If you're considering driving for Uber, you probably want to know how much you can earn, the costs, tips to earn more money, and if it's worth it driving for Uber.
You're in the perfect place! Please see our resources below.
Here are a few other key sections you may want to skip to. Simply click the link:
I actually drove for Uber, have interviewed dozens of drivers, so if you want the truth about Uber, I literally "wrote the book" on it.
Along the way, I've learned a lot about the pros and cons of driving for Uber, how much you can earn, and have a lot of tips to help you get started (and to help you make more money!)
In this review, I'll reveal everything I've learned. Let's dive in.
How Much Can You Earn Driving for Uber? (Examples and Statistics)
You probably already know you can make money driving for Uber.
But did you know some people make as much as $80,000 per year and more?
This was for a driver in New York City. Your actaul earnings will depend a lot on where you live, what time and day you drive, and obviously, how much you drive.
Here are a few more examples of driver earnings:
Earnings Per Hour vs Earnings Per Trip Statistics
While some people talk about earnings per hour, other discuss Uber earnings in terms of how much you earn per trip (or per ride). Gridwise recently performed a study showing the following average earnings per hour and per trip in some of the major U.S. cities.
City | Earnings Per Hour Median | Earnings Per Trip Median |
|---|---|---|
Los Angeles, CA | $17.07 | $9.84 |
Chicago, IL | $17.84 | $10.78 |
New York, NY | $20.96 | $13.33 |
Dallas, TX | $15.64 | $10.95 |
Miami, FL | $12.69 | $8.67 |
San Jose, CA | $21.80 | $11.51 |
Baltimore, MD | $15.90 | $9.90 |
You Can Earn More With Select Cars
Some cars may qualify for Uber XL, Uber Select, or Uber Black. If you can give these rides, you'll earn more! These can pay up to 100% to 300% more per ride.
Uber XL
Must seat 6 passengers (not including driver). Vehicle must have 7 working seatbelts. No vans.
Examples of Cars That May Qualify
Mazda CX-9, Kia Sorento, Honda Pilot, Chevy Traverse, Audi Q7, Lexus GX, Toyota Sequoia & Highlander, Ford Explorer, BMW X7, Infiniti QX80, Cadillac XT6, Volkswagen Atlas & Tiguan, Lincoln Navigator, and more
Uber Select
Must be 2009 model or newer, seat 4 passengers (not including dirver) and have leather or vinyl interior.
Examples of Cars That May Qualify
Acura - ILX, MDX, RDX, RLX, TL, TLX, Alfa Romeo - Giulia, Audi - A3, A4, A5, A5 Avant, A6, A6 Avant, A7, A8, Q3, Q5, Q7, RS 4, RS 5, RS 6, RS 7, S3, S4, S5, S5 Sportback, S6, S7, S8, SQ5
BMW - 3-series, 4-series, 4-series Gran Coupe, 5-series, 5-series Gran Turismo, 6-series, 6-series Gran Coupe, 7-series, M3, M5, X1, X3, X4, X5, X6
Cadillac - ATS, CT6, CTS, DTS, SRX, STS, XTS
Genesis - G80
Hummer - H3
Hyundai - Equus, Genesis
Infiniti - EX, FX, G Sedan, JX, M, Q40, Q45, Q50, Q60, Q70, QX4, QX50, QX56, QX60, QX70, QX80
Jaguar - F-PACE, S-Type, XF, XJ
Kia - K900
Land Rover - Range Rover, Range Rover Evoque
Lexus - ES, GS, GX, IS, LS, LX, NX, RX
Lincoln - Continental, MKS, MKT, MKX, MKZ, Town Car
Maserati - Ghibli, Quattroporte
Mercedes-Benz - C-Class, CL-Class, CLA-Class, CLK-Class, CLS-Class, E-Class, G-Class, GL-Class, GLA-Class, GLK-Class, M-Class, ML-Class, R-Class, S-Class, SL-Class, SLK-Class
Porsche - Cayenne, Panamera
Tesla - Model S, Model X
Volvo - S60, S70, S80, S90, XC90
Uber Black
Must be less than 5 years old, black leather interior and black exterior in excellent condition. Driver must have a 4.85 rating or higher.
Examples of Cars That May Qualify
Audi - A6, A8, A8L, BMW - 5-series, 7-series, Cadillac - CT6, XTS, Escalade, Escalade ESV, Chevrolet - Tahoe, Suburban, Ford - Expedition Platinum, Expedition Platinum MAX (model year 2018 and above only), Genesis - G90, GMC - Yukon, Yukon Denali, Yukon XL, Yukon XL Denali, Infiniti - QX56, QX80, Lexus - LS, GS, GX, LX, Lincoln - Continental, MKT, Navigator, Maserati - Quattroporte, Mercedes-Benz - E-Class, S-Class, GL-Class, GLE-Class, GLS-Class, Tesla - Model S, Model X, Volvo - S90, XC90
How Much Does It Cost to Drive for Uber?
You should subtract about $.30 per mile for driver expenses like gas, insurance, depreciation of your vehicle, and taxes, according to a recent MIT study.
But note the IRS allows you to deduct $.58 per mile on your taxes, so at least from a tax perspective, you are made whole, and then some.
Obviously gas will vary by type of vehicle and so will insurance costs. Be sure to shop around for quotes!
3 Strategies to Make More Money with Uber
If you just get in your car tomorrow and give your first ride without any thought or planning, you won't make as much money as if you just read a few simple tips.
#1 - Earn BIG Bucks with Tips
One of the great perks of being an Uber driver is the ability to earn tips. A recent study showed Uber drivers earn hundreds of millions in tips per year and the average person who tips gives $3 per ride.
In an interview with the Penny Hoarder, Mary England from Baltimore, MD, explained how she was able to earn up to $30 per hour driving for Uber. A lot of it has to do with tips.
“I deck out my car! I decorate it with twinkle lights, flowers, and holiday-themed decorations and have lots of things for the passenger to take part in like candy/mints/gum, a treasure box to pick a prize out of, books to read, a list of things to do in Baltimore…”
Mary England
Uber Driver, Baltimore MD
Studies show you can really increase your tips with these super-simple strategies:
#2 - Maintain a High Rating
In an interview with Financial Samurai, a driver from JFK airport revealed he was able to make $115,000 per year because he had a 4.8 out of 5.0 rating. Because of his rating, he got access to high-paying routes like from NYC to the Hamptons that drivers with lower ratings couldn't get.
The same could happen in your area. Also you'll get more rides with a higher rating because people won't see your rating and decline the ride.
#3 - Take Advantage of Surge Pricing
What’s surge pricing all about?
Here’s how Uber Help explains surge pricing to passengers:
“Uber rates increase to ensure reliability when demand cannot be met by the number of drivers on the road.
Our goal is to be as reliable as possible in connecting you with a driver whenever you need one. At times of high demand, the number of drivers we can connect you with becomes limited. As a result, prices increase to encourage more drivers to become available. We take notifying you of the current pricing seriously. To that end, you’ll see a notification screen in your app whenever there is surge pricing.
You’ll have to accept those higher rates before we connect you to a driver.”
How do you take advantage of surge pricing?
You get on the road when Uber notifies you of surge pricing or you drive towards the hot spots if you’re already on the road.
After a few weeks you’ll figure out the usual patterns. Uber kicks into surge pricing when the clubs close because everyone’s stressing for a ride home.
Uber also sends alerts via text message. This is so damn distracting. I always find myself feeling the temptation to hit the road after receiving a text from Uber about surge pricing.
Bonus Tip: figure out where the volume is.
I know that on a Friday night I can easily take someone from the suburbs to downtown and then spend a few hours picking up surge pricing passengers in the downtown core where all of the parties are happening.
You really just need to test out Uber for a week in your community to get a feel for the situation. You should also ask passengers about their experiences. I found out that there was a lady who drove Uber full-time by waking up early every morning and hitting the road for 5am. That’s personally a bit too extreme for me. For her, it was a new source of income.
That’s how you can make money driving for Uber. I would love to hear from those with experience as rideshare drivers in the comment section. Is it worth driving for Uber? How do you become the best driver?
What do you need to start making money as a Uber driver?
I want you to start making money ASAP. What do you need to get started?
- A car that's no older than ten years old.
- Smart phone with data. You might have to up your data.
- Car charger.
- Solid record. They check your driving record and your criminal record.
- Time.
Get all of your documents in order and apply to be a driver for Uber. I tried applying online, but some of the documents didn't go through. So I grabbed my insurance, passport, license, and proof of ownership with me as I headed out to an Uber meeting.
I must warn you. You're going to meet all kinds of characters at this meeting. I suggest attending just for the entertainment value.
- "Do you have to pay taxes?"
- "What if I don't have a cellphone?"
These were the top questions asked. I asked for ideal times to drive. Then I cut the line to have my documents processed. I signed up for the background check. The meeting was on a Tuesday evening. I was on the road by Friday.
My Experience Driving for Uber
“I worry about you. What if someone attacks you?”
This is one of my favorite comments I literally got from a young lady who was my very FIRST passenger driving for Uber!
You can’t make this stuff up!
At the time I was thinking I may have to give my very first passenger a suplex and a 1-star rating for attacking me. (Oh, and it probably makes sense to let you know I’m also a professional wrestler.)
Would this be an omen of things to come?
Here’s how it all started.
About 5 years ago, many of my followers began asking me about making money with ridesharing, especially Uber and Lyft. After becoming a driver on May 8th of 2015, logging hundreds of rides, (I’m happy to report no one has attacked me yet) writing multiple reviews, and recording videos on the subject, I now consider myself somewhat of an expert.
Hey, I'm Martin. And I literally "wrote the book" on driving for Uber.
How did my first weekend go as a Uber driver?
My life is on-the-job-training. This is my adventure with working as a Uber driver.
[Disclaimer: Please note that I got paid to drive with Uber. I also get paid to promote Uber when you sign up or when you get a free ride.]
I started off on Friday evening. I was training my buddy at the gym (always hustling to make a buck) and we had finished the workout. I decided to turn my phone on since the gym was located in a prime area for such a program. Boom. Within a few minutes I had my first call. I jumped up and down. I ran to go pick up the passenger. I brought my buddy alone for the ride (big mistake). By the third call, a gentleman freaked out on me for having an extra passenger. I went on to drive until 2am because the requests wouldn’t stop pouring in.
Saturday I went for the night rush. I wasn’t free until later in the evening. I started at about 11 and then calls went on all night again. There was just one problem. My phone died. I didn’t have a car charger. With 1% left, I picked up my brother and his buddy who were wasted at a night club to drive them home. I got home, charged my phone for a bit, and went back on the road. I did a huge call. Well, I thought I did. I forgot to press “begin ride.”
Sunday was random for me. I turned it on during the afternoon and took a few calls. Then I took a bunch of calls at night time again. I was surprised by the demand on a Sunday.
On Monday I turned the app on after my grappling class. Surprisingly calls came in. The rides varied from folks rushing to work to Tinder dates.
Key lessons learned from my first few days as a Uber driver:
- Read the rules so that you don’t get in trouble. No extra passengers allowed.
- Have the right technology on your side. Get a phone charger!
- Calls are unpredictable. You could get a request at any time.
- You can’t tell your friends or family that you’re driving because they’re going to ask you for a ride.
What are some of the highlights of driving for Uber?
I know every single hot spot in Toronto.
If someone tells you that Toronto is boring, you need to tell this person that they’re a complete loser. I didn’t realize how lively this city is until I started driving. I know of every hot spot on every single night of the week. You discover places that you didn’t even think existed.
I never want to drink again.
I may just never have to worry about buying the next round because I don’t think I want to drink again. When I’m drunk I don’t realize how awful I smell since, well, I’m on another planet. Driving drunks around shows you just how obnoxious booze makes you and how awful the stench is.
Sorry to anyone who ever drove me around when I was wasted.
I hear all of the dirty details.
From the girlfriend complaining about the boyfriend with the small package to the guy going on a Tinder date, I get to hear all of the dirty details. I get to share tips and pick up new advice. I didn’t realize how many Tinder strategies existed out there. I also didn’t realize how many rich folks took Uber.
Money.
More on this later. As you could imagine, many folks want to start driving for Uber for the money.
How do you become the best Uber driver?
“She gave me a horrible rating for no reason!”
This was the story of my weekend nights for a few weeks in a row. It was very frustrating to see that I was doing my best as a driver only to receive poor ratings.
My rating is currently at a respectable 4.81 (apparently a common rating for drivers). I would like it to be a perfect 5, but you know, that doesn’t always work out.
If you become a full-time driver then this will be your livelihood. The current standard for remaining in the system as a driver is a 4.6. If you fall below this you might get pulled from the system. You might be able to redeem yourself by paying for a course (more money spent!).
I don’t want you to get kicked out of Uber. I want you to become the best driver possible so that you can create a new income for yourself and never have to stress about going back to your old job if you decide to go full-time.
How do you become the best Uber driver?
- Have your GPS ready to go.
- Know the roads.
- Know what’s going on in the city (special events and concerts).
- Be polite, but don’t get annoying.
- Have water available.
- Keep a charger in your car. A driver with a charger is a life saver.
- Ensure your car is clean and smells good.
- Ensure that you smell good (but don’t overdo the cologne).
- Don’t ask for tips.
- Have some snacks (mints).
Some of these tips may seem like common sense but they aren’t so common. I’ve seen many complaints on social media about cars that were filthy, drivers that yapped too much, and drivers who didn’t know the roads.
My worst experience as a passenger was when I got into a car and the driver didn’t even know how to use the Uber app. I had to show him how to use the GPS. It was also a pretty dangerous ride. The gentleman clearly wasn’t ready to be working as a driver, he had his cell phone in his hand and was confused as to how the process worked. He clearly didn’t even bother watching the introductory videos.
Let’s go over a couple of common questions about driving for Uber…
Should you make small talk with passengers?
It’s okay to make small talk. Apply common sense logic here. If there’s a young couple holding hands, don’t start talking about the traffic. Don’t talk at all. Let them enjoy the ride. They don’t care about you. If the person is clearly bored and looking to chat, then engage them. If you find yourself rambling, then stop, ask them if they have a preferred radio station and let the tunes take over.
What’s the deal with flirting?
You have to remember that Uber has all of your information. You have to watch what you do. You don’t want to cross any boundaries and end up on the news. In the GTA area, a guy ended up on the news because he allegedly took advantage of an intoxicated passenger. I wasn’t there so I don’t know what happened. He could have legitimately taken advantage of her or maybe she invited him or maybe he just crossed the line. Either way, I don’t want you to end up on the news because that’s the last thing that you ever want to happen to you.
I don’t care how charming you think you are. Don’t cross the line with flirting. I usually downplay the flirting that comes from passengers. I either brush it off or change the topic because I don’t want to give Uber or myself a poor reputation.
What are the benefits of Uber?
The obvious benefit is the money. You get paid to drive people around. You're making money. You're using your car to make you money. You're not wasting time on video games. You're out there making money on the weekends while your friends waste their money.
The other benefit is the people who you meet. I totally believe that your network is your net worth. I've met record executives, producers, fellow bloggers, and overall interesting characters while driving. You never know who's going to jump into your work station.
What are the setbacks of Uber?
The income isn't passive at all.
If you don't work you don't get paid. This blog generates income while I'm sleeping. Driving isn't passive by any stretch.
The expenses can get pretty high.
You can't predict the expenses to your car. Wear and tear can be a serious expense. You also have to pay for fuel. How fuel-efficient is your vehicle?
It's far too unpredictable sometimes.
You never know who you're going to get, where they're going to go, and how the experience will be.
"Can I drink this in here?"
An intoxicated female tried to bring open alcohol into the car. What a dumb question. Of course, I wouldn't risk getting a HUGE fine. I told her no. She complained and then gave me a poor review. The struggle is real.
Opportunity cost.
Nobody ever discusses this one. I value my time pretty highly. How do you value your time? When you're on the road driving, you're saying no to everything else. No to training. No to writing. No to dinner. No to friends. No to family.
You won't get rich from working as a driver for Uber. On the bright side, this is extra money that I made on the side. Instead of partying or finding other ways to spend money, I was out making money.
Do you want to test out Uber? You earn incentives for signing up depending on your city if you want to be a driver.
Should you drive with Uber?
Yes.
Only on a part-time basis if you want to make some extra money and enjoy meeting new people.
There's all kinds of stories spreading on the web about how you can make $90k annually and other astronomical figures. I'm sure you could. Are you willing to drive 10-12 hours a day? I'm not.
I'll say this:
What other job allows you to make money on your own schedule?
You literally decide when you want to work when you drive for Uber. You turn your status to online when you're ready to hit the road to make some money. You can do this whenever you feel like it. The ultimate side hustle.
My recommendation is to drive part-time on the weekends. If you're working towards financial freedom, you need to do whatever it takes to reach your goals. You'll make some extra cash that you can use to help you out. We all need extra money in the bank.
If you want to make real money, there are other ways. You might also be better off accepting a part-time job where your hours/pay are fixed. If you want flexibility, then driving for Uber is for you.
Are you ready to start driving or delivering food with Uber?
You have all of the information that you need to get started. If you're ready to start making money with your car, then right now is the time to start. I've heard from readers that drive full-time and they love it. You might finally find a new source of income or be able to quit that job you can't stand.
You can grab a copy of my book on becoming the best Uber driver so that you don't make the same mistakes that all new drivers make.
You have to make a decision right now. If you want more information then grab my ultimate Uber guide. If you're ready to drive, sign up now. You can also sign up with Uber Eats to deliver food on your bike. Either way, please contact me for help. I'm here for you if you have any questions about driving for Uber. If you buy my guide or sign up through here, I'll help you get on the road and start making money.
You can start driving for Uber and earning money within a few days from now. Let know about your experiences of being a driver for Uber...
Getting ready for your first ride…
It’s almost time for you to turn on your Uber app. Your car is ready and everything is clear. All that’s left is for you to actually start driving and making money.
Are you nervous? Are you a little intimidated?
