I just don't get it, everyone always complains that they don't make any money with Uber but if you really were losing money then why would you keep driving....???
If drivers are really losing money with Uber then why do you keep driving for Uber?
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Some general observations on your question before I answer it:
- Most drivers don't really know whether they're losing money with Uber or making money. Most believe they're making money because they can see the deposits in the bank but they can't see the depreciation on their car or the repair bills that they haven't had to pay yet.
- The day of reckoning for depreciation and repairs and new tires will come someday. That's when a lot of drivers stop driving, because they've spent the deposits and now can't afford the day-of-reckoning cost hit.
- The nicer and more expensive your car, the higher your costs as a driver and the more likely it is you're losing money unless you're consistently getting a lot of SELECT or LUX SUV or BLACK rides.
- If you're driving a $2,000 car that barely meets Uber's qualifications and doesn't have much value to lose to depreciation, you're making more money than someone who has an expensive car - but very few people make what Uber or Lyft claim you can make per hour. Supply and demand sees to that.
So with those points in mind, consider my answer to your question of why if drivers are losing money, they keep driving:
- They think they're making more money than they really are and aren't even aware that they're losing money. They pay close attention to the deposits in their bank account but not much attention to their costs.
- Some are willing to trade the value of their vehicle for cash in order to meet short-term needs. These short-term needs can take many forms, such as medical bills, rent, some big bill that just arose, or even food. Uber/Lyft absolutely lets them do that.
- Some are getting intangible benefits from driving, such as social validation or psychic rewards.
- Some find driving to be almost like a game or form of entertainment, learning how to maximize income, finding better rides, mastering surges (haha), and so on.
- In fact, many drivers are being manipulated by Uber without knowing it. Uber uses very sophisticated psychological technigues to motivate drivers to do what's in Uber's best interests, whether or not it's in the drivers' best interests.
In other words, there are many reasons drivers keep driving for Uber or Lyft even though they're not making as much money as they thought they would.
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Some general observations on your question before I answer it:
- Most drivers don't really know whether they're losing money with Uber or making money. Most believe they're making money because they can see the deposits in the bank but they can't see the depreciation on their car or the repair bills that they haven't had to pay yet.
- The day of reckoning for depreciation and repairs and new tires will come someday. That's when a lot of drivers stop driving, because they've spent the deposits and now can't afford the day-of-reckoning cost hit.
- The nicer and more expensive your car, the higher your costs as a driver and the more likely it is you're losing money unless you're consistently getting a lot of SELECT or LUX SUV or BLACK rides.
- If you're driving a $2,000 car that barely meets Uber's qualifications and doesn't have much value to lose to depreciation, you're making more money than someone who has an expensive car - but very few people make what Uber or Lyft claim yo…
Some general observations on your question before I answer it:
- Most drivers don't really know whether they're losing money with Uber or making money. Most believe they're making money because they can see the deposits in the bank but they can't see the depreciation on their car or the repair bills that they haven't had to pay yet.
- The day of reckoning for depreciation and repairs and new tires will come someday. That's when a lot of drivers stop driving, because they've spent the deposits and now can't afford the day-of-reckoning cost hit.
- The nicer and more expensive your car, the higher your costs as a driver and the more likely it is you're losing money unless you're consistently getting a lot of SELECT or LUX SUV or BLACK rides.
- If you're driving a $2,000 car that barely meets Uber's qualifications and doesn't have much value to lose to depreciation, you're making more money than someone who has an expensive car - but very few people make what Uber or Lyft claim you can make per hour. Supply and demand sees to that.
So with those points in mind, consider my answer to your question of why if drivers are losing money, they keep driving:
- They think they're making more money than they really are and aren't even aware that they're losing money. They pay close attention to the deposits in their bank account but not much attention to their costs.
- Some are willing to trade the value of their vehicle for cash in order to meet short-term needs. These short-term needs can take many forms, such as medical bills, rent, some big bill that just arose, or even food. Uber/Lyft absolutely lets them do that.
