# What % of "surge only" drivers will actually quit now?



## Flarpy

I see a lot of people here who say NO SURGE NO DRIVE!!!

Now that Uber is strangling surge to death, what are those people going to do?

Are they going to quit, or are they going to rationalize driving for peanuts? Or are they all going to flood Lyft where they will also be driving for peanuts but at least will be able to hope for tips?

This will be an interesting sociological and psychological study.


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## Bart McCoy

I'll quit, y'all can have the low rates


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## ChortlingCrison

Bart McCoy said:


> I'll quit, y'all can have the low rates


 You can have them. I don't want to take anything away from you.


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## Sure

They can kill all the surge they want, but they are going to lose aloooooot of drivers if they don't raise the rates to some kind of normal rates. I see a lot of drivers on here saying forget the surge, raise the rates.


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## secretadmirer

"They can kill all the surge they want, but they are going to lose aloooooot of drivers if they don't raise the rates to some kind of normal rates. I see a lot of drivers on here saying forget the surge, raise the rates." Agreed! I have the impression that uber/Travis just aren't that interested in the profits as much as all the media attention they get from all this contraversy.


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## Hogg

Between the students leaving until August and the new (no) surge pricing my income just dropped 40%. I have to work this weekend to pay rent on the 1st then I will be done with uber. I wasn't a surge-only driver before and took almost all the requests sent to me but I am no longer making a living wage. I'm averaging less than $12/hour now before taxes and vehicle expenses, which is below minimum wage.


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## autofill

Not sure why Uber wants to get rid of surge pricing, it's not like we drivers keep 100% of it. 

Pax still pay less than a taxi ride even at when surge is under 4x in my market. Sure they can request Lyft but apparently there's none around during surges, lol.


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## Bart McCoy

However as long as Uber keep up the incentives (like the bronze/gold/silver thing) it doesnt matter if theres no surge. Will only matter if they lower the rates


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## Tim In Cleveland

They won't keep up incentives. The latest "incentives" here in Cleveland are prizes awarded in a drawing. They will reveal the winners as:
Mark in Euclid, Cheryl in Mayfield with probably no proof those people exist.


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## autofill

Uber has definitely altered the surge algorithm so now surges build up much slower and die out much quicker. Takes almost 10-15 minutes for a surge to begin vs before it used to take 3-5 minutes.


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## Joe Zip

Flarpy said:


> I see a lot of people here who say NO SURGE NO DRIVE!!!
> 
> Now that Uber is strangling surge to death, what are those people going to do?
> 
> Are they going to quit, or are they going to rationalize driving for peanuts? Or are they all going to flood Lyft where they will also be driving for peanuts but at least will be able to hope for tips?
> 
> This will be an interesting sociological and psychological study.


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## Joe Zip

Surge is patently unfair to passengers and drivers. But surge is great for Uber - look how much more money they make on surges.
What Uber and Lyft should be doing is paying drivers a better rate. Customers will pay a higher, but reasonable fare, and drivers will make a living wage.
I'm the the No Surge or No Guarantee No Drive group. I won't drive unless the guarantee is at least $25 per hour.


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## stephen jones

I was making about $500 to $600 a week and $250 went to rent my car through a company called Flex drive here in Atlanta whose partners with Uber. So I was taking home $250 to $350 for about 40 hours to 50 hours work. About $100 to $150 of that was Surge pricing. The last 2 weeks for working a 50 hours week has brought me $400 and $450 which means I only have $150 & $200 profit because I don't have any surges anymore. Gas is already taken out of this because I have a uber fuel card and no expenses on repairs or Insurance because I lease my car, but really? $150 to $200 for 50 hours of work? I'm looking for a new job. In the meantime I'll have to be in Uber slave.


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## Sure

I think it's about time everyone started looking for another job. Then we can be the ones ordering a Uber and one star the driver, and of course, no need to tip.