That’s okay because it’s only natural to be skeptical about allowing strangers into your car. I was pretty nervous when I first turned on Uber. Scratch that. You never know who you’re going to get and where they’re going to want to go. It’s always completely random. You can try to predict a pattern but then you’ll get that one ride 30 minutes out of town during the day that throws everything off.
Before you go on your first ride, I want you to take three Uber rides as a passenger:
- One of these rides should be after a night of drinking.
- One ride on a busy night.
- One regular ride.
I want you to see what it feels like to be a passenger. You can’t become a great driver if you don’t know what the expectations of the passenger are. The good news is that you can enjoy your first ride for free if you’re new to Uber.
What do you do on this ride?
- See how long it takes for your request to get accepted.
- Make a note of all of the drivers on the road in the picture. That’s your competition. Those cars will be going after the same passengers as you.
- Watch how the driver handles the pickup.
- Note the setup in the car.
- See if the driver is comfortable.
- See if the driver knows the roads well.
- The vibe with driver.
- Watch how they drive.
- Pay attention to how they speak to you.
You need to experience Uber as a passenger first. Then you can worry about your first ride. I want you to make notes on your phone of what you enjoyed and what you didn’t care for. This will help you become a better Uber driver. I personally have had some exceptional rides in Uber cars. I was impressed by the professional setup and how well the driver understood the roads.
What do you do before your first trip as an Uber driver?
- Watch the instructional videos that Uber has created. I had a driver once who didn’t know how the app worked.
- Get your car cleaned and ready with a full tank of gas. Imagine yourself sitting in this car. Would you enjoy the ride?
- Scope out the local events to get a sense of what to expect (playoff games are a little intense).
- Buy a case of water. This costs a few bucks and will be a great treat for your riders.
- Try to map out some of the roads.
- Just go.
You don’t have to panic before your first ride. If your car is clean and you’re confident in your driving, you’re going to do well. If you’re not too familiar with the roads, then luckily there’s GPS. As a driver, knowing the roads isn’t so important these days since we all rely on GPS, but it helps if you can find your way around the city for your own good.
How do you deal with problem clients?
“Can I drink this in here?”
“Can we bring five people?”
“Change of plans! We want to go somewhere else. Can you wait?”
You’re going to encounter plenty of problem clients. This is just the reality of driving on busy nights and allowing strangers into your car. The problem clients will definitely make some of your nights more interesting.
Before we discuss problem clients, we have to look at one important question.
Who should you contact regarding an emergency?
There’s no direct emergency number for Uber that you can call when you’re freaking out about a client. They used to have one and for some reason they deleted it.
The general email is [email protected]. I’ve usually been able to reach someone through this email with a decent response time. You should also find your local Uber page to get the relevant information. I know that my email to contact is [email protected].
You can also contact your local Uber office.
This page is helpful for my Canadian friends: http://www.driveuber.ca/contact/
That’s where I would start if the situation were indeed deemed an emergency.
My tips for dealing with problem clients…
Tip #1: Try to understand their perspective.
If you messed up by taking the wrong turn or not listening to GPS, then you have to understand why they would be frustrated. Instead of making a scene and arguing, try to see what’s happening. Then try to calm them down.
As a driver you can’t freak out. You’re going to be in tense situations. There could be traffic, a plethora of red lights, or just annoying passengers. You can’t freak out on them. You need to stay calm. Try to take a step back from the situation to understand their perspective, they just want to get to their destination in peace and on time.
Tip #2: Diffuse the situation.
“I’m sorry for everything and I take full responsibility.”
I’ve made that statement a few times as a driver. When you’re in the wrong you have to take full responsibility. You have to diffuse the situation. If you’re a tense person then you might not be ready to start driving.
I’m a pretty calm dude. I take my anger out at the gym on the weights or the mats. When I get into confrontations in real life I always try to diffuse the situation. As a driver, it’s your job to keep the passengers safe and comfortable at all times. Never lose your cool. Calm everything down.
Tip #3: Make it better.
You have to clear the issue up if you caused it. I once took the wrong exit, so I stopped the clock early. Once you understand the situation and diffuse it, I want you to make things better.
If you’re in the wrong in life, you always have to take accountability to improve things. Driving is no different. Find a way to ensure that the customer leaves satisfied. You don’t want to read a negative review on social media about how awful Uber is.
What happens if the customer is wrong and they refuse to cooperate?
Tip #4: Ask them to leave/contact authorities.
If the issue escalates, then I advise you ask them to leave and/or contact the authorities. You don’t want to get yourself into any legal trouble here.
You’re not here to get into a street fight. You also don’t want them to flip the script on you because they can easily call the police after and claim that you harassed them. If you feel that the issue will intensify and go in a direction that you want to avoid, then get them out of your car. Contact the authorities if there are any damages at all.
Tip #5: Stay off the weekend nights for some time.
One Saturday night I got fed up so I told myself that I would stick to Sundays. I just didn’t want to deal with the smell and obnoxiousness. Don’t get me wrong, I can be obnoxious myself after a few drinks, I just don’t want to be the guy that has to deal with it.
If you don’t want to deal with drunks, try working during the week and day shifts on the weekend. There’s a surprising amount of folks that use Uber during the day to get around.
What were my biggest problem clients?
I’ve had the usual belligerent drunks.
These two young ladies were trying to convince me how they were poor and couldn’t afford the surge pricing. Yet they were insisting on driving around and making a few stops. They tried to get flirtatious but I wasn’t dumb enough to fall for their tricks. I had to spend the whole ride ignoring them as they complained about how they had no money. If you have no money, then stay at home or walk home!
The other issue is actually a common one on the weekends. People will want to drink and/or smoke in your car. This is pretty disrespectful, but once again, the passengers are likely intoxicated and feeling bold. Normally, you wouldn’t dare light a smoke in someone’s car or try to crack open a beer. In an altered state of mind, you don’t really care.
If you choose to work on weekends, holidays, or party nights, then please be prepared to handle these types of request. I let one person smoke in my car and I soon realized how foolish that was. I hate the smell of smoke.
I try to be polite when handling these requests. When someone tries to drink, I offer to wait until they finish. One young lady got upset with me because she couldn’t drink her beer in the car. I suggested that she chug the beer. Nope. So she threw it out and the whole ride was awkward.
You have to do what’s best for you. I don’t think you want the remnants of booze and smoke all over your car.
99% of the time you’re going to have some pretty cool passengers. You’ll end up discussing the history of your hometown, why it’s so cold in May, or how wild the party was. On the rare occasion that you run into a problem client, you’ll know how to handle them.
If you have any additional questions then you can check out this page:
https://help.uber.com/partners
You’re not alone. Ridesharing may be a new technology, but you’re not the first driver out there. I’m here for you. I want you to make money on the side.
Thanks for sharing! I have always wondered about being an Uber driver. I don’t have any spare time right now, but maybe once the kid is out of the house, it’d be a good source of part time income.
Uber seems to be a great fit for single and retired people.
Good stuff.
Joe, it’s a decent source of part-time income. It gets you out of the house and helps you make some extra cash. You won’t get rich, but as a young dude it beats getting wasted every weekend.
The numbers you claim are not realistic. I average $10.00/hour payout. Subtracting fuel and vehicle expenses and it’s half that. You’re UNINSURED except when going to an assigned passenger and dropoff. Your personal insurance will deny any claim and cancel your policy in the event of an accident. My passengers are drunken, arrogant college students who sneak drinks into my car, risking my livelihood and freedom, will just sit yakking on their phone while keeping you waiting, and almost never tip. They try to cheat you out of surge pricing by dropping the pin outside the area they’re in and then call you to tell you where they really are, AFTER letting you drive to a spot 5 miles away from where they are. How much is Uber paying you to lie?
Very harsh comments. I’m not lying. I shared with you my numbers. The amount that you make will vary on where you live and when you drive. I didn’t know about that pin trick. Wow. How long have you been driving for Uber? I would love to host an article from you since you seem to be very anti-Uber.
It’s not that I’m anti-Uber, it’s that Uber has found an unregulated way to profit off the labor and property of others. They financed autos to drivers, then cut the rates, virtually enslaving the drivers. When they cut the rates, they increased the percentage they took. They actively encourage passengers not to tip, while claiming they are not a party to the transaction between driver and passenger. This is a quote from one of their driver recruitment ads: ” I just turned on the app and made $400.00.” They have a never ending supply of desperate people looking for an income to replace those who quickly discover they aren’t even making minimum wage. They exploit those who are desperate. They use the lack of regulation to get away with it. They play games with the app to try to force drivers when and where to work, like showing areas in surge when they are not actually in surge, delaying the display of the fare so passengers won’t see how little of the fare they pay actually goes to the driver providing the service. Uber claims they are a technology company, not a transportation company. The passengers are paying for transportation and get the app for nothing. Their ultimate goal is to eliminate those pesky drivers and replace them with driverless cars. At least they will have to buy their own vehicles. But think about this, would you be willing to ride in a car where the last passenger puked, defecated, or urinated?
You bring up some excellent points. I really appreciate your thoughts and your perspective.
Martin first off thanks for blogging about this you answered 90% of my doubts in one site. Saved me a lot of reading.
You said that if a person is willing to put 10-12 hours days the salary may be attractive $90K annually. You said some people had put. In your opinion Martin if take a couple (Husband/Wife) for example and they were to split the day shift or night/day shift to maximize hours using one car do you think they’d make a half decent living? After taxes & Uber’s cut?
Regarding the insurance that R.Schwartz put is quite concerning. Is Uber in fact already Legal. If it is why don’t insurance companies cover you if you’re driving with or without a passenger?
What would be the initial investment costs be?
1.)A car less then 10years old ($10thousand – $40thousand)?
2.)Fuel (should be easy to breakdown how much you earn per KM driven.)
3.) Maintenance (simple wear and tear)
4.) Insurance (do you pay more as an Uber driver)?
Is there an age restriction? If Uber existed when I was 16 I would have paid for my car driving my car! Lastly have you meet any women Uber drivers?
How do you pay taxes part of the App? Or do you declare it?
Depending on the state you live in, you may be able to get “rideshare” insurance. Rideshare insurance is a little more expensive than your personal insurance, the insurance company is not taking any extra risk. You are paying for the “privilege” of them not dropping you when they discover you are doing rideshare. States where rideshare insurance is not available require you to buy commercial insurance, as much as $4,000- $8,000 a year. Personal insurance does have to payout on a vehicle that is used commercially, even if the accident happened when not being used commercially. If you file a claim and do not disclose that the vehicle was used commercially at any point in time, you could be charged with insurance fraud, though I haven’t heard of that happening.
So many questions. Please bare with me here. Feel free to follow up.
1. Uber isn’t technically legal everywhere. Check your local news. They’re having many issues here in Toronto.
2. I’ve never heard of a couple splitting a shift. I mean, it could work. Is it the best use of your time? Maybe you could run an experiment and tell us?
3. There’s an age restriction. Varies, but usually 21.
4. Your insurance company doesn’t insure you to drive people around for money. That’s a totally different issue. Your insurance provider won’t be happy to find out that you’re using your car for commercial purposes.
5. I wouldn’t advise buying a car just for the purpose of Uber.
6. I don’t have any troubles meeting women.
I am an Uber driver. For every 100 or so dollars I make takes a tank of gas 40$ so that’s 60 dollars profit but don’t forget the 30 percent taxes on the back end. So realistically I make 30 dollars profit for every hundred I earn and four hours spent. Plus the wear and tear and liability of a possible accident. I Uber when I have to and understand it’s short term money. If your good with people tips help a lot and surge pricing. But if you aren’t in a busy area it will be tough for you. Hope this helps
Your experience sounds like mine!
That’s about right more or less average 15 to 25 at maximum in San Francisco.
The amount of pay you claim you received seems very unrealistic. I drove in St Louis for a while. Uber takes 25 percent, not 20 percent. If you stop for any unscheduled reason on the way to your pickup, they will cancel your trip. You don’t talk about that tipping is not allowed in the Uber app. Rich people tipping 20 -50 percent for a meal, don’t tip anything for a ride that takes them a few blocks, or half a mile. It’s basically free transportation. How else could they get someone to pick them up for a few dollars, in a nice car, within three minutes of their request? I talk to taxi cab drivers, and they typically get cash tips. But it’s not as safe for the driver. Lyft is better, but Lyft is not available in Missouri.
I’m thinking you quoted me by mistake?
I see your frustration. I have yet to have someone explode out of any human cavities. I’ve had close calls where I’ve pulled over and I also have air sickness bags in my van. Before I started uber I had a thick plastic liner installed over all my seats as well as had a buddy that made and installed a floor liner to go over the carpeting of the van. It cost around $250 but it has been well worth it due to a few instances of people spilling sodas.
As for making money. There are good and bad days. I typically only do weekends now and pull roughly $600-$750 for Fri/Saturday/Sunday night. I usually work 5-3ish Fri/Sat and whenever Sunday. I live in the Dallas/Fort Worth area and it took me a while to craft a good area to stick to at certain times. Compared to taxi prices out here, Uber is very reasonable for getting places. The last time I took a taxi from DFW to my house 8 miles, was pushing $60.
I guess it’s trial and error for the most part… and geographic location. With DFW size, I personally see longer distances. DFW airport has generated some good fares for me.
If you only get $80 for 8 hours of work and that’s the norm, I would complain to and probably would stop. Luckily I have another part time job that really is my primary job that generates around $80k a year and I’m on call 24/7 (though I only get 1-3 calls a week that is on call related ) so working for uber makes it easy when I do get these calls I typically get free within 15 minutes.
There are buttholes out there, some days more frequent than others.. but I’ve only had one so bad I had to get rid of him, and then I had to call the police. He sent me an apology a few days later but that’s it.
Mark, may I ask what’s your part time job that pays so well? I’m in the DFW area also and considering Uber.
I drove in dfw for 4 months. Was good for the first 2 months, but was horrible the last 2. People take advantage of you too often. You could try it. Not worth wear and tear on vehicle.
Thanks for sharing your experiences James!
Mark, I’m in the same vacinity. So what is the other Part time job. Really I woulld like to know.
Why should I tip a cab driver? I’m already PAYING you stupid. This is only common in North America and it’s very stupid. Get a real job. Anyone with a room tempreture IQ can be a CAB driver.
Most Cab drivers can spell though. “tempreture” !
Tipping is a social custom and etiquette for certain services rendered. Although it is customary to tip, it is not obligatory for all. For example, if a person provided me with a more exclusive service than the other and did it in a exceptional way, I then would give a sum of money in gratitude. For someone who doesn’t like tipping people like cab drivers, bar tenders, waiters etc., I suggest alternatives like public transportation, liquor stores, fast food restaurants etc. Just my thoughts on it.
“Get a real job” he says.
If every driver got a “real job” who would escort you around town, then?
Think about your words and whether they make sense before putting them out into the ether.
Insane! Don’t even know where you’re coming from dude. You’re dis-gruntled, ill-informed, working at the wrong times, Uber clearly states they are a cashless system and tipping isn’t necessary! No cash means less chance for safety concerns and it’s why the publicize it that way. If you choose to work with the drunks, that’s your call. I work it mainly 5:00am to between 3pm or so, it varies, almost monday through Friday. I easily make 800.00 plus a week before expenses which I have under control. Sometimes even more. Perhaps you should choose another line of work or another venture! It’s not for everybody.
And your comment about the IRS paying you to drive is not what the guy meant! You can deduct .54 a mile!! Dude, having an independent contractor business/arrangement is not for you. Sorry. You’re making ridiculous comments.
You must work for Uber! I call BS. You’re working 50 hrs a week and I can’t imagine the mileage you’re putting on your vehicle. Has to be over a 1000 mile a week I bet. Which means you’re actually clearing 460 a week with vehicle maintenance and depreciation. Good for you man! Post back in another year and tell us how your vehicle is holding up!
Fantastic comments from Schuartz. How drivers can change this nonsense? Going to “strike”. Would it be possible? Perhaps not, but drivers are becoming slaves of the money rush. And is not getting it.
I agree with you.I drove Uber for a week and done with it. People don’t realise they go in loss in long run driving Uber. I am a female driver, drove for week and done with it. Uber only listens to its customer where the money is coming from. Uber calls you partner to avoid the minimum wages and other benefits but treat you like employee to have all the control. Deactivate you when ever they feel lIke. I had drunk, aggressive, customers who wanted to drink in the car etc and when you ask them not to , it doesn’t fetch you 5 star rating and even the customers just say anything, without your response they can disactive you. They just treat the drivers like trash.so don’t do the mistake of taking uber job seriously. In terms of earning, considering your fuel, wear and tear, maintainance, gst, tax, and not to forget your own time, you are paid peanuts and to all the woman you are risking yourself on the road any one waiting for a ride. Not worth it at all. Within a week my car model is completely damaged and when in need , uber never supports the driver as they are only concerned about riders as money is coming from them. Then they want five start rating from all drunken drivers and expect you to accept all requests even if the income goes in negative. Don’t forget extra mileage you are putting on your car which depreciate car value. Uber not worth at all. Go out and take any any dammn job than driving Uber.
Been driving for Uber now 6 months. Mega is absolutely right about everything. Surges are more like lures, or what I call chasing ghosts. How many times I have seen surges on my map for 30 minutes, in an area that isn’t surging and I get nothing. The only way you can make money on Uber, and with a standard sedan is to work during guaranteed surges. This is when Uber will grantee you a surge price if you work in a designated area. But as the market becomes saturated, I have seen Uber give less and less of this type of money. I also work a college campus, I know where to go to pick up the students. But, it becomes a hustle, as I need to drive back to my pickup stop without being insured. Uber doesn’t give you insurance when you are logged in, they only pay you when a ride request has been accepted. Actually, this applies to any Uber ride you are doing. You usually have to drive back to where you picked up your client if you want to remain busy. Basically, last year, I didn’t pay any taxes on my $5,000, this is because I ended up driving almost double the miles. That means that my deductions per mile was not $0.57, but $1.14. I can go on and on supporting each detail Mega says, but I would simply be repeating his story.