- Some are getting intangible benefits from driving, such as social validation or psychic rewards.
- Some find driving to be almost like a game or form of entertainment, learning how to maximize income, finding better rides, mastering surges (haha), and so on.
- In fact, many drivers are being manipulated by Uber without knowing it. Uber uses very sophisticated psychological technigues to motivate drivers to do what's in Uber's best interests, whether or not it's in the drivers' best interests.
In other words, there are many reasons drivers keep driving for Uber or Lyft even though they're not making as much money as they thought they would.
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This is a quality post.
#1 - The one on how drivers don't know how much they are making is a bit sad. but in a way, it's Uber's way of hiding the real cost of running this driving business.
#2 - Trading in the value of their car for their short-term needs. Again, sad. but so true, as it beats up on your car so much.
#3 and #4 - These talk to playing a game, social validation, psychic rewards. Again, a bit sad, but very true.
#5 - Being manipulated. Yikes. Again I agree.
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Jeez, I had so much to say when I read the topic but you covered all points I could think of. Save some for the rest of us, man!! LOL
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First find the mechanics that work with you in the lyft app, tires can be a problem if you're not rotating and just buying new. Budget better, tuna is the new steak, and do something on the side, I do whole sales for real estate and I also help people Empower themselves by saving real money not the fiat. I put some money in my checking account for bills and every day needs then I save small amounts of gold bullion. You have an $6.50 a week save some bullion with that, when you see the benefits of doing this tell others and when they follow what you have shown them you get compensated with more gold. "You can't eat gold", I know that response but you sure can liquidate the gold in this free program get more than you put out and now steal is the new steak, jus saying it's not going to get easy anytime soon but in the meantime chech for all the solutions that make sense and don't throw in the towel. Message me and I will be happy to elaborate and share the information that may be helpful. God bless you all and wash your hands and wipe your cars down from handles to cup holders.
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Ahhhhhh I always love this question! It’s kind of like Scrooge McDuck asking “Why don’t you just stop being so poor!?”
For starters, most of us don’t lose money. On average, we probably make about minimum wage. This changes city-by-city, by car, by driver, etc.
Perhaps most importantly though, is that some people need cash TODAY. They need it for rent, for medicine, food, or perhaps a suit for a job interview. Most of the money “lost” while driving for Uber comes in the form of depreciation on our cars. So even though a driver may know they’re losing money in the long run, they also know they can prevent a calamity TODAY by driving some more and extracting the equity from their car.
Secondly, most people actually do quit driving. In fact, according to page 10 of this Uber-partnered study, 68.1% of brand new drivers will quit in just 6 months!
But again, many of us drivers are just stuck for now…
Ahhhhhh I always love this question! It’s kind of like Scrooge McDuck asking “Why don’t you just stop being so poor!?”
For starters, most of us don’t lose money. On average, we probably make about minimum wage. This changes city-by-city, by car, by driver, etc.
Perhaps most importantly though, is that some people need cash TODAY. They need it for rent, for medicine, food, or perhaps a suit for a job interview. Most of the money “lost” while driving for Uber comes in the form of depreciation on our cars. So even though a driver may know they’re losing money in the long run, they also know they can prevent a calamity TODAY by driving some more and extracting the equity from their car.
Secondly, most people actually do quit driving. In fact, according to page 10 of this Uber-partnered study, 68.1% of brand new drivers will quit in just 6 months!
But again, many of us drivers are just stuck for now. We have elderly family members who need taking care of, kids, finicky diseases, etc. Some of us are sole breadwinners. So we can’t just “stop driving” and go down to the job store and pick up a six-pack of better paying jobs or we would!
I stick around because I love cars, driving, and talking to strangers when I shouldn’t. I also find this whole industry intriguing.
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Profitability varies greatly depending on the city in which you drive, the time(s) that you drive, the drivers ability to manage their time, their actual expenses, and many, many, many other variables.