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## renbutler

Nomad said:


> I'm off the road... I won't quit b/c I'm a 20%er and Uber wants all of us to quit so they can get new drivers on the road willing to give 25% and more to Uber. But for now, I'm done. I'll chime in once a month for one charity ride to stay active and keep an eye on how things look out there. Maybe they will bump the rates a little here and there, but they likely won't.


As a (former) surge-only driver, I agree with this.

However, I have traded in our mid-size SUV for a minivan (it's what my wife wanted), but the swap won't be done until Saturday. So I get two more days to drive a couple hundred miles of Uber in my SUV at no cost to me! The gas is already paid for, so I can run the tank near dry, and any maintenance that needs to be done down the road will be on the dealer or whoever buys the vehicle. This is a rare situation in which 75 cents a mile is actually profitable!


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## NCRBILL

I'm one who has reduced my driving since the surge has taken a vacation. I look for longer rides to make it worth it to drive.


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## Flarpy

stephen jones said:


> $150 to $200 for 50 hours of work? I'm looking for a new job. In the meantime I'll have to be in Uber slave.


Congrats on your $3-4/hour. Honestly you could make more money panhandling on a rural highway.


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## Rat

Nomad said:


> I'm off the road... I won't quit b/c I'm a 20%er and Uber wants all of us to quit so they can get new drivers on the road willing to give 25% and more to Uber. But for now, I'm done. I'll chime in once a month for one charity ride to stay active and keep an eye on how things look out there. Maybe they will bump the rates a little here and there, but they likely won't. Why bother when the ignorant will still mindlessly chauffeur strangers for money today with no regards for future expenses.
> 
> Uber is the new Walmart... on crack


Walmart pays better and you get a discount


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## Rat

Bart McCoy said:


> However as long as Uber keep up the incentives (like the bronze/gold/silver thing) it doesnt matter if theres no surge. Will only matter if they lower the rates


No incentives in my market


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## Rat

stephen jones said:


> I was making about $500 to $600 a week and $250 went to rent my car through a company called Flex drive here in Atlanta whose partners with Uber. So I was taking home $250 to $350 for about 40 hours to 50 hours work. About $100 to $150 of that was Surge pricing. The last 2 weeks for working a 50 hours week has brought me $400 and $450 which means I only have $150 & $200 profit because I don't have any surges anymore. Gas is already taken out of this because I have a uber fuel card and no expenses on repairs or Insurance because I lease my car, but really? $150 to $200 for 50 hours of work? I'm looking for a new job. In the meantime I'll have to be in Uber slave.


You are the ideal Uber driver. Never lease or rent a vehicle for Uber


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## Rat

I just saw my first Lyft commercial on local TV! Maybe Lyft is coming to my town!


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## Ubersucksgas

stephen jones said:


> I was making about $500 to $600 a week and $250 went to rent my car through a company called Flex drive here in Atlanta whose partners with Uber. So I was taking home $250 to $350 for about 40 hours to 50 hours work. About $100 to $150 of that was Surge pricing. The last 2 weeks for working a 50 hours week has brought me $400 and $450 which means I only have $150 & $200 profit because I don't have any surges anymore. Gas is already taken out of this because I have a uber fuel card and no expenses on repairs or Insurance because I lease my car, but really? $150 to $200 for 50 hours of work? I'm looking for a new job. In the meantime I'll have to be in Uber slave.


you dude, have a serious problem.
You obviously speak English, isn't that enough to get decent job where you will make at least $13 and hour and get some kind of benefits??
I think prolem with people here is that they dont like to work, be at work on time and follow instructions, that is why they prefer driving for uber. When I moved to US, hardly spoke any English, I got job $15 per hour(5 y ago) with full benefits, health, dental, pension, and so on.
Now, I am making $19 at same job. It is hard work but I dont mind working. 
Having company pay over a $1000 for my insurance monthly is something that UBER will never do. $500 in pension plan.


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## Ubersucksgas

Rat said:


> I just saw my first Lyft commercial on local TV! Maybe Lyft is coming to my town!


