# Does driving for Uber Expedite Vehicle Death



## SealTeam (8 mo ago)

I know that wear are tear issues on any vehicle associated with this venture but once you drive for uber, does the pay amount up to enough to offset that lost you're experiencing mechanically?


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## wallae (Jun 11, 2018)

SealTeam said:


> I know that wear are tear issues on any vehicle associated with this venture but once you drive for uber, does the pay amount up to enough to offset that lost you're experiencing mechanically?


Haha 
Miles do


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## LoLo SF (Jul 12, 2019)

Nope, not unless you buy yourself a cheap reliable used car capable of 40+ mpg.


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## oldfart (Dec 22, 2017)

I started this 4.5 years ago with a used Ford Explorer worth about $18000, Since then Ive driven 300000 miles grossing, on average, about 75 cents a mile. My expenses have been; gas 15 cents a mile maintenance and repair 5 cents and insurance 5 cents. So my net = 50 cents a mile I recently asked CarMax to give me a price,, they said $3700. 

So Ive used about $15000 of car to make $150000... Im ok with that


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## circuitsports (Apr 19, 2020)

Also personal death


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## NauticalWheeler (Jun 15, 2019)

The spirit of the vehicle lives on, however, in the form of the remaining balance owed to the lender.


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## wallae (Jun 11, 2018)

oldfart said:


> I started this 4.5 years ago with a used Ford Explorer worth about $18000, Since then Ive driven 300000 miles grossing, on average, about 75 cents a mile. My expenses have been; gas 15 cents a mile maintenance and repair 5 cents and insurance 5 cents. So my net = 50 cents a mile I recently asked CarMax to give me a price,, they said $3700.
> 
> So Ive used about $15000 of car to make $150000... Im ok with that


I started with a 2,500 Pontiac Grand Prix
Grossed 30,000
But really
Every city is different every case is different
Three years ago you couldn’t make 200 bucks a week here
Never a surge
Now 1500 a week


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## circuitsports (Apr 19, 2020)

15000 yen maybe


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## New2This (Dec 27, 2015)

wallae said:


> Now 15000 a week


Extra zero perhaps?


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## circuitsports (Apr 19, 2020)

Biden voter mule bonus


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## SealTeam (8 mo ago)

circuitsports said:


> Also personal death


Yeah, I think you're right on that one.


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## Stevie The magic Unicorn (Apr 3, 2018)

SealTeam said:


> I know that wear are tear issues on any vehicle associated with this venture but once you drive for uber, does the pay amount up to enough to offset that lost you're experiencing mechanically?


In my town?

Nope

That's why I drive a taxi.


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## jtk131604 (Apr 12, 2017)

SealTeam said:


> I know that wear are tear issues on any vehicle associated with this venture but once you drive for uber, does the pay amount up to enough to offset that lost you're experiencing mechanically?


It sure doesn’t in Houston, Tx, in my experience anyway. Not sure about other cities.


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## Atom guy (Jul 27, 2016)

Short answer: yes

Consumable items like oil changes, tires, brakes require more frequent attention. I drive full time and change my oil every 2 months. Tires every 18 months or so, and I have bad luck keeping brakes working properly. 

More expensive repairs come faster as well. My 2017 Chevy Cruze that I bought new in the spring of 2018 has had a new turbo put in for $2k, new transmission for $3k, new front struts for $1000, etc, as well as all the $600 brake jobs and $500 tires. All in 190,000 miles. That doesn't account for the 2 not my fault accidents which cost me weeks of income as I sat at home. Shockingly my interior still looks great, and with a detail you'd never know my car has 190k.


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## Schmanthony (Nov 18, 2017)

Might as well ask "does driving a vehicle expedite its death?" Driving for Uber is just driving. Yes, the more you drive your vehicle the closer you'll get it to the end of its service life. Seems pretty obvious. I don't know why anyone would even think to ask this question.


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## Schmanthony (Nov 18, 2017)

Atom guy said:


> My 2017 Chevy Cruze that I bought new in the spring of 2018 has had a new turbo put in for $2k


One reason not to buy a vehicle with a turbo.



