[BurgerTiime]

There's a major labor shortage in Minnesota http://m.startribune.com/state-manufacturers-profits-soar-but-labor-shortage-looms/482969171/ and yet here you are making less than minimum wage.
All for the flexibility of working when you desire.
You put in odd hours and call it "convenient". You ruin you car and call it "my office". You spend your earnings on fuel and call it "expenses". You deal with rude people and call it "normal".
You take it out on their ratings and it has zero effect.
A study has revealed drivers make LESS than minimum wage http://m.startribune.com/study-puts-uber-drivers-pay-at-9-21-per-hour/482986991/ so everyone you encounter all day makes more than you!
That kid you took to LeAnn Chins makes $12 and hour. That bartender on average made $21+ and didn't have to beat up their car, buy insurance or worry about wear and tear because they summoned you on a app and put all those burdens on YOU!
Then you have to deal with traffic, breathing in exhaust fumes, jaywalkers, bikers, animals, police, or an accident with probable insurance fraud to avoid Lyft's/Uber's extremely high deductible.
Gas keeps going up and up, you keep making less and less. Traffic pays you PENNIES for your time.
Eventually comes d-day. The day you realize you haven't saved anything. Nothing to replace your car in order to continue this "ride-sharing" SCAM!
What do you say to yourself that convinces you to stay in this game? A study in 2016 found 96% of drivers don't last a year. With 180 degrees of change things were supposed to improve for drivers. They added tipping and better wait/pay times yet a new study finds now its even worse! For 2017 97% of drivers don't last a year https://www.theinformation.com/articles/how-uber-will-combat-rising-driver-churn
How are you the 3% that thinks your better than the rest? How can 97% of drivers that don't last a year be wrong? Are you smarter than the 97% that quit?
Are you so special that you've figured out how to make a living, profit, cover vehicle parts, vehicle replacement and pay for personal healthcare for you and perhaps other family members?

Uber has backtracked on everything they promised. They are taking more from the trip and driver payout is has become less and less. So next time you have that feeling that this is a dead-end job and want to find something better. Pullover and ask yourself. Am I worth it? Is THIS worth it? WHAT'S MY WORTH?

 

[Slyster]

Still worth it part time (<10K miles per year) but yeah Uber is forcing this to become part time only. Something will have to change or they will only have drivers available at peak hours NONE in the day as everyone gets reliable employment.

 

[The Tenor]

Your right on 97 percent of what you're saying. However, I am one of those drivers who does just fine . Starting my third year, and while ubering can be frustrating. So can any other job.

Income 54K first year, 51K second year. I pay no taxes with all the deductions. Being married brings down our combined taxes. This year I plan on gross income of around 55K.

I have never had a bad ride or customer. I don't pickup after 10:30 pm on fri, and sat night's in Minneapolis. I don't wait at the airport for a ride. Why anyone would go wait in a queue, is beyond me. I live in the north metro. I start my day in the north and seldom cross over South of mpls. I go as far north as forest lake. I can work 8 hours and 90 percent of the time, my pings keep me in the north. I don't do rush hour in downtown mpls. I make around 3 trips to the airport by 10:30 am. I don't get alot of tips in cash. Each week I make about $120 in combined tips.

I drive on 4 platform's. X, XL, SUV, SELECT. It helps to be on 4 platform's. On busy days. I can go 8 to 10 hours, and never wait for my next ride. Before I drop off my current customer I'll get a ping for my next ride. I only do uber

I get around 19 miles to the gallon. My SUV is cleaned in and out everday.. I have great conversations with riders. I open and close doors. I never say no to a request to stop on the way home.

I average $27 to $39 a hour. Before expenses.

I know where and when to be in a particular area . I don't ever chase surge.
I take almost every long distance pickup. Scheduled rides I take. If a ride takes me away from my area. I turn off my app, hightail it back to the nort.

 

[10G]

This is true, all 6 people who I refer to drive have stop. One even went back to working at walmart. It's not for everyone. With that say I'm lucky enought to be in the 3%. I started way back and I make more now then I did before. Now people would ask how do I make more now then before considering the rate drop. If you have to ask then you are the 97%. I only do 90% rideshare and 10% of other self employ gig. I don't even work fulltime. My hours are all over the place. Sometimes I just randomly take a week off. Maybe only work 1 or 2 days. Only self employ allow this.

This only work since I don't live paycheck to paycheck. I'm not being cheap either, I drive a new 2018 car that is pay in full. Since I drive for work. I want to get a car that I like and comfortable to drive in. Knowing your fiance and how to budget is the key. Always have a plan. I know people who make more then me. But they can't even buy a new tv without using a credit card.