Do we make huge amounts of cash? No. Uber/Lyft do, however, afford many of us (I'm twice retired) the opportunity to get out of the house and interact with others.
How much do I make?
* This week (Mon-Wed) I worked 13.4 hrs with Uber, and 7.2 hrs with Lyft. (20.6 hrs)
* I made $437 with Uber, and $190 with Lyft. ($627)
* My expenses: $65 for gas. $75 to savings ($25 /day for replacement $12k vehicle every two years)
$627 - $140 = $487 net /20.6 hrs = $23.64 /hr after expenses.
Driving for Uber/Lyft is far from being a high paying job, but for me it's fine as a side gig after retirement.
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Thanks for sharing. I don't drive but this is very educational.
I agree that this is a interesting and rewarding job. So perfect for a side gig. You already have a car, and the flexibility must be awesome.
So your expense calculation doesn't calculate the maintenance and car upkeep, right? Or is the $75/week supposed to cover that for wear/tear, maintenance and repairs? I've tried to do th emath once and failed miserably beacuse I didn't know how much maintenance and repair costs would increase after I beat it up as an Uber car.
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In my stated calculations, I neglected to add maintenance and upkeep, although I consider those to be minor expenses. I subscribe to the service department email specials from (5) local Nissan dealerships, and generally have maintenance done once a month for ~$50 special. (Full synthetic + tire rotation + 100 pt inspection earlier this week was $57) Four new tires cost me $425 and are warrantied for 50k miles. (If you're a Costco member, get a price quote for tires, then have Firestone match it at 200% of the difference. The savings will pay for your annual Costco membership fees)
$425 per year for tires and $600 for oil and tire rotation is ~$1k per year, fairly in line with what I paid for service even before I drove for Uber and Lyft. All things considered, in my case one can either put aside $20 a week for maintenance, of do as I do and establish credit card accounts for my business and charge/pay for items as required. (I also use GasBuddy with my connected business debit card, with points credited to my ShopYourWay Uber account for free stuff)
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You mentioned you drive 20 hours a week. Is that consistent and how many miles would that total? I saw another post that mentioned "fulltime" drivers can drive 1000 miles a week. Is that in line with what you do?
$20 a week in increased maintenance is not a problem.
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The 20 hrs is what I worked Monday thru Wednesday. ("In total this week, M-Th (Took today off and I don't work weekends) I worked 17.4 hrs with Uber, and 8.5 hrs with Lyft. TOTAL: 25.9 hrs I made $590.28 with Uber and $253.59 with Lyft.
$843.87 in 25.9 hrs = $32.58 /hr GROSS, with 842 miles driven If I had driven today, my weekly mileage would probably have been close to 1k, which averages to an oil change a month and 1 set of tires per year.
Am I getting rich from driving? Nope. (I make much, much more off retirement pensions, investments and rental properties) An extra $3,000 to $4,000 doesn't hurt, though, and it paid for my recent 3 week national parks cross country tour and for my upcoming vacation to Europe.
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You get maintenance done every month?
I guess I am way behind on this. Probably why I have more car issues...
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"Monthly" = approx every 4k miles, which is the recommendation by the car manufacturer. I do the dealership specials so that all of the maintenance is on record for warranty purposes.
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That's a lot of miles. 48K a year. The dealership must be like, "woah" every time.
"You own a Nissan that's 4 years old and it has 200K?!" LOL.
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A few months ago I purchased a 2016 Altima for $12k. (was previously a dealer loaner car with 15k miles) I has the windows tinted for $175, installed fog lights for $100, added a spoiler for $175, and upgraded to HID lighting for $190. The car runs like new, and after two years I'll have a 4 year old vehicle with ~100k miles worth $5-$7k. Did it depreciate? Sure. It will have lost approx $5k in value, however in that time period I'll have made $80-90K, which, for me, was a worthwhile, tax deductible business expense. YMMV
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Well, many aren't staying with Uber, right? Something like 50% of all Uber drivers become inactive within the first year.