Atom guy said:


> new transmission for $3k


One reason not to buy a (newer) Chevy. Or any vehicle without a transmission that has proven to be reliable. Also... drain and fill your fluid on a regular basis. So many car owners don't do that, leading to premature transmission death. I would also advise against CVTs, dual-clutch, or any transmission with more than 6 speeds. A manual transmission would be a good choice for long term reliability, but I personally wouldn't want to drive long hours in stop and go traffic with a manual.



Atom guy said:


> new front struts for $1000, etc, as well as all the $600 brake jobs


Two reasons to learn to do your own basic maintenance (could have saved over $1000 on these repairs alone)



Atom guy said:


> That doesn't account for the 2 not my fault accidents which cost me weeks of income as I sat at home.


One of the hidden costs/risks to driving for Uber. Other than defensive driving, the only way around this is to own and maintain multiple Uber-ready vehicles.



Atom guy said:


> Shockingly my interior still looks great, and with a detail you'd never know my car has 190k.


I too am surprised at how well the interiors of my vehicles have held up even after many thousands of trips. I expected them to get destroyed, but they haven't at all.


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## SealTeam (8 mo ago)

Schmanthony said:


> Might as well ask "does driving a vehicle expedite its death?" Driving for Uber is just driving. Yes, the more you drive your vehicle the closer you'll get it to the end of its service life. Seems pretty obvious. I don't know why anyone would even think to ask this question.


I asked if the pay was worth it and offset the degradation of the vehicle. If you would have read the context, you would know why someone would ask this. Read the context not just the title


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## oldfart (Dec 22, 2017)

Schmanthony said:


> Might as well ask "does driving a vehicle expedite its death?" Driving for Uber is just driving. Yes, the more you drive your vehicle the closer you'll get it to the end of its service life. Seems pretty obvious. I don't know why anyone would even think to ask this question.


I think the question was...Does the money you make offset the accelerated loss of value due to the high number of miles you drive?


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## DjHouston (Feb 5, 2018)

One thing...MULTI APP or your upside down in 2 years. Make 3 payments a month....extra per week and your normal monthly. Idea...I killed 2 Prius in 6 years...one mechanical, one not at fault totalled. Now I have a 2022 Hybrid highlander...and multiApp I do Work smarter Make better $$ and drive 3500 a month total... compared to 8k-11k miles with ride share. I got the new SUV in NOVEMBER, paid down a loAD OF extra payments and already have paid 15 payments.... weekly ,& normal payment...well good luck.


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## Schmanthony (Nov 18, 2017)

DjHouston said:


> One thing...MULTI APP or your upside down in 2 years. Make 3 payments a month....extra per week and your normal monthly.


I haven't had a car payment since 1998. I probably won't ever finance a car again. But if I ever do, I definitely won't be using that car for rideshare while I'm still making payments on it.


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## Chipin (May 4, 2018)

SealTeam said:


> I asked if the pay was worth it and offset the degradation of the vehicle. If you would have read the context, you would know why someone would ask this. Read the context not just the title





Schmanthony said:


> I haven't had a car payment since 1998. I probably won't ever finance a car again. But if I ever do, I definitely won't be using that car for rideshare while I'm still making payments on it.


Depreciation lessens the value of your Ubermobile with every mile. Mileage and wear on parts matter. Resale value is related to mileage, interior and exterior condition of the car. Many drivers seem to discount these factors.


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## Schmanthony (Nov 18, 2017)

Chipin said:


> Depreciation lessens the value of your Ubermobile with every mile. Mileage and wear on parts matter. Resale value is related to mileage, interior and exterior condition of the car. Many drivers seem to discount these factors.


All the more reason to buy a car for Uber that's already well depreciated. And pay cash for it.


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## Merc49 (Apr 30, 2019)

Yes, it does kill your car. Pay cash for it with under a hundred thousand mi. And pray for 30 to 40 mi. per gal. Don't finance a car for uber.


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## Stevie The magic Unicorn (Apr 3, 2018)

except in Orlando apparently,

The only ubermobile I can actually make money on costs me $150 a day.


