# Am I REALLY losing money driving for Uber??



## docswife

I'm fairly new to uber (3 weeks driving part time). I've netted $1416.81 to date. I drive my 8 year old, paid for honda accord that will be handed down to my teenager in July, I get very lucky on trips headed in my direction to and from work. I make a few airport runs here and there and work common surging areas ( I certainly dont chase surges). However, I read throughout this site that we LOSE money driving at .90 per mile. $1400 windfall to my bank account in 3 weeks is not my definition of losing. Anyone care to help me understand the loss??


----------



## UberHammer

Can't say for sure without knowing your costs.

What are your costs?


----------



## pengduck

docswife said:


> I'm fairly new to uber (3 weeks driving part time). I've netted $1416.81 to date. I drive my 8 year old, paid for honda accord that will be handed down to my teenager in July, I get very lucky on trips headed in my direction to and from work. I make a few airport runs here and there and work common surging areas ( I certainly dont chase surges). However, I read throughout this site that we LOSE money driving at .90 per mile. $1400 windfall to my bank account in 3 weeks is not my definition of losing. Anyone care to help me understand the loss??


Ok. At .90 per mile you take home .72 after Uber's 20%. According to IRS it takes .575 per mile to operate your car. Just set up a spread sheet at put in your mileage and deduct it from your earnings. Then see what you have left over. The figure the taxes on what is left over. Then see how much you are making per hour.


----------



## Phillyx

How many hours you work for $1400?
How many miles you drive?
Gas,car wash cost?


----------



## docswife

UberHammer said:


> Can't say for sure without knowing your costs.
> 
> What are your costs?


 I've spent $3 on a case of bottle water, $20 on car washes and approx (don't have receipts in front of me) $100 in gas. That's it.


----------



## Oc_DriverX

docswife said:


> I'm fairly new to uber (3 weeks driving part time). I've netted $1416.81 to date. I drive my 8 year old, paid for honda accord that will be handed down to my teenager in July, I get very lucky on trips headed in my direction to and from work. I make a few airport runs here and there and work common surging areas ( I certainly dont chase surges). However, I read throughout this site that we LOSE money driving at .90 per mile. $1400 windfall to my bank account in 3 weeks is not my definition of losing. Anyone care to help me understand the loss??


Certainly the $1,400 in your bank account is not entirely profit. At the very least, you should be aware of what your fuel costs are for those earnings. Do you keep track of your mileage? You need to know your mileage to have a good handle on your costs. If you know your mileage, then you can multiple your miles by a cost per mile factor. The IRS allows you to use $.575/mile ($.56/mile for last year). The IRS figure is probably on the high side, especially for your Honda. I believe that the AAA study would put your car in the $.42/mile range. Those numbers attempt to quantify your per mile costs such as fuel, maintenance and depreciation.

It is important to use some reasonable number and to calculate your actual profits. Uber will not even talk about your real costs and hopes that you ignore them.


----------



## UberHammer

docswife said:


> I've spent $3 on a case of bottle water, $20 on car washes and approx (don't have receipts in front of me) $100 in gas. That's it.


LOL! Riiiiiiight!


----------



## scrurbscrud

docswife said:


> I'm fairly new to uber (3 weeks driving part time). I've netted $1416.81 to date. I drive my 8 year old, paid for honda accord that will be handed down to my teenager in July, I get very lucky on trips headed in my direction to and from work. I make a few airport runs here and there and work common surging areas ( I certainly dont chase surges). However, I read throughout this site that we LOSE money driving at .90 per mile. $1400 windfall to my bank account in 3 weeks is not my definition of losing. Anyone care to help me understand the loss??


The quick method is to take the 90 cents per paid mile in Dallas minus Uber's cut which gives you 72 cents per paid mile. It's pretty typical to run 1 dead mile for every paid mile, so CUT that number of 72 cents in half, *to 36 cents per mile. That's probably what you're getting.*

When you first start driving it's deceiving. I was clocking gross pay in the $1800-2000 a week range (before Uber's cut) when the pay was much much higher. Problem came when I saw that on a miles driven basis I was only getting about a buck a mile for total miles, meaning I was only netting about 80 cents a mile and my costs are 57 cents a mile for tax purposes. That translated to 23 cents a mile in actual profit or $460 for driving 2000 miles a week, which took me about 6 12 hour days to perform or, voila $6.38 an hour. The rate was 30% higher than today's rates.

So NOW that same gig is a 1 penny per mile LOSS.

Where you are it's even less per mile. 
*
If you are getting the guarantees, it's a different matter.* Doing 1 trip an hour and then hiding out for the rest of the time ain't bad pay if you can pull it off.


----------



## Oc_DriverX

Here is a pure guess based on your $100 in fuel costs. I will guess you get 25 mpg and you paid $2/gal. That would be 50 gal * 25 mpg = 1,000 miles.

If your running costs are guestimated at $0.40/mile, then you are at $400 in costs. If you are getting better mileage, then your costs might be higher due to more maintenance and depreciation costs.

Your costs are definitely greater than $123 you can remember.


----------



## Lidman

For the time being I would say you're in the black. But over the long haul might be a different story depending on hidden expenses like wear and tear etc. Also the possibility of rates being slashed in the future.


----------



## docswife

Oc_DriverX said:


> Certainly the $1,400 in your bank account is not entirely profit. At the very least, you should be aware of what your fuel costs are for those earnings. Do you keep track of your mileage? You need to know your mileage to have a good handle on your costs. If you know your mileage, then you can multiple your miles by a cost per mile factor. The IRS allows you to use $.575/mile ($.56/mile for last year). The IRS figure is probably on the high side, especially for your Honda. I believe that the AAA study would put your car in the $.42/mile range. Those numbers attempt to quantify your per mile costs such as fuel, maintenance and depreciation.
> 
> It is important to use some reasonable number and to calculate your actual profits. Uber will not even talk about your real costs and hopes that you ignore them.


