RIDEGURU
Sergio Avedian (Uberserge)
Ride Apprentice from Los Angeles, CA
Blogger, Podcaster, Active Rideshare Driver/Coach
1300 Rider DriverActive Uber/Lyft driver in Los Angeles, contributing writer for Rideguru and RSG (The Rideshare Guy), podcaster, rideshare driver coach, independent consultant to rideshare and tech companies.
Activity
Posts by Uberserge
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Dashboard Cameras: The Ultimate Guide for Both Drivers and Riders
All explained in this article! https://ride.guru/content/newsroom/dashboard-cameras-the-ultimate-guide-for-both-drivers-and-riders -
Is the Scooter Era Ending? Was it all just a Fad?
https://ride.guru/content/newsroom/is-the-scooter-era-ending -
Step by Step Instructions on Accepting your First Trip as a New Uber Driver and General App Tutorial 2020
It is all explained in this article https://ride.guru/content/newsroom/step-by-step-instructions-on-accepting-your-first-trip-as-a-new-uber-driver-and-general-app-tutorial-2020 -
Step by Step Instructions on Accepting your First Trip as a New Lyft Driver and General App Tutorial 2020
It is all explained in this article https://ride.guru/content/newsroom/step-by-step-instructions-on-accepting-your-first-trip-as-a-new-lyft-driver-and-general-app-tutorial-2020 -
Is Uber Just A Payment Collection Agency For Drivers Now? Must Read For All Drivers & Passengers
Looks like drivers are Uber's customers and passengers are drivers' cutomers https://ride.guru/content/newsroom/is-uber-just-a-payment-collection-agency-for-drivers-now-must-read-for-all-drivers-passengers -
Step by step instrucitons for Uber & Lyft car inspections!
It is all explained in this in this article https://ride.guru/content/newsroom/step-by-step-guide-to-get-an-uber-lyft-car-inspection -
How to track your tax deductible miles for Rideshare driving? Potential tax deduction missed by Drivers!
I have explained it all in this in depth article https://ride.guru/content/newsroom/how-to-track-tax-deductible-mileage-for-uber-lyft-drivers -
Is driving for Uber & Lyft full of Flexibility and Freedom? Not so fast!
My in depth article about the plight of NY drivers https://ride.guru/content/newsroom/is-driving-for-uber-lyft-really-full-of-freedom-not-in-new-york -
Uber is fighting AB5 in CA with a new PAA (Platform Access Agreement)
Drivers are Uber customers, passengers are drivers' customers. Uber charges drivers a service fee for accesing its technology platform.https://ride.guru/content/newsroom/is-uber-just-a-payment-collection-agency-for-drivers-now-must-read-for-all-drivers-passengers -
As per Uber, passengers are driver's customer and drivers are Uber's customers
https://ride.guru/content/newsroom/is-uber-just-a-payment-collection-agency-for-drivers-now-must-read-for-all-drivers-passengers -
Uber claims to be just a payment processing agency for the driver and passenger
https://ride.guru/content/newsroom/is-uber-just-a-payment-collection-agency-for-drivers-now-must-read-for-all-drivers-passengers -
I must be in a time machine, taking me back to the starting days of Uber albeit at much lower rates!
https://ride.guru/content/newsroom/uber-is-making-big-changes-in-california-for-drivers https://ride.guru/content/newsroom/uber-is-making-big-changes-in-california-for-drivers -
I got skunked by the Uber Algorithm! Is over saturation the problem or does Uber put drivers in Time Outs due to declining too many rides?
https://therideshareguy.com/skunked-by-uber/ -
Driving Uber's Way vs. Driving My Way
Do you take every ping Uber and Lyft send you? Are you the slave of their algorithms?https://therideshareguy.com/driving-ubers-way-vs-driving-my-way/ -
Now Uber is letting some CA drivers set their rate at small airports
All the changes over the past couple of months, definitely due to AB5. Will all these changes spread throughout the … -
Is the Scooter craze coming to a crashing halt?
https://ride.guru/content/newsroom/is-the-scooter-era-ending -
Dashboard cameras: Ultimate guide for rideshare drivers and passengersrs
https://ride.guru/content/newsroom/dashboard-cameras-the-ultimate-guide-for-both-drivers-and-riders -
Do you think the changes implemented in CA by Uber should go nationwide?
https://ride.guru/content/newsroom/uber-is-making-big-changes-in-california-for-drivers -
Uber commissions capped at 25%, no upfront pricing, exact destination on each trip before accepting a ride, old surge multiplier is back, no AR restrictions etc.
https://ride.guru/content/newsroom/uber-is-making-big-changes-in-california-for-drivers -
Uber is Making Big Changes in California for Drivers! Is all this due to CA AB5?
I welcome these changes over the past month culminating with commission caps at 25%, showing destination, bringing the old surge …
57 million people are involved in the gig economy as per Forbes magazine, that’s a huge number and all these gigs are at most paying minimum wage, I guess people are switching from one gig to the next.
What were you paying attention to before? It’s becoming a joke what Uber and Lyft are doing to their drivers.