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Because... I need the money and admittedly I've been seduced by the fact that I can download my earnings the same day/evening that I drove Uber for the money. Is it much money? Nope. But it's more than a bunch of nothing. Like many people in the "Gig Economy", I work two part time jobs and don't make enough at either job to quit one.
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Right. It isn’t always easy to make money or hold multiple jobs. I do appreciate the opportunity to pick up the app, leverage the resources and skills I already have access to (i.e. driving), and make a few bucks.
I’m a huge fan of gig economy but it did jack up the supply and demand balance in so many areas of the market. Uber pretty much wrecked the livelihood of those in the driving industry, single-handedly.
What makes me especially sad is that they didn’t have to. The pricing didn’t have to undercut the existing businesses, ie taxis, to this point. It was wreckless and really broke the balance of people’s expectation and worker’s pay.
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I think the poster is a jerk, but I'd imagine an element of his question is asking, "why wouldn't you do something else if you hate Uber so much." There are more ways than Uber to make money.
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Sensitive topic but it isn't necessary a horrible one. Let me try to answer.
Why don't I quit my job as an Uber driver? Probably the same reason you don't just quit your job because your boss sucked, you don't get paid enough, or hours suck. We all do this to make a living, and we do what we don't like to do.
Of course, we can complain just as you do about your job. Speaking up is good, as it calls for action to improve the system.
If I were to spell it out? I do Uber because I do like the flexible hours that it brings, and I frankly think I am really good at it.
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I started driving Uber when I lost my job but we only have one car in my family and after about a month of it it just was putting too much wear and tear on my car.
I don't lose money with Uber but I also do postmates as well and I make about 300 a day when I drive, that's my daily goal so I only have to drive a few days each week and can have a life lol.
I started to rent from ZenCar.club after I had to pay out a bunch of money to get my alternator fixed and my wife wanted me to quit "ruining our car" so and I just work an extra day during the week to offset that and our famly car is safe and sound, plus she can use it whenever she needs to so that's a lot better lol.
I just don't understand how people can say they don't make moeny with Uber...but yeah I guess location has a lot to do with it. I live in Los Angeles and you really can't just walk to places or take public transportation so I really do get a ton of rides on the days I work and I never have to worry about that stuff. I pretty much schedule my days around peak times and peak areas so I'm smart about it.
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I always used to think owning a car was a sunk cost. It just sits there anyways, so why not drive it, right? Minus gas, of course. What do you mean by too much wear and tear? Did you start seeing more maintenance bills?
yeah, we dont' have a choice on location. Where you live is the market you will drive in. No way around that. (thuogh my friends in NJ sometimes drive in all kinds of locations, including PA and DE.)
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Yeah I saw way more maintainence, my family car is a bit older but we had gone for years without having any issues at all and then all of a sudden after I was driving for a bit it's all new brakes here, new tires there, new belts, new alternator, that sort of thing. I was putting so many miles on it all it once and it wasn't used to being driven that much. My wife works from home and I used to work right down the road so I wasn't really driving very much before I lost my job.
Right now I just have zencar and they take care of all the maintainence and oil changes, tires, and everything so it's a win-win for me because if something else had happened to my family car and I wasnt able to pay for it my whole family would be screwed :/ I can't risk that.
To clarify, I own my family car outright so it's not like I'm making payments on that plus leasing a zencar lol.
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This is the problem. Uber goes great lengths to hide the fact that being a driver really beats up on your car. This isn't some gig you can do with only the upsides. The problem is that it's very hard to calculate these costs of car maintenance, so many don't do it and Uber gets the benefit of the doubt that being a driver is a lucrative business.
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I am in this exact same scenario. We only have one family car, owned outright, and I am debating doing Uber but worry about running down the car. I can imagine it definitely starts to take a toll.
I have to look into some of these rental options more, do you feel like zencar is the best option?