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## oldfart (Dec 22, 2017)

Merc49 said:


> Yes, it does kill your car. Pay cash for it with under a hundred thousand mi. And pray for 30 to 40 mi. per gal. Don't finance a car for uber.


It doesnt matter whether you finance a car or not. either way the car was worth something when you started and will be worth less when you stop. That's depreciation. The ops question was Does the income you make, offset the depreciation expense. 

The guy that finances his car has an additional expense and thats the interest on the loan. The risk that the car will crap out before its time is a risk we all have. But that wasnt the ops question. .


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## Mcwharthog (Oct 10, 2020)

If you are going to try to make a living driving Uber full time then the cheapest beater that qualifies is your best bet. However, most drivers are part timers. A lot of drivers started driving as a side gig to pay the note on a car without touching their full time income. That’s how I got into it five years ago and I payed off the loan early.

The depreciation from driving Uber is offset by the fact that my full time job is only 3 miles from my house. Some of my coworkers live 20 or 30 miles from work. If I drive Uber 150 miles a week that is still less miles than my coworkers weekly commute.


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## cman5555 (Aug 11, 2020)

Chipin said:


> Depreciation lessens the value of your Ubermobile with every mile. Mileage and wear on parts matter. Resale value is related to mileage, interior and exterior condition of the car. Many drivers seem to discount these factors.


Bought a 2010 prius on craigslist for $4,000. Car depreciation doesn't matter so much to me, just buy another one if something serious goes wrong...450,000 miles its still chugging along😊


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## Stevie The magic Unicorn (Apr 3, 2018)

Problem is a 2010 Prius is now $15,000


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## Ted Fink (Mar 19, 2018)

A Honda Accord or Civic, or Toyota Camry or Corolla, if properly maintained and driven gently will go 300,000 miles or more, this is my hack for depreciation. Buy it 4 years old with 80-90k on it for much less than new, and drive it for a very long time. The longer you keep the car the more miles you get out of it. The used car market sucks right now though, so that 4 year old car with 80-90k on it costs twice as much as it did when I purchased mine in 2019... if the market doesn't settle down before I have to purchase again I will be comparing costs vs. new. It seems new cars didn't go up like used, but you have to order them and wait 2-3 months to get it. At least for a Honda, IDK about other manufacturers.


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## cman5555 (Aug 11, 2020)

Stevie The magic Unicorn said:


> Problem is a 2010 Prius is now $15,000


Guess your right..


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## IDriveGNV (Mar 10, 2018)

Car maintenance is the hidden ugly side of driving for Uber. We provide to them a fleet of millions of cars and Uber has zero maintenance costs for this huge fleet. I'm finding with the cost of living increasing so fast that the 55 cent gas surcharge makes little difference. The first six to eight hours of driving everyday go to paying the bills. If you want to maintain your car you have to put in several more hours after that. I drive an older Honda so your mileage may vary. I personally find the numbers don't make sense in this economy, which means Uber amounts to a slick scam. I'll be moving on to something else very soon.

One thing I've learned is that finding a truly honest mechanic can make the whole difference. I've had my air conditioning break and Honda couldn't fix it for less than $3,000. Because it's a hybrid. Contrast that with the experience I had today. That new air conditioning system that Honda had installed broke down again just after the 12 month warranty ran out. Short of funds, the AC was unfortunately down the list of priorities and I drove without it for months. I was working with my private mechanic today, and working out priorities for my next maintenance job. He inspected the AC compressor from under the car, and went under the glove box and slapped it a few times. The fan came alive and the AC only needed a top off of coolant. Honda would have charged me another $3,000 for that job.

Getting your maintenance costs under control are a key factor.


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## Stevie The magic Unicorn (Apr 3, 2018)

IDriveGNV said:


> Honda would have charged me another $3,000 for that job.
> 
> Getting your maintenance costs under control are a key factor.


no they would have charged you $3,000 for a substantially DIFFERENT job related to the AC that may or may not fix your problem and may or may not be what is wrong with your car originally.