I haven't been tracking mileage. Although I do plan to start next week. I can go back and use the data that uber records for each trip, right? What method do you all use for mileage tracking? I am however saving my gas/car wash receipts. Will keep any maintenance receipts as well but none so far.


----------



## scrurbscrud

docswife said:


> I'm fairly new to uber (3 weeks driving part time). I've netted $1416.81 to date. I drive my 8 year old, paid for honda accord that will be handed down to my teenager in July, I get very lucky on trips headed in my direction to and from work. I make a few airport runs here and there and work common surging areas ( I certainly dont chase surges). However, I read throughout this site that we LOSE money driving at .90 per mile. $1400 windfall to my bank account in 3 weeks is not my definition of losing. Anyone care to help me understand the loss??


If you are running without the guarantees you more than likely clocked a minimum of 1800 miles to get that kind of check from Uber after their cut. Even if your costs are only 25 cents per mile you still spent about $450 in hard costs to get that $1400 and maybe made $950 in 3 weeks time, which would be maybe typical for an aggressive part timer. But *when all your costs are still on the credit cards and the money is in the bank, it does look good don't it?*

I pay off my credit card bi weekly so I don't fall into the trap of thinking all that gross pay is mine mine mine. It's better to look at the money AFTER expenses, if there is any.

I'm thinking that a lot of drivers are going to trap themselves by holding their real hard costs on their credit cards and not paying them off as they go, as they should, thinking then that they have more real money to spend than they really do. I'd guess at least half the drivers are going to dig themselves a bit of a pit by carrying their driving costs and spending all their money.


----------



## uber_sea

Take as much surge as you can. It might be profitable still for you.

Miles and hours driven is going to be important in determining how much your true hourly rate is.
Uber data only tracks paid miles. A standard is about 1:1 in paid:dead miles.

With an 8 year old Honda I think your car expenses are significantly lower than the IRS number. It should be around .30-.35 per mile.


----------



## docswife

Oc_DriverX said:


> Here is a pure guess based on your $100 in fuel costs. I will guess you get 25 mpg and you paid $2/gal. That would be 50 gal * 25 mpg = 1,000 miles.
> 
> If your running costs are guestimated at $0.40/mile, then you are at $400 in costs. If you are getting better mileage, then your costs might be higher due to more maintenance and depreciation costs.
> 
> Your costs are definitely greater than then $123 you can remember.


Gas in Dallas is approx 1.80, it only cost about $21 to fill up my tank. I know without a doubt I've only filled up 5 no more than 6 times. I will calculate my receipts later and let you know. So given that, I still don't understand how my operating cost can be $400?? I certainly don't care about depreciation on a car that I have driven for 8 years and will be handed down to my teenager in a few months...


----------



## scrurbscrud

uber_sea said:


> Take as much surge as you can. It might be profitable still for you.
> 
> Miles and hours driven is going to be important in determining how much your true hourly rate is.
> Uber data only tracks paid miles. A standard is about 1:1 in paid:dead miles.
> 
> With an 8 year old Honda I think your car expenses are significantly lower than the IRS number. It should be around .30-.35 per mile.


Yeah, if she doesn't even look at total miles I'd say she's in a bit of trouble already. Off the cuff numbers for me say that my costs run about 1/2 of my take home pay. She thinks she made $1400 but probably made about $700 when the credit cards are paid off and the repairs come due.


----------



## scrurbscrud

docswife said:


> Gas in Dallas is approx 1.80, it only cost about $21 to fill up my tank. I know without a doubt I've only filled up 5 no more than 6 times. I will calculate my receipts later and let you know. So given that, I still don't understand how my operating cost can be $400?? I certainly don't care about depreciation on a car that I have driven for 8 years and will be handed down to my teenager in a few months...


There is a 'real cost' for any miles driven including depreciation of a car. Drivers can claim their cars are worthless but they do cost money when you buy them, money when you drive them, money to maintain them and money lost when they are worthless.

There are real costs of depreciation regardless. You just don't see them as easily til it comes due to buy another ride.


----------



## docswife

scrurbscrud said:


> If you are running without the guarantees you more than likely clocked a minimum of 1800 miles to get that kind of check from Uber after their cut. Even if your costs are only 25 cents per mile you still spent about $450 in hard costs to get that $1400 and maybe made $950 in 3 weeks time, which would be maybe typical for an aggressive part timer. But *when all your costs are still on the credit cards and the money is in the bank, it does look good don't it?*
> 
> I pay off my credit card bi weekly so I don't fall into the trap of thinking all that gross pay is mine mine mine. It's better to look at the money AFTER expenses, if there is any.
> 
> I'm thinking that a lot of drivers are going to trap themselves by holding their real hard costs on their credit cards and not paying them off as they go, as they should, thinking then that they have more real money to spend than they really do. I'd guess at least half the drivers are going to dig themselves a bit of a pit by carrying their driving costs and spending all their money.


Credit card?? What's that?? LOL! I have 2 department store cards, that's it! I have no major credit cards. My operating costs are deducted from my bank account via DEBIT.


----------



## scrurbscrud

docswife said:


> Credit card?? What's that?? LOL! I have 2 department store cards, that's it! I have no major credit cards. My operating costs are deducted from my bank account via DEBIT.


There are a lot of 'gas only cost' drivers that think they are making money.

They aren't. Not for tax filing purposes at 90 cents a mile. Not a dime is being made at 90 cents a mile on your tax form.


