[ariel5466]

Hey, newbie driver here. This is my first week driving full-time, I have 79 rides between Uber and Lyft. When it's slower and you need to wait for a request, is it better to drive around or idle?
I normally try to find the nearest, busiest place where I can park in the shade. If it's early morning and still in the 70s or below I turn off the car and roll down the windows. But midday when it gets really hot there's no way I'm turning off the AC, so I'm going to have to keep my car running regardless and burn gas. I know that idling your car for chunks of time isn't great for it, but I also think about the mileage and the tires if I don't have to be driving around. And I also wonder if you're more likely to get ride requests driving around?

 

[Zawop]

Rydar helped me with that before but now that there defunk I'd suggest using the passenger app to separate yourself from the crowd when it's slow. Otherwise try to learn how to expect high demand areas, shut your app off, wait for surge and then turn it on. The passenger app is going to help you the most either way. Maybe you can try creating some fake ride request and then canceling within two minutes.

 

[1.5xorbust]

With the price of gas it’s not recommended to drive around. With experience you’ll find the best locations to park and wait.

 

[BigRedDriver]

With the price of gas it's not recommended to drive around. With experience you'll find the best locations to park and wait.

When parked, I always try to be near a four way signalized light. Then all four directions are easy out.

 

[Ian Richard Markham]

You should sit and wait only when you are way out on the outskirts of town or beyond. If you ever get a ride into the greater core of your city you should return to the outskirts of town immediately after dropping off the passenger. Once you are way way out once again you should find a comfortable preferably shady spot and turn off your engine and wait.

 

[Las Vegas Dude]

You should sit and wait only when you are way out on the outskirts of town or beyond. If you ever get a ride into the greater core of your city you should return to the outskirts of town immediately after dropping off the passenger. Once you are way way out once again you should find a comfortable preferably shady spot and turn off your engine and wait.

This advice puts a lot of dead miles on your car. I always wait close to where the last stop put me. I don't drive looking for rides.

 

[BigRedDriver]

This advice puts a lot of dead miles on your car. I always wait close to where the last stop put me. I don't drive looking for rides.

It really depends on the size of the market. In mine 270K, all the ants tend to congregate near the center of town. I go where they aren't. If I'm stuck downtown for more then 10 minutes I head out toward the burbs with a route that gets me there ASAP.

I'd rather have one crosstown ride from the burbs then 4 minimum fares like they get DT.

 

[FLKeys]

Learn your market, even regions within markets are different so ones persons advice may be great for their market but not so great for your market.

Personally I have not found a difference in getting ping requests from driving or sitting. I prefer to sit with the car off to maximize my earnings per mile driven. I have learned what areas in my market are not worth sitting in and will drive if needed to a better place to sit.

I have also learned where the well saded spots are for that time of day that permit me to park under. Also I have friended management and staff in fast food restaurants and have got the okay to camp out in there if needed while waiting on a ping. This way I am sitting in the A/C and not a hot car. I will not burn gas waiting for pings.

I also can camp out at home, like I am now, my mom's house, and my day job office if needed. Pretty much have key spots to camp out at through out my market that is spread out over 26 miles long.

 

[UberBeemer]

Welcome to Uberpeople.net...

If there is a shopping center, business park, or commuter rail station you might try sitting near those. Ask yourself, where are the customers?

I have devised a loop that i drive once or twice around normally hot areas. If there are no bites. I have a few parking spots mapped out.

Good luck.

 

[OldBay]

Find staging spots that are shaded, park and wait for rides. Parking structure with windows open is not too bad in the summer. Idling burns alot of gas also puts wear on AC system.

 

[jenijazz]

Just remember, any time your car is moving without a passenger you are losing money.

 

[Amos69]

Just remember, any time your car is moving without a passenger you are losing money.

Also any time you do not have a passenger in the car you are still losing money, just a little slower.

The goal is to make money, and to do that you will need to employ different strategies in different situations. All the above advise is good, no one is wrong. If you do what everyone else does then you won't make money. Personally I sit in busy areas, and drive from dead areas. I do not know the Richmond market so just figure out who is moving where and when, then make that work for you. I do approximately 30-45 minutes of study before I drive each day. Know your market.

 

[touberornottouber]

If you will likely get another ping within 5-10 minutes in your market then I would just keep it running and/or keep driving. Otherwise, turn it off.

Keep in mind that most of the wear on your engine occurs at startup. Lots of startups aren't good for your vehicle.

 

[PaxiCab]

Find staging spots that are shaded, park and wait for rides. Parking structure with windows open is not too bad in the summer. Idling burns alot of gas also puts wear on AC system.

This. Also unnecessary emissions in the air from excessive idling, have car off if pings come far and wide..as mentioned in post, study your market. Suburbs aren't so bad as those are usually good rides. Find the best remote locations and see where the ants are most congregated in the rider app

 

[Fozzie]

Almost all of my time between runs is spent at home doing other stuff. As local gas prices pass $3.50 /gal and head to $4, it just doesn't pay to drive around burning gas.

Also, the more you drive the greater the chance of accidents, etc.

 

[Las Vegas Dude]

Almost all of my time between runs is spent at home doing other stuff. As local gas prices pass $3.50 /gal and head to $4, it just doesn't pay to drive around burning gas.

Also, the more you drive the greater the chance of accidents, etc.

How close do most of your rides leave you to home?

I am usually 5 to 20 miles from home most of my time out.

 

[JustTreatMeFair]

This advice puts a lot of dead miles on your car. I always wait close to where the last stop put me. I don't drive looking for rides.

It's good advice because those "dead miles" are easier miles than catching multiple downtown rides that create more wear and tear per mile. Catching a longer ride that is easier on the vehicle due to the type of driving makes up for the monies missed beating your car to hell.

There are cars in use by people in other industries that have 250,000 highway miles on them in pretty good condition and cars with 70,000 miles doing short trips that are noisy pieces of S^&% falling apart. The "dead miles" are much less expensive miles to drive.

 

[Mista T]

I stopped randomly driving around between pings, and I stopped taking pickups over 1.5 miles away. My income stayed the same, and my mileage driven dropped by about 100 miles per week.

 

[PaxiCab]

It's good advice because those "dead miles" are easier miles than catching multiple downtown rides that create more wear and tear per mile. Catching a longer ride that is easier on the vehicle due to the type of driving makes up for the monies missed beating your car to hell.

There are cars in use by people in other industries that have 250,000 highway miles on them in pretty good condition and cars with 70,000 miles doing short trips that are noisy pieces of S^&% falling apart. The "dead miles" are much less expensive miles to drive.

Worked on plenty of cars in my lifetime with not even 100,000 just about ready to fall apart with the press of a finger. Mostly domestic for obvious reasons but still. Always knew who really put "highway miles" on their car. I agree, downtowns have more common potholes and your suspension is in for the time of its life in crowded or big city areas.

 

[Seamus]

You want to get the most revenue per mile you put on the car as possible. This means you have to minimize dead miles. Patience is a virtue. Experiment and find your best staging areas. Driving around aimlessly for pings will cost you a lot of money.