This is what you would exoect when you become an employee.
https://therideshareguy.com/what-would-happen-if-drivers-became-employees/
https://drivers-united.org/
Not naive at all, if things keep going in the direction they're going, you'll be driving for 30 cents a mile. Do the math, minimum wage in CA is $12. If you take minimum wage and get fully reimbursed for each mile you drive as an employee at 58 cents, you'll be making more money than driving for 60/21 base rates.
Here's the link to my article from last week.
https://therideshareguy.com/the-battle-for-ab5-heats-up-in-california/
Child specific services such as Zum are a lot more expensive than U/L but parents take the cheaper route, go figure!
There are many metrics to figure out your profitability.
1. Total gross revenue divided by total app on hours
2. Total gross revenue divided by door to door hours
3. Total gross revenue divided by total miles driven for the day, week or month. Remember the government allows a 59 cent deduction for IC.
4. Total gross revenue then deduct, gas, monthly car payment, depreciation, all maintenance, insurance (personal and rideshare) other incidentals. That's what everyone should do but probably 1% get around it.
I personally use total gross revenue divided by door to door hours to figure out my hourly and #4 to figure out my net profit. Once you start using these metrics, you'll figure out your hourly is below minimum wage and you're risking your life driving and taking a 10k equipment to work every day.
I reported it before LA Times
https://therideshareguy.com/the-battle-for-ab5-heats-up-in-california/
Uber=The Evil Empire
Lyft = The Dysfunctional Little Sister
They went for cheap. Typical rideshare driver, just a little sugar, they’ll follow you.
https://therideshareguy.com/what-would-happen-if-drivers-became-employees/
I live in Los Angeles and AB5 is something I’m very familiar with. I’ve read the law, there’s nothing in it that says your flexibility will be taken away from you. It’s coercion and bullying tactics by Uber. Their pants full of IPO cash are on fire because of AB5. Nothing has stopped them from cutting rates and all the other evil stuff they do. If AB5 is the only deterring factor to bring these shady, unethical companies to the table for concessions, so be it. Without AB5 they will continue steamrolling your pocketbook.
It makes sense in Uber and Lyft land. They introduced upfront pricing for the passenger, they can charge the passenger anything they can get away with and pay the driver 60 cents a mile. It is stealing since they don’t own the car or have any car related expenses. That’s why a lot of drivers are very upset, we do all the work they keep a bigger share than ever.
There are no basic questions, most riders don’t have a clue about the evil Uber and Lyft are, so I’m glad I can inform you. I know they are taking a huge percentage of the fare because after the ride ends, I see the passengers receipt.
Is there anything U/L haven’t eliminated or severely cut that benefited the driver?
You’re one of the few who’s doing rideshare with almost a fully depreciated car, I’m glad. I see so many new cars out on the streets that I keep shaking my head. They’re hopefully rentals. I see from your answers that you’re not an ant. 😆
Ant is a compliment, 😂, hard working, order following creatures. I’m actually proud of them since without their existence U/L would collapse.
Yep, good observation, one thing rideshare has made worse is traffic. But U/L told us they solve the traffic problem. 😂
Bravo, I think as a veteran driver, I’ve seen the good the bad and now he ugly, this gig is dead!
The unemployment rate is a complicated economic indicator. According to Barrons magazine, 57 million Americans are in gig economy jobs, so that skews the unemployment rate. The economy is not as strong as it is for the top as it is for the bottom.
But the topic was why do 70% U/L drivers quit in less than 8 months. The high attrition rate is due to people figuring out that the rideshare gig isn't worth it.
Absolutely not that hasn't been the case for over a year-and-a-half now they started with 5% and they went to 20% Then 25% now due to passenger upfront pricing scheme they're up to 50-60 70% on a lot of rides what you pay and what the driver makes has nothing to do with each other on a lot of rides they will charge you surge pricing and not pass it on to the driver as well
Profit and uber are not in the same zip code. Uber Lyft and the pax are in a subsidized fantasy land.
Sign up bonuses were great a couple of years ago, they were actual bonuses. Now they're both only offering guarantees, newbies don't read the fine print and fall for it. They'll see 100 rides for 700 guarantee and they think it's a bonus.
You're doing it right as long as you're saving for your next car, even though you're not keeping tabs on your profitability. 80% quit in less than 8 months because it takes that long to digest the U/L Koolaid.
What class do you drive? What city and at what base rates?
Part time is where the gig is at, how do you know you're making a profit? Your own car or rental? Figure out depreciation, extra wear and year, you got a lot more than put gas in and go.
Play games? How do you know if you're profitable unless you're on a U/L rental, then you need to ant anyway by accepting every garbage ping thrown your way. If you're just deducting your gas and monthly payment, it'll be rude awakening when time comes to replace your car. If you're driving uber x or regular Lyft, you have to understand with today's rates you're losing money.
Don’t know where you drive but in Los Angeles, it’s normal operating procedure. They put drivers in unspoken timeouts all the time by not sending pings. Very obvious. They also turn my app off, how’s that being an IC.?