----------



## docswife

scrurbscrud said:


> There are a lot of 'gas only cost' drivers that think they are making money.
> 
> They aren't. Not for tax filing purposes at 90 cents a mile. Not a dime is being made at 90 cents a mile on your tax form.


I never said my only cost was gas. I realize that. I will say though that my costs are minimal. I have no car note, I have no uber phone. My car gives great gas mileage and requires very little maintenance. I do this part time, short term and as long as those direct deposits from Uber greatly outweigh the costs that have been DEBITED from my bank account, I'm winning!!


----------



## UberHammer

docswife said:


> I haven't been tracking mileage. Although I do plan to start next week. I can go back and use the data that uber records for each trip, right? What method do you all use for mileage tracking? I am however saving my gas/car wash receipts. Will keep any maintenance receipts as well but none so far.


That's a good start. It's easy to realize real costs when the bills arrive. However, some of those bills take years before they hit... but they've been accumulating with every mile you drove for Uber.

To understand, ask yourself why did you include gas when I asked you your costs? Obviously it's because your Uber driving has required you to buy $100 in gas. You mentioned you don't know your miles spent, but even without the accurate miles you've done, you can gather that you could come up with a per mile cost of gas if you did know your Uber miles. Maybe it's 1000 miles, so $100 in gas divided by 1000 miles means gas costs you $0.10 per mile to Uber. Maybe it's 2000 miles, so $100 in gas divided by 2000 miles means gas costs you $0.05 per mile to Uber. The important thing here is not that I'm giving you accurate per mile costs for gas, but that when you know your numbers you can do the simple math to know your per mile costs.

What I'm concerned about is you didn't mention other costs, like say for example, tire costs. Why not? Well I know why you didn't. You didn't because you haven't had a bill for new tires since you started doing Uber. This is because unlike a $30 tank of gas, that gets consumed in only 300 miles (that's a $0.10 per mile gas cost by the way), tires last for tens of thousands of miles. They last so long you may not even buy new tires this year. But just like gas gets consumed per mile, your tires do too. Every mile you do for Uber consumes some of the useable life of your tires. But you ignored this cost when I asked your costs.

And tires are just one example of costs of driving your car for Uber that you ignored. Other examples are oil, brakes, coolant, transmission fluid, etc, etc.... All of these have limited useful miles, and you are consuming them every mile you drive for Uber. And one of the most expensive ones is the car itself. Just like gas, tires, oil, etc... cars have a limited amount of useful miles that they last. Some people can keep a car going for infinity, but they do so by constantly replacing all the parts as time progresses. This is more expensive than just buying a new car, because buying the sum of the parts individually costs more than just buying a whole car. So your car has limited useful miles that are consumed by every Uber mile you drive, and when the car reaches that point it costs more in maintenance costs then a new car costs.

Just remember this formula: Cost of widget divided by the useful miles of widget equals your cost per mile of widget.

Now you don't need widgets to drive for Uber. But you need gas. Replace the word "widget' with "gas" in the above formula. This gives you your cars cost per mile of gas. Do the same for tires. Do $800 worth of tires get for 48,000 miles? If so plug in those numbers. Even though you only put 30,000 miles on your car this year, and didn't need to buy tires, you can know what amount of your tires you consumed driving for Uber this way. And most importantly put in what you paid for your 8 year old Honda and how many useful miles it had left when you bought it. This is always a guestimate at best, because you can't accurately know at what odometer reading a car is going to begin costing just as much as a new car to keep it running. But if you don't at least guestimate this number, then ignoring your car costs per mile is... well... ignorant.


----------



## scrurbscrud

docswife said:


> I never said my only cost was gas. I realize that. I will say though that my costs are minimal. I have no car note, I have no uber phone. My car gives great gas mileage and requires very little maintenance. I do this part time, short term and as long as those direct deposits from Uber greatly outweigh the costs that have been DEBITED from my bank account, I'm winning!!


As stated prior, you ain't making a dime for tax filing purposes at 90 cents a mile.

Win all you please from that fact. Fact is, there is ZERO money being 'really' made at 90 cents a mile no matter who tries to blow that trumpet.

The math don't lie. Drivers are deceived. Drivers can't do the math. Obviously you haven't either.


----------



## Casuale Haberdasher

docswife said:


> I never said my only cost was gas. I realize that. I will say though that my costs are minimal. I have no car note, I have no uber phone. My car gives great gas mileage and requires very little maintenance. I do this part time, short term and as long as those direct deposits from Uber greatly outweigh the costs that have been DEBITED from my bank account, I'm winning!!


POST # 19 /@docswife: The Good 
Doctor's Wife is delusional to
the the point of hysteria. Bedrest
and a Good Sedative for the missus.

Dope Slap for I.M. Clueless, M.D. for
letting his Bride get Rope-a-Doped
into this Scammy Racket!


----------



## scrurbscrud

Casuale Haberdasher said:


> POST # 19 /@docswife: The Good
> Doctor's Wife is delusional to
> the the point of hysteria. Bedrest
> and a Good Sedative for the missus.
> 
> Dope Slap for I.M. Clueless, M.D. for
> letting his Bride get Rope-a-Doped
> into this Scammy Racket!


Let's not mention anything about insurance problems and how 'doc' might have to deal with some interesting costs if his wife has an accident or his insurance get's cancelled and his rates skyrocket.

Wife's werkin...thumbs in suspenders.


----------



## docswife

UberHammer-

You make good points. Thanks for taking the time. My ultimate goal is to drive pt until April. I cant imagine driving pt 3 months will do too much harm to my vehicle. I still dont see how I'm losing or will have lost money over that time frame.