I totally support all of the above and further more i should that uber force u to lease a car rental through enterprise at double the rates advertised on the net.giving u little margin to make a profit.
This system does not work properly since only uber makes a clean profit. I made more than 100 rides in 2 weeks and i cannot even pay off enterprise rental !!!!
Uh??? Uber isn’t forcing me to lease a car? Can I see the proof for that statement???
I too am skeptical about how much you can make, I drove 1 day for 4 hours and made $74 it was a holiday weekend as well… but my sister in law only does uber eats and she seriously makes 500 a week which is more than I make in my current “real” job… I saw the pay stubs on her phone and it made me start driving again but just as strictly part time to afford life.. I also plan on using the money from uber to maintain my vehicle, tires oil changes tune up etc..
Stop bitching and get a real job. You need literally no qualifications to become an Uber driver! You honestly expect to make more than people at McDonald’s? You will never make the same as a college graduate. What the hell do you expect? You want to make more money? Get a real job!
Has anybody tried bluecrew? At least you don’t have to bring your own property!
Great point…. They’re such a monopoly!
I agree. I have not had a good experience with Uber. I’m sure of it they keep well over the 25% they claim. The customer pays 3/6.$$ booking fee.. service fee tax then the cost upper keeps, the booking fee, service fee and large portion of the cost. Before I drive for Uber I used it daily. I paid 60$ for a 25 minute drive. Happened to get the same
Driver the next day they told me they made 22 for that ride! I was appalled. I do however believe it after doing it a few times.. same with deliveries I’ll drive 30 minutes and make 12$.. I’ll do it when desperate but it’s insane what they get away with.
I am looking into uber. And lyft. I have read things, soup to nuts about
this. I will find out what I think soon.
But from what I can see it literally is a crap shoot as to where
you are and what your audience is. This college crowd is
well versed and trained in this. THEY are your audience.
Maybe you shouldn’t take fares from kids you know come from
there. Or are they your only, main audience?
I live 30 miles outside Boston. Not even sure what activity I will get here.
Sure don’t want to drive into Boston.
Hey Alan. I responded to your email. I really can’t help you when it comes to your demographics. I would suggest taking Uber as an passenger a few times. This way you’ll see what the demand is like because Uber shows you how many cars are around you.
I just spent the past three weeks wrestling with the finance center – I’m leasing a car – Uber help telephone, and insurance. I spent $400 started w/leased car that got today. I wait to finish signing up because got a three day temporary registration. So Friday I’ve got to drive up to San Jose which is over an hour drive to pick up the registration,
inspection right nearby I’m leasing a stellar 2016 Toyota Camry black on black. I love this car. But I’ve got to start driving ASAP because they’re charging me $125 a week i’m lucky to live in a tourist destination in California, Monterey, Carmel Big Sur or drive up to San Jose a couple times a week and spend all day running around there. I will get this thing running and I don’t mind working 8 to 10 hours a day in the car. I’m doing this for a year so I can buy a Lincoln Continental or navigator and start my own high-end car service I’ve got a plan all worked out for driving just celebrities, sports figures and successful business folks Got a couple of girls working to market my new business because they know every hotel in my area every doorman every valet. I’m excited. As excited as I was when I started my construction business – I knew that it was going to be a while before I started seeing reasonable wages and I did that for many many years and made a lot of money. I just turned 50 and my body is breaking down so driving just seems like a no-brainer. My camery is black on black red leather stitching on the black leather seats- so I’m gonna print up some business cards and give myself some eye-catching business name and start passing them out. We’ll see what happens
I noticed Uber and Lyft had started allowing drivers to use rental cars with Hertz and Enterprise. They do offer discounts or other ways of paying for such rentals. Considering renting doesn’t come free, even if discounted or taken out of the lump sum they would leave you had you used your own car, would you say this would make the money more or less worth it? You no longer have to worry about wear and tear since it is all covered through those companies along with unlimited millage. However, I cannot find how much these rental prices are or how much they take out for using a car in their name. I also cannot find how much the amount is they take out for using their mobile app, nor at what frequency they charge it. Daily/each time/ hourly……. If you could help out with these questions it would be most helpful. If location is needed, I am in Vegas so passengers should be abundant. Thank you.
He does have a point the average pay is a about 10 to 12 without surge… Less if it a pool another way to cheat driver out of a already cheap fare.
You have no control over how far your willing to drive.
Your ride could be few minutes to several hours and you have to paid all the tolls out of your earning on your return trip.
It a horrorable. Sceme
Yo Martin, R Schwartz asked you How much is Uber paying you to lie? Whatever it is, it’s too much. You are just another scammer out there that writes a useless blog with incorrect information. These comments are not even in any order, all random. Scam. Stay away from this and other rideshare companies. They do NOT care about you at all, for your safety, finances, your physical and mental health, and, of course, your property – car. So many gullible people out there getting in line to end up bankrupt and you trying to suck them in.
Sounds like you suck at Uber driving and can’t manage your time or position yourself to be very efficient to increase your hourly pay. After everything I take out for cost, I earn anywhere between 15-25 an hour. Also log all your miles as a business expense. You earn around .56 cents a mile and other extra benefits to being your own business as an independent contractor. Learn how to utilize your benefits and tax rules before you start beating up others about supposedly lying. #smartuberdriving
Yeah, the IRS will pay you per mile to drive. You’re a fool.
Obviously you are the only fool here if you don’t realize you can utilize tax breaks and write offs when you work as an independent contractor.
You seem to think a write off is something it isn’t. I’m going to let you continue thinking so to punish you for calling me a dummy.
I totally agree, I have dropped to a 4.82 as not allowing people into my vehicle with alcohol, not speeding for them as they tell me to go faster they are in a hurry. BUT, I get the bad rating for having a clean vehicle, dress professionally, am always polite even when they are getting on my last nerve.
I drive a cab here in Somerset back in the Uk and was looking if Uber could add to business as its very rural here, its not an easy choice as I don’t mind being busy but don’t wish to be a busy fool, like you Ruthie I make sure we all wear smart uniform, our cars are cleaned and maintained inside and out, polite yet still get idiots under the influence or not running us down or being mouthy…
Our rates here are set by the local council and range from roughly £2 per mile normal hours and £4.40 a mile through the night or on a Sunday, also if you can carry more than four passengers your on £3 per mile basic..
Do Uber recognise different rates for different hours??
I’ve had that happen once and I didn’t fall for it again. Go to the prescribed pickup location and wait, don’t call, wait for them to call you. When they tell you they’re 5 miles away or whatever, tell them you’re on the way and then sit there and wait. Once 5 minutes is up, cancel the ride as a rider no show because that’s exactly what it is. Take your no show fee which for me is $3.75 after their cut, and move onto the next ride.
I agree with you…..thanks for making the point….
Absolutely. Don’t allow them to pull that prank.
Yes, I agree you cannot be realistic on a one week tryout for Uber, or Uber has mislead you. I have not only tried out Uber, but also tried out their car leasing program and Uber has failed me. Ever since I became an Uber driver and got into one of the cars offered by Uber the company has held my weekly pay. The car lease is paid in full and in advance and Uber is lying. I have now quit with putting my health at risk due to the stress issues Uber has caused between my fuel costs, time, effort, and Uber refusing to pay me more than one time. I have now seeked out a class action lawsuit and notified news teams
because this is highly illegal in California, also the BBB has been notified for all future Uber drivers.
its all about where you Uber and when I’m selective . $10 an hour just means you have a bad strategy or your in the wrong area. Also don.t depend on one app for income use multiple apps. I can do $110 in just 3 hours with an uber ride and amazon flex combo.
A few people have been encouraging me to become a driver- one person, who is a driver himself, said that Uber will even help you with a down payment on a new car if you become a driver (the skeptic in me looved that one). My main question is, can you pick your route? For instance, I live in the burbs of Chicago, and am perfectly comfortable staying in the area, but have no desire to drive into the city limits for obvious reasons. (I know that limits my money making options, but I value my life a little more.) I saw that you can turn your availability off and on, but is there a way to only get calls for a particular area?
Thank you for all this info, it’s quite helpful!
Simply can’t happen. You can never tell the riders destination till the trip is started
Hello,
Can you setup UBER as a personal business and use for expenses with Revenue Canada
You would have to contact your accountant. I don’t want to say yes 100%.
I have spoken to several Uber drivers and I have read some of the comments below about how Uber play tricks with the app to get you to come out. Surge price areas are hard to get/find because Uber will turn off surge once you get there. Then people have figured out how to get out of paying the surge pricing. Here, Uber does allow tipping but I spoke to the drivers and they told me Uber keeps the tip! You do have real maintenance costs, and from what I have seen, there are only 12 out of 50 states in America that cover Uber because of legal issues. And the coverage is extremely expensive. Reality check: if you get in an accident while driving Uber and you have no commercial insurance, you will be dropped from your insurance company, you will be sued by your passengers and the other driver. HUGE risk! Accidents DO happen. Being sued is not fun and as serious as it gets. Also, for all the reasons you mentioned in your article about dealing with drunks, people getting in your car with liquor, people giving you negative ratings, taxes, etc. Uber is too big of a risk for the income that is almost minimum wage. And then you are using your car that is worth thousands to do it. I would never work a minimum wage job using my own car! Also, if Uber was such a great company why are so many cities in America getting rid of or suing Uber? See Austin,TX and the state of Pennsylvania, etc. Did I mention saturating the market. Uber put on so many cars they don’t care if you, the driver, make money or not. They completely saturate the market with vehicles and it’s not always, trip after trip! I have seen Uber drivers sit for an hour or two with no trip. This happens in every market. Get ready for the Uber lying money pit trap. If you work for Uber you are setting yourself up for failure.
I’m only going to comment on one thing. Philadelphia wants to get rid of über because it is a threat to the taxi service already in the city which is ran by the PPA. And they are the biggest crooks in the city. The have their hands in everybodies pockets. That is the only reason philly wants them gone. It’s a threat to their extra money
Very True
UBER BUSINESS MODEL IS TO BANKRUPT YOU.
When you first start working for UBER, they pay you 80% of what the customer pays.
After a couple months, they take on average, in July 2018, 60% of what the Rider Pays.
After a Couple Months, YOU WILL FIND 80% of YOUR MONEY GONE !!!!
How they do it, is to shower you in money, many people buy new cars.
Once your in the door, they will screw you over as much as possible.
Uber’s business model is to Bankrupt its Drivers!
They cheat you many other ways too.
The show you SURGE, but now most of the time when you go to SURGE.
It Completly disappears, while they still expect you to pick up with no SURGE.
So they trick drivers into driving long distances to get to SURGE areas, then screw you.
They also cheat you on every ride another way.
When your ap beeps and you pick up the ride.
YOU GET PAID ZERO FOR TIME, GAS, WHILE YOU ARE GOING TO PICK UP A CUSTOMER!
Then they get you Another way…
The Good fares, and rides, they keep only for NEW DRIVERS.
Older drivers get all the shitty stuff, and a lot of rides do not even pay the GAS.
I am so disappointed at this group of low life scum bags, who are pretty theifs who try to steal every single dollar they can for you .. They care absolutely nothing at all about the drivers.
They say we now have SAFTY, we have nothing!
They say they are going to take more, but dont worrk, customer pays for it.
That is another 100% pure lie! They said they take an extra $0.50 cents.
They did not di that. They ended up deciding to tac on another 9% out of drivers pay!
Used to drive Uber in San Francisco and would drive home 1.5 hours per night and drive back in the morning. Then I started using Olive to stay in the city and I make ~$1k per month more than I used to. I am thinking about quitting Uber soon so it doesn’t matter if I reveal my secret. You can sign up at olivecommunity.org
Sounds like a great way to pick up extra cash! Gotta love the fact that it’s as easy as turning on an app and it’s completely on your own schedule. I may have to consider doing this!!
You have nothing to lose. Just turn the app off when you get tired.
I just signed up for Uber and was approved. I have friends that drive and they like it. My concern is even though I downloaded the partner app, Is that the only app Im suppose have? And Am I suppose to just go sit in my car in a hot spot?
Yes, but you have to roll your windows down so people can throw money in
Damn true. I signed up to Uber and awaiting confirmation from Uber side. What if I don’t possessed any car on my own name? Is it possible to rent from Uber?
Depending on your area, you could be busy (big cities) or you need alot of reading and puzzle books. If your like me though, you don’t like to idle. This is a lot of smaller cities, Don’t forget the much over wear and tear on your vehicle, gas, tires, oil changes, and yes UBER gets 25%
Do not work for UBER they don’t care about driver after you stop working for them
Here’s a cool recap of driving for Uber on NYE.
http://jamesavery.io/driving-for-uber-on-new-years-eve/
Thanks for the share Dan!
There are more downsides. I hear the police calls of passengers refusing to get out. That’s a lot of wasted time especially in big cities where that is low priority for police. Scary neighborhoods as well. Also insurance might go up if the company requests your odometer reading.
Interesting. Never thought about any of that. Thanks for adding this.
Yes, totally agree. They advertise $27.00 an hour driving for UBER. WHERE?
I have been lucky to make my gas money back per night.
And also people want to smoke or drink in YOUR vehicle and you have to tell them sorry no…Then you get a 1 stare rating, and it only takes a few to bring your stars crashing. If they vomit in your vehicle you have to clean or pay $$$ to have it cleaned.
My understanding is that Uber will pay $$$ to help clean vomit in a car.
Me too, I am Uber driver.
I drive two hours in the mornings, taking people to work. I love the people I meet and I am getting to know most of the people in my neighborhood.
At this point in my life, for the first time, my passive income exceeded my expenses, but being a driver for an hour or two is interesting and I use less of my passive income.
It definitely is interesting. I’m pretty friendly and am a long-haired brute, so I don’t have issues with meeting people. That’s cool how you’re making friends in your own community.
You’re the first person I’ve seen similar to me, and mainly the fact that
you drive in the morning. I think that that would be more my taste the
midnight drunks.
This is exactly what i was wondering about Uber! Great insight to what i am possibly thinking as extra cash after work hours. I dont fall asleep until 4 hours after my shift every night so why not make extra money on my 15 mile drive home.
Amen. This is where Uber is perfect. I myself am a huge night owl.
I signed up for uber! I haven’t started driving yet as I am still waiting to be approved. But I am excited, I have owned a corporation in the past. I believe in myself and I know I am a hustler. I look forward to networking and building my platform form from here in the transportation industry.
I am also a 33 year old female who will be working the Memphis and MS market. I’m not from the south, so you can only imagine my concerns. However, if the Lord is on my side whom shall be against me and whom shall I fear? No one.
I’m excited and hopefully I can give my insight update 30 days from now.
I’d be very careful in the Memphis area, one of the highest crime areas in the country. Def. know and limit the areas you go into, and don’t drive at night. esp a lady . Be very careful. There is a rideshare service that just started , I saw it on the news, I don’t know the name, but they only take woman drivers and only pick up ladies. Good luck, be careful!
steve
They won’t be around long if they don’t change those policies. Both drivers and passengers will sue them. You can’t deny employment or service based on sex.
With all of your timely responses and such love for Uber, I tend to more and more think that Uber is paying you for your blog. Sorry man, it’s a bit too much. I was thinking about actually financing a car and work part time in the evenings to pay off for insurance, gas and financing costs, but now I am really doubting.
Not sure how it is in US, but I read A LOT of reviews from Toronto drivers that they do average 10-11$ an hour clean – which is barely a minimum wage + all the risks that come with it. I am sure you can make more on weekend nights, but the risk of puke in your new car grows exponentially. By the way, If I had one red light ticket, would I be eligible ? Or it has to be perfect driving history? Still thinking about it. i guess I will read a bit more before I commit to financing car.
Hey Michael, of course I get paid. I wrote the article. Then I realized there was an affiliate program so I signed up. Some folks don’t like it. Others have gone full-time as drivers. I wouldn’t recommend financing a car. Not sure how strict they are with the driving history.
I’m intrigued by the possibility of being an Uber driver, but no Uber presence in my community yet. I like driving, but dealing with ugly passengers I would not like, of course. I will definitely give it a try though if I get the chance. I really like the concept, and am excited to see the growth of this sort of enterprise. Makes it easier for each of us to fend for ourselves and not depend, at least solely, on some heartless corporation for our livelihood.
Amen Kurt. When it becomes available in your community, it would be worth giving a shot. That’s all I did. I just took a risk with a little experiment and it paid off.
Thanks for the article. What are the liability implications for a Uber driver?
Oh brother. I don’t want to start giving legal or tax advice. Please do your own due diligence.
Your personal insurance will deny any claims and cancel you. You will be on the hook for any and all damages. Uber covers you only enroute to or with a passenger.
You sure are a Negative Nelly, aren’t you? You talk in absolutes, nothing is the same with every company in every state. They need to do their due diligence. You must be a real fun guy to be around, after you finish trolling this blog. Maybe your experience sucked because you suck as a person? Just a thought.
So your only counter arguments are that I’m negative and I suck? Then we can assume that my statements were true, but you don’t like me saying them.
So if that’s the case, what’s the issue? They’re taking care of the time you are on the hook with them and your insurance takes care of the rest.
Uber automatically wants $1000.00 and you are on your own, then your insurance company wants your detuctables usally $1000.00
Do your research
Not to be discourteous but as a former insurance industry employee I can tell you deductibles aren’t “usually” $1000. They are whatever the customer (you) decides when they set up their policy. I (and nearly every insured person) can make your deductible $0, or $100, $500, or $1000. It’s up to you. Those are the typical options but it’s strictly between the insured person and their insurance company. There are a few exceptions for “high risk” drivers but those really are exceptions, and those drivers have usually EARNED the higher rates and/or deductibles with their irresponsible driving behavior.
As for whether your company will drop you for being an Uber driving and getting into a crash, again, it’s completely dependent on the company and the exclusions and limitations outlined in your policy. It’s not automatic or guaranteed that you’ll get dropped immediately and go to prison for life just because you get into a fender bender while driving a client. It’s silly to be afraid of that.