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Hi KrisL, I'm glad you mentioned the idea that location has a lot to do with it. I live/work in the Tampa Bay Florida area -- in a recently published Rideshare study, one of the WORST rated areas for rideshare pay in the country, aka $9 or so an hour. So - at the moment - I'm a tad stuck in a rut after 11 months of driving Uber. Low, but instant, pay. I'm looking for a more lucrative, 5 days a week "regular" job so I can go back to having a life on the weekends AND make decent money again. I'm kinda proud of myself I stuck it out with Uber this long, tho'. Thanks for your comments!
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I'm tracking with Gridwise and am also very clear that I do this to make money. I'm also good at math, which I think is required to survive -
I'm consistently making between $30 and $40 an hour driving in the Pittsburgh area (gross, before gas and depreciation - gas is about 12% typically). How do I do it? I don't take bad trips. Period. My trip acceptance rate right now is 27%, even though my cancel rate is only 1%. Uber Blue/Diamond whatever doesn't seem like a good deal - certainly not worth cutting my income by 30-40%.
Here's the deal - if you take a bad trip, you're screwing yourself: 1) you've committed your time, so you now can't take a good trip when it comes through. 2) you're losing money on the trip itself, and 3) you're giving Uber feedback that the price is ok. You're much better off pulling over and waiting for a good trip.
What's a bad trip? for me it's anything less tha…
I'm tracking with Gridwise and am also very clear that I do this to make money. I'm also good at math, which I think is required to survive -
I'm consistently making between $30 and $40 an hour driving in the Pittsburgh area (gross, before gas and depreciation - gas is about 12% typically). How do I do it? I don't take bad trips. Period. My trip acceptance rate right now is 27%, even though my cancel rate is only 1%. Uber Blue/Diamond whatever doesn't seem like a good deal - certainly not worth cutting my income by 30-40%.
Here's the deal - if you take a bad trip, you're screwing yourself: 1) you've committed your time, so you now can't take a good trip when it comes through. 2) you're losing money on the trip itself, and 3) you're giving Uber feedback that the price is ok. You're much better off pulling over and waiting for a good trip.
What's a bad trip? for me it's anything less than $.45 a minute. Take the total time - the pickup leg plus the trip itself and divide that into the price. So a $4.46 trip (the minimum right now) is a great trip if the total time is 8 or 9 minutes. I'll do those all day long because they're super-low mileage and any tips are a huge bonus percentage-wise. And Uber's bonuses right now are on number of trips, so you make that money a lot faster.
Rule of thumb - divide the total time in half and it should be the same or lower than the price.
You have like 3 seconds to decide if you want a trip usually, so you have to think fast, but I've learned painfully that it's better to lose a trip than to take a bad one that takes you out of busy areas or has high dollars but puts tons of miles on your car and leaves you in the middle of nowhere. As a rule of thumb, if the pickup leg is longer than the trip leg, it's almost certainly a bad trip. If it's 1 or 2 minutes, it's very likely a good trip, but you usually end up waiting for the passenger because they aren't expecting a ride that fast.
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Doesn't the OP know that capitalism is a farce? It's an illusion of free market we live under.
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I drive for Lyft instead of Uber, but I do make money. It seems to me that people count the opportunity cost of driving as the reason people are not making money. There are times that it appears I am losing money when I am driving, but that is because if I do not have a time frame to be somewhere I will use the app and drive. I do not always get a fare, but when I do it actually offsets the cost of my traveling across town.
Another reason is that you can always earn money by choosing to drive more often or around events, so even if you are not earning as much it is possible to make ends meet if you are having monetary difficulty. This is especially true for people who have trouble finding jobs. I do now have a job but I applied for almost a year before I could find work. In the meantime, Lyft was my entire source of income and while it did not pay as well as my last job, it kept my head above water.