----------



## docswife

Casuale Haberdasher said:


> POST # 19 /@docswife: The Good
> Doctor's Wife is delusional to
> the the point of hysteria. Bedrest
> and a Good Sedative for the missus.
> 
> Dope Slap for I.M. Clueless, M.D. for
> letting his Bride get Rope-a-Doped
> into this Scammy Racket!


LOL!!!


----------



## DrJeecheroo

I think you'll be fine if you do it just part time.


----------



## docswife

Casuale Haberdasher said:


> POST # 19 /@docswife: The Good
> Doctor's Wife is delusional to
> the the point of hysteria. Bedrest
> and a Good Sedative for the missus.
> 
> Dope Slap for I.M. Clueless, M.D. for
> letting his Bride get Rope-a-Doped
> into this Scammy Racket!


Just so you know, my husband is NOT a doctor. If he were, I wouldn't be working part time for uber! Duh!!


----------



## DrJeecheroo

Speaking of Dallas, that must have been pandemonium during that Ebola crisis.


----------



## docswife

Part time and temporary! Only until April 2015. 

Thanks!


----------



## Sydney Uber

docswife said:


> I'm fairly new to uber (3 weeks driving part time). I've netted $1416.81 to date. I drive my 8 year old, paid for honda accord that will be handed down to my teenager in July, I get very lucky on trips headed in my direction to and from work. I make a few airport runs here and there and work common surging areas ( I certainly dont chase surges). However, I read throughout this site that we LOSE money driving at .90 per mile. $1400 windfall to my bank account in 3 weeks is not my definition of losing. Anyone care to help me understand the loss??


You're doing very well - costs are still in control. Drive that baby as hard as ypu can before handing it to your Kid. With a bit of luck nothing will break before then.

Just change your phone number so he cant find you when things go wrong with the car.!


----------



## docswife

DrJeecheroo said:


> Speaking of Dallas, that must have been pandemonium during that Ebola crisis.


INDEED!!


----------



## docswife

Sydney Uber said:


> You're doing very well - costs are still in control. Drive that baby as hard as ypu can before handing it to your Kid. With a bit of luck nothing will break before then.
> 
> Just change your phone number so he cant find you when things go wrong with the car.!


LOL!! I know right!


----------



## UberHammer

docswife said:


> UberHammer-
> 
> You make good points. Thanks for taking the time. My ultimate goal is to drive pt until April. I cant imagine driving pt 3 months will do too much harm to my vehicle. I still dont see how I'm losing or will have lost money over that time frame.


I understand. Not only are everyone's unique costs different, but everyone's financial situations are different too.

Say for example, you figured out all your costs for that $1400 in revenue, and after subtracting the costs from $1400 and dividing the result by the amount of hours you worked, you learn you made only $4.23 an hour in profit for your time Ubering. Some would say, "What a waste of time!" But that really depends. Maybe it was only $4.23 in profit, but it was $12.50 an hour in cash flow. Cash flow and profit are not the same, and sometimes people are in a financial situation where the need cash flow even though it's not profit.

A perfect example is people who sell their valuables to pawn shops. They aren't producing profit buy selling things to pawn shops for less than they paid for it, but they are producing cash flow by pawning them. Garage sales are another good example. It's not profit, as nobody buys anything at garage sales for more than what the person selling bought it for. But what the person doing the garage sale wants is cash flow. In the business world, this is called liquidation. It's turning assets into cash, not for the sake of profit, but for the sake of cash flow.

There are actually a lot of people who benefit from Ubering because they need cash flow, and Uber is a quick and easy way to liquidate the equity they own in their car without just selling the whole car all at once. Their actual profit is probably single digit dollars per hour, unless they benefit from a lot of surge rates, or are "gaming the guarantees". And in places where it's $0.65, $0.70, $0.75, etc... per mile, they could be cash flow positive while being profit negative.


----------



## docswife

scrurbscrud said:


> As stated prior, you ain't making a dime for tax filing purposes at 90 cents a mile.
> 
> Win all you please from that fact. Fact is, there is ZERO money being 'really' made at 90 cents a mile no matter who tries to blow that trumpet.
> 
> The math don't lie. Drivers are deceived. Drivers can't do the math. Obviously you haven't either.


Do you really think I'm making .90 a mile, EVERY trip?? LOL!! Ever heard of SURGE??


----------



## DrJeecheroo

Believe me docswife, we've heard of the surge. Without that and the guarantees, I think Uber would be on the brink.


----------



## Lidman

You should consider LYFT.


----------



## 3MATX

One thing that hasn't been mentioned yet is the risk of an accident. If your get into an accident while carrying a passenger your own personal insurance policy will not cover you if they learn you were driving for uber. So then you are left to rely on ubers insurance policy. I believe there are quite a few threads that prove this isn't a reliable policy for us drivers. 

So, you have to consider that with each mile your drive, you risk loosing your entire car, or worse; being forced to pay the medical bills of your passenger who got whip lash and emotional damage.


----------



## docswife

Lidman said:


> You should consider LYFT.


Why? Tips? Aren't the rates the same as Uber?


----------



## pengduck

docswife said:


> Gas in Dallas is approx 1.80, it only cost about $21 to fill up my tank. I know without a doubt I've only filled up 5 no more than 6 times. I will calculate my receipts later and let you know. So given that, I still don't understand how my operating cost can be $400?? I certainly don't care about depreciation on a car that I have driven for 8 years and will be handed down to my teenager in a few months...


You need to concern yourself with every aspect of your expenses including depreciation. That is a true cost of doing business.


----------



## docswife

pengduck said:


> You need to concern yourself with every aspect of your expenses including depreciation. That is a true cost of doing business.


