D,
I am not in Orlando! I'm in Jacksonville! Here's a link to the ordinance, and I would love your feedback on it: http://cityclts.coj.net/docs/2013-0554/Current Text/2013-554-E.doc
I have contacted the city's vehicle inspection department. I was told that operating without proper medallions and insurance is punishable by a $250 fine for first offense. The application process requires that I have commercial insurance.
Since those are requirements in Jacksonville, can I expect compensation to adjust accordingly?
Also, my personal insurance does not allow me to operate my vehicle with rideshare/digital dispatch/commercial use. There's no hybrid policy in Florida, to my knowledge. I am working with my insurance broker now and he confirmed that I cannot pick up passengers for pay in my vehicle without full commercial insurance. Are you suggesting I should commit insurance fraud by lying to my personal insurance carrier?
In addition, yes, a minimum wage employee doesn't have the opportunity to make extra money, except maybe in overtime pay, or in raises as opposed to rate cuts that Uber drivers experience. A minimum wage employee does have benefits and protections that an "independent contractor" driving for Uber doesn't have. For one, s/he can file for unemployment benefits, which an Uber driver who gets deactivated does not. S/he doesn't have the added tax burden of an independent contractor. That's just a start. On the other hand, drivers can set their own hours, but that's about all a driver can control.
Sent from my iPhone
On Jan 15, 2015, at 3:42 PM, (Uber Partner Support) <partnersjax@uber.com> wrote:
![Image]()
D (Uber)
Jan 15 12:41
Hi,
I used the example as the bus only for a point of illustration. The point I was trying to make is this, we aim to expand the total "use cases" for Uber, which will grow the amount of trips we are completing. I do agree with you that it will take some time, but that is why we are offering you guarantees until we see partner earnings increase to the point where the hourly minimums are no longer required. To construe our guarantees to reflect minimum wage is misleading-- someone working a minimum wage job does not have the potential to earn more than their hourly wage nor typically the option to work more hours to increase their total earnings.
All I can do is ask you to be patient, from previous price cuts in other cities we have witnessed the result of greater trips per hour for our parters, and thus, higher earnings despite lower minute and mile rates.
Obtaining commercial insurance and medallions is your prerogative, and not a requirement to work on the Uber platform. If those were ever a requirement in order to work in the city of Orlando, then compensation would adjust in turn.
We are already beginning to see significantly increased demand since the price cuts, which is certainly a good sign. Expect more to come.
Regards,
D | Uber Operations
Me
Jan 14 20:55
D,
Thank you for getting back to me.
I wanted to point out a few things. For one, I'm in Jacksonville, not Orlando.
You have completely ignored my questions about commercial insurance and city medallions. There is OVERSATURATION in this market. Even under the old rates, I was barely making a profit. Under these new rates, there's zero profit margin now, I'm certain. As any reasonable person realizes, it will take some time to convert all those bus riders, as well as homeless and transients to the Uber platform. In the mean time, drivers are making guarantees of less than minimum wage and losing money for Uber to grow market share (and run the bus out of business).
The bus? Uber drivers are now competing with the bus? The reason the bus is cheap is because it is a service subsidized by local governments, and the cost is shared among multiple other people on the bus. Also, the bus has a mapped out route, and the passengers have to be there waiting, or they get left. It is there as a service and for efficiency. Compare that to Uber: a private car, door-to-door service, driver waits up 10 minutes without compensation for waiting, etc.
This is really quite appalling. You want to provide everyone with clean, safe, reliable, private chauffeured rides for less than the price of a city bus? And, still, no tips.
I'm reading the forums, D. I don't see people in San Diego or Chicago or New Jersey saying their paychecks are bigger after the cuts. Uber, however, is making a lot more, I'm sure.
D (Uber)
Jan 14 17:18
Hi,
I understand your concerns, but as we have tried to explain previously, we are confident that this move will ultimately benefit our partners, after all, Uber is making less per trip with the price cut as well!
Our logic is that with reduced prices, Uber is able to not just grow demand, but expand the market base of Uber riders who normally wouldn't use Uber due to a price constraint. If we are able to effectively become the default choice of transportation (for instance, for someone who would normally ride the bus) that means a lot more potential riders. With a larger ridership/more riders per rider, our partners will be able to have more trips per hour, will lead to similar or even higher earnings per hour! We have seen this occur with many large cities similar to Orlando from previous price changes.
In regards to the guarantees, it is important to remember one thing: they are the minimum you will make per hour if you meet the conditions. We fully expect that our partners will, if not already, be making more in gross fares per hour than what the guarantee prescribes. I ask you to be patient with the new pricing structure and the guarantees, as we know that ultimately this change is for the better.