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Why they really don't make money is for the following reasons : Most drivers do not know the value of money in terms of inflation and the rates for a nyc medallion is too cheap compared to other cities including forein countries so the uberized rates is sinfully and hurtful to unsuspecting drivers. You should never and ever buy a new car for app driving because you will lose on the front end and when your ready to sell your high mileage junk pile you must add 50000 miles to it and that is how much your car is worth. Black exterior is the worst color to have in NYC because it tell people to key it,kick it, open the door and hit something . Black will stay clean for a few hours in NYC and it's time for another $10 car wash which equals to about $2000 a year. Then throw in TLC insurance ,TLC RIPOFF tax stamp, TLC taxi maids giving out expensive tickets, NYC traffic maids who hates taxis and love giving tickets and NYPD who loves us the most . Now let's not forget who rips the drivers the most UBER, LYFT 38 % commission ,are you F#$%*KIN serious ? A quote from Archie Bunker , Dummy Up !!!
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Driving in NYC can be a vastly different experience from what most drivers experience in other cities. I pay $50 for my business license, I get unlimited car washes for $36 /mo, the rideshare insurance rider from my insurance company is $20 /mo, and I avoid cops/tickets. (My last ticket was in 1987)
I don't make as much as I did before retirement, but I make enough to comfortably supplement my income and fund several vacation trips per year. YMMV.
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It's possible you were paid by Uber to write this review, because you criticize the company and state that you do not always earn a fare, you represent a controlled review.
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Some are bad at math or just aren't properly accounting for their non-cash expenses.
Some aren't in it for the money. (i.e. Retirees who just want to get out of the house, Realtors looking for leads, Musicians looking for gigs, etc.)
Others might not have better opportunities or may feel trapped.
The rest of us have figured the more profitable days/times/areas to drive and/or how to minimize our expenses.
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"Retirees who just want to get out of the house, Realtors looking for leads, Musicians looking for gigs, etc.)"
Damn, really? I actually once thought being a realtor would be a good side gig for an Uber driver (or vice versa) because of th flexible hours but never thought of leads being generated as an Uber driver.
Musicians. LOL. They must carry their guitar in the front seat?
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because they don't have any targeted skillsets. they don't have other choices.
..or I can be more PC and say that that's what their career path is and has been. Many have driven for taxis in the past, and others have driven for limos.
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We live ina country of borrowers - people take loans on cars, heck people even borrow money these days to buy a $75 bean bag chair... so much interest leads to making no money.
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Right, half of the drivers complaing have to pay a $600 lease every month. If you saved up and bought a car outright, driving for Uber is actually pretty good money.
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You tell me where you can find a $75 beanbag chair and maybe I"ll believe you... those things cost a couple hundred bucks at least, and that's for the cheap ones.
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I think they have o feed their families. Nowadays inflation is out of control. So after loosing one it is difficult to find another job so that's why I think they make only complains but not left that job.
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We drive because this is our livelihood. Just like any other job, we have made a choice to pick up this profession. This is what we do well, this is where our experience is, this is what fits best into our lifestyle, and this is what we enjoy.
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I make more than minimum wage. Yes, I am taking into account all of my expenses.
I make a decent living, and am my own boss. I make my own hours. I don't have some dude wearing khakis and a polo shirt breathing down my neck telling me to get my TPS reports done. Instead, I meet interesting people on a daily basis and get to just drive around all day.
That's why.
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This question is so offensive, I don't even know how to respond. Is it ignorance or elitest.
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After driving with Uber for about 3 years I stopped because after all expenses I was earning on average of $7.00 per hour. In the beginning it was great, was doing Uber Lux & Lux SUV, I was earning great money taking home $1500-2000 a week. Then many of the drivers in my area (Miami)
That we’re doing X began to trade up and the market became flooded with Lux & Lux SUV. There wears not enough demand for the category. It got so bad that a lot of the drivers had to work. 18-20 hrs a day just to break even, a lot of them were basically living in their cars. Uber did nothing to limit the amount of cars in the upscale categories. I could not afford to do X for $3.00-6.00 per net ride in a Lincoln SUV.