For the 3rd time, I couldn't care LESS about the depreciation of a car that I've driven for 9 years in July. My teenager, soon to be senior will be driving this accord to and from school and around our neighborhood. I am purchasing a new car in July and you can best believe I wont be UBERING in it!  Thanks for the heads-up though!


----------



## brikosig

docswife said:


> I'm fairly new to uber (3 weeks driving part time). I've netted $1416.81 to date. I drive my 8 year old, paid for honda accord that will be handed down to my teenager in July, I get very lucky on trips headed in my direction to and from work. I make a few airport runs here and there and work common surging areas ( I certainly dont chase surges). However, I read throughout this site that we LOSE money driving at .90 per mile. $1400 windfall to my bank account in 3 weeks is not my definition of losing. Anyone care to help me understand the loss??


The only way to accurately assess your profit/loss is if you have all the pertinent information... which you haven't supplied us.

- What are the Total uber miles (trip miles and dead miles) you drove in those 3 weeks?

- What is the depreciation figure for Your car, (not the IRS's number)? ....is it $0.35?.... $0.40?... $0.45 per mile?? Yes, i realize you don't care about depreciation.... but a "correct" answer can't be given without it..... an 8yo honda - I'd guess $.40-$.45/mile. .....gas/maintenence/repairs/mileage inclusive.

- How many hours did you drive in those 3 weeks?

$1,417 net = approx. $1,775 gross... <<<< correct??


----------



## docswife

3MATX said:


> One thing that hasn't been mentioned yet is the risk of an accident. If your get into an accident while carrying a passenger your own personal insurance policy will not cover you if they learn you were driving for uber. So then you are left to rely on ubers insurance policy. I believe there are quite a few threads that prove this isn't a reliable policy for us drivers.
> 
> So, you have to consider that with each mile your drive, you risk loosing your entire car, or worse; being forced to pay the medical bills of your passenger who got whip lash and emotional damage.


I realize the risk I'm taking. That still doesn't mean I am losing money driving for Uber. Thanks.


----------



## UberHammer

docswife said:


> I can care LESS about the depreciation


How much less can you care? If you care a lot, it could be a lot less.


----------



## 3MATX

docswife said:


> I realize the risk I'm taking. That still doesn't mean I am losing money driving for Uber. Thanks.


No, it means you may not be losing as much money as your are yet. Accidents are inevitable, it's only a matter of time. Drive long enough and you WILL get into one whether or not it's your fault.


----------



## Oc_DriverX

docswife said:


> For the 3rd time, I couldn't care LESS about the depreciation of a car that I've driven for 9 years in July. My teenager, soon to be senior will be driving this accord to and from school and around our neighborhood. I am purchasing a new car in July and you can best believe I wont be UBERING in it!  Thanks for the heads-up though!


You should find the forum member named Barry. You and he have a lot in common.

Even if you don't believe in depreciation (or your car has little left to depreciate), every mile you drive for Uber is a mile closer to another repair. This is the thinking that might get Travis his IPO payday.


----------



## docswife

Oc_DriverX said:


> You should find the forum member named Barry. You and he have a lot in common.
> 
> Even if you don't believe in depreciation (or your car has little left to depreciate), every mile you drive for Uber is a mile closer to another repair. This is the thinking that might get Travis his IPO payday.


When that repair bill comes, I will be sure to deduct it from my PROFITS.  Btw, repair bills are inevitable. Uber, no uber.


----------



## docswife

3MATX said:


> No, it means you may not be losing as much money as your are yet. Accidents are inevitable, it's only a matter of time. Drive long enough and you WILL get into one whether or not it's your fault.


True. I wont be driving as long as some of you bitter, unhappy, non-profiting assholes though, so, no worries.


----------



## docswife

brikosig said:


> The only way to accurately assess your profit/loss is if you have all the pertinent information... which you haven't supplied us.
> 
> - What are the Total uber miles (trip miles and dead miles) you drove in those 3 weeks?
> 
> - What is the depreciation figure for Your car, (not the IRS's number)? ....is it $0.35?.... $0.40?... $0.45 per mile?? Yes, i realize you don't care about depreciation.... but a "correct" answer can't be given without it..... an 8yo honda - I'd guess $.40-$.45/mile. .....gas/maintenence/repairs/mileage inclusive.
> 
> - How many hours did you drive in those 3 weeks?
> 
> $1,417 net = approx. $1,775 gross... <<<< correct??


I will post my hours later...


----------



## chi1cabby

docswife said:


> Do you really think I'm making .90 a mile, EVERY trip?? LOL!! Ever heard of SURGE??


Howdy @docswife , welcome to the forum!
Yesterday @J.J. Smith posted an excellent analysis of his Uber driving numbers. Perhaps that will offer you some guidance.

*Does any one remember the exact date that DC fares went from $1.40 per mile to $1.25 per mile?
















*


----------



## scrurbscrud

docswife said:


> Do you really think I'm making .90 a mile, EVERY trip?? LOL!! Ever heard of SURGE??


Nope. Yer 'making' 36 cents per driven mile before costs and a smattering of surge.


----------



## 3MATX

docswife said:


> True. I wont be driving as long as some of you bitter, unhappy, non-profiting assholes though, so, no worries.


Not all of us are married to doctors either princess. How is that M.R.S. degree working for you?


----------



## brikosig

docswife said:


> True. I wont be driving as long as some of you bitter, unhappy, non-profiting assholes though, so, no worries.


*"...bitter, unhappy, non-profiting assholes..." *<<<Hahaa.... Very good!! ....I like this docswife person!

Get your miles and hours.... we can plug in an approx. depreciation if you don't want to figure it out..... and you should have a good idea of your profit margin.

