First Time Driving for Uber

"Meatstick62" (meatstick62) 01/03/2016 at 22:33 • Filed to: None

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I took our new van out on NYE and tried my hand at driving for Uber. Made $40 in fares in about 2 hours. This was in the suburbs and away from all of the surge areas. It wasn’t as much as I’d hoped but I’ll still make some profit after taxes and running costs. I may try it again next weekend but try to limit my rides to XL’s. Anybody else here drive for Uber and If so what do you drive?

Sneaky Pete > Meatstick62 01/03/2016 at 22:43

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I’ve thought about doing this once or twice a week around town in my CTS. Figured it wouldn’t be terribly profitable in the dump of a town I live in though.

Matt Nichelson > Meatstick62 01/03/2016 at 22:44

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Were the people you drove pretty decent? We don’t have Uber where I live so I haven’t got to experience this.

pjhusa > Meatstick62 01/03/2016 at 22:45

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I rode in an Uber for the first time in Milan. Grey E200, full cloth, base Elegance model. The driver was nice though. Second time was in Milan too, better luck this time. A Black E250 (I believe, it was debadged), half cloth half leather, Avantgarde model. The second provided free water.

A great experience... actually two!

I was against Uber for surge pricing and the unfair treatment of workers, but it sure is convenient. Beats taxis too because Italian taxi drivers try to hike the fare up whenever they can (by driving in alleyways and taking the long way, trust me, I was in two).

Meatstick62 > Sneaky Pete 01/03/2016 at 22:50

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I had riders in my car the whole time I was logged in to the app. That may have been because it was NYE though. I stayed in the suburbs north of Cincinnati (about 30 minutes from downtown where the bulk of the riders were).

Meatstick62 > pjhusa 01/03/2016 at 22:52

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I’ve actually never ridden as a passenger, just drove this week. My brother has been on the passenger side of things and was the one who convinced me to try it. I got a few compliments on the van - it seems most people don’t expect a full leather interior with heated rear seats when they call for an Uber ride (at least not an UberBLACK).

Meatstick62 > Matt Nichelson 01/03/2016 at 22:55

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Very decent in fact and surprising none were belligerently drunk. One fare was a family with 3 young kids. Mom and Dad had a bit more to drink than they originally planned and decided to play it safe. They strapped 3 carseats into the back and I drove them the 30 minutes back to their house. The young kids thought the whole thing was very exciting.

TheVancen- In Pursuit of a Greater Payday and Car Parts > Meatstick62 01/03/2016 at 22:59

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I wonder if they’d let me use the Olds if I gave it a fresh coat of paint. I’m sure they won’t for some reason.

TheJWT > TheVancen- In Pursuit of a Greater Payday and Car Parts 01/03/2016 at 23:03

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I think cars have to be less than a certain of number of years old:(

Birddog > Meatstick62 01/03/2016 at 23:04

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A friend of mine Ubers in a GMC Terrain as a little more than part time job. She makes around $500/week but has to be in Chicago more or less the whole time and she does it 6 days a week. She seems happy with it. No complaints of abuse from the company and she’s been with them for close to 2 years now.

My cousin does Uber deliveries in Chicago which I guess is pretty new. I haven’t heard any feedback from him on it though.

dogisbadob > Meatstick62 01/03/2016 at 23:04

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I thought you’d make more than that with all the surge pricing!

Meatstick62 > TheJWT 01/03/2016 at 23:12

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Yes they have a list for each city that lists eligible models and model years. At least it has the minimum number of doors!

Meatstick62 > dogisbadob 01/03/2016 at 23:14

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I hoped so but I was stuck in the suburbs. Downtown was surging at 6X when I logged off at 1 am. Had I stayed out longer and gone down that way I’m sure I could have cashed out higher.

Meatstick62 > Birddog 01/03/2016 at 23:15

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I figure if I can get $250/month I’ll be happy. That would cover fuel and insurance for both of our vehicles. I think I should be able to do that with a few hours here and there.

Birddog > Meatstick62 01/03/2016 at 23:37

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Seems realistic.

Dusty Ventures > Meatstick62 01/03/2016 at 23:50

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I’ve been contemplating doing occasional Ubering with the Outback. The only problems are (a) I’m worried about the interior getting trashed, and (b) I feel like Uber is literally the devil.

nlzmo400r > Meatstick62 01/04/2016 at 01:02

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I’ve been an Uber driver in New Orleans for the past 6mos-ish. I used to clock nearly 30hrs/week and make about $20-$25/hr (not fares, but actual income). In the past 2 months there’s been such a huge influx of drivers (Uber now advertises on TV here and radio) that I struggle to make half that. It’s no longer worth the time. After fuel/taxes you come away at minimum wage or less and you carry MASSIVE liability. I still drive occasionally to keep my status only so I can exploit nights like NYE and times where surges mean I can actually stand to make some money.