Regards,
D | Uber Operations
I am not in Orlando! I'm in Jacksonville! Here's a link to the ordinance, and I would love your feedback on it: http://cityclts.coj.net/docs/2013-0554/Current Text/2013-554-E.doc
I have contacted the city's vehicle inspection department. I was told that operating without proper medallions and insurance is punishable by a $250 fine for first offense. The application process requires that I have commercial insurance.
Since those are requirements in Jacksonville, can I expect compensation to adjust accordingly?
Also, my personal insurance does not allow me to operate my vehicle with rideshare/digital dispatch/commercial use. There's no hybrid policy in Florida, to my knowledge. I am working with my insurance broker now and he confirmed that I cannot pick up passengers for pay in my vehicle without full commercial insurance. Are you suggesting I should commit insurance fraud by lying to my personal insurance carrier?
In addition, yes, a minimum wage employee doesn't have the opportunity to make extra money, except maybe in overtime pay, or in raises as opposed to rate cuts that Uber drivers experience. A minimum wage employee does have benefits and protections that an "independent contractor" driving for Uber doesn't have. For one, s/he can file for unemployment benefits, which an Uber driver who gets deactivated does not. S/he doesn't have the added tax burden of an independent contractor. That's just a start. On the other hand, drivers can set their own hours, but that's about all a driver can control.
Sent from my iPhone
On Jan 15, 2015, at 3:42 PM, (Uber Partner Support) <partnersjax@uber.com> wrote:
D (Uber)
Jan 15 12:41
Hi,
I used the example as the bus only for a point of illustration. The point I was trying to make is this, we aim to expand the total "use cases" for Uber, which will grow the amount of trips we are completing. I do agree with you that it will take some time, but that is why we are offering you guarantees until we see partner earnings increase to the point where the hourly minimums are no longer required. To construe our guarantees to reflect minimum wage is misleading-- someone working a minimum wage job does not have the potential to earn more than their hourly wage nor typically the option to work more hours to increase their total earnings.
All I can do is ask you to be patient, from previous price cuts in other cities we have witnessed the result of greater trips per hour for our parters, and thus, higher earnings despite lower minute and mile rates.
Obtaining commercial insurance and medallions is your prerogative, and not a requirement to work on the Uber platform. If those were ever a requirement in order to work in the city of Orlando, then compensation would adjust in turn.
We are already beginning to see significantly increased demand since the price cuts, which is certainly a good sign. Expect more to come.
Regards,
D | Uber Operations
Me
Jan 14 20:55
D,
Thank you for getting back to me.
I wanted to point out a few things. For one, I'm in Jacksonville, not Orlando.
You have completely ignored my questions about commercial insurance and city medallions. There is OVERSATURATION in this market. Even under the old rates, I was barely making a profit. Under these new rates, there's zero profit margin now, I'm certain. As any reasonable person realizes, it will take some time to convert all those bus riders, as well as homeless and transients to the Uber platform. In the mean time, drivers are making guarantees of less than minimum wage and losing money for Uber to grow market share (and run the bus out of business).
The bus? Uber drivers are now competing with the bus? The reason the bus is cheap is because it is a service subsidized by local governments, and the cost is shared among multiple other people on the bus. Also, the bus has a mapped out route, and the passengers have to be there waiting, or they get left. It is there as a service and for efficiency. Compare that to Uber: a private car, door-to-door service, driver waits up 10 minutes without compensation for waiting, etc.
This is really quite appalling. You want to provide everyone with clean, safe, reliable, private chauffeured rides for less than the price of a city bus? And, still, no tips.
I'm reading the forums, D. I don't see people in San Diego or Chicago or New Jersey saying their paychecks are bigger after the cuts. Uber, however, is making a lot more, I'm sure.
D (Uber)
Jan 14 17:18
Hi,
I understand your concerns, but as we have tried to explain previously, we are confident that this move will ultimately benefit our partners, after all, Uber is making less per trip with the price cut as well!
Our logic is that with reduced prices, Uber is able to not just grow demand, but expand the market base of Uber riders who normally wouldn't use Uber due to a price constraint. If we are able to effectively become the default choice of transportation (for instance, for someone who would normally ride the bus) that means a lot more potential riders. With a larger ridership/more riders per rider, our partners will be able to have more trips per hour, will lead to similar or even higher earnings per hour! We have seen this occur with many large cities similar to Orlando from previous price changes.
In regards to the guarantees, it is important to remember one thing: they are the minimum you will make per hour if you meet the conditions. We fully expect that our partners will, if not already, be making more in gross fares per hour than what the guarantee prescribes. I ask you to be patient with the new pricing structure and the guarantees, as we know that ultimately this change is for the better.
Regards,
D | Uber Operations