Don't let the "bitter" "A-holes" on this blogs annoy you.... they would say that you're losing money if uber was paying $5/mile. There are definitely shitty parts to ubering and the company does Not give a crap about the drivers, that aside with $0 base - .15/min - $0.90/mile.....Dallas is a Very hard market to make a profit in once you take out Uber's 20% "vig" and calculate your expenses. ....and nearly impossible if there aren't many surges, so it's important you find out what the numbers are sooner than later.


----------



## brikosig

docswife said:


> I haven't been tracking mileage. Although I do plan to start next week. I can go back and use the data that uber records for each trip, right? What method do you all use for mileage tracking? I am however saving my gas/car wash receipts. Will keep any maintenance receipts as well but none so far.


Every time you leave the house to Uber reset your car's odometer to ZERO..... then record the number of miles on the odometer when you return home from your shift. It's Most important that you know the TOTAL amount of miles you drive each time. (you can get your pax miles off your uber weekly report (and your resulting dead miles)). You can download one of the free business expenses apps. to help you keep track of it. I use "Expensify".
The simplistic and inaccurate way to guesstimate profit is by simply using the 1 dead mile/1 profitable mile method. The accurate way is to know your total mileage (dead and pax mileage).... assign you're car's depreciation to all of those miles... and take that $$ off of your gross along with the 20% uber "vig".


----------



## UberxOCdriver

By the time you are ready to hand down your car you need to buy another cause that car will be used up that is your LOST


----------



## Denouber

docswife said:


> I'm fairly new to uber (3 weeks driving part time). I've netted $1416.81 to date. I drive my 8 year old, paid for honda accord that will be handed down to my teenager in July, I get very lucky on trips headed in my direction to and from work. I make a few airport runs here and there and work common surging areas ( I certainly dont chase surges). However, I read throughout this site that we LOSE money driving at .90 per mile. $1400 windfall to my bank account in 3 weeks is not my definition of losing. Anyone care to help me understand the loss??


Your gaining weight not money!


----------



## BayArea Lyft Driver

for $500 is it worth putting $1,000 miles on your car?


----------



## elelegido

docswife said:


> Gas in Dallas is approx 1.80, it only cost about $21 to fill up my tank. I know without a doubt I've only filled up 5 no more than 6 times. I will calculate my receipts later and let you know. So given that, I still don't understand how my operating cost can be $400?? I certainly don't care about depreciation on a car that I have driven for 8 years and will be handed down to my teenager in a few months...


An excellent example of the reason why Uber can cut fares


----------



## Denouber

BayArea Lyft Driver said:


> for $500 is it worth putting $1,000 miles on your car?


1star for those teeth !!!


----------



## BayArea Lyft Driver

Denouber said:


> 1star for those teeth !!!


I just went to the Dentist. they're sparkly clean!


----------



## jiwagon

I suggest you get a quote for a new transmission, and for replacing the entire suspension, brakes, tires, full interior detail, alignment. Those are the things that will wear rapidly. Oh and you have an oil change coming up soon. Get it done. How are your wiper blades? You should do a compression test on your engine by the way. Just make sure everything is ok with it so you don't break down in the middle of the road and get side swiped. Then you'll be living a nightmare.


----------



## getFubered

UberHammer said:


> I understand. Not only are everyone's unique costs different, but everyone's financial situations are different too.
> 
> Say for example, you figured out all your costs for that $1400 in revenue, and after subtracting the costs from $1400 and dividing the result by the amount of hours you worked, you learn you made only $4.23 an hour in profit for your time Ubering. Some would say, "What a waste of time!" But that really depends. Maybe it was only $4.23 in profit, but it was $12.50 an hour in cash flow. Cash flow and profit are not the same, and sometimes people are in a financial situation where the need cash flow even though it's not profit.
> 
> A perfect example is people who sell their valuables to pawn shops. They aren't producing profit buy selling things to pawn shops for less than they paid for it, but they are producing cash flow by pawning them. Garage sales are another good example. It's not profit, as nobody buys anything at garage sales for more than what the person selling bought it for. But what the person doing the garage sale wants is cash flow. In the business world, this is called liquidation. It's turning assets into cash, not for the sake of profit, but for the sake of cash flow.
> 
> There are actually a lot of people who benefit from Ubering because they need cash flow, and Uber is a quick and easy way to liquidate the equity they own in their car without just selling the whole car all at once. Their actual profit is probably single digit dollars per hour, unless they benefit from a lot of surge rates, or are "gaming the guarantees". And in places where it's $0.65, $0.70, $0.75, etc... per mile, they could be cash flow positive while being profit negative.


Good points, however there's one catch. Ppl who pawn items know they're getting bent over, as with large liquidators (they just don't care). The issue is that people driving under $1/mile, like the OP have no clue. Even more shocking is that even when they have the math literally worked out for them by you and others, they still don't see it. Or think that because they only do it part time it doesn't count lol. I don't think this is ever going to change...there is always potential legislation that could protect the ignorant from themselves but I think it's unlikely in the near future. I know others are generally against it but I feel intentional shitty service and rider dissatisfaction is our only hope...


----------



## Roogy

docswife said:


> Anyone care to help me understand the loss??


Numbers don't add up. "$100 spent on gas"? You say gas is $1.80 per gallon there. $100/1.80 = 55 gallons. A 2007 Honda Accord gets 26 city/34 highway mpg. Ubering you are probably closer to the 26 number, so let's go with 28 mpg on average. 55 gallons * 28 mpg = 1540 miles. Even if you had ZERO dead miles, which means you never have to drive to get to a ping, instead the passenger comes to you, AND every shift ends with a dropoff at your house.. Even in that outrageous scenario you would barely GROSS $1460 at $0.90 a mile.