 

[PTUber]

BurgerTime do you even drive anymore?

 

[dctcmn]

Do the kids serving up my lunch have to go to work when they don't feel like it? If so, they probably should be making more. That shit sucks.

 

[JediDriver]

Have you heard of the Pareto Principle or 80/20 rule? If you apply this to rideshare, then the numbers make sense. 80% straight up lose money or break even and don't last long. 20% do ok or better.

Where it gets interesting is that you can also apply the 20% rule to that original top 20%, so that would leave 4% of the total number who are making enough to live comfortably on or at least make it a profitable side gig.

Rideshare is a revolving door and will be until the robots take over, but there is hope for profit.

 

[Kaal]

I think stats are well and good however they don't explain people's motivations. Some drivers maybe retired from the 9-5, some may have short term goals that they would like to meet and once those are met, they move on to better things hopefully etc etc.

 

[emdeplam]

Need SP sandwich people. No respect

 

[fairsailing]

Interesting, my Lyft driver recruiting bonus is back up to $500 (30 days, $2.50/ride) hasn't been that high since shortly after the Superbowl. They crank down pay and crank up the bonus. At some point, this endless supply of drivers willing to drive for these wages has got to start to dry up.

 

[Johnnyrock]

I just looked mine is that too now.

 

[MOA. Eddie]

Burger Time is s vegetarian. She should change her handle to “ egg plant special “

 

[BillC]

I made $331 this past weekend, drove 12 hours total between Friday and Saturday night. That's quite a bit above my average, but I'm doing somewhat better than minimum wage net after expenses. On top of that, I've had fewer "negative interactions" (1 star ratings and my 1 puker) with pax in over a year of driving than my wife encounters in 2-3 nights of her part time (retail - minimum wage) job.

 

[UberDad55403]

It is not the evil uber machine that is killing people. It is moron drivers flooding in and out of the platform at will. Uber’s genius is knowing how to absolutely control every aspect of what people do. I don’t blame them for that because it works. This morning there were two surges DT/UT, one at 2.0 and one at 2.6. Both of these were gone in less than three minutes each. Weekday mornings used to be surge after surge. You could set your watch to it as people headed to the airport. Now, uber thrown out a shitty incentive (my quest this week 18 trips for $18, 70 trips for $100) and drivers just sit online. It is like feeding pellets to caged animals. It does not take a genius to figure out that you could make an extra $100 on surge trips way faster than completing 70 trips. Stay offline, play the surge. This has, however, become irrelevant as the small fraction of people on here know that, or have their own system, and everyone else just stays online all the time. It is sad that the on line all the time folks have destroyed surge and all Uber has to do is throw a little bone and people are like OOOOOHHHH, an extra $1.43 per trip to destroy my car - SIGN ME UP!!!

Crap morning, just needed to vent.

Exactly.

 

[fairsailing]

I completely agree with you UD. It is hard not to take it personally when its my pocketbook, but it really isn't personal.

Yesterday I wasn't intending to drive, Mondays have gone downhill faster than any other day. But at 4:25pm I happened to notice that Lyft had a $16 streak ending in 5 minutes (one of only two this entire week). My house was almost litteraly surounded by "always available" cars, all within 5 blocks. I went available anyway, thinking that there was no way I could get the streak started, 2 minutes later I get a ride maybe 500 yards from my home. 90 minutes later I have my 4 rides and bonus. Still, $46 on 40 miles is just barely adaquate for me. Without the one tip and bonus, those 4 base fare rides would have netted me $26 and qualified me for the under $10/hr club after expenses. That club has become very popular as of late.

 

[UberDad55403]

You are correct, Mondays have become the worst.

 

[Slyster]

Can't they shut off the inflow of drivers now and then to keep a certain number out there so it is benificial to all? Or would Uber's bottom line be affected negatively.

 

[UberDad55403]

That’s the thing. I don’t know how their strategy works to their benefit. We work in percentages. Higher fare totals equals better bottom line. They need riders to like and keep using but surge to 2.0 is still cheaper than a cab

 

[fairsailing]

You are correct, Mondays have become the worst.

Yep, even a year ago, the idea that you could do 4 central city rides during Monday evening rush hour without a single PT/surge, was laughable. Today it's SOP.

 

[TimyTim]

It's getting worse than I thought. Uber is reeeeely screwing drivers over more than ever. I'm looking for a new job. I'm done with this shi*t!