For example, MOST insurance policies give the company the option to deny your claim if you are breaking the law while operating your vehicle, for example if you choose to drink, drive, and get into an accident. When I was part of a party crowd I know several people who got into accidents driving home from a party or pub. In every case, their insurance paid up, usually (but not always) raised their premiums, and kept on trucking. Not one of them was dumped for any one incident.
What can happen is your claim *might* be denied *if* your policy says you must disclose if you are driving “for hire”, and you fail to disclose it. At that point you have made a choice, and your choice might have consequences. But even then, all insurance companies by law have a “implied covenant of good faith” where they can’t just arbitrarily do things because they feel like it that day. I’m not suggesting they don’t have a lot of power, but they also have rules to follow, and you can just as easily sue them if they start yanking your chain arbitrarily.
The best suggest by far is, “read your policy.” Most drivers never bother to read it, then get annoyed that they didn’t know about an exclusion or condition. It’s your policy and your money…so you should make it your business to know what you’re paying for.
As always, it’s in your interest to shop around. As more and more drivers join Uber, Lyft, etc it will drive the cost of this type of insurance down because the risk to the insurance company is spread out over more drivers; exactly like it works for private drivers. In fact I’d be very surprised if someone hasn’t already started an insurance company that specifically caters to this group.
Finally, if you’re really worried, consider taking a driver or traffic safety course every couple of years. Those can get you nice discounts on your insurance rates, and help separate you from the “average” driver.
Good luck.
QBF
And you still have to pay the $1000.00 to Uber
Get commercial rideshare insurance and your golden & covered all around. It is not that expensive from personal auto insurance.
I’m starting to think Shwartz is actually making a HUGE pile of money driving for Uber and is here to scare away competition.
Like Fox said, when you pay $1000 to uber after an accident that is called a deductible. Its the norm in the insurance world to have one. Your personal policy has one too! Actually Fox made many great points. Thanks for being helpful!
Shwartz says your personal insurance will deny your claim and cancel your policy. The world does not work in the absolutes that he is spinning. This is true ONLY if you have violated the terms of your policy. The solution; call your insurance company and ask them about ride sharing. If they allow it GREAT. If they dont allow it then either change insurance companys or dont do ride sharing. The insurance part will be different for everyone. Just make sure you are covered 100% of the time.
Uber will only cover an accident if you have an Uber passenger and the accident is not your fault and the other driver is uninsured.
Still they request you to send through your insurance first and if your insurance gives grievance, that’s when Uber’s policy will kick in with the 1000 dollar deductible. Your insurance company may drop you for not disclosing as a ride-share driver.
It is also at this point Uber will deactivate you until proven who is at fault. Once you have driven for Uber long enough you will see there shady tactics revealed. They hide what is actually taken from every fare and only show you your portion of the cut and their 20-25% cut. Uber no longer discloses their total cut with taxes and rider fee which at a non-surge and short trip can be 60% after the rate cuts of Jan 2016. I have evidence of this.
They also try to make you pay taxes for the booking fee which you do not see any of. This can add up to thousands you have to pay taxes on a year if not knowledgeable of and don’t deduct.
I have had surges at 4.8 times that did not add up to the correct fare amount. I have inquired about this and they say I need a screen shot of the surge amount which is only noticeable during the trip and does not appear when I check trip reports after trip is done (Shady). Also the Uber iPhone s4 they send you does not have screen shot capabilities. Hmm, wonder why that is? Surge stealing maybe! Uber makes millions stealing from drivers everyday and hides behind and blames their own developed technology. They know they can get away with simply blaming it on a glitch if ever brought up. Watch out! Uber is a wolf in sheep’s coat. They truly are predictors feeding on the weak and unassuming!
I always wondered how much an Uber driver made. That’s not bad. My car is older than 10 years so I wouldn’t be able to do this hustle.
Definitely not worth it. Probably because I have a Jeep Grand Cherokee, and trust me I put in the time. It seems like I drive just to give Uber their 20% while the rest goes to gas. I haven’t even calculated wear and tear. The only cool part is the people I meet and the networking for spreading the word of my real job. Lyft seems better for drivers, while Uber feels like a scam. They make money no matter what while their drives spend all the money and time away from their families.
Thanks for the comment Adam. Well said. You make some excellent points. Uber are definitely are the real winners here.
LYFT AS well as UBER both collect 25% off the top now….
Martin, what are your thoughts on a full time taxi driver transitioning to full time as an Uber driver? I know your article concentrated on part time as ideal but that was due to the fact that your preference was not to drive for 10 hours per day. What if that is your job currently? Would it make sense to switch in your opinion. Maybe you don’t have enough info but was curious if you have an opinion.
Hmm thanks for the question Chris. That’s a tough one. It depends on which city you live in and what your current costs are/were to get started.
When you work for a company, you only lease the car out. When you’re with Uber, you need a car and your own insurance. Can the driver afford this? Does the driver have a car that meets the requirements?
If not, then you have to purchase a vehicle.
If the answer is yes, then give it a try. You don’t have to quit your taxi job. You can do Uber on the side/weekends to gauge interest.
I drive for a regulated cab company here in Calgary, AB. Uber is a big scam, of course it’s very popular and why shouldn’t it be? It’s somewhat cheaper than regular cabs but it’s effecting the cab drivers so much that a lot of us are looking to get in a new career (which is very hard).
So Uber has pretty much destroyed cab companies in a lot of cities. I might be totally wrong but I don’t see Uber lasting very long. The drivers of Uber are not happy with and its effected the regular cab drivers.
So who wins? Uber is making big money and customers save money sometimes (not all the time). But later or sooner, Uber drivers will realise that the wear and tear on cars will not be worth it. When their cars start falling apart only then they will realise. I won’t even get into the insurance fuss because I’m no expert. Only Uber is making money that’s all which isn’t fair to traditional cab drivers and uber drivers
Your right 100%. Did the math which I’m sure nobody does and it doesn’t make sense to drive for uber. You will get real cheap people in your car, sure some are nice but the rest have the nerve to ask if you can speed because they are running late to work or the airport. Not to mention constantly asking people not to have opened containers. All those people get mad because they have thier head up thier asses then you get crap rating even though if they spill a drink your day or night is over who sits in a car that’s wet. Uber drivers are generally have not done the math you don’t make much and will replace your car soon . LYFT is better for drivers but not as popular.
I’m currently working for Uber and I totally agree on so much of it, however, Lyft is following Uber in increasing it’s percentage to 25% now as well. 25% FOR any company to take is ludicrous unless they’re providing the vehicle or more. I feel bad for the idiots that do not think this through. Wear, tear, milage.
Cabbies have been ripping people off for years, so what goes around, comes around.
Couldnt have said it better. When I travel for work 2-3 times per month to different cities, I try to use Uber exclusively. Sometimes I don’t rent a car anymore. Uber cars are cleaner, drivers are way nicer and accommodating, and if Cab companies want to treat people like trash, they should go out of business, or improve. I say Yay to Uber!
The question is who should pay for transportation cost? Uber and Lift cost less than the cab companies to attract customers but at the expense of their drivers. I cant wait until a team comes together to create an freeware/open source version of ride share and the drivers get 100% pay.
For the driver Uber/Lift average pay is less than working at McDonald’s if you factor depreciation ( miles on your vehicle=less value) and risk management (additional insurance to protect you while working commercially and yes you are. Call your insurance company and ask them. If you are a ride share driver you need additional insurance coverage while the app in on because you are working commercially during that time. The only plus of this job is that you can work when you want but you will want to work during peak hours to make the most $$ possible…. So not really when you want if you think about it. Best case if you cant find a job this may buy you time until anything else comes up but before you kill your car.
And to the people who take uber are really excited and happy, but what about families of cab drivers? It was there livelihood. What if some app which doesn’t follow rules and regulation come into your field and affects your income by %50? Then what? Not that I wish that to happen to someone because the situation we are facing is very terrible and hopefully no one has to go through it.
Again only winner is Uber and customers. What about all the drivers, including Uber drivers? None of us are making good money.
Thank you so much for sharing this. I agree with what you had to say. Uber is definitely the ones that are winning the most here.
What about the families of the candle producers when electricity was invented?
This isn’t new technology Pablo you can’t compare it like that. Both are the exact same technologies, both use cars. It’s not like Uber is using a flying car and taxis are stuck on the ground. All these technology posts are invalid. Uber is just a service…
The key word is “service”. If most of us who’ve taken cabs in cities around the country, had a mostly POSITIVE experience and got good value, companies like Uber wouldn’t stand a chance. But that’s not the case. It appears most people’s experience with traditional cab companies has been bad. Who is to blame for that? The customers?
If I run a service company, and my company and even my entire industry has a reputation for mistreating customers, I should EXPECT somebody out there to come in and take my business away. That’s how it SHOULD work.
And when that happens, I still have a choice. I can adjust my business to try and clean up my reputation and win back my customers, or I can decide I’m an innocent victim and the government needs to stomp on my competition so I don’t have to change the way I do things.
Technology will continue to give consumers more choices, and they/we will continue to have little patience for bad service. It’s up to all of us who run a business to decide how we want to be perceived.
What’s your definition of “good service”? I drive both Uber and Taxi and also Limo.. In Uber the customer literally is never satisfied, downright abusive because they think the star rating lets them abuse the driver and it happens constantly.
With that in mind, you are saying you want limo style ass kissing at cut rate taxi prices where the driver works below minimum wage for it. Now go check into the Hilton and see how much you pay for the ass kissing Uber customers (who never tip by the way). You get what you pay for, and Uber does not by a long shot pay for the level of service you expect.
I was intrigued by the idea of Uber and decided to follow through with the application and started driving one day for a total of 14 trips. My total fairs were in the $200 range with a take home of about 67% of this. Uber has increased its partner take to %25 for new drivers with a safe riding fee of 1.50 taken of the top of each ride bring a fixed overhead of of %30. Take into account wear on car and gas, conservatively take %25 percent of fares. So, on $200 you take home would be $90. Say a 6 hour shift, you are looking at about $15 an hour. Overall, some additional pocket change for some down time hours.
Strategies to increase hourly would take into account, gas usage and surge pricing. I would agree with some other Ubers that 1. You should stay parked until a call comes or from my experience drive in small bursts in rotating circles always trying to focus in areas where Surge Pricing is trending.
Finding a hot area (a honey spot) and focusing there will increase short quick rides which I found more profitable than long rides which have a higher dollar value, but take more time and gas and often take you out of the city meaning; wasted time and gas to get back to your honey hole.
Customer Service with Uber is good when inquiries are related to help topics. However, if your inquiries are related to money, business inquiries, payments issues, inconsistencies in their responses you will most likely not get a return response. Overall recommendations-if costs continue to rise for Uber and these fees are passed on to drivers, I do not see this as a worthwhile enterprise for drivers. Increase gas costs, maintanance, insurance will continually bite into your bottom line. Having an older, gas efficient car might be your only saving grace.
Uber’s future will be pressured as they will be unsuccessful in the Asian market due to a more recognized and better funded competitor, hence, if they continue to under appreciate the riding partners by continually increasing expenses to them without compensation, Uber will have overestimated there dominance and will have a hard time replenishing riding partners. With no fixed overhead to pay, like cabs, forced to drive, Uber drivers can “retire” their cars until it becomes profitable to them again. Like the price of oil dropping has closed many exploration projects. On a final note, regarding cabs complaining and cab companies loosing revenue, this is the way of the world and business. It’s called Capatalism, and unfortunately your investments will be worth less. That is business, evolve or become obsolete.
Unfortunately, it doesn’t look like this in Orang County CA. I have been driving for UBER for over a week and still collecting the data, but from first impression the bottom line with the uberX, it looks like somewhere at the neighborhood of $8.00/hr, not taking into consideration of wear tear, amortization, extra maintenance etc.
I’m running the customer apps to see how many ubers are around me and let me tell you, the market is saturated with Uber drivers, most of them will not hold more than few weeks but because of the Uber business model Uber should not be worried. One is dropping and two will come and try. No learning curve, or training no, special requirement. Easy and tempting.
I’m thinking about Uber as a part time job at night. Thought of making a few bucks here and there, I too live in the OC and always wanted to ask a person who does it or did it. Do you still drive for Uber? How much money did you take home in a week? Month? Or even a day?
Hi Martin, just so you know to check for referral credit, I signed up through your link. I also pickedup 2 fares yesterday and plan to some more today. Thanks for this info. It really has been helpful 😉
Thanks so much. That’s $100 for both of us.
Hey Martin, I plan to sign up for Uber (after a lot of research and poking around). What’s your referral code? I’m military and will sign up through that page on Uber but want to make sure you get credit for the referral if at all possible.
When I follow your referral link I see this as the URL: https://get.uber.com/drive/?invite_code=cqn6t
I assume that “cqn6t” is the referral code I could utilize independent of your link, I’m just not positive…. (Not that web/tech savvy)
Thank you so much Oscar. That’s my code. I actually just finished putting together a guide on Uber and will be sending you a free copy.
Thank you Martin for your feedback, I actually am in the process of becoming an Uber driver just waiting on my background check to come in clear. I was too a little hesitant to start this but I really am just doing it for the extra cash, as a part time job type deal. I am single, with no children so I figured this would be easier than getting a part time job, I work a full time 9-5 Monday-Fri. so looking forward to doing this on the weekends. Your advice on Part time really helped ease my decision, the money you’re making is fair for you doing it only a few hours at a time. Thank you for encouraging me to try this out! I am totally new at this but I’m sure I will figure it out as time goes on lol
I sent you an email. I’m here to help out.
Unfortunately my car is a 2004. But it is in mint condition being garaged all the time and is in top mechanical condition with 78,000 miles.
Obviously I won’t be purchasing a newer car to make part time money.
Smart move Robert.
Hi! I am a Uber driver from Singapore. Just to enlighten certain people, who are not very familiar with Singapore, it is the most expensive city in the planet to live in! Uber has been around in Singapore, and just during the recent times it has become popular among the drivers and the riders.
As the most expensive city, very few people in Singapore own a car. Therefore, at least 90% of Uber Drivers in Singapore rent their cars from Uber to drive for Uber. Rental is not cheap. It ranges from SGD450.00 Per week to 900.00 PER WEEK. Petrol is SGD2.30 per litre.
Uber is defintely killing their drivers by exhorbitant rental charges and miserable fares imposed to the riders (riders only pay ESTIMATED SGD16.00 for a 15km drive at midnight, while normal cabs can earn up to Sgd23-26.00) and on top of that cutting 20% of commision, which results in pathetic earnings for the drivers who does the back breaking jobs to make riders and especially UBER VERY HAPPY.
For example, last week I drove for 18hours, earned a total fare SGD293.00. Petrol was SGD76.00 in total for the 18hours and the car rental was SGD90.00. Please take note that it was Saturday night to Sunday evening. Uber commision for the day was SGD58.60. Therefore what I earned for the 18hours was SGD68.40. I rather get wasted! My conclusion. Uber riders save alot of money by using Uber and the drivers slog to make Uber and riders earn and save money by sacrificing a lot of their time and health and other useful resources. It either Uber cuts their commision or bring uo the fare. The fallout rate for Uber drivers in Singapore is increasing, and it is a matter of time Uber shuts down in Singapore. Thank you
I’m an Uber driver full time for over a year now. The only good thing is you meet new people but not every one is nice. I’ve met some really unfriendly people that want to smoke cigarettes in the car. One time I had a lady came in with a big dog and after that the oder from the dog never went away. The Uber rating system is so dumb. I felt like a slave to work as an Uber driver because they used my car to make money for them.
Uber is not driver friendly at all. They are all about some customer service for the riders though. I signed up through a friends link, a month ago. You are required to make 25 trips to get the bonus, and I now have 121 trips, but no bonus. I contacted support, and they agreed that I was eligible for the bonus, this was 10 days ago, and still no payment.
My very first payment for driving was $62.58 Week of Oct. 5th, 2015. I have been battling them for two weeks for this payment, and still have not received it yet.
They take their rider fees, and 20%, which is almost half of a minimum trip.
They have incentives and bonuses for you to earn, but guess what, you will get a special 1099 tax form, if you earn $600 or more in a year. Here, that is taxed at 38%.
They don’t care about you or your vehicle, stay away if you can. Go to work for Walmart, or fast food, and you will make more money in the long run.
I know the payments look go when you first see them, but sit down and dissect the whole thing into hours worked, wear-n-tear on you vehicle, taxes at the beginning of the year, gas/diesel, and a rating system that is a joke.
If you live in a college town, these people will play games with the rating system, and not even think about you, or why you out there driving them around. I have never had an altercation of any kind, and always seem to have a good rapport with these students, but rating just keeps going down the more I driver college students around.
Uber is not recommended by me and several others that drive in my area. I’m only going to driver the minimum to keep my account open, and move on to something less exhausting.
Yes, I felt the same way. Uber is less concerned about their driver’s safety, their driver’s vehicle and their driver’s net income. I signed up in the week of SXSW in Austin, TX on March 2016, I got approved the same day while it took 3 months for my friend who signed up in December 2015 to get approved. The training videos offered to me addressed how to be an UBER driver and how to make customer’s happy. I was also looking for the driver safety training video but I have not found any.
This is very true. In here they say bonus if you get 60 rides a week while they also say their top 25% drivers do 45 rides per week on average, do they really want you to earn the bonus then. As for the base calculation, no sense at all, no refund for driving to pick up customer, and recently even a parking ticket in a mall which is more like a road toll as I spent only 3 minutes, dropping a rider, but was charged parking and Uber wouldn’t refund it.
They have attractive bonus for referral, but I refuse to be hungry referring my friends to Uber to get them burned, they have got me, it is enough.
Imagine they say they guarantee hourly income yet they want you to have at least a ride, now how am I responsible to have a ride more than just being online?
As a mom and small business owner, I love being able to drive when I want; when I have the time. My partner loves making extra money after work to help put his two daughters through college.
Do Uber drivers make tips?
Nope. There’s no option to tip in the app at all. Some passengers will drop you a few bucks once in a while.
As of 11/1/2016 the app does as a gratuity option that will add to the amount of the ride fee.
Thanks for all the comments! I’m interested in driving in MD and all these comments have been helpful!