----------



## 300zxtt

after all that. no one has mentioned yet the money to set aside to pay for taxes and self employment tax after standard irs deductions...


----------



## BayArea Lyft Driver

Self Employment Tax?


----------



## 300zxtt

BayArea Lyft Driver said:


> Self Employment Tax?


yes, are you new? You are paid 1099. it is considered self employment. have u done your taxes yet this year or no?


----------



## jiwagon

BayArea Lyft Driver said:


> Self Employment Tax?


Yes the government punishes individuality in America. We are basically in socialism now.


----------



## scrurbscrud

Roogy said:


> Numbers don't add up. "$100 spent on gas"? You say gas is $1.80 per gallon there. $100/1.80 = 55 gallons. A 2007 Honda Accord gets 26 city/34 highway mpg. Ubering you are probably closer to the 26 number, so let's go with 28 mpg on average. 55 gallons * 28 mpg = 1540 miles. Even if you had ZERO dead miles, which means you never have to drive to get to a ping, instead the passenger comes to you, AND every shift ends with a dropoff at your house.. Even in that outrageous scenario you would barely GROSS $1460 at $0.90 a mile.


If she netted before costs $1400 that means she grossed at least $1750.

$1750/90 cents a mile is 1944 paid miles. Double that for a 1/1 ratio. Drove nearly 4000 miles in 3 weeks. Part timin no less.

$100 on gas? lol

Even driving all 2X surge *unlikely* it's still a LOT of miles.


----------



## uber_sea

I actually believe her on her gas numbers. 

Most of the trips are short and you end up driving 1 mile or 2 for a $4 fare. Remember you are being paid on time driven as well.

Take a look at your dash board. Today in Seattle I took 8 trips in 8 hours and grossed $85 driving only 37 paid miles. Granted we are $1.10 per mile but the difference is probably about $10-$12.

Oh and non of my fares were surge fares.


----------



## scrurbscrud

uber_sea said:


> I actually believe her on her gas numbers.
> 
> Most of the trips are short and you end up driving 1 mile or 2 for a $4 fare. Remember you are being paid on time driven as well.
> 
> Take a look at your dash board. Today in Seattle I took 8 trips in 8 hours and grossed $85 driving only 37 paid miles. Granted we are $1.10 per mile but the difference is probably about $10-$12.
> 
> Oh and non of my fares were surge fares.


They have no drop fee in Dallas. Time pay usually runs out at about 35-40% of total time if yer busy. At 15 cents a min. that's a little over $3. per hour.

I'd say she drove at least 3,000 miles to net that number to her. Her gas number alone should be double what she claimed.


----------



## UberXinSoFlo

Don't rain on her parade, we all remember what it was like when we got our first payment statement. All that 'free' money because we didn't value our time or focus on expenses yet. 

No sense going back and forth. Like us all, she will realize it in time. 

If she doesn't value her time, does it for a few months (take no depreciation into account), then it's a nice gig.


----------



## KDub

There are some legit HATERS on most of these Uber threads!


----------



## getFubered

Oh your a LIKER of a company that makes billions off of exploiting the very people who provide the means for their revenue? Wait that's right, you drive that Chrysler 300 you uber in to teach history and the social sciences to the generations that are becoming increasingly mathematically and scientifically challenged so that this kind of scam, I mean business model isn't understood. O WAAAIITTT you're protected by the UNIONS so you don't have to worry about getting bent over. Cant wait til someone creates a technology platform that connects students with information and they're paying you a buck a student. "But we're teachers this isn't fair!" 

"Nope you're a classroomsharer"


----------



## 3MATX

KDub said:


> There are some legit HATERS on most of these Uber threads!


After driving for uber for a year and going through multiple pay cuts, it's hard to not hate the company.


----------



## jiwagon

KDub said:


> There are some legit HATERS on most of these Uber threads!


Only hater I see is you.


----------



## The Kid

DocsWife doesn't want to hear the truth, never did. If she wants to risk everything she owns and give her auto equity to Travis, so be it. Ignorance is bliss. Other new drivers will see this tread and it may help them. 
Another driver on form said,"I don't care about depreciation, my car is paid for". What can you do with that kind of ignorance. You can start a new "Sharing Business" and take advantage of them in your Billion Dollar IPO!


----------



## UberHammer

3MATX said:


> After driving for uber for a year and going through multiple pay cuts, it's hard to not hate the company.


It's easy if you're new though.


----------



## Dany

It doesn't make any difference new or 
Exp. driver still every1 makes $2.20 per fare shame!!!!!!


----------



## Dany

At the end of the day if u drive for uber not only u loose money , u loose ur time,
Ur life


----------



## KDub

jizzwagon said:


> Only hater I see is you.


That was an awesome comeback JizzWagon...bahahaha


----------



## Michael - Cleveland

docswife said:


> I've spent $3 on a case of bottle water, $20 on car washes and approx (don't have receipts in front of me) $100 in gas. That's it.


No - that's not it. And that's the mistake Uber is counting on driver's to make.

First, every mile you put on your car reduces its value by a small amount. It doesn't matter if you're giving your kid the car in July... at some point you will sell it or trade it in. It is an asset that depreciates with each mile you put on it.

Second, you are wearing out the parts on your car. Your tires are wearing out. The transmission and engine parts are all experiencing wear: you will need to replace parts like brakes, mufflers, shocks, tie-rods, control arms, cv boots. Those are real costs - even though you won't see them for awhile.