TheVancen- In Pursuit of a Greater Payday and Car Parts > TheJWT 01/04/2016 at 01:23

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Makes sense really. Keeps all the old jalopies like this tank from tarnishing their image.

You think they’d be fine with a properly restored classic car?

samssun > pjhusa 01/04/2016 at 01:34

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Ever notice how you can’t get a cab when it’s busy? And how there’s always an Uber available? That’s the difference between holding prices fixed, and letting them adjust to balance supply and demand.

punksmurph > Meatstick62 01/04/2016 at 03:31

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Dude, great choice in vans, my wife had one from work a month back and I did not want to give it back. Those captain chairs are the best.

Meatstick62 > TheVancen- In Pursuit of a Greater Payday and Car Parts 01/04/2016 at 06:43

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Sadly it looks like they won’t. Here’s the list from their website:

!!! UNKNOWN CONTENT TYPE !!!

Has 4 (independently opening) doors

Less than 10 years old

Clean title (no salvage titles)

In excellent condition (mechanically and cosmetically)

Vehicles for uberXL must be able to accommodate 6 passengers

Vehicles for uberX must be able to accommodate 4 passengers

And here is a list broken down by make and model

Meatstick62 > punksmurph 01/04/2016 at 06:45

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Thanks. We love it. We previously had a CX-5 but after trying to shove 10 tons of kid stuff into it (and failing) I decided it was time to trade it in for a rolling living room.

Meatstick62 > nlzmo400r 01/04/2016 at 06:48

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Yeah it seems like there were way more cars on the map that I would have guessed. Do you drive X or XL? I did mainly X trips in the van and they were roughly half as profitable as the similar XL trip I did. After taxes, fuel, and wear I’m coming up with about $12/hr on NYE. I can only guess what it could have been had I taken advantage of surge areas or had more XL trips.

Meatstick62 > Dusty Ventures 01/04/2016 at 06:52

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I was a bit worried about interior damage due to drunken passengers but the fares I had were all polite and respectable. I had ziploc bags (barf bags) in the seat back pockets and some towels and leather cleaner in the trunk in case I needed to clean up any messes. I also have rubber floormats which helps keep things clean for the most part. My kid likely does just as much damage and wear to the interior in one week as a month or even year of Uber driving might do.

FucenSpaz > Meatstick62 01/04/2016 at 07:08

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Whatever your gas costs are per mile X by 25% is what most commercial vehicle owners figure for . This should cover oil changes and insurance and new tires.( I think that was the figure I saw.) Just something to keep in mind. Especially for tires and oil changes because those are measured by miles.

Meatstick62 > FucenSpaz 01/04/2016 at 07:22

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I set up a spreadsheet and have been assuming $.10/mi for fuel ($2.00/gal and 20 mpg) and $.04/mi for tires, brakes, and oil. Might be a bit on the conservative side but since this is just for some side money I’ll overestimate those costs for now.

FucenSpaz > Meatstick62 01/04/2016 at 07:24

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https://youtu.be/eAkhgTgAUbM

yitznewton > Meatstick62 01/04/2016 at 10:25

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Sooo trunk and fuel door count toward the four, right? Less than 10 years old, bah. I guess it helps as a filter for POS’s.

Meatstick62 > yitznewton 01/04/2016 at 11:05

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There is also an inspection is some states to check for body damage, broken glass, inoperable windows and doors and lights and such. One of my passengers said that he was in a Focus that had a busted windshield, warning lights on the dash, and no a/c - the inspection is likely a ruse to make some extra $ for Uber and Goodyear service centers.

nlzmo400r > Meatstick62 01/04/2016 at 13:40

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I have a Ford Flex and do X and XL calls. There's not enough calls here (per driver) to turn any calls down unless it's a very busy and surging night.

nlzmo400r > Dusty Ventures 01/04/2016 at 13:42

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Trust me, the car will take a beating over time. You have to be completely prepared for stains, dirty stained carpet etc. Honestly, get some weather tech type floormats and always keep cleaning products in the car.

Dusty Ventures > nlzmo400r 01/04/2016 at 13:48

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Haha already have WeatherTechs in the car. If I were to do it I wouldn’t do it much. A few hours a week maybe. Just try making a little extra scratch when I have some down time.

Meatstick62 > nlzmo400r 01/04/2016 at 14:09

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That’s what I was thinking at the time. One in the hand is worth 2 in the bush. So long as I am making a profit by driving X’s it’s okay. I don’t think I can afford to be selective unless I am willing to stay logged on later than midnight and/or go downtown.