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Is It Really This Slow?

5K views 8 replies 7 participants last post by  Luver-Boy 
#1 ·
First two weeks of the new year have been absolutely awful. I'm curious if it's a demand problem or maybe my apps/carrier aren't working properly. I'm averaging under $20/hr the last two weeks. I've been having down time between rides of 30 minutes to an hour at some points. I've been on support with Lyft, Uber & T-Mobile trying to figure out the issue but figured I'd see if anyone else is having similar problems.
 
#4 ·
No problems here. It is as it has always been this time of year.

But what has changed is the seasonal flow of business. So, if you're still doing the same times of day in the same areas that you were doing in December then it might be time to reassess your strategy.

What have Uber/Lyft support told you?
 
#8 ·
No problems here. It is as it has always been this time of year.

But what has changed is the seasonal flow of business. So, if you're still doing the same times of day in the same areas that you were doing in December then it might be time to reassess your strategy.

What have Uber/Lyft support told you?
Yeah, you have to drive different for sure, and that only can come from experience. New drivers probably struggle the most. I’ve been lower earning than previously, but weekly earnings hasn’t been as bad as it could be. The BS with the weather and holiday travel put me behind for sure… I just have to work a lot harder for it, which can be exhausting. Still… pretty normal for this time of year.
 
#7 ·
The Seattle market is very seasonal for big chunks of business. There is no tourism this time of year, and so we’re always left with a surplus of drivers left over from a nice and busy tourist season as demand drops, so it gets tough. After years of doing this, people can figure out strategies for mitigating the winter pain, but even then it’s painful and often demoralizing.
 
#6 ·
I remember that first shock when winter hit my first year doing this.

Basically, the only thing that will help is a culling of the summer/new driver pool. It takes some time for people to realize that summer demand is long gone, holiday demand is long gone, and it won’t even start to come back (as a trickle) till spring. A few will stay on, most will quit. There is business, but this time of year can’t handle the same amount of drivers. It was very irresponsible for U/L to onboard a shit ton of new drivers right before the slow season hit. They knew demand was about to drop, just like it does every year, but they lied so that they could have a large driver pool with several nearby everywhere in-case someone orders a ride. They don’t care if it means you can’t make a living. It’s think-on-your-feet-or-die season. Even us drivers that have been around for several years struggle, but what we learn every year helps a little (that information will never be divulged… must be learned and experimented with). Just know… there will be another summer filled with easy money…. but aint gonna happen right now. Hope and pray for at least half the driver pool right now to give up and go away, and then it might get a little less painful.
 
#9 ·
This is the slowest season every year. First of: people spent tons of money during the holidays so January is their recovery month. Second: its football season with a bunch of games almost daily leading up to the superball(the streets are quiet when there is a game) and last is the weather, not a lot of people feel like going out to splurge on food/drinks when they're short on cash specially in this crappy, dark and cold rainy weather, when they can watch the games in the comfort of their homes instead. And top of all that, we just enter a recession so there are thousands of people without a job who probably will be looking to get into rideshare so they can make ends meet. Things won't get easier until late March-early April. This time of the year is an opportunity to look for a different source on income somewhere else. I personally don't drive the first two months of the year, its just not worth my time.
 
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