for ping) for 2+ hours of work.

Big Picture: You ran up the mileage on your vehicle. Drove all the way to & from SF. Let strangers leave trash in your car. Dealt with strangers who were in a bad mood because of their long flight. Accepted that you weren't going to receive a cash tip, no matter how nice, polite & a great conversationalist you were, opened their door, loaded & unloaded all of their luggage & had bottled water for them on both doors.

All for less than $9.00 per hour (that's less than minimum wage here in Santa Clara County, btw). Do you really want to be one of these drivers?

holy crap. glad I saw this.

 

[AznAnarchy99]

holy crap. glad I saw this.

Meh I did all of the sign up bonuses and made $800 + $250 in fares for about 15 rides.

I stopped doing it because without the bonuses I didn't have much motivation. My dad is continues to do it and he averages $20-25 an hour driving only weekend nights.

 

[Ns1]

Meh I did all of the sign up bonuses and made $800 + $250 in fares for about 15 rides.

I stopped doing it because without the bonuses I didn't have much motivation. My dad is continues to do it and he averages $20-25 an hour driving only weekend nights.

20-25 gross?


it's funny - I talk to most Uber drivers and they seem relatively happy. I go on uberpeople.net and it's a cesspool of hate.

 

[AznAnarchy99]

20-25 gross?


it's funny - I talk to most Uber drivers and they seem relatively happy. I go on uberpeople.net and it's a cesspool of hate.

Ya gross. Focus on hours when people go out and you'll make money. Not enough to quit your full time job but enough for extra spending money and something to do on the weekends.

 

[Ns1]

Ya gross. Focus on hours when people go out and you'll make money. Not enough to quit your full time job but enough for extra spending money and something to do on the weekends.

20-25 gross is pretty terribad for the shit that uber drivers gotta deal with, esp. on weekends ^_^

I guess it's okay if you want beer money and don't mind cleaning your car often.

 

[Fenixgoon]

FYI a lawsuit against uber in California was just granted class action status. Uber could be in for a world of hurt...

 

[clamum]

20-25 gross?


it's funny - I talk to most Uber drivers and they seem relatively happy. I go on uberpeople.net and it's a cesspool of hate.

I know nothing about Uber and Lyft (other than basically what they're about) but I'm guessing that's because all the happy people are just doing it, and not going on messageboards writing about their positive experiences. Usually it's only the people that have something to bitch about taking the time to post about it. Even then, I'd take their stories with thousand truckloads of salt.

 

[jlee]

I know nothing about Uber and Lyft (other than basically what they're about) but I'm guessing that's because all the happy people are just doing it, and not going on messageboards writing about their positive experiences. Usually it's only the people that have something to bitch about taking the time to post about it. Even then, I'd take their stories with thousand truckloads of salt.

I did Lyft for about a month, on weekends when I was bored. The last time I went out, I got ~$35 (gross) in 3 hours. Never again.

I think my best night was a bit over $200 for 6-7 hours, but it's not nearly reliable enough to make me bother going out again.

 

[AznAnarchy99]

The long drives are the best. Made $60 driving some girls from OC to a club in Hollywood. From there picked up some drunk chick and took her home to Woodland Hills on a surcharge and made $80. Add up all of the small rides there and I netted $180 in 5 hours including the ride back home (which sucked cause I didn't pick up anyone wanting to go back to OC)

But like I said, the sign up bonuses were a major motivation for me. Without those, I've done 1 ride in the last month just to keep my account active.

 

[djnsmith7]

Can someone please confirm if this is true?

I haven't had any issues with picking someone up at someone else's request. Happens a lot at the airport. That's not to say other drivers haven't had bad experiences with it though.

 

[reallyscrued]

Good.

Get rid of the ridiculous medallion system for Taxis and competition means lower prices for everyone.

I wouldn't drive one but ~20 bucks an hour is a decent wage for people who otherwise would be making minimum.