Thoroughly enjoyed the insight. Have you had any issues of passengers throwing up, canceling fares during the ride, or trying to start something? If so, could you speak on how best to avoid these? If this is in your guide that would be perfect.
I cover ever aspect of this in my guide. You can also buy a Kindle copy of my book here: http://www.amazon.com/So-You-Want-Drive-Uber-ebook/dp/B018HJS2QY/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8
The trick is to avoid conflict. You don’t want to get charged. If someone pukes, you can report them to Uber and they’ll pay a cleaning fee.
I luckily never had anyone puke in the car. I came close and freaked out. I pulled over and waited for them. Very disgusting.
I just read this, and it’s very interesting to be sure, but in 2015 über started charging all new drivers 25% commission fees. I have had many 5 or 6 mile turnaround runs that net me $3.
That seems kind of bad if I’m paying for everything myself. After more than 50 rides, it’s obvious no one tips the über driver.
Also they have cut the fares to almost nothing charging only .75 cents a mile and .15 cents a minute of which they take 25%. I have to admit at times I have felt like I’m driving people around for free. But I’ve made a few dollars. But it’s clear you’ll never get much like this. I drove 3 college students 35 miles to their dorm at 2am, only to get $24.65 after über took their 25% then I had to drive back 35 miles without a return ride. 70 miles round trip for $24.65.
It can be good in the Surges but that is not all the time and can change in an instant. So hopefully your updating this as Uber is updating their charges and really let people know what they are getting themselves into. Just my two cents worth.
Thanks for your comment Rich. That sounds awful. Yikes. As I mentioned in the article, this was an experiment for me. After reading this, it’s a shame to hear how Uber is treating its drivers. It sucks how nobody tips the Uber driver. I got tipped maybe a few times. The worst is getting a trip out of the way and being stuck.
Rich, the key to getting the most out of it is being able to linger. Once you drop a fare off, linger in the area for another fare to take you to a different location. If you’re travelling back home after each fare then no, you won’t make much money like that.
Also, keep track of your mileage; the deduction is .54 per mile…so that 70 mile round trip would have been $37 to your benefit at tax-filing time!
PLUS whatever expenses you have (brakes, muffler, tires etc) you can write them off as deductions as well. AND gas is also another expense you can write off. Most people don’t realize what they have to do in order to maximize their income with Uber and Lyft, I hope this helps!
You can’t write off mileage AND expenses. Expect to be audited soon. That “$37 to your benefit at tax-filing time” is just money you don’t have to pay taxes on because you LOST that much just operating your vehicle. Your advice is bad, very bad.
Are you completely sure about what you just said?
T-2100 form?
The Schwartz is correct in that you can NOT claim both mileage AND maintenance expenses, e.g. fuel costs, oil changes. Either you claim a deduction for miles driven as a contractor, or claim exact amount spent on maintenance items. Further, you may not qualify under the tax code to claim exact amount spent on maintenance items, given you are most likely 1 driver/1 car. The IRS code will clarify requirements.
In summary, the IRS allows a contract worker to reduce their taxable income by a set amount per mile driven while working contracts. (Example: 100 miles x 54 cents = $54 reduction in taxable income. You just saved approx $8.00 on your US income tax bill. That $8 savings is what the IRS estimates you spent driving your car 100 miles. If your car averages 25 miles per gallon, and gas is $2/gallon, the fuel expense alone is $8. Your wear and tear is not covered by the deduction for the 100 miles. Extrapolate that out over a year, and you might get closer to a break even point on car operation expenses vs tax savings. But, I doubt anyone deducts more than they spend.
Yes I agree with AJ tax claim comments. HOWEVER its in everyone best interest to contact a Tax Professional if you have questions.
that is so true! there’s a reason UBER don’t want their drivers to see where the customer is going because I am pretty sure you would have declined that trip.
I also drive for Lyft, although the rates / cuts seem the same (Lyft shows $4 fare and takes $1) the overall amount is more if I drive a distance and normally I get about half the Lyft drivers leave me some kind of tip. Even if it’s 1 or 2 $
The problems with Lyft are the fact that I get half the calls I get with Uber. They also tend to be much further away from where I am. Like the Lyft ride I had that was 30 minutes away driving just to pick him up. Lyft also shows you a total on the app, only to show you what you get the next day in an email. But they do have incentives like driving so much and not having to pay the % cut …
I bought a car to do this, but if I had known I would not have done it. But I got a 2014 Hyundai Elantra and mileage is good… Maybe 30 / gal.
A real eye opener…
One thing that is concerning me is the wear and tear to my car. And, it’s not so much the parts as it is the customers respecting that it is my personal car and not staining or damaging it in any way. Do you often have issues with this? Also, you said it’s good for part time. I have a full time job durring the day and was hoping to work a few times a week during the night. Since I’m moving out, the extra income is needed. Would this be a good fit for me? As well, on the first note, are there rules the customers have to follow? Is my car protected under some sort of terms and agreement from the people that I pick up?
Hey Sarah. Uber is pretty strict on the treatment of the car. You can report any visible damages to them and they’ll deal with it. I luckily never had to go through this process. Uber is an excellent source of part-time income. You can drive on the weekends and some evenings for extra cash.
They will wipe their feet on your carpet, spill crap on your seats, put their feet on your dash, and generally disrespect both you and your car. You may or may not get reimbursed by Uber if they puke or visibly damage your car, but nothing for mud, dirt, etc.
Hey Martin, do you know before you accept where the customer is going? Can you just not accept if the destination is out of the way?
This is the biggest problem with Uber Mike. You never know where you’re going. I’ve ended up three towns over! Are you considering signing up?
Martin:
You talked me into it, but Uber’s links don’t seem to be working, I cannot get past the page that says “what city do you want to drive in?” Can you help me with this?
I sent you an email Thomas.
How do you get past the, what city would you like to drive in page.? I keep receiving an error.
After all the hype I was convinced that the way to earn extra money is drive for UBER. So I did. However, after factoring in everything (despite surge prices) such as ACTUAL time spent on the road, gas expense, actual mileage used (granted it’s a tax deduction still more mileage means less value for your vehicle), vehicle wear and tear – you might as well use your uber income to save up for 4 new tires and a new car! Do you know how much your time is worth after considering the net income (after uber deductions) divide by the ACTUAL time you spent driving around? Try it out and you’ll see for yourself. As for me, I realized that there are better ways to make extra money like cleaning a well maintained home.
Thanks for the comment Caissa. It definitely helps to run the numbers. There are many cases where Uber won’t be worth it at all. The expenses add up fast!
So..the key is to cut on the app during prime time hours?
Also, are longer distance worth the drive?
You can definitely make some good money during “surge” hours. Especially if you stay within the area. Longer distance drivers are worth it sometimes. It depends on what happens when you get to the distance. Can you wait to find a new client or do you have to drive home alone? This is where it gets tricky.
I’m hoping this works for me. Being disabled and older, getting a job is almost impossible. I’m very nervous though. Don’t have a smart phone so I have to figure that out and it seems very complicated. Also worried about rides puking in the car and my safety.. So, any advice for a challanged granny?
Hey Pamela. I hope that you still have your license in good standing. I suggest that you rent a smart phone from Uber first.
I work nights and some weekends already. Would it be worth it for me to sign up and driver during the morning 1 or 2 days a week. I live close to an airport and thought that might be a good place to hang out at. Any info you can email me would help. I do have a few more questions
I will shoot you an email Mitch. You have nothing to lose from signing up. You work whenever you want to.
Hey Martin, I accidentally used the wrong link to apply to become an Uber driver. They said that they could still apply your referral code to me (for the $100 for me, and then whatever you get in return). Unfortunately, they said that you have to submit a request. Would you mind doing that? Here is what they said:
Kenneth, while it doesn’t appear that the referral code was successfully entered when you first signed up, you can still get credit if you ask the partner who referred you to contact us following the steps below.
Go to the help section in your app:
Payments > Driver Referrals > Report a missing referral
Really great article, I appreciate the amount of information it provides. I’m currently a college student looking for a part time job and many of the places I’ve applied for such as Papa Murphy’s has offered Uber driving as an extra source of income. My concern is that firstly, school is priority over everything else, and so how often would I need to be driving during a week? I know I can set the time apart to take on Uber driving, but in terms of the contract behind this kind of job concerns me. If you have any thoughts and advice, I would greatly appreciate it!
There’s no contract Matthew. You can turn on the Uber app whenever you feel like doing some rides. You can do it only on the weekends and when you’re off from school. You definitely don’t want to let Uber interfere with your studies. You have nothing to lose from trying it out. It may not be for you. You may enjoy it.
Thanks for such a detailed blog about your experience with Uber.
One question though, given thar uber had been around for sometime in Toronto, don’t you belive that the marker is over saturated with new drivers? I mean it’s so bloody easy to sign up and get the 2 million liability. Every one is doing it!
Thanks again for your thoughts.
Regards
AJ
You’re right. However, as Uber grows in popularity, there are more riders in the system. A buddy of mine is killing it with Uber. I even had him give me a ride from a party the other day. It’s worth giving it a shot.
Thanks for the reply. How long has that individual been with Uber for? How long does it take to build up popularity, If a person is driving atleast 10 hrs a day?
Many months. You don’t really build popularity. You just build your rating.
Passengers don’t even look at your rating. You won’t even make minimum wage. You may not be insured. You won’t get diddly in tips. Full time drivers sleep in their cars because they can’t afford not to. This is a crappy part time job, full time is even worse.
Thanks for sharing your candid thoughts. Have you spoken to full-time drivers? I haven’t met anyone yet that admits to sleeping in their car.
I see them sleeping. Go to the airport early or late and count them if you don’t believe me. I’ve napped in the car myself, only to find Uber has taken me offline. When I complain, they give me BS that I must have left the airport. Or tell me to do a bunch of crap to my phone to make sure it doesn’t happen again, but it still does. I only get taken offline at the airport. So it’s not my phone.
I want to join uber, but I just financed my own vehicle last week. I do not have my registration yet. Do I need it in order to sign up?
Very good question. I would go to the closest office and try to figure it out in person.
Is Uber strictly part time? You mentioned “Are you willing to drive 10-12 hours a day?”…what if someone is? Is that allowed or do they want you to stay under a certain amount of hours per week?
I have been considering doing this and, sadly, I have no social life, so I could easily see myself driving for several hours. Just curious if this is really a “work your own schedule” type of thing, or if there are restrictions.
Holly, there are actually zero restrictions as far as I know. You can work all day if you want to. I just personally hate driving. I’m very impatient (I’m working on it). You can spend all day on the Uber app trying to make a few bucks, The best thing to do is to test it out in your community and to see what the demand is like.
In my city it is illegal to drive more than 12 hours in a 24 hour period, but Uber allows drivers unlimited time anyway. So Uber is violating it’s contract with the city.
Inaccurate.
They have changed that problem
One thing I think people are overlooking here seems to be the benefit of being able to write off their car, say you drive 7000km year, and then you drive UBER and you are all of a sudden driving 17,000km year. doesn’t that mean you can write off 75% of your fuel, wear and tear, time, and lease or finance interest? especially if you are operating at a loss the tax benefits can be huge!
Yes losing money is always a wonderful benefit. Do you work for Uber? Not driving, but posting propaganda?
No But I was Thinking about it R Swartz… by the way reading through your all of your many comments on this thread… why are you so poo poo on uber anyway?… did they screw you over?
A few times. Like rate cuts for drivers and commission increases for Uber
Then get a different job and stop crying like a baby. All you do is complain. Your attitude is the problem, not Uber. The great thing about Uber is that you can just QUIT, if you don’t like it! Even folks who lease through Uber can return the car after 30 days plus a two week notice. No one takes you seriously because everything you write is negative. Because you have nothing but horrible things to say it is obvious that you are lying and your perspective is skewed towards the negative. You are a sad and pathetic person whose glass is always half empty and never half full.
So you have nothing to refute my statements? Other than insulting me? Since you didn’t even try to refute them, we can only assume you know them to be true. This begs the question of why you are here. Is Uber paying you to troll this forum?
I post here to warn others of the unethical behavior of Uber. You post here to dinigrate the character of those who would do the same as I.
I appreciate your comments adding a personal side of the story and not just projections. The biggest thing for me is the bottom line. Yes meeting people maybe cool and learning about hot spots is a plus, I would intend to drive for profit. Risking drunks throwing up in my car, paying boatloads in gas for a car that gets 25 mpg and exchanging off time from my regular job to spend my free time doing this is not worth it. Basic tires are $500 for 4 and oil changes and break servicing adds up quick. Putting miles on pov to make very little in exchange for time off is not a fair trade. Uber seems solid for the customer but not the drivers. I am now considering just taking advantage of being a customer but don’t see the benefit in destroying my own car I worked my tail off to get for low wages and a stressful tax situation.
Okay, here’s my 2 Cents.
Before you attack me with the delusional paranoid schizophrenic accusation of me being a Uber promoter as you have to others all down this entire page, I am here doing as much research as I can before making any true decisions. I have the Uber app, I applied and was approved, but I’m not driving yet because I haven’t completed the documentation. I still need my car inspected and I haven’t had the time to complete it. Anyways,
My car takes wear and tear on the daily ALREADY. I’m a psychology major at University of Northern Colorado. I commute from Fort Collins to Greeley all week. Anyone from Northern Colorado know that’s quite a commute. I hate Greeley, and despite what people have told me, it’s just as expensive to live there as it is to live in Fort Collins, I’ve done my research and the math. The rent prices are exactly the same. And I can’t exactly afford a home on $9.30 an hour plus tips. My credit is fair, I have a couple of credit cards, and a phone bill as well as a cable bill, then there’s rent. So my payments are on time and all, but income just simply doesn’t do it. That would be the only thing I could afford in Greeley IF I made a lot more money. (The housing estate is cheaper there)
Also, I just transferred from a community college in my town to UNC and even then my car had loads of wear and tear. First of all, I share the vehicle with my mother. I drive it the most, because she had a stroke 2 years ago, and it damaged her eyesight. She can see well enough to drive now, her medical doctors say she’s fine, but since her vision is still a bit damaged, she gets exhausted and nauseous while focusing for long periods of time. So long hours on the computer makes her sick, and long driving makes her sick. So I do the lot of the driving.
Here in Northern Colorado, we have a wonderful thing called 9 month long winters. That means snow anywhere between September (not always, but it happens) all the way through to May. We’ve had snow in May, I think, 3 years in an a row now. Might even be more. My car is not a Jeep, or a truck, or even a SUV. It’s a cute little blue Kia Sedan, nearly brand new. And in its short years it already has scratches, replaced the tires multiple times, I can’t even count. Especially recently because Fort Collins traffic has becoming phenomenally awful. 3 times in one month I had to slam on my breaks so hard, I felt the groves in the tire design through the breaks. One because a lady nearly T-boned me, pulled out turning right into on-coming traffic in a busy intersection. Some things I’ve noticed lately, so let me get the word out real quick for a moment. Hopefully more people who drive like selfish, inconsiderate, soulless beings on the road will take my next couple of sentences seriously. So here it is…
JUST BECAUSE YOU ARE TURNING RIGHT DOES NOT MEAN YOU GET TO SKIP STOP SIGNS, OR NOT STOP AT RED LIGHTS!!! Go back to Driver’s Ed because seriously. Turning right doesn’t mean “I’m turning right, so that means I’m always right” that’s why my friend was in an accident the other day, now she’s in crutches. And how that lady nearly killed me at the intersection that I was driving full speed limit on (45mph)
Sorry, had to get that off my chest.
Anyways, my car has a lot of mileage on it. We swear the break pads need replacing, they work great, but the squeaking is concerning and they swear it’s normal? I think they’re pulling our leg, my dad used to be a mechanic, we know enough to know our breaks need something. I am constantly putting air in my tires and they’re brand new tires. That happens when the speed bumps are so severe in your apartment complex that even driving at the slowest possible over them feels like your tires are taking a number. Then you have constant snow and ice constantly beating up my tires. And I have snow tires. Hit a giant rock that was in the middle of the road when the car was brand new, didn’t see it til the last minute. Cracked the rim of the car, and since this was my mother’s first brand new car in years we took extra car of it. Constantly cleaning it, waxing it, driving carefully to keep it looking new. We’ve realized that either we just don’t have the best of luck with our pretty vehicles in keeping them looking pretty or simply that’s life and nothing you can do will stop wear and tear on a vehicle.
Like my uncle, he would buy expensive brand new Air Nike sneakers and he’d walk funny, just so they wouldn’t get dirty. Well… it’s gonna happen regardless, so either don’t wear them or don’t buy them.
We plan to trade the car, it’s time, and my mother’s credit is pretty good, she’s planning to put both our names on it. That way I have another type of credit on my name so I can hopefully buy a home out in CA when I am done with school here.
If I can make enough money with Uber alone, I was considering FullTime because well… employers are usually not the brightest bunch. They hire college students and for some reason can’t understand the concept of their schedule.
Student: I’m scheduled from 9am to 6pm today
Boss: yeah?
Student: yeah I have class from 10am-12 and another class from 1-4. I can’t work that. I’ve told you this, in interview and repeatedly since
Boss: get your priorities straight, man. We need you here
I took special note that they adhered to the high school students schedule. That’s because they legally HAVE to, there are some legalities that protect college students. Like if you make it clear upon interview or hire that your availability is as is, they can’t fire you because they keep scheduling you when you are not available, and you can’t come in. Sure they can, but if you wanted you could raise hell with HR or The Labor Board. Most people don’t know this, or don’t feel up to the work so they just quit or take the fire and move on. But anyways, this is most bosses with college students for employees. That have it in their head that you want to work a minimum wage job more than going to college, getting an education and get a wonderful job, doing what you want in your life, making the money you need to survive. Huh…
I figured, why not Uber? I have a few friends that are literally living off it and still getting to be the students they want to be. So that part sold me. But I was still concerned. What if my experience is different? It most certainly could be. What if I barely make any money? What about rude ass costumers? So after applying and seeing whether or not I’d get approved, which I did. I continued my research on it.