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## Cbx9mm (Sep 15, 2018)

SealTeam said:


> I know that wear are tear issues on any vehicle associated with this venture but once you drive for uber, does the pay amount up to enough to offset that lost you're experiencing mechanically?


iRS states that $0.58/ mile covers all (likely higher now with fuel. Factor the following keep fuel around 20-25% of revenue with fuel cost now this changes. When I drove for Uber b4 Covid if my costs went above 20 I was not making enough money to justify
Most city roads will kill your light economical car ( front end, suspension, brakes etc. that’s why I drove a truck. Cars today are not made to be heavily used they are disposable. A 25-30,000 car after working ride will be worth nothing in a couple years. Check out cost of maintenance parts & labor based on miles live. 40 mpg no good if front end is shit with 3-4,000 in repairs


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## Underpaid (Mar 26, 2019)

SealTeam said:


> I know that wear are tear issues on any vehicle associated with this venture but once you drive for uber, does the pay amount up to enough to offset that lost you're experiencing mechanically?


Yes, it will put your vehicle into an early grave. Then, once you need a new one, you’ll find it very difficult to get financing on a new one because banks do no not consider working for Uber to be reliable income. The ones that will finance you will charge a hefty interest rate. The dealer ran my credit on my last one, told me it was great and said they should be able to get me 4%, bank saw Uber as my job, first 6 turned Me down, the final bank they had available approved at 14.5%. I had to find a different option because that is obscene.


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## Seaside_Slider (9 mo ago)

ALL rideshare is the same. You’re swapping vehicle miles for peanuts. You’re not being paid because of any skill or education level, as they’re not required……for a reason. It’s strictly miles for peanuts.


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## Jenga (Dec 10, 2018)

circuitsports said:


> Biden voter mule bonus


I've been wondering if I can be indicted for driving by all those drop boxes several times a day in Nov '20.


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## Stevie The magic Unicorn (Apr 3, 2018)

Seaside_Slider said:


> ALL rideshare is the same. You’re swapping vehicle miles for peanuts. You’re not being paid because of any skill or education level, as they’re not required……for a reason. It’s strictly miles for peanuts.


In my honest opinion...

We should be able to make the same money ubering as cab driving...

Which isn't the case... like at all.


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## Seaside_Slider (9 mo ago)

I can easily make more than any cab. Easily….


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## Stevie The magic Unicorn (Apr 3, 2018)

Seaside_Slider said:


> I can easily make more than any cab. Easily….


Thursday afternoon/thursday evening I made $400, Friday morning I made $200, Friday evening I made about $300.

thursday/friday mornings expenses came to $210 for a company vehicle. Friday evening's expenses came in at 200 miles in my personal car (licensed as a taxi). 200 miles in my personal car was $45 in gasoline and aproximatly $30 in vehicle maintenance, not much less to depreciate.

So that's $900 minus $275 in costs.

That's $625 in profit in 2 days.



72 pings with uber would pay out $6.30 a ping. 

That's a total of $381.60

If I worked for 48 straight hours I might and I mean MIGHT have 72 pings. from those 72 pings i'd probobly make the average around here of $6.30 a ping and I'd make $381.60.


Than for those 48 hours I'm looking at about 20 miles driven per hour, or aproximately 960 miles. Now I have to take my expenses for that, which would be $100-150 in gasoline, and $15 per 100 miles driven in other costs.

$381.60
+ $75 (for 50 ride incentive I got offered and didn't get this weekend)
-$125- Gasoline
-$144 (other vehicle costs)
$187.60

is there a big difference between $187.60 and $625?


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## Seaside_Slider (9 mo ago)

Stevie The magic Unicorn said:


> Thursday afternoon/thursday evening I made $400, Friday morning I made $200, Friday evening I made about $300.
> 
> thursday/friday mornings expenses came to $210 for a company vehicle. Friday evening's expenses came in at 200 miles in my personal car (licensed as a taxi). 200 miles in my personal car was $45 in gasoline and aproximatly $30 in vehicle maintenance, not much less to depreciate.
> 
> ...


Lol, pathetic simp.