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People drive for A Transportation Company because, they have their own hours, there is no other human looking over their shoulders, drivers meet multiple individuals, and drivers can manage other parts of their lives as a result of not having to stay in a building all day. -
With these common options in mind, it does not derail Uber Technologies LLC. from being morally and ethically just to its counterparts, the drivers.
It is not good to take advantage of people. It is not wise for an organization in the long run, due to the inescapable law of “cause and effect”.
If deceit, lies, scams, thievery, greed is part of an organization, that organization will receive those same traits in return. i.e Lawsuits. Loss. Death. Disease. Corruption. Downfalls within the Organization, be it sooner or later. For the Laws of the Universe is impersonal, it is just.
And I believe, one day, …
People drive for A Transportation Company because, they have their own hours, there is no other human looking over their shoulders, drivers meet multiple individuals, and drivers can manage other parts of their lives as a result of not having to stay in a building all day. -
With these common options in mind, it does not derail Uber Technologies LLC. from being morally and ethically just to its counterparts, the drivers.
It is not good to take advantage of people. It is not wise for an organization in the long run, due to the inescapable law of “cause and effect”.
If deceit, lies, scams, thievery, greed is part of an organization, that organization will receive those same traits in return. i.e Lawsuits. Loss. Death. Disease. Corruption. Downfalls within the Organization, be it sooner or later. For the Laws of the Universe is impersonal, it is just.
And I believe, one day, there will be regulations and third-parties in place, overseeing Uber Technologies LLC.’s core values, integrity's, actions, and to making sure there is purity and justice for all.
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See, this job isn't just about money either. People focus on minimum wages and how the drivers are starving and all that. but you know something? I love the flexibility. It's a lifestyle. There is almost a priceless aspect of being an Uber driver.
I have done the corporate office thing. While I did it for 17 years, it wasn't my thing. I tremendously enjoy being a driver, helping people, with ultimate flexibility, and 40 hours a week doesn't seem like 40 hours.
No one is "losing" money. Drivers who are saying they are losing money are lying. Sure, some trips are bad and you feel like you are losing money, but you are not. Under minimum wage sometimes? Sure, I guess. It depends no how you do the math. Are you dividing by ALL The hours you are on the road? or are you dividing by the house you are driving customers?
Should you get paid for the time you sat and read a book in a Walmart parking lot? What abou…
See, this job isn't just about money either. People focus on minimum wages and how the drivers are starving and all that. but you know something? I love the flexibility. It's a lifestyle. There is almost a priceless aspect of being an Uber driver.
I have done the corporate office thing. While I did it for 17 years, it wasn't my thing. I tremendously enjoy being a driver, helping people, with ultimate flexibility, and 40 hours a week doesn't seem like 40 hours.
No one is "losing" money. Drivers who are saying they are losing money are lying. Sure, some trips are bad and you feel like you are losing money, but you are not. Under minimum wage sometimes? Sure, I guess. It depends no how you do the math. Are you dividing by ALL The hours you are on the road? or are you dividing by the house you are driving customers?
Should you get paid for the time you sat and read a book in a Walmart parking lot? What about that time you decided to stop back into your house and ate a sandwich? The time you decided to snooze no a nice breezy day? Should you get paid for those times?
I enjoy driving, and I do make a good living. Perhaps not a luxurious lifestyle, but I am available for my kids during the day, take a random day off, don't bother with commuting, etc.
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You’re right Baba! Most of us did not know any better when we started driving and after awhile we pretty much figured out what Dave Whittle so eloquently explained - Uber for me is just not worth it because I drive in a small town where Uber pays us to take people away from our small city and then we deadhead back taking away any profits we might have made!
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Some drivers who have been doing it for a while know how to strategically plan rides so they make money. The numbers that get published are averages of everyone.
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LOL becuase they are not losing money, just not making a lot and people love to exagerate and complain...
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We used to make more money till Uber cut all our profits, I guess I'm hoping that there will be a day when the profits rise again?
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When you do your tax return you should be able to decide if it is worth it to you. This goes for any self-employment.