I found this blog. Now Martin has gotten me a little more excited but also a little more weary. He admitted the story of one of his awful passengers. I’ve read other comments on here that also gives me some insight on what to expect from Uber Driving.
Here’s what I learned between Martin’s blog and the responding comments.
-If you learn to strategize, it might work out great for you.
Prepare yourself, prepare your vehicle, know your town. Use your knowledge of your town to your advantage, don’t heavily rely on the Uber App
-Ridiculous and scary passengers. Don’t be afraid to tell them no. Better safe than sorry. Call the police if you need to. Who cares about a bad rating and even money when your life is at stake, or your career or future due to doing stupid shit like allow someone to drink or smoke in your car. “Get. The the fuck… out of my car!”
-look at all your expenses. Make sure you are not just making enough to pay for gas or that small general visit to the dispensary for your relax time at home. 😉
-Start as part-time it’s perfect for part-time if you do it right. Maybe you can’t depend on them for main income, but it’s smart to start small first. See how it goes. Look at the demand in your town. Etc.
-Uber is one of those companies that you can and can’t live without. They are a bit cheaper than cabs, you don’t need to tip. Looks like it doesn’t happen often at all, but for riders, hey it’s better than spending a shit load on a cab to get around in your same town that isn’t even that big. (Mine is big, but just saying) they know how to get what they want but keep people reeled in. Typical capitalism move. Not at all starting a political bate here. Some capitalism is good, that’s exactly what I am getting at with Uber. There’s good capitalism and bad capitalism. That’s why it’s one that’s hard to live with or live without. My idea of bad capitalism, and btw before I go into my example I will reveal that I am part African American and part Italian American. I lost some respect from Beyoncé when she did that huge event against police brutality. Sure I’m against it, I don’t like it, it’s not a good thing at all. But imagine how much she was paid to be an “activist” for that “performance” in support for a movement. Yeah, that’s bad capitalism using an activist movement to make money. Unethical. While Snoop Dogg actually went to the streets and met up with officers and spoke with them and tries to encourage this sort of peace between citizens and law enforcement. That is activism. Beyoncé is just a name brand, making her millions on her name being attached to something. I still think she is very talented and beautiful, but I was very annoyed at that move. Good capitalism is when a company is making skyrocket money, without being hugely unethical in the process. Like being absolutely horrible to the costumers that pretty much built your company? Like a hospital assuming every single person in the ER is either drug seeking, or hypochondriacs. True, I understand what happens in an ER my mother worked it for years, and I know what they go through but it’s there for emergencies and sometimes some of us REALLY DO have an emergency. Uber represents bad capitalism to me. They pay their Drivers who are willing to put in the extra time a decent amount. I’ve witnessed it, my friends who drive as often as they can make pretty good money. It’s about the work you are willing to put in.
They give their customers a little bit of a better deal than a cab company. But only just enough for them to keep coming back and them to make ten times more the amount from customers and taking advantage of drivers.
Here’s the human reality, despite me learning bad things about Uber, I am still considering it, this is me being human and honestly hypocritical. I don’t like corporations who take advantage, but… if they pay me good… Thats the slogan of almost all of us in this country. I, myself would never deliver poor costumer service. I can’t stand to be treated like an idiot or like a child or any of those horrible things that happen in costumer service. So as a driver, unless my passenger is a real dick, I can see myself getting along with my passengers. So at least MY costumer service ethics are in tact. When I worked at my previous college in registrars, I had a lot of students who came to us crying, I never wanted to turn them away and make them feel like I didn’t care. That’s just me, even if I don’t know you, I might think of you often and say a prayer to God asking him to look out for you. I’ve had the saddest phone calls working at a college, a lot of it confidential so I can’t say much, but we got calls and visits from grieving students and destitute or students, students going through all kinds of heart break, and all they wanted was to go to school… all whom I genuinely felt my heart grow bigger for. So I can at least sleep at night knowing that I do care about others, even if I work for a dick head company. Not that my job was a dickhead company. lol I actually loved it there, and part of me wants to find a classified job with them. We’ll see…
But here’s the conclusion to my very long, long winded response to you, R. Schwartz, everything that I’ve learned… wasn’t because of YOUR comments. You are not the only commentor who does not like Uber and they presented themselves in a way I found reliable and realistic. I took their words seriously, and have been deeply considering them and trying hard to use my critical thinking to my advantage and see how this goes. I already have a job and I never intended to make Uber my primary job. I actually have a much better goal in mind to help myself to make good money while being in school, and maybe even make enough to buy my own insurance, get my braces for my teeth finally and uber is NOT part of that goal, but as a process to that goal. A way to keep me busy while I am completeing that goal.
You did not bring me to that conclusion. In fact because of your constant ramblings and carrying on I almost joined uber in spite, just to be a bitch because I’d be lying if I said I was a nice person all the time. If I made a good amount of money with Uber, I was planning to come back here and rub my shit in your face like a baboon. Just because of all your harassing comments on here.
You have literally scrolled through and responded to anyone who has either asked a question or was in any support for Uber. And what seems to be obvious to me is you have no idea how insane that is. Maybe you work for Lyft? Or a cab company and trying to foil Uber? Just like the accusation you keep throwing around? It’s possible… But since I don’t live in a world where my imagination runs wild, I highly doubt it. People use the internet as a way to get their aggression out. No one knows who you are, what you look like so mentally you take advantage. Every human does it. We will take advantage of an opportunity when it opens to us. No matter who we are. So we attack, bully, harass people online because it somehow makes us feel better. Maybe because we had a rough day, maybe life at home is intolerable, maybe life is intolerable. Granted I never hid behind an anonymous way to get my aggression out online, but I’ve been on the side of people, who just get a kick out of the trolls online, so once in a while I might bate them just to watch them act like they have some sort of emotional or mental effect on me, meanwhile I sit here laughing. It can be fun.
So maybe I was convinced Uber isn’t trustworthy, but not by you. Not by you at all. I would consider changing your rhetoric if your intention is to lure people away from Uber, your rhetoric fails you. Because now I want to just because you sound like an inconsiderate human being. And no, that’s not stupid, if I’m wrong I’m wrong. I could start Uber, realize it’s a waste, and just stop using it. What would be stupid is if I quit my job that I have before knowing what Uber can really do for me, and clearly I’m not doing that. I preparing myself and checking to see how it goes first. If your intention is just to get out aggression, then your rhetoric is perfectly fine. No need to change it. Otherwise…
Have a good one.
Nichole says
March 12, 2017 at 1:01 pm
“Okay, here’s my 2 Cents.”
Oh look, another troll, whose comment was longer than the author’s article…heheh.
You must be one of those UBER CHEAP CUSTUMERS that for 0.50 cents a mile you think you bought yourself a stupid driver and a limousine, that on a five city blocks trip you makes as many stop as you please an leave the drivers waiting as long as you want, and when you got out of the car, you don’t even thank the driver but slam the door.
Driving for Uber without commercial insurance is stupid
If your city does not require you to carry commercial insurance for driving a cab
And you plan to drive for Uber you must figure in Commercial insurance cost 4-8k a year.
I would strongly urge not to drive Uber with regular insurance. Your insurance will deny all claims if you get in an accident with a Uber passenger and Cancel your policy.
You will be liabel for all injury and damage
and open yourself up to litigation.
God forbid you get in a serious accident with serious injuries you are liabel for 100’s of thousands of dollars in medical bills etc
Here’s the critical question with insurance;
Why aren’t the miles driven in between requests treated just like miles driven to and from a traditional workplace?
There are more than a few people whose round-trip commute to a traditional workplace regularly exceeds 150 miles per day and they’re not being denied claims or having their policies cancelled. I find that, while driving exclusively rideshare on any given day for 10 hours, I’ve not once exceeded 120 miles where my insurer is solely responsible (ie. neither on a trip nor en route to a pick-up). Since Uber’s policy covers all else as primary with high maximums, what gives on the for-hire BS?
BTW, here’s the fine print:
http://t.uber.com/COIGA
$1 million CSL is way more than my, and likely most other rideshare drivers, personal auto insurance maximums.
Hey Martin. I have a few questions for you…
Any chance you could elaborate more on the taxes portion of driving for uber? specifically in Canada. I just want to know how it works.
Do I declare the money I made while filing my taxes each year?
Am I taxed by Uber for my weekly paycheck?
Also, I had a question about the safety of women driving for uber. What’s your thoughts on that based on your experience in Toronto? I live in Ottawa so I assume it’s relatively the same. It would all depends on the situations I put myself into.
For example: it would be high risk driving downtown at 2am, versus driving in the suburbs mid-afternoon would be safer? – in the case of feeling uncomfortable with a sketchy passenger, are you allowed to decline giving the ride?
Lastly, is there a rough estimate in how much the insurance may cost to register my car commercially? (in Ontario, Canada.)
Thanks so much for your time!
Hey Brittany.
I was in Ottawa this weekend and took Uber a few times. I’ll do my best to answer there:
You always have to pay taxes on income earned. Please see an accountant. I can’t be giving legal advice here. Uber does NOT tax you. Taxes are 100% your responsibility.
As for your safety. I mean, I Can’t guarantee you anything. Uber does screen people. They do have the person’s credit card and information on file. You may have to deal with annoying drunks from time to time (especially if you work the weekends).
There are only a few insurance companies that happen to be insuring Uber at the moment in Canada.
Should you driver Uber, a big Nooooooo…. I drove Uber for a week and had terrible experiences . To cut the story short if you calculate at the end you end up woeking in loss and left with a damaged car. Uber partner calls you partner but treat you worst than an employee. They have all the control and deactivate you within a week for low rating. All the expenditure including fuel, maintainance, mileage on car, taxes etc you are better off not working at all or go and work in coles. I am a woman and advise no woman should be driving it. Within a week I was assaulted and had to involve police.
Well do your complete math….All areas are different. dah
Thank you for this. You saved me a lot of reading but I have a few questions. I’m going out of town July 23-27 then again on August 14-21. Do I have to drive during those times?? Do I have to call anyone?? (Probably stupid questions but ehh) and would I still have a part time job when I get back if I’ve been “offline” for that long?
Thanks for the comment Emily. You can turn Uber off whenever you want for however long you want to. There are no limits. You can do one ride a day if your heart desires.
Martin, I sure appreciate your information, your attitude, your amazing patience(!) as well as how you preserve the civil tone of your replies. As for driving for Uber, I feel more informed about the considerations and will make a more enlightened decision when I do.
Thanks for the kind words. I tried to be as realistic and honest as possible. There are drivers who enjoy working for Uber. Then there are some folks who try it and don’t like it.
Uber makes all the money after you factor in wear and tear on car . Gas . Ezpass cleaning taxes and time…
Ohh and they take 25% out. It comes to minimum wage unless you get lucky. Find all the far trips with surges.
Can you please help me with a decision. I work as waitress in Florida. Now is slow at work because that are not so many tourists around. I would like to drive part-time for Uber. I think during a weekends nights and some day in the week so probably 4 days per week. I have to buy a car for the Uber because mine is old. I can not decide if to lease a car from Uber or take normal lease from dealer. Uber lease is around $500 dollars per month, unlimited miles and deposit 250 dollars. It will cost much less from the dealership, but I’m worried about limited miles. They offer 15000 miles per year. Can you tell me how many miles on average can Uber driver make per year? Can you little bit help me with a decision? Thank you very much
Thanks for visiting Andrea. The problem is that you don’t own a car. That’s a huge investment. I’m not a fan of buying or leasing for the sole purpose of driving for Uber. It’s going to take many hours on the road just to break-even.
15.000 miles are consumed in less that three months if you work with Uber.
If everybody loves the service provided then they should tip the driver. The cashfree experience may seem so convenient but the driver is left with a meager living.
Do the math, your cheap ride is on the backs of the driver, there is no hourly pay.
Your fare minus a safety fee, minus %25 commission minus wear and tear and of course MINUS TAXES. Everybody seem to forget SOCIAL SECURITY and Medicares payable April 15 or sooner.
Thanks for the comment Joe. Have you found that most folks don’t tip their driver?
Yeah, but I’m taking Uber to save money, sorry if I want to spend more money then I’d take a taxi. It may only benefit the rider and Uber, not the driver..sorry but you don’the have to drive for uber if you don’t feel the pay is fair.
TIP YOUR DRIVER.
Uber is much cheaper and cleaner than taxis so show respect and tip the driver…..
I live in Pa and was wondering how much it would cost for me to go to 30 minutes away from home to my destination?
If you think that Uber is your economic solution, you haven’t work long enough for Uber. There is a big OVERHEAD over your shoulders, like GAS, TOLLS, TIME, and TEARS AND WEARS of your car. In a year your car becomes a junk, you put 60.000 to 90.000 miles easily.
Uber wants to slave every driver, because your salary comes out less than the minimum salary, so they can work more than 20 hours a day to pay their bills. So this give them no time to think and react against the big evil corporation. Uber is buying all governments, with fake promises of helping the local economy; like promoting jobs and revenues; like, the buying and the sales of vehicles for the job.
Uber publishes false earning to the drivers and local politician. Drivers earnings comes out way below the minimum wage; after gas, tolls, time, and cars wear and tear. Leaving them with a BIG OVERHEAD over his shoulder; such as the payments for the new car, gas, tolls. When Uber, advertise of liberty of time, it is a LIE because there isn’t business all the time. Drivers are forced to take any trip or a prolonged suspension will be assigned to them. Uber do not report the real time that a driver have to be sitting in his car in order to get a trip. Uber do not report when the trip is 2 or 3 hour away from home and the driver is left stranded with no returning trip. Who pays for this wasted Gas, Tolls, and the 2 or 3 hours getting back.
There are a lot more negative reasons for the governments to study all this technological and evil corporations. Because, at the end, will be the economical end of every driver and his family; lending institutions. (CAR DEALER, BANKS), private and Governmental.
This is one of the Uber Comment:
“Contrastingly, Uber drivers tend to make much more than that. According to a recent interview Uber executives did with the Washington Post, UberX drivers in New York City can earn upwards of $90,000 a year. San Francisco drivers earned a cool $74,191 for a 40-hour work week. Jun 9, 2016”
I believe and at the same time, I think that those drivers are driving special SUVs and Uber set them up with special trips to special people. Those are an exception and should not be put as a general example. Because the majority of the drivers own sedans and small cars, They work about 18 hours a day and they do not make one fourth of the mentioned salary.
I’m thinking about becoming a part time uber driver in Toronto, so I have a few questions: when you get a call, do you know its destination before you accept, or do you find that out after you already accepted the call? What information do you have before accepting the call? How much phone data do you need for uber?
I’m definitely aware of all the cons, but I’m one of those people who like to see it for herself before judging. I don’t expect to make a fortune driving uber, but if it helps pay off my student loans, then why not?
Thanks!
Hey Nina. This is the biggest problem with Uber in Toronto. You never know where you’re going to end up. I once picked up someone from downtown Toronto and ended up in Milton. That was 30 minute drive and the fare was decent. The problem was that I was stuck so far outside of the city.
Do they give you a destination in any city?
No.
Many thanks for starting this article. I’ve gained a lot of useful information about Uber and I am considering doing this next year. I have been a stay at home mum for many years and now the kids are off my hands I want to earn a bit of part time income. I was interested to read about the commenter who drives in the morning and is taking local people to work. I would be interested in that sort of work and wondering how you can make this happen with uber. I guess I’m looking more for a bit of social contact and pocket money rather than having to earn a certain hourly rate.
We live close to the CBD and also only 7 minutes from our airport so that hopefully would be an advantage. I do have concerns about safety, as some other women here have also expressed concern for. I think I would install a security camera if it weren’t too expensive and also the suggestion to have the seats and carpet in your car covered is sensible as well. Your blog has highlighted a lot of the things to look into like insurance extras. I do also appreciate R Schwartz for posting his views. Clearly uber moved the goal posts for him in upping the commission rate they take but not upping the fares charged. Understandably he is not happy. So I guess you have to go in with your eyes open as to what the deal is. The flexibility of uber appeals a lot to me.
What year of car would you recommend for Uber?
Has anyone actually made adjustments to their insurance just for Uber and what was the difference that you had to pay?
It seems like most people here are NOT calling for themselves and are taking these $4,000-$8,000 quotes seriously. I am sure it is different in every city or state but those prices are not real.
I called my insurance company before I started the onboarding process. I live in San Antonio, Texas. My rates will go up about $25 monthly to add ride sharing to my policy. Not too bad really, and a far cry from $8,000 annually. With that $25 addition I will be covered 100% of the time and be 100% legal.
My advice; call your insurance company. I am sure it is more in some places and less in others. If you don’t like the rates they quote call another one and get a second quote. I bet you can find affordable coverage that keeps you and your riders safe.
Hey Martin can you send me an email; I just have some questions on insurance but I’m in need of a part time job to get me through the rest of this summer. I would have to drive 45mins into a city because Uber isn’t in my college town. But some guidance would be appreciated.
Thanks so much for this article Martin. Have been considering Uber as a second income here in Melbourne Australia and this has been very helpful.
Good luck and keep us posted.
I am starting to run the numbers for myself in case I need an emergency backup job. I am awaiting word on my background check to see about the terms of a lease/rental (we need a third vehicle anyway). From my research today, Uber’s commercial insurance covers you when there is an actual client is in the car. Personal insurance (mine is USAA and they confirmed) covers you when you are alone and NOT on the clock. USAA tells me that “rideshare gap insurance” is needed to cover you when you are alone and ON the clock. She said that gap insurance costs around $60 per six months; however, it is not yet offered (by them) in all states. I checked only two states (MD & VA). USAA offers gap insurance in Maryland (as of today, actually) but not Virginia. I will report back when I know more! I, too, am looking to serve the morning and evening commuters along with airport folks. Of course, one personal insurance will also increase due to the mileage on the vehicle (that is true no matter what causes the increase in vehicles)…but only for the miles driven under personal or gap conditions (which should be a minimal increase since most of it would be miles driven under commercial conditions).