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## 232200 (7 mo ago)

Atom guy said:


> Short answer: yes
> 
> Consumable items like oil changes, tires, brakes require more frequent attention. I drive full time and change my oil every 2 months. Tires every 18 months or so, and I have bad luck keeping brakes working properly.
> 
> More expensive repairs come faster as well. My 2017 Chevy Cruze that I bought new in the spring of 2018 has had a new turbo put in for $2k, new transmission for $3k, new front struts for $1000, etc, as well as all the $600 brake jobs and $500 tires. All in 190,000 miles. That doesn't account for the 2 not my fault accidents which cost me weeks of income as I sat at home. Shockingly my interior still looks great, and with a detail you'd never know my car has 190k.


You should consider Toyota or Honda for your next car. I’m personally done with American cars. The only American cars I would consider in the future is a Mustang or Vette.


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## Stevie The magic Unicorn (Apr 3, 2018)

UberPro1969 said:


> You should consider Toyota or Honda for your next car. I’m personally done with American cars. The only American cars I would consider in the future is a Mustang or Vette.


My f250 is great for what I got it for. Being a big ass truck for towing my RV.

But you sure as hell don't see me ubering with it.


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## 232200 (7 mo ago)

Stevie The magic Unicorn said:


> My f250 is great for what I got it for. Being a big ass truck for towing my RV.
> 
> But you sure as hell don't see me ubering with it.


Lol. An F250 is definitely the wrong tool for Uber. Great for towing and being high over all the other vehicles on the road. Any thoughts on the new F150 Lightning?


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## Stevie The magic Unicorn (Apr 3, 2018)

UberPro1969 said:


> Lol. An F250 is definitely the wrong tool for Uber. Great for towing and being high over all the other vehicles on the road. Any thoughts on the new F150 Lightning?


Not enough range,

They are avertising 230 miles but that's not with a trailer weighing god knows what. Also a great deal of the time i'm taking my RV out i'm staying on BLM land, AKA squatting on federal land, so no power outlets.

For my specific uses the range and needing to recharge isn't going to be a good match, maybe in 10-15 years when I replace this truck i'll think about an electric. More charging stations every day so.. getting there, just not yet.


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## Mad_Jack_Flint (Nov 19, 2020)

Uber kills many things:

1. Your car

2. Your Life

3. Your Marriage

4. Your Sex Life ( of course Marriage killed that years ago )

5. Your dignity….


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## 232200 (7 mo ago)

Mad_Jack_Flint said:


> Uber kills many things:
> 
> 1. Your car
> 
> ...


Huh? Kills the car? Not if you maintain it, all cars will eventually die, you’re getting money in return. Life, life has been best for me since I now work when I want. Marriage is ok, you’re right about number 4 lol. Dignity? If you think this job is beneath you, you are a snob.


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## Stevie The magic Unicorn (Apr 3, 2018)

UberPro1969 said:


> Huh? Kills the car? Not if you maintain it, all cars will eventually die, you’re getting money in return. Life, life has been best for me since I now work when I want. Marriage is ok, you’re right about number 4 lol. Dignity? If you think this job is beneath you, you are a snob.


If you go from driving 15,000 miles a year to driving 75,000 mile a yeat it will kill your car much faster.

as far as getting money in return?

Not in every market.


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## 232200 (7 mo ago)

Stevie The magic Unicorn said:


> If you go from driving 15,000 miles a year to driving 75,000 mile a yeat it will kill your car much faster.
> 
> as far as getting money in return?
> 
> Not in every market.


Of course not in every market. But I’m not trying to preserve my car, it’s a tool to make me a living. When I was a limo driver they changed cars every 2 years. The average car was around $50000. The average car would go 200k miles. As far as killing the car, if you can’t make enough in return to be worth it, then by all means, seek employment elsewhere. In the last 7 months not only have I earned enough to pay all my bills, I’ve saved up over half the cost to replace my car with a brand new one.


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## Heisenburger (Sep 19, 2016)

Stevie The magic Unicorn said:


> as far as getting money in return?
> 
> Not in every market.


Always getting money (revenue). Not always a profit, especially if using wrong vehicle. Or not always a "big enough" profit/wage, but that's always subjective, especially when we have monkeys on here demanding that operating a motor vehicle is as valuable as nursing.


