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Driving Full time in Cleveland? Doable? Worth it?

3K views 37 replies 17 participants last post by  Michael - Cleveland 
#1 ·
Possibly relocating this summer to Middleburg Heights. Just curious. Thanks!
 
#2 ·
What platform(s) were you considering working full-time - What do you have available to you, X, XL, Select?

Of course driving full time is "doable". Especially if you are independently wealthy or live in your car. What are your financial needs?

Driving 'X' 12 hours a day 6 days a week it is entirely possible to gross $1,000 a week which comes out to about $13.88 an hour, before expenses.

Some weeks you'll do more, some weeks you'll do less.
 
#4 ·
Great vehicle for X and XL. when you throw that into the mix as long as you can focus on the busy hours, which of course are weekend night time, you should be able to do $1,300 to $1,600 a week. You weren't planning on having much of a life after driving were you?
 
#5 ·
Haha well I'll be in Cleveland through Browns season so I'm definitely hoping to enjoy some social time here as well. The rideshare income even after my contracted gig is up won't need to be 100% of my income. So even at 40 hours of driving and being 5 minutes from Hopkins you think $800 ish weekly is possible?
 
#22 ·
It is possible, how "easy" it is will depend a lot on when you drive and your tolerance for working early mornings and late nights. There are drivers making $800 or more from Friday-Sunday and there are drivers struggling to get to $800 driving 6 and 7 days a week. Uber is now MUCH more open about REAL $$ lately, their "job postings" for Ohio show around $16 per hour Online BEFORE expenses, $12-13 is probably the REAL average after gas for most drivers. Some drivers are making $30 or more and plenty of drivers are barely breaking $10.
 
#6 ·
The math says that $800 a week at 40 hours means you need to do $20 per hour. After just fuel expense, that would net you somewhere around $650. In my opinion, that's not an unreasonable expectation. Others may disagree. The more you know the city and learn the best places and times to drive the easier it will be to hit that goal or even exceed it.
 
#10 ·
I drive Uber X and Lyft part-time and can easily do 1200 a month before expenses.

The major issue I see about depending solely on rideshare for income is that the Uber/Lyft platform isn’t yours. They can drop rates or kick you out anytime they feel like. You’re always 1 bad customer away from being deactivated, 1 car repair away from not being able to drive and 1 accident away from being dead. If this is your only income you need an exit strategy.
 
#15 ·
Haha well I'll be in Cleveland through Browns season so I'm definitely hoping to enjoy some social time here as well. The rideshare income even after my contracted gig is up won't need to be 100% of my income. So even at 40 hours of driving and being 5 minutes from Hopkins you think $800 ish weekly is possible?
1k a week is doable working full time in Cleveland just don't go to the ghettos they give you low stars
 
#17 · (Edited)
That's how Uber worded it to make the drivers think the new surge was a good thing. The old surge said 2.4x, or whatever the multiplier was. You could do some quick math and figure out approximately what your ride would net you. I find the new surge harder to predict. Sometimes it increases, sometimes it doesn't. Hardly seems easier to understand than the old one.

But definitely be cautious of East Cleveland. I will drop off there, often times taking people home from factories or hotels in the suburbs. I will always turn off the app until I'm out of there. I drive late night and don't want to be running a shuttle around EC at 1am.
Just the heck of it I try to drive in East Cleveland from 5pm to 8 pm man it's none stop pax I got about 7 to 8 pax not including pax that I cancel then I got 6 reports **** that ghetto you risk your life to pick them up in those shithole neighborhood. If you guys wanna drive in East Cleveland make sure your radio station is 107.9 maybe you get some tips
 
#19 ·
First post. Just discovered this Forum. Been driving Uber for 20 months, almost exclusively Saturday nights. Normally 9pm to 3am. Sometimes a bit sooner, sometimes later. Based in Lakewood but go where the rides take me (educated guess is 50% originate in Lakewood (lots of bars) downtown Cleveland or West 25th Street) Historically I have averaged about $180 ($30/hr) on Saturday nights, driving about 150 miles.

When Uber changed the surge I had three outstanding Saturday nights in a row, averaged over $45 an hour. I had to skip a couple of weekends since then, but my last two Saturdays have been considerably less profitable, about $150 a night. These are averages and I acknowledge I did not control many variables that affect earnings. But I have had numerous problems with the app the past couple of weeks.

As far as doing this full time, Good luck. I have tried weekdays and week nights, and the airport. I don't know the secret to success as I average about $12/hr during those times. From several conversations with drivers riding with me the few who do it full time do drive 12 hours a day and they speak in terms of weekly earnings, which has ranged up to $1200 a week. Sounds respectable until you pay for 1200 miles worth of gas, change your oil once a month, and your brakes once a year.
 
#23 ·
It is possible, how "easy" it is will depend a lot on when you drive and your tolerance for working early mornings and late nights. There are drivers making $800 or more from Friday-Sunday and there are drivers struggling to get to $800 driving 6 and 7 days a week. Uber is now MUCH more open about REAL $$ lately, their "job postings" for Ohio show around $16 per hour Online BEFORE expenses, $12-13 is probably the REAL average after gas for most drivers. Some drivers are making $30 or more and plenty of drivers are barely breaking $10.
Sounds about right! Since going to XL, my fares are anywhere from $12 - $24 per hour. With profits (after expenses) $8 - $19 per hour. But I normally drive Friday night in the Canton area. This doesn't include cash tips.
 
#24 · (Edited)
I dont get out much for the late nights anymore unless in stuck in a hotel somewhere and bored. If I see a good "sticky surge" ill hop online and take a ride or 2. I have become even pickier, or lazier I guess. A couple hours of hauling people around is about all i can take anynore, although it is easier to stomach when its surging.