I have USAA too, but in Texas. I was quoted an additional $143 on my 6/mo policy to add Ride Share Gap insurance. I added mileage to my coverage as well since I was only at 9k miles/year previously so only part of that $143 was actually the gap coverage.
I drive part time for both Lyft and Uber in the Colorado Springs area. I thought I’d add some info to the discussion that I’ve learned with experience. Maybe it could help some of you figure out if this is right for you.
I find there are six factors for me that contribute to driving for Uber/Lyft being a worthwhile monetary undertaking. While the basic fare structure with per mile/per minute charges and the 25% commission that Uber/Lyft keeps is the foundation of the pay structure, there are factors that can work in your favor to increase your pay. Some of those factors may be somewhat random, others you can have a big influence on them.
The six factors I’ve observed are as follows: 1. Long Trips 2. Tips 3. Incentives 4. Surge 5. Referrals and 6. Platforms…I’ll cover each in more detail below.
1. Long trips: Yes you can’t control this, but inevitably you will get your percentage of longer more profitable rides. Every city is different but people going on a ride that is 50 to 100 miles in length isn’t that rare where I live.
2. Tips: This is to some degree controllable…yes not all riders tip, but being pleasant, having a clean car and offering basic things like candy and water and phone chargers will increase the likelihood of being tipped. Lyft allows tips inside the app, for uber the tips are only via cash, so a lower percentage of riders tip via uber as of now it seems. Tipping is probably still an emerging market, but it isn’t irrelevant either.
3. Incentives: Both Uber and Lyft offer ways for drivers to earn more cash. Lyft has a recurring weekly bonus that allows you to earn 10 or 20% of your ride proceeds back from them, i.e. you can keep 95% versus 75% if you meet the requirements. Uber offers more targeted incentives that reward driving certain times of day and often guarantee a gross proceed rate such as 20/hr 24/hr etc. Both companies incentives will help you earn more if you pay attention and drive enough.
4. Surge: Very hard to quantify, but also a part of the pay structure. My market doesn’t surge very much, surge rides are maybe 5% of my rides, but when they occur it does improve your payout. Some markets surge a lot, and almost any market will surge during holidays and special events.
5. Referrals: I just completed a week in which I was purchasing a new car and did not drive for the week. But I still made $400 because I had referred a rider awhile back to be a driver by giving her my card with my promo code on it. She recently completed the requirements and we both got a bonus for it. I hand out cards to riders, but don’t hard sell anyone, but referral bonuses could be significant income. You can also receive bonuses for new riders as well.
6. Platforms: Staying busy while the app is on is critical. Our time is valuable. Being logged in to multiple platforms concurrently improves your chances at income and greatly reduces dead time. Furthermore, your vehicle may qualify for a higher tier such as Uber Select which potentially could pay increased rates. Maximize your chances to get a ride.
A couple other suggestions….get mileage tracker software (I use MileIQ and it works terrific). You can deduct .54cents/mile while conducting business. This covers your business expenses such as gas, depreciation and car maintenance and upkeep. Much of your income will be reduced with this deduction.
Stay positive…If you are a very unhappy and negative person, this job is probably not for you. You meet a lot of people and many of them are terrific and will enrich your life, but you won’t like everyone you meet either.
Manage your expectations: I think this is the biggest issue with most people. This isn’t a get rich quick affair. The income potential exists and the ability to work the hours you chose is amazing. But you will have moments in time where it isn’t worth it and moments where you wonder why everyone doesn’t do it. Keep a healthy balance of what you expect and don’t expect more than is possible. The pay will vary based on more factors than we can control, but it is an opportunity to earn income around our busy schedules as well.
I am considering buying a used car and driving part-time in Atlanta. My question is,will it be worth taking on a car loan to drive for Uber?
I wish I could give you an answer. It all depends on how much money you can make and I personally have no experience with driving in Atlanta. Please let us know what you decide to do.
As some someone said here, you average less than $10/hour. You reduce gas and maintenance, it’s less than minimum wage.
It’s a good deal for Uber company and the riders. Not much of deal for the Uber drivers. If Uber did some of these, may be it would have been worth considering:
1. Make minimum driver earnings for a trip for the driver at least $5 to $6. It doesn’t make sense transporting a bunch of drunk college kids and you get $3 with no tips. It feels you are volunteering for Uber to transport drunk students.
2. Uber doesn’t account for the mileage that is put in to pick up the riders. When that mileage is not considered, it’s almost like you are giving away your car and time for Uber to make money.
2. Make night trips after 8 pm at 1.5 to 2 times rate.
3. If you don’t get at least $15 per hour, it may not be worth your time and putting all that mileage in your car.
4. Recommend tipping and that is built-in to the app.
Most of the riders are decent, but you will end getting a couple of drunk douchebags that will spoil your day if you are in a college town.
I have a few questions
I plan to move to Toronto in March 2017 and I was thinking of using Uber to make some money while I look for a stable job.
Question 1: Do I need commercial insurance to use uber? Private/personal insurance in Toronto is oppressively crushing as it is.
Question 2: There are companies out there that allow you to wrap your car in decals and pay you some ad revenue. The more you drive, the more you make. This seems to be a perfect match with uber and a potential means to maximize your car income. The question is, will uber allow it?
1. Not at the moment. You might want to confirm with Uber though.
2. That’s a really good question. There’s no rule against it as far as I know. You might be on to something.
READ THIS IF YOU REALLY WANT TO KNOW HOW MUCH $$$ YOU MAKE DRIVING
I have been driver for LYFT and UBER for 1 year and working full time for 9 months. I have completed over 2,200 rides. I have an accounting background and I lost my professional job. Out of desperation, I became a driver for UBER/LYFT. I keep precise records of all income and expense. The bottom line statistics are not at all promising to be a driver. I took precise mileage and earnings figures. For 9 months, I drove 41,291 miles, gross revenues before expenses and taxes were 0.61 cents/mile (including cash/non-cash tips). In my market, average gross revenue for UBER and LYFT is 0.80 cents/mile BEFORE 20% commission paid to UBER/LYFT. Of significance, my gross earnings per mile was 25% higher in 2015 ($1.00/mile), which means that average gross earnings per mile will be LESS in future periods. Thus, my findings at the end of this post are UNDERSTATED. Earnings include prime time and surge pricing. I worked more than full time for 6 months during all optimal times of the day (12+ hours/day, 5+ days/week).
0.61 cents/mile doesn’t sound bad, right? Well, not until you account for all costs. Actual total costs to drive a 2011 Nissan Altima was $11,829 or $0.29 cents/mile (including fuel, conservative depreciation, insurance, service, cell, and food giveaways. So, net earnings BEFORE taxes were ONLY $0.32 cents/mile. Notice the SHARE of income on a percentage basis is 51% (me) and 49% (them). This is because of the REAL expenses required to do this job reduce the share of gross earnings from 80% to 51%.
Let me break this down in terms we can all relate to. In order to earn $500/week (net of all expense & before taxes), you have drive 313 miles/day for 5 days/week. 313 miles can be driven in 5.2 hours assuming no stops, regular traffic, and an average speed of 60mph (or 21 rides completed at an avg. of 15 miles/ride). As you are well aware, it is impossible to complete 300+ miles in 5 hours because, of course, you have to make stops, wait for riders, deal with traffic, and determine your next destination. But, let’s say for the sake of argument you could. So, after adjusting for stop, wait, traffic, navigation (an additional & conservative –96 minutes), you have worked over 6 1/2 hours. This is at an average speed of 60mph! A more reasonable assumption would be an average speed of say, 35mph, which would translate to over 11 hours work/day. This translates to an hourly wage (before taxes) of $9.12 per HOUR! Let me also state that 1) I do NOT have commercial insurance, 2) these assumptions do NOT include an adjustment for accident risk, 3) this does NOT include any damage to your vehicle caused by riders, 4) the risk of injury or worse because of undesirable riders, and 5) you still have to pay taxes on any ‘net’ income. So, given these precise calculations, is it still worth it to drive for $9.12/hour BEFORE you pay taxes?
I know what you are thinking: you receive a direct deposit that is much larger than $9.12/hour, you receive referral bonuses that translate into more $$$ for you, and you think you are better than the average driver so you make more in tips than those ‘other’ losers. Well, have you actually sat down and accounted for all of your expenses? Let me share my personal experience: for 9 months I earned $1,569 in cash tips + 1,461 in LYFT inApp tips, BOTH of WHICH have been already accounted for. What I excluded from the calculation was what I view as “non-recurring” fees earned. Meaning, I believe that future earnings in this category will substantially lower or eliminated entirely. I made a total of $3,660 for 9 months for the following: 1) sign on bonus 2), driver referral for 1 person, and 3)passenger referral fees for over 125 NEW riders to LYFT. So, did you earn an average of over $100/week for referral/sign-on bonuses every week that you worked? That is what I earned. You have to ask yourself how much you have earned from these ‘non-recurring’ and NOT reliable sources of income. Including this non-recurring income, I earned an additional $0.09 cents/mile.
So, in the final analysis, I made an average of $0.40 cents/mile (including surge pricing, referral fees, tips) in net income, which assuming a 40 hour work week (this is understated) translates to $11.47 PER HOUR. This is BEFORE taxes and BEFORE any of the risk you take as a driver. Is it still worth it?
Thanks for the post John. As someone who is probably going to start driving for Uber tonight this gives me a good list of things I should keep track of. I am also a number cruncher. I am still optimistic tho. If it doesn’t pan out I will quit driving. I don’t really expect $30/hr like the uber ads lead us to believe. If I can get about $15/hr driving for Uber then I will keep going. Anything less and I’m tapping out.
Can I ask what city you were driving in? I am in San Antonio which is HUGE so Im hoping that makes it better for Uber drivers. I will do my best to report back in a month or so and update anyone interested on my progress.
Would like to say thanks for the specific information on working for Uber. My reason for being here was to see the whole process of working in this field. Also, I suffer from health issues that prevent me from lifting heavy objects but I still want to be in the grind earning money. Rheumatoid Arthritis on knee, rods and screws holding my lower back together. Don’t wanna waste time going back to college.so I have to pay back some blood/money sucking for profit schools. Thanks again for info and good luck on your success.
How safe is it as a driver and a woman driving alone? I live in the south and worry will I pick up someone that might try and harm me.
I’m glad I found this article. I signed up this week, while at work, and looking for a part time gig. Now Uber keeps sending texts and emails about finishing my profile, with my license, etc. I’ve just been on the fence because I wanted some first hand feedback. Thanks so much for this article. It really shed some light on it for me and helped me to finalize my thoughts.
Good luck Dawn. Uber does an excellent job with follow up.
MARTIN…Thank you! Great resource here, and you seem to be really honest & upfront.
I’m going to start driving today & take my chances. Many of my questions were answered here and I feel better about starting my new endeavor! I will check back in a week or two & give you my thoughts.
Thanks again man!
Thanks for the positive comment. Driving for Uber isn’t for everyone. I’ve heard from many full-time drivers. Others try and don’t like it. All you can do is try out for yourself.
Martin, I just signed up to drive for Uber in Birmingham, AL. Is there a way I can still list you as my referral! I had no idea there was a bonus out there until I read your article and all these comments.
One question: has safety ever been an issue?
Hey Molly, the bonuses vary on your location. Some people have reported a $100 bonus while others haven’t received anything. I have no control over this. Safety has never been an issue but you still must use common sense. Try not to drive during party hours if you want to avoid the rowdy crowd.
I usually average around 20/hr and sometimes make up to $100 in an hour. It’s an awesome part time job since you can do it whenever you want and stop whenever. Right now Uber is giving it’s new drivers a $500 bonus when they are referred by another driver.
I have been driving for Uber in Adelaide, Australia for 5 months (averagely, 40 hrs/per week). I paid GST once, serviced the car a few times (on schedule) and had minor fixes. After paying all different costs (fuel, insurance, lollies and water, etc), I keep 36% of all income.
Since it is my second job, I will have to pay 35% in taxes. (Does it mean I am able to keep 1% of all the income?)
I will not have to pay all the exact amount because I will be able to claim a lot of expenses for the car/business. But even if I will be able to claim 100% of income tax, my salary will be around $265/week BEFORE TAX. ($6.62/hour).
On my first job I get nearly $24 (after taxes!)
So, ubering works like a loan, rather than income.
HOW YOU REALLY MAKE MONEY WITH UBER?
I read all these comments until my eyes got sore. Why? Because I myself is a new Uber driver in the city of Toronto and have been trying to figure out every corner of how you really make money driving Uber. It is really funny how a lot of people talk about hourly rate while driving for Uber? Like seriously people? Based on what logic would you calculate your earnings on an hourly basis with Uber? Does Uber pay you anything hourly? The answer is definitely NO!
Simple methodology:
– If you work for most retail stores you get paid an hourly minimum wage for your time and energy which is $11.75 in the province of Ontario. There is nothing else involved other than your public transit pass that brings you to work. Whereas driving for Uber, it involves more than just your time and energy. It requires a car, insurance, cell phone data (incur overage charges if you exceed your limit), your safety, time and your energy. Most of the comments I read here said that driving for Uber works out to be a little less than the hourly minimum wage and there were different numbers from $5.60 – $11.50/hour reported from the US and Canada. Well like i stated earlier, driving Uber is not the same as working for a retail store. That being said, I would argue that the wise way to calculate your actual earnings is to divide your total earning by the number of trips you have completed at any given time. It does not make any sense to calculate your total earnings divided by the number of hours you have been online. Because the number of hours online does not take into account your waiting times between trips, stops requested by riders (Doing them an extra favour dropping off their friends or whomever) sometimes totally off your route, time driving to pick up a rider etc. Now let me be clear here. I am neither for Uber nor against it. Rather I am sharing my own experience and knowledge so it may help some other poor people make the right decision. The point here is, when you carry all these cheap Uber lovers from point A to B, it is not the matter of hours you were online, rather it is what was involved in each particular trip. Ex: How short and long was the drop off distance? Did you give away candies or water bottles to a rider/s? Was there a mess/damage in your car when you dropped off the rider? How good or bad was the roads you had to drive on which has impact on your car depreciation? So lets sum it up shall we? If these are the factors that come into play while carrying uber riders with no tips 99% of time especially here in Toronto, then why would you even talk of hourly rate?? Simply divide your total earnings by the number of trips completed and bingo there you see how much you have made per trip for the amount of time you put into completing those trips. If you do your calculation based on the number of hours online, you will surely be fooling yourself and you will soon be facing the tax man, your mechanic/dealer and not to mention dealing with your auto insurance provider when you get into an accident and the Uber $1000 deductible which I wasn’t aware of. As Martin mentioned somewhere in his blog, in economics there is something called “opportunity cost” and if you know what it is then let me ask you this question: What is your opportunity cost of driving Uber when all those factors are involved at any given time compared to making the same amount working for a retailer? Undoubtedly, you have the “liberty of time” with Uber, but again what is your opportunity cost of enjoying the “liberty of time” compared to making the same amount of money just with your time and energy? You get what I am trying to say?? You may or may not agree with my arguments, but it goes back to the definition of economics: A social science that studies the choices people and households make. So now it is totally up to you what kinda choice you want to make?
SHOULD RIDERS TIP UBER DRIVERS?
Hell yeah! Why? you pay less than half of what the main stream taxi industry charges you; you ride in a much nicer and cleaner cars; you receive a much better customer service most of the times rather than those cabbies; you get to charge your phone and play your own music if you wish to; and how about your overall experience?? Isn’t that important to you? Retailers spend millions of dollars on programs to ensure Customer Experience in their stores, but you get that without any Uber investment/training. Doesn’t that poor driver deserve a few bucks in tip and a better rating on the App due to the fact that he uses his private car to carry you around trying to feed his family or to make ends meet? Remember, no one does extra work if they don’t have to. No one drives Uber for fun unless they are one of those people Lol. In addition to these low rates and Uberpool that Uber imposes on drivers and yet expects you to offer water bottle, candies, phone charger, Aux cord and a superior Uber experience why do you still get a low rating? Isn’t there something wrong with the consumer behaviour that has to change? or perhaps Uber is a ridiculous industry after all??
Francis004,
I am an Uber Driver with about 14-months under my belt and your comments are the most relevant comments I’ve read anywhere on the net, The Ride Share Guy, and others all say things that do not make any sense,
Yet your comments make perfect sense and without the occasional promotion of apps such as Vugo, which is a total waste of time; nevertheless, I too calculate my earnings as you do because it is more realistic, but most of all I too don’t consider my earning potential per day to be anywhere similar to a per hour pay rate. Mainly due to the fact that wait times, as well as Rider requests are giveaways, in terms of calculating them on an hourly rate basis.
I cant wait until a team comes together to create an freeware/open source version of ride share and the drivers get 100% pay. I’m sure there are some college student/ transitioning programmers out there who would love to add to there resume that they created the “enter name here” ride share app that put the drivers as their own business owner and put Uber/Lyft out of business. It’s another pyramid scam with the guys behind the wood furniture on top and all the drivers below… so short and wide.
here why do you think this exists? “www.farmers.com/rideshare/”
I called and was told with my perfect record $40/mth.
Please beware that alot of major companies have social media departments where they will have their customer service agents post in such forums. I’ve worked in one and its insane how im seeing alot of these random responses regeritating verbatim the copy from commercials in regards to possibly earned wages.
I drive currently and honestly the majority of responders here are being dead on. Call it pessimism. Call it seeing a glass half empty. I call BS on anyone who claims they have made $20-$100 in a hour consistently.
I just did a trip today that was 1 Hour and 15 minutes outside of Atlanta. I dropped the pax off and headed back into the city (another 1 Hour and 15 minutes back) because I did not want to risk being pushed further out. Guess how much the trip earned ya boi…$35. Wow. It takes $30 to fill my tank and this trip alone killed 1/4 of the tank.
What makes it crazier is that a while back I pulled an airport ride DURING RUSH HOUR to go from the airport to his college 2 Hours outside of Atlanta. Literally 2 Hours. Guess what that earned ya boi $68. Unbelievable. So to get back into Atlanta it took another 2 hours. So I guess you can say $70 divided by 4 hours is $17.50 per hour and to a soul in need of cash now that sounds quite appetizing BUT to physically do that is tiresome.
