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How are riders not making much?

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2K views 20 replies 16 participants last post by  Mars Troll Number 4 
#1 ·
I'm not bragging nor putting anyone down, I'm just skeptical on how a few people on here claim they don't make much driving for Uber. I don't live in a big city and yet I still average $12-$20 per hour driving. I do have my fair share of down time but I still average out as much as a warehouse worker makes.
 
#2 ·
Welcome new member. There are many threads about the actual cost of driving for rideshare and it aint just gas and pixie dust. You also say you make an "average $12-$20" which is a heck of a range and tells me you probably don't know what you are really earning or account for all of your time.

It's also how and when you drive that matters. I can tell you I make $30 an hour driving and prove it If I only go out from 1:50AM to 2:50AM Friday and Saturday night. If you drive during the day, in most places, it's slim pickings and lots of competition.

There is also the possibility that Uber gives newer drivers a little more action to get them hooked.

Bottom line is that at some of the rates across the country, 50 to 60 cents a mile, it's mathematically impossible to make a lot. What is your mileage and minute rate?
 
#8 ·
So you say that you still average out as much as a warehouse worker makes huh? Well there's one big difference..that warehouse worker probably has benefits that you'll never get driving for Uber. And that warehouse worker doesn't have to worry about his hourly average pay going up and down each day.
 
#10 ·
that's not much, You have to take into account

- Gas refills
- Wear on the car

In the end you end up with pennies if you aren't hustling and grinding hard daily

Sometimes public transportation is better for people and the requests are gonna be really slow consistently in a row

I've had really slow days for like 2 days in a row, weekends overall I'd do about 90-130 rides
 
#11 ·
How come when it comes to Uber Drivers we always factor in gas, maintanence, wear and tear, etc....
But we don't factor in gas, wear and tear, maintanence, travel expense, co-worker baby shower gifts, co-worker birthday presents, bosses Christmas present, co-worker Christmas presents, lunch fares, after hours cocktails and all other expenses that normal 9-5 workers generally dish out?
 
#12 · (Edited)
How come when it comes to Uber Drivers we always factor in gas, maintanence, wear and tear, etc....
But we don't factor in gas, wear and tear, maintanence, travel expense, co-worker baby shower gifts, co-worker birthday presents, bosses Christmas present, co-worker Christmas presents, lunch fares, after hours cocktails and all other expenses that normal 9-5 workers generally dish out?
Because those expenses are tiny by comparison. Your expenses could be 50%+ of your revenue with Uber.

Let's compare $12/hr Uber revenue to $12/hr day job.

You aren't spending 50% of your revenue at your day job just from commuting and buying baby shower gifts. Heck I never bought a gift for a coworker or boss before. Never bought a drink either or eaten out for lunch at work either.

Commuting 30 miles per day means even at IRS rates rounded down to 50 cents a mile, subtract ~$15 from your income that day. So you make $96 as a warehouse worker at $12/hr, you still profit $81.

Plus take the bus to work and home for your warehouse job and that might be only $2 for the commute... now your profit is $96-4=$92.

Now for Uber, make $96... You probably drove 150 miles to get that. Assume same IRS rates, and that's 150-96 = $21 profit. Thus Uber take home is about a quarter of the warehouse job if 50 cent per mile is used.

Of course it won't really be that bad because a typical driver is not so likely to have 50 cents a mile in expenses.. but at any expense rate, the costs will be much higher when you drive much more.

At a more realistic $0.30 per mile cost, $96 revenue with 150 miles on the odo is better, but still only $51 profit compared to $87 warehouse job commuting. So at 30 cents a mile you still make 70% more with the warehouse job with the same revenue.

At $0.20 per mile cost it would be $66 profit with Uber, and you probably aren't doing much better than that... compared to $90 warehouse job commuting. Still 35% more profit with the warehouse job.

Heck you could take a $20 uber ride to work and back and still come out ahead maybe. $96-$40=$56... better than the Uber driver w/ a $0.30 per mile cost that drove 150 miles to make $96. Make 10% more by using Uber as a service to get to your $12/hr job than making $12/hr as an Uber driver.

Clearly, $12/hr at a warehouse job is MUCH better than $12/hr for Uber revenue.
 