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## ObeyTheNumbers (7 mo ago)

SealTeam said:


> I know that wear are tear issues on any vehicle associated with this venture but once you drive for uber, does the pay amount up to enough to offset that lost you're experiencing mechanically?


Depends upon how much mileage is already in the vehicle, how well it has been maintained since new, the abuse it suffered before Ubering and the make and model, year etc. Also your area, what Uber pays and your local to areas of trips, the driver saturation rate and how you drive. If you understand what Uber is and how it works or not. Find a niche.

MIT suggests not doing Uber for a living, but if you do, not to spend more than $20,000 for your vehicles due to the high mileage. Usually 85,000 - 100,000 miles a year is the human limit. Or 7 hours a day, everyday.

If you already have a newish vehicle, then with good maintenance, saving your money (.72 cents an odometer mile, the cost of doing Uber). After 300,000 miles you'll be ready for the next one. If the vehicle lasts longer then it's gravy.

Your two largest costs are going to be fuel and vehicle replacement. Uber drivers don't qualify for loans, so you need to save and buy your next vehicle for cash. Another hidden dig is taxes, record all your miles daily and subtract for anything personal. You'll get a .62 (as of July 1) tax credit from IRS. So your not double taxed on earnings.

Save .72 cents an odometer mile daily and you shouldn't have a problem.


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## Stevie The magic Unicorn (Apr 3, 2018)

Heisenburger said:


> Always getting money (revenue). Not always a profit, especially if using wrong vehicle. Or not always a "big enough" profit/wage, but that's always subjective, especially when we have monkeys on here demanding that operating a motor vehicle is as valuable as nursing.


At orlando rates turning a profit just isn't possible.

Lets take disney world as a case example.

Ooh disney world, 36,000 hotel rooms...

3:00 you're driving 15+ miles empty to find somewhere to park close enough to get disney pings. Like the magic kingdom rideshare holding pen.

Now you get a ping from the Swan hotel. That's 3.X miles. Now we are up to 18 miles to get to your first ping.

It's an airport run...

that's 22.7 miles for $20 with no surge, which of course there won't be.

Now take $3.00 off for tolls.


Now we are at 50 miles driven for $and we are at the airport at 4:00 am. Next 20 pings are from the hotels near the airport going.. to the airport. Min pings and 10 miles a pop begining to end because any drop at the airport involves miles and miles..

So instead back on the highway going west another 15-20 miles for another airport ping.

Now we are at 70 miles driven for. $14… after tolls.

Well that just means that Disney world airport runs arnt worth it…. Or fare to the airport at all…. With 130,000 hotel rooms for s metro area of 2.1 million people it can’t all be like they can it?

yeah there’s min pings driving hood rats to/from Walmart or the bus.

Let’s look at pings from the airport.

Sit through the queue and most will be the reverse of my Disney example… so just as not worth it with longer wait for the ping.

And that’s not counting Disney security being *****y to everyone and doing license plate and drivers license checks on everyone coming in to the resorts.

The “normal” pings going around Disney?
You’ll get a ping 5 miles away show up dick with stroller etc.. and end up taking them 5-10 miles for $3-5… with no tip in sight.

Well that sucks to.

l closing time?

Dealing with a crowd of people some of which are trying to hire you and paying cash for non surge prices and struggling to find your passenger who may still be on the monorail or ferry.

for $5-15 (for a 6-15 drive plus mile drive) for maybe $3-5 surge.

that ain’t worth it either.

Universal studios you ask?

Higher chance of short runs and infinity worse traffic.

The drunk crowd?

This is Orlando in a nutshell… lots of unavoidable empty miles and the worst rates in the USA.

Driving s cab I get $35-75 for airport runs from the tourist areas. Universal studios is $40-50 and Disney is $45- 75 with loads of third party hotels in the $35-40 range.

random non airport fares around Disney pay me $15-25 (would be $3-8 on Uber) and closing time from magic kingdom are in the $20-60 range (had one Saturday that went to s hotel out by the airport, kinda fare but they happen) I also regularly get Disney to universal fares for about $40-50 with tip. (Would be $10-15 on Uber)

The problem is Ubers pricing/pay scheme here. Pure and simple.


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