I say use UBER to make a quick $20 for cig money if thats your thing and park your butt at home to rest up for your tomorrow at work or at a part time gig at a restaurant or retail gig.
But, in the end I know you’re going to do what you want regardless. So best luck!
May be true for other cities but not true for Calgary. You can’t make over $10/hr. Uber charges 0.90 cents/km. In the downtown Calgary you make 2 to 3 $ per trip and end of the day $50. With your fuel cost and other expenses you don’t have anything.
This is the worst earning job on earth.
I just got approved to drive today! Can’t wait to hit the road this weekend
Dear Martin et al,
Thank you for opening up this post. This forum is a great place for people to get an idea for those who have an interest in the ride-share concept. I also want to thank all those who left comments, it has been a tremendous help in setting the expectation and becoming aware of what I am about to get into.
After reading many of the comments, it seems to me there are two major issues: one is the significant cut that Uber is taking, second is the insurance. With regards to insurance, there isn’t seem to be much we can do, but to get the commercial insurance to protect ourselves. Or if the ride share insurance is available, then to opt for that. However, with regards to Uber’s cut, may I suggest we write a petition to Uber to reduce their cut? I believe that there is power in people and there seem to be enough people on this blog and if each of us were to talk to another Uber driver, then we should have the mass.
I think the concept of Uber is a great idea and if we can improve on couple of things, we can make it beneficial for the whole lot of people.
God bless,
P.S. My apologies, if someone has already put above suggestion before.
My husband want to sign up with Uber and Lyft just to work a couple nights/days a week to help pay for graduation expenses and pay down debt. I’m worried this won’t really help us and that I need to call my insurance company to see if this is even covered. Do you think this is really the best option for doing that? We are in DFW area and I was thinking airport rides mostly to avoid the drunks.
Hi Martin,
Great article and thank you for sharing your experience and knowledge about being an Uber driver. I hope you don’t mind me asking for some general advice regarding taking this up.
My wife and I will be emigrating to Toronto (city, not GTA) from the UK later this year. My current job is office based and I’ve been doing it for almost 20 years, not for the love but just to pay the mortgage. I’ve been driving for 20 years, love it, love meeting new people and being outside four walls and a computer – and I’m no shrinking violet either so I’m not phased by the anti-social members of society! 🙂 On the face of it, the Uber model is appealing for someone with my profile.
I’m considering becoming a driver on a full time basis once I’m in Toronto, I have no problem with working long hours, based on the peaks I’d happily work Mon-Fri 6am to 11am, then 2pm to 7pm (evenings and weekends will be family time).
I know that I would need to buy a decent newish car which runs economically to lower my bottom end re expenses, maybe a Prius – clean, reliable, low mileage. And I appreciate that as a self-employed person I won’t be paid by the hour, there will be peaks and troughs, busy and quiet periods.
I’d love your thoughts on whether the Uber driver model really is as doomed as half the internet seems to suggest 🙂 , or that you can reap a rewarding full time income and a healthy return if you work hard (50-55 hours a week), professionally (respect it like a business), and smart (work peak hours, peak locations).
Thanks in advance from across the pond for your time and reply, much appreciated.
Was thinking about entering the Uber industry. An acquaintance on his first day of driving Uber in NYC made $186. He started work from 10am til 4pm. He’s using Uber’s vehicles because he doesn’t have his own. Is it worth driving for them? I mean $186 sounds low for one day. Can someone please answer question for me. Thanks.
Uber is a great opportunity for any reasonable person. It’s not a quick get rich scheme. If you want to get rich driving for Uber or any transportation company, you cant. But Uber certainly helps you fill in the voids in your life. Yes, you can make a living off Uber and then eventually grow as a transportation company and make loads of money. Alternatively, Uber definitely helps if you are temporarily trying to making a living until you find your dream job.
wow, lots of confiltng reports here (in the comments). my main concern now is insurance.
I was also wondering if they give you a 1099, you don’t have to pay employment taxes(?)
I started on Monday cause i was laid off work. I get about $60-$70 a day. Wish I was doing your kind of money. With $70 and $20 for gas its not great. And I driving about 8-10 hours a day. I am hoping weekends are better
Hi Martin. You really started something here. I will tell you what my experience has been. I have been driving in Reno for about 6 months. On a standard Friday night I will make about $160 for an 8 hour shift, after Uber takes their cut. But, on an event night, or event weekend (Reno hosts a lot of events), I can make excellent money. I don’t do the airport and never go out when it’s snowing. I have had a really good experience. So many nice people who want to out, have a few cocktails, and not have to worry about driving. I have had many drunks as well. I just go with it. If it’s a party night I try to make myself part of the fun. I laugh at them, joke with them, and try to enjoy my job.
Gas isn’t a big expense as I drive a hybrid. The main wear and tear on my car is the seats. Mine are tan and hard to keep clean. Best to find a touchless car wash as you will be washing your car a lot and they are easier on the finish. $6 and 5 minutes wiping it down. I’m a 60 year old female with a 4.93 rating, and have always felt safe. In the end it’s a great part time job. If I had to try and make a living at it, it would be stressful. I hope this helps.
Thanks for this really informative article. I like to do research on something before nosediving into it – especially Uber. I hear a lot of negative side to Uber, like the percentage that they cut off from your earnings, the wear and tear on your car, the fuel and no job security, among others. If it’s so bad, why do people keep doing it? I mean, wouldn’t Uber go bankrupt if it’s as bad as it sounds? It’s no wonder no cabbie would give up working full-time as a cabbie to join Uber. Speaking of full-time, would you recommend anyone to do Uber full-time? How about for those volunteering and they can’t afford to keep their day job because of their volunteer work? I’m kind of in this situation right now. But after doing my research, despite the flexible working hours, Uber doesn’t seem to be a good choice as a full-time job. Am I right?
Thanks for the comment Audrey. I personally don’t recommend driving full-time. However, I met a friend the other day who swears by it. He’s happy with driving in the evenings. You really have to test out the local market.
First off, thanks for your blog, Martin. After reading both sides of the coin (positive and negative – especially yourself and R. Schwartz) and driving for uber/ lyft less than 5 months, I would say that there are advantages/ disadvantages in this industry. My bad experiences were when uber deducted the fares after trips, but complaints taken for granted (like destination NOT exactly found, miscommunication with riders, waiting period NOT counted, etc.). So, I guess this is NOT for everybody and I don’t like to do this as a fulltime job at all.
Thanks for your feedback Jeff. Will you still drive part-time?
Hi Martin,
Well, if I’m in the mood and have some sparetime for driving..why not?
Been driving part time for almost a year for Uber and Lyft.
I believe rideshare could be a good full time job, but there are factors that could discourage. It is most satisfying when you can chose the hours you work and make money in your free time. It is most discouraging when you expect a certain income full time and can’t achieve it and get stressed. But I would believe that many markets can support a person working full time and being busy most of the time.
I’m able to start most of my APP ON time from my home, as I live in area that is relatively active to get rides. Being a fairly impatient person, I tend to find ways to limit waiting for the next ride or minimize the impact of waiting(being at home, being enroute to home etc).
In almost a full year I’ve had a couple times where I stubbornly waited 2 hours for the next trip. The average wait is usually pretty short and both uber and lyft now often time give you your next trip while you are on the current trip, further making the process more efficient. I would say I average two trips an hour, but occasionally that is either slow at 1 per hour or busy with approx. 3 per hour.
I would think that full time people would want to stack the deck in their favor and have multiple platforms to work from..i.e Lyft, Uber X, UberXL, UberSelect, Ubereats, etc. The more platforms you have access to you, the busier you’ll be…If you stay busy the income will be fine.
For me I average $15-20 per hour before expenses. Not bad for a side job. Almost every rider is nice, but like anything, you never know what you’re gonna get each ride. Everyone has a few stories to tell along the way.
I worked for uber for two years and what i can say is uber is what you make it. You have to go after the money it dont always come to you. You have to learn where the demand is at and hang in that area. You have to keep up with events in your city and be there when its over. You learn pointers by driving people. Be pleasant be polite and be professional at all times even when the customer is not. If your a social person youll love it because i did. Somedays are gonna be better than others but dont give up. Remember it all adds up at the end before you notice you will be making hundreds of dollars. I did uber fulltime i treated like a job i picked 8 hours out of each day and i worked it. I did have a quota but if i still had hours left i stayed out there. Be patient remember its plenty of money out there.
I like your point of view Kesha. One of the few positive expressions.
I drove a taxi in the 80s in Miami, and that was my experience too. It’s what you make of it. Mostly it’s the lifestyle, either it suits you or it doesn’t.
Later I missed my carefree “work when I need” taxi days. Always used my waiting time to study. Eventually I gave it up because the income never increased. Became a starving artist instead !
Published several books and paintings as Sushil Rao.
How about you ? What’re you doing now ?
I’ve spoken to a few uber drivers on my vacation and pretty much a lot of it was the same thing you said. Some of them claim to make 80K+ a year not sure if it’s a lie but the part of town i was in was pretty busy and i’m sure they are on the go all the time. My town is super small but i was able to speak to a few people here that do it part time they make a extra 1,000 a month after gas and uber takes their share which isnt alot of money but add that to your current income it makes a big difference. My question is say I set up shop where i live and i go on vacation again like i go visit family in another in another state which is in DC would I be able to drive uber while i’m up that way?
That’s a really interesting question. I believe that once you’re setup in the Uber system, you can turn your app on and work. I don’t know if this changes by state. This could be an interesting case study if you choose to give it a try.
Hey there Martin, I just stumbled across your blog by happen stance researching benefits of driving for Uber. I’ve been sitting on it for a while now – I just came out of college in May of 2016, I work full-time as an Interior Designer/Architect but am looking to get some extra income in. I’ve between freelancing for work on the side and considering getting a part-time job, but I often default back to thinking about driving for Uber. I live in a developing metropolitan area in Eastern Pennsylvania, about an hour and a half outside of Philadelphia, PA – so there’s an inflow of companies, businesses, start-ups and restaurants/nightlife that have been making their way into the area I currently live in.
What are the implications of driving with Uber? I read in your post, you went to a physical meeting for Uber? So, there is a more extensive process involved after applying online? Do you need separate insurance for driving with Uber? Is it just as easy as getting out of the office at 4PM and turning it on and turning it off when I’m done?
Just looking for some clarifications on how it works, and all that good stuff.
Best,
Sean
Hey Sean. I went to the meeting to speed up the process and I wanted to meet real people that are working for the company. You don’t need separate insurance. Once you get setup it’s as easy as turning on an app on your phone. I turned it on at random times. One time I left the gym and was wired. So I ended up driving around for a few hours on a Tuesday night. Another time I turned the app on after leaving a a bar and someone from that bar wanted a ride.
Just wondering how anyone working for Uber dealt with paying rent and managing bills in general. I am doing some customer research and would love to know how self employed people manage their finances in the Uber community.
Hey Martin,
I can across your blog while researching if its worth driving Uber. Great post, I have a full time entry level Job right out of college. And i figured i can make some extra money to help my saving. my friends are saying that i wont make money driving Uber since they are factoring Uber cut, gas, car payment, as I’m thinking of getting a newer vehicle.
Are you still driving Uber in 2017, Would I be able to make profits especially after Uber takes their cut, after paying for gas and making car payment while driving Uber?
Thanks
Hey Anthony. It’s tough to answer. Every city is different. It depends on what city you live in and the hours that you’re willing to work. I would suggest giving it a try for a few weeks like I did. You have nothing to lose. If you don’t like it, then simply delete the app. Let me know if you have any questions.
Hi. I’m thinking about driving for Uber exclusively on the way back from work in Baden, On to Waterloo, On (~22km trip without detours), to offset the cost of driving a car (which I have not yet bought). I would probably be leaving work around 5pm most times. Because of their 10yr max age rule, I’d probably get a car that’s 7-8 years old so I can do this for a couple years.
In terms of opportunity cost, I’d be substituting driving with Uber for a 90min bus ride. I would estimate my cost/km @ about 34c/km (depreciation per km and fuel), therefore I’d need to make min. 44x$0.34 ~ $15, after tax, plus enough to reasonably offset the cost of insurance and licensing, which I estimate @ $2500/yr. Ideally, I’d like to break even for the 2018 year by Sept 2018, as this is primarily my work-transport plan and I’ll return to school in Sept.
So essentially, my parameters are:
– maximum 90 min. driving (pickup and between pickups included)/day – 7.5hrs/wk
– 8 month (34wks) timeframe – therefore, 255 hrs
– base-expenses of: 44km/day x $0.34/km x 5days/wk x 34 wks + $2,500 ~ $5,050
Finally, the question is: Can I make $5050, for 255hrs of work, given I’ll generally be driving between the hours of 5pm and 6:30pm in the Kitchener-Waterloo-Baden, Ontario area? As this is my break even amount which will just make up for my incurred expenses which I will deduct, I don’t really have to factor in taxes, although my marginal tax rate would be 28.95%.
So, what are peoples’ opinions? How likely am I to average $19.80/hr driving for Uber 5pm-6:30pm, Mon-Fri, January-September in the KW/Baden, ON area?
Thanks!
Honestly, turn on the Uber app as a passenger to see if there’s even any demand.
Thanks for sharing your numbers boss – definitely agree it’s better as a side hustle. I found driving to be a nice little boost – especially with the sign up bonus when you hit 100.
I did an analysis of my first 100 rides. (38 of the 100 were drunk or had been drinking)
– 9 rider cancellations (2 of which I received a small severance)
– drove 51 hours which averages to about 2 rides per hour)
– I’ve totaled about 1,570 miles of which I can write off about 54 cents a mile on taxes. That breaks down to 862 miles during a fare and 480 miles to get to the fare. I drove about 228 miles to or from my home.
– At 1570 miles, with my hybrid (400 miles/tank) – that’s just under 4 tanks of gas. 4*$20= $80 bucks on gas.
Thanks for sharing this Jeff!
Jeff, not too many current comments to keep the Uber dialog and learning going. Could keep your latest most relevant comments and add more information to your site such as the latest cars recommended for Uber driving. Comment on some Latest Issues, in this way you can continue to draw people to your site and sell more books. Perhaps even schedule a Live Uber drive video blog discussing your experience as an Uber driver. I suppose just by putting your phone in a broadcast mode.
Impressed with your success. My purpose is to elevate potential and I can’t help to add these few comments. I learned a lot from your page and thank you
Hey Martin! Great post. I drove for Uber in 2016 and made a little over 10k. I think its a great source of extra income. It is hard to do it full-time, but part-time is great. Also just driving passengers on your commute to work can be a good idea. I love your “I never want to drink again” comment haha. I decided to stop driving at night it was so bad. During the day it is so great. Never really have problems. By the time 7 pm rolls around, it is like a switch goes off and everyone is suddenly drunk. Great post and I agree with your thesis that you should try to drive for Uber as a side-gig.
Simple it is not worth it
Agree.
I have been doing for 1.5 years as a side gig. Select and XL. Just tore up my trans for $5K repair and have literally turn my 2016 Yukon into worthlessness.
Great points Martin! Thanks for sharing the highlights, key lessons and other information with us. It is very useful for the people like me who are planning to earn extra income by driving for Uber. I got all the required information before driving for Uber and surely will keep these points in mind.
Great article…thanks! Martin, I have to say that I have considered driving for Uber or Lyft before, but no longer feel comfortable due to the legitimate, valid concerns of safety regarding unknown, unpredictable passengers such as the young mass shooter from Parkland, FL who ordered a Lyft ride and then started a mass shooting, an Indian looking medical resident that beat up a male Uber driver after being drunk, a male Taco Bell Exec beating up on a Uber Driver.
How do you deal with such unpredictable and unknown passengers that can pull out a gun or weapon anytime?
Would you say Uber Eats, Postmates or DoorDash is much safer and better for people that do not want a stranger in their car?
Thanks for the comment Samar. The topic of gun control is above my pay grade. You can definitely try UberEats to see if you can make it work.
Are you allowed to offer items for purchase? I.e Cigarettes, lottery, snacks
I believe that it would be much more informative to bring some data, figures, how much it turns out to earn “clean” per hour or evening. For each amount may be different, for someone it may be a sufficient criterion for work and for someone not. I do not think that reading this article does not need additional earnings, so this information would be useful.
Some time ago I thought about working in a taxi, but after some small calculations I realized that the cost of a car and gasoline did not leave me the necessary income, and it is better for me to take a rest.
Some drivers work in Uber during holidays on the main job or in case of forced downtime in the company, I think that they are the most flexible and financially literate people, I like this approach!
Hey Martin
I like your article. It’s very informative and to the point. I will recommend your content to others on my blog.
I shall come again to learn more. Great worked done. Keep Doing it. Thanks
If you are interested in driving and want to make money extra, then this is the best idea for earning . I read this whole blog and i think there are more benefits from making money from uber. I appreciate your blog and will share this blog with my friends. It will be very useful to all.
Martin,
I really enjoyed reading your article. You hit very true, and valid points. It’s quite apparent that you are an Uber driver. I have been doing it for 2 years, only on weekends, and rarely drive past 11pm to avoid drunk people. Yo are right, 90-98% of the passengers are great. I usually get good tips, except during this pandemic, which makes perfect sense. But still, every time I go out there I get trips back to back until I choose to call it a night. I average $350.00 in gross earnings after putting 9-11 hours on weekends. And, on Sat and Sun I start at 5:30am (that’s when I naturally wake up) and hit the road until 9-9:30am. This way, I have the rest of the day to do my personal stuff. Then, I hit the road again at 6pm (except for Sundays). I enjoy getting out of the house and it’s a much more productive activity than drinking/binge watching Netflix. By the way, I do all maintenance and minor repairs to my car. So, I also save lots on labor fees.
Very appreciated your pros and cons and tips. For the new driver in uber as this will help the drivers a lot who are willing to enroll for the new drivers for uber. Thanks for sharing the blog with us.
Why don’t you have more current comments?