#13 ·
Because those expenses are tiny by comparison. Your expenses could be 50%+ of your revenue with Uber.

Let's compare $12/hr Uber revenue to $12/hr day job

You aren't spending 50% of your revenue at your day job just from commuting and buying baby shower gifts. Heck I never bought a gift for a coworker or boss before. Never bought a drink either or eaten out for lunch at work either.

Commuting 30 miles per day means even at IRS rates rounded down to 50 cents a mile, subtract ~$15 from your income that day. So you make $96 as a warehouse worker at $12/hr, you still profit $81.

Plus take the bus to work and home for your warehouse job and that might be only $2 for the commute... now your profit is $96-4=$92.

Now for Uber, make $96... You probably drove 150 miles to get that. Assume same IRS rates, and that's 150-96 = $21 profit. Thus Uber take home is about a quarter of the warehouse job if 50 cent per mile is used.

Of course it won't really be that bad because a typical driver is not so likely to have 50 cents a mile in expenses.. but at any expense rate, the costs will be much higher when you drive much more.

At a more realistic $0.30 per mile cost, $96 revenue with 150 miles on the odo is better, but still only $51 profit compared to $87 warehouse job commuting. So at 30 cents a mile you still make 70% more with the warehouse job with the same revenue.

At $0.20 per mile cost it would be $66 profit with Uber, and you probably aren't doing much better than that... compared to $90 warehouse job commuting. Still 35% more profit with the warehouse job.

Heck you could take a $20 uber ride to work and back and still come out ahead maybe. $96-$40=$56... better than the Uber driver w/ a $0.30 per mile cost that drove 150 miles to make $96. Make 10% more by using Uber as a service to get to your $12/hr job than making $12/hr as an Uber driver.

Clearly, $12/hr at a warehouse job is MUCH better than $12/hr for Uber revenue.
Please post this in the miami forum. A lot of people dont understand what their cost is and you sir said it in a way everyone can comprehend.
 
#14 ·
So you say that you still average out as much as a warehouse worker makes huh? Well there's one big difference..that warehouse worker probably has benefits that you'll never get driving for Uber. And that warehouse worker doesn't have to worry about his hourly average pay going up and down each day.
...and that warehouse worker doesn't have to provide a piece of equipment costing several thousand dollars (a car) as a requirement to get the job.
 
#16 ·
If one could work the warehouse job when and for how long they desire, tnc's might see a driver shortage. The value of the flexibility is incalculable. The standard mileage deduction can be a benefit for those that have a tax liability from other jobs (if their cost to drive is low enough and their tax rate is high enough).

Riding in a car is the most dangerous activity most of us engage in. Drivers can lose more than the insurance deductible at any moment.
 
#17 ·
If one could work the warehouse job when and for how long they desire, tnc's might see a driver shortage. The value of the flexibility is incalculable. The standard mileage deduction can be a benefit for those that have a tax liability from other jobs (if their cost to drive is low enough and their tax rate is high enough).

Riding in a car is the most dangerous activity most of us engage in. Drivers can lose more than the insurance deductible at any moment.
I've had 5 close calls as far as car accidents in 1.5 years. You're right. One of these days it's not gonna be close - it's gonna be a real crash. I've also had one near assault.
 
#21 ·
The important thing to keep in mind is...

The rates for UberX (baring NYC, a strange outlier) varies from (when combining per mile and per minute together) of $.61per mile to $1.19 using the same car to drive a customer 1 mile. This is 100% variation in rates to drive the same distance.

Also one of the most important factors isd how many trips you can get per hour,

And finally you have average fare amount in $.

So you might be getting 2-3 $6-10 trips per hour,

Wheras I might be getting 1.5 $3-7 trips per hour,

With the same number of miles driven total... Or possibly even more.

Finally we combine everything together....

2-3 X $6-10 is $12-30 per hour
Minus 15c per mile X 15 miles = $2.25

1.5 X $3-6= $7.50- $9.00 per hour
Minus 15c per mile X 25 miles= $3.75

In final adjusted profit for 1 hour...
$9.75- $27.75
VS
$3.75-$5.25

That's a huge variation... astronomical isn't a big stretch...
 
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