Dont keep you hopes high, Lyft is in most markets even cheaper than UBER and they dont have incentives.


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## Rat

Ubersucksgas said:


> Dont keep you hopes high, Lyft is in most markets even cheaper than UBER and they dont have incentives.


Uber has no incentives in my market. None


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## LadyUberDriver1

There's no incentives in my area. No one pays the search right here. They all wait till it goes away. The only time somebody except Saturdays when they have to be to work or if they have a doctor's appointment.


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## FAC

Bart McCoy said:


> However as long as Uber keep up the incentives (like the bronze/gold/silver thing) it doesnt matter if theres no surge. Will only matter if they lower the rates


But that's only offered in select locations. We don't have that incentive here.


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## scooterabc

I have greatly reduced my driving since surge went away.


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## phillipzx3

autofill said:


> Not sure why Uber wants to get rid of surge pricing, it's not like we drivers keep 100% of it.
> 
> Pax still pay less than a taxi ride even at when surge is under 4x in my market. Sure they can request Lyft but apparently there's none around during surges, lol.


From where I'm sitting right now (in my cab) my Uber rider app estimates $20 to $25 to the Portland airport. Using the app for our taxi company it says $22 to $26.

Uber makes some great tasting kool-aid,eh? 

A 2.0x surge places an Uber trip more expensive than most cabs in most markets.

And even with no surge, an UberXL is always more expensive than a 6 passenger cab.

Then again...if you're one of the "fools" who drive for a buck a mile (or less) you're probably correct.


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## Lindsay3222

I do lyft and uber


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## BaitNSwitch

I stopped legit driving a year and a half ago. Only come back for surge or guarantees.

I for the most part did quit. You all should do the same.


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## Bluephantom0413

Flarpy said:


> I see a lot of people here who say NO SURGE NO DRIVE!!!
> 
> Now that Uber is strangling surge to death, what are those people going to do?
> 
> Are they going to quit, or are they going to rationalize driving for peanuts? Or are they all going to flood Lyft where they will also be driving for peanuts but at least will be able to hope for tips?
> 
> This will be an interesting sociological and psychological study.


That surge boost is is bunch of bs. I was getting anywhere from 24-35 per hour on average guarantee amounts and different time slots every week for the past few months and now this. I haven't drove all week. It's a waste of time


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## SurgeMaker

What do you's mean no more surge? I also stopped driving I just had to do one trip or they was going to deactivate me! Fri night 2am $30 for going 4.5 miles went home! Just waiting for school now


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## uberist

I haven't driven for over two weeks, my normal fishing hole has dried up and the pax app looks like ants on a life saver everywhere I drop the pin.


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## KINGOFTHENORTH

phillipzx3 said:


> From where I'm sitting right now (in my cab) my Uber rider app estimates $20 to $25 to the Portland airport. Using the app for our taxi company it says $22 to $26.
> 
> Uber makes some great tasting kool-aid,eh?
> 
> A 2.0x surge places an Uber trip more expensive than most cabs in most markets.
> 
> And even with no surge, an UberXL is always more expensive than a 6 passenger cab.
> 
> Then again...if you're one of the "fools" who drive for a buck a mile (or less) you're probably correct.


Driving for less than a buck is insaine. Is that even possible to make a profit ? I drive at 1.70 + .16 mile and Tips cover my gas + maintance and this is still one of the least profitable jobs i have ever had.


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## I_Like_Spam

Flarpy said:


> I see a lot of people here who say NO SURGE NO DRIVE!!!
> 
> Now that Uber is strangling surge to death, what are those people going to do?
> 
> Are they going to quit, or are they going to rationalize driving for peanuts? Or are they all going to flood Lyft where they will also be driving for peanuts but at least will be able to hope for tips?
> 
> This will be an interesting sociological and psychological study.


Everyone's answer will be different, but I suspect the majority will work a whole lot less if not quit entirely.

Remember that Uber X has only been around for 3 years and in many markets a lot less. People can still remember what they did for money in the none too distant past before Uber X.


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