Has western stark and wayne county picked up much? Ill see a scheduled ride now and then on Lyft to Hopkins when im running across RT 30 or on 21. I got lucky twice and caught scheduled rides going to Hopkins early Mondays when i was flying out.

Great timing we just got flat rate surge here in cleveland so no more guesswork

Oh and try to stay outta east cleveland unless you have a death wish ?
The only thing that scares me about the east side is killing my car on the crappy streets. Overall, i have had WAY more problems with idiot 20-40 year olds leaving bars in "nice" areas than i ever have in the "hood" picking up and dropping off people just trying to get around, and I drive all over Ohio. People are people, no matter where they live, the vast majority just need a ride and arent looking to harm you or anyone else.
 
#26 ·
Good luck! There's better ways to make a few bucks.
definitely, but the flexibility of hours and schedule is important for me. I have a very inconsistent work schedule so to be able to turn the apps on at any hour any day is key for me.

First post. Just discovered this Forum. Been driving Uber for 20 months, almost exclusively Saturday nights. Normally 9pm to 3am. Sometimes a bit sooner, sometimes later. Based in Lakewood but go where the rides take me (educated guess is 50% originate in Lakewood (lots of bars) downtown Cleveland or West 25th Street) Historically I have averaged about $180 ($30/hr) on Saturday nights, driving about 150 miles.

When Uber changed the surge I had three outstanding Saturday nights in a row, averaged over $45 an hour. I had to skip a couple of weekends since then, but my last two Saturdays have been considerably less profitable, about $150 a night. These are averages and I acknowledge I did not control many variables that affect earnings. But I have had numerous problems with the app the past couple of weeks.

As far as doing this full time, Good luck. I have tried weekdays and week nights, and the airport. I don't know the secret to success as I average about $12/hr during those times. From several conversations with drivers riding with me the few who do it full time do drive 12 hours a day and they speak in terms of weekly earnings, which has ranged up to $1200 a week. Sounds respectable until you pay for 1200 miles worth of gas, change your oil once a month, and your brakes once a year.
wouldn't even consider full time without a hybrid which i have
 
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#31 ·
I’m questioning whether late night weekends are worth driving.

I drive daytime, weekdays and some weekends. I don’t drive late nights.

Looking at anemic surges right now I wonder why anyone does it (it’s $2.25 in Ohio City right now — woohoo!)

I have an XL vehicle. I concentrate on airport rides to and from. I decline/cancel rides I see as losers. If Uber/Lyft say it’s my business I’ll run it how I want.

I have a 10% cancellation rate with Uber and Lyft. I’ll keep both apps on even while I’m going to a ride I accepted. If a better ride pops up in route I’ll take it and cancel the other.

They created this system. I’m going to take the utmost advantage of it. They exploit me. Send me all the messages you want. I have a 5 with Lyft and a 4.9 with Uber. I treat riders well.

When they send endless requests to me in-ride that are not attractive I’ll decline. Surge it and I’ll consider it.

I avoid unprofitable neighborhoods and rides. When I see the dollar store or Walmart I’m thinking, “Nope!”

If you want that than go right ahead and take it. I don’t make money that way. You can’t.
 
#32 ·
In general, you will make as much or more working XL late nights, 11P-3A Thursday Friday and Saturday nights (12 hours), as you will driving all week during daytime hours.

That $2.25 tagged you see on the map is only the bonus added to the pickup. What it means is that a $5 trip from a hotel to the flats is now paying you 50% more in earnings and still only takes 3 minutes.

More importantly, what you don't see is the underlying surge, now displayed as an "adjustment". If the rider is paying a 2.5x surge and the trip is a long trip, say from downtown to Beachwood or the airport, you also receive a portion of that surge.

So right now, from the outside, you are not seeing that because Uber does such a terrible job explaining it. But that is how the new surge works. For those who are driving XL on late nights, it explains why they are earning $60 and $80 for an XLl trip from downtown to Rocky River.
 
#35 ·
I know long rides — usually about 25 minutes or more — get a bump on the surge. I’ve had a number of them.

I guess I just don’t want the late night headaches and prefer to have my evenings, especially on the weekend. That’s not a criticism of others preferences. It’s just my preference.

This isn’t my only gig. I drive about 4 to 6 hours a day during the day and usually a little later on Fridays.

And as far as us understanding what we should get during a surge — the less we know the less we can complain if we don’t get it.
 
#38 ·
And as far as us understanding what we should get during a surge - the less we know the less we can complain if we don't get it.
Exactly.

I have been doing this for three years and now I am lucky to make 6.00 per hour. That is not a typo. It doesn't matter if I drive weekends, weekdays, rush hour, etc... My acceptance rate is low so they constantly throttle me but as I get sent pings, like Lyft used to do, up to 30 minutes away sometimes, I am obviously not going to spend my time/money to depreciate my car to pick someone up for non-surge rates while a surge IS being charged since they obviously cannot get drivers to pick people up.
You hourly average is just too low to justify driving. You are, in effect, donating your time and vehicle to Uber/Lyft.
If you don't have any choice about when and where you drive, seriously - set up a car-wash at the airport and you'll make three times what you're making now. Sell snacks, too, and you'll be able to retire next year.
 
#37 ·
I have been doing this for three years and now I am lucky to make 6.00 per hour. That is not a typo. It doesn't matter if I drive weekends, weekdays, rush hour, etc... My acceptance rate is low so they constantly throttle me but as I get sent pings, like Lyft used to do, up to 30 minutes away sometimes, I am obviously not going to spend my time/money to depreciate my car to pick someone up for non-surge rates while a surge IS being charged since they obviously cannot get drivers to pick people up.
 
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