Third, if you earned $$1,400 in three weeks - and let's assume that's your NET receipt from Uber after their 20% - then that's about $465/wk. That means that you got paid to drive about 580 mjles/wk on average. I guarantee you that actually DROVE your car around twice that many miles to get paid for those 580 miles. (you had to drive to pick-up the pax - and drive after dropping off the pax). So, forget about the IRS $0.575 rate... let's use the car industry mileage rate (ie: what they estimate is the depreciation cost per mile - without considering insurance/gas/oil/tires/etc.). That's at least $0.12/mile on the very conservative side. when you add it all up your ACTUAL expense was $417.60 in mileage + $100 gas + $23 in misc = $540.60 (before insurance exp). Now, to drive those ~1,000 miles/wk took you approximately 33 hours of your time each week. If we apply something around min wage, $8, to your time, you get $792 (that's what you could have made asking 'would you like fries with that?' - and still had McBurger pay 1/2 your social security tax and be covered by workers comp). $792 + $540.66 = $1,332.66.

Fourth, your looking at your gross receipts before taxes... and you have NO CHOICE but to pay taxes on those receipts because Uber files your receipts with IRS and provides you a 1099. So that $1,416.81 is now after tax receipt of more like $1,000 (unless you are very good at managing your business expense deductions).

Or, of course, you can take the unicorns and rainbows view and just look at it like the $1,461.81 'windfall' you described.


----------



## Michael - Cleveland

docswife said:


> I certainly don't care about depreciation on a car that I have driven for 8 years and will be handed down to my teenager in a few months...


The fact that you don't care about the cost doesn't make the cost - or value of the asset - go away.
If you pay off your mortgage and decide to give the house to your daughter, it doesn't mean it didn't cost you anything or that you aren't losing money by effectively writing it's value down to zero. It's simple economics.


----------



## UberHammer

Not caring about something you are loosing is called charity. 

Charity has a lot of useful purposes in society, and should be encouraged... but a $40 billion company doesn't need it.


----------



## Michael - Cleveland

UberHammer said:


> Not caring about something you are loosing is called charity.
> Charity has a lot of useful purposes in society, and should be encouraged...


Excellent point.
So let me take back all of my painfully detailed expense explanation above and just say to the original poster:

_"Travis K and Uber thank you for your very generous donation.
A portion of your donation may be tax deductible."_


----------



## Sacto Burbs

How come no one sends newbies to this calculator? On page one ...

https://uberpeople.net/pages/EarningsCalculator/

How many of you have used it?


----------



## UberHammer

Sacto Burbs said:


> How come no one sends newbies to this calculator? On page one ...
> 
> https://uberpeople.net/pages/EarningsCalculator/
> 
> How many of you have used it?


I don't use it because I don't understand why it asks for both "car cost per mile" AND "miles per gallon/price per gallon".

When I calculate my costs per mile, it includes gas. And if I take gas out of my car cost per mile, then my car costs per mile are only $0.22, and the lowest option in the page is $0.30.


----------



## Michael - Cleveland

And to use it, you have to be smart enough to enter your actual, TOTAL miles driven - not just the paid miles reported by Uber.


----------



## BayArea Lyft Driver

300zxtt said:


> yes, are you new? You are paid 1099. it is considered self employment. have u done your taxes yet this year or no?


I just started couple weeks ago. So no taxes for last year, I'll be calling up my tax lady and get it figured out. I don't know if you have to pay extra cause your 10-99'd


----------



## Michael - Cleveland

BayArea Lyft Driver said:


> I just started couple weeks ago. So no taxes for last year, I'll be calling up my tax lady and get it figured out. I don't know if you have to pay extra cause your 10-99'd


It's not a matter of 'extra'. It is income - on which you have to pay income tax (around 25%) and social security tax (15.6%) and unemployment taxes and local taxes. You can't hide the income because it is reported by Uber. However, if you keep accurate and detailed records, your expenses will come pretty close to your income - so the tax burden should be minimized (because you're not really making any money).


----------



## Fuzzyelvis

she won't be able to deduct anything for the business because she's not keeping track of the mileage anyway.by the way whoever keeps telling people to set the Odometer to 0 and do it that way no you need to write down the actual odometer reading or the IRS will laugh at you


----------



## Fuzzyelvis

writE="3toxtt, post: 194226, member: 8328"]after all that. no one has mentioned yet the money to set aside to pay for taxes and self employment tax after standard irs deductions...[/QUOTE]
she won't be able to deduct anything for the business because she's not keeping track of the mileage anyway.by the way whoever keeps telling people to set the Odometer to 0 and do it that way no you need to write down the actual odometer reading or the IRS will laugh at you


Sacto Burbs said:


> How come no one sends newbies to this calculator? On page one ...
> 
> https://uberpeople.net/pages/EarningsCalculator/
> 
> How many of you have used it?





UberHammer said:


> I don't use it because I don't understand why it asks for both "car cost per mile" AND "miles per gallon/price per gallon".
> 
> When I calculate my costs per mile, it includes gas. And if I take gas out of my car cost per mile, then my car costs per mile are only $0.22, and the lowest option in the page is $0.30.


I have the exact same issues with it


----------



## Luberon

docswife said:


> I never said my only cost was gas. I realize that. I will say though that my costs are minimal. I have no car note, I have no uber phone. My car gives great gas mileage and requires very little maintenance. I do this part time, short term and as long as those direct deposits from Uber greatly outweigh the costs that have been DEBITED from my bank account, I'm winning!!


You are using your sons future car to make money today, which is not a bad thing. Just remember that when he comes in 2 years with a broken ******. Dont do the typical mom thing "I took care of this car for 9 good years, now you broke it down in what, 6 months??"


----------



## scrurbscrud

The Kid said:


> DocsWife doesn't want to hear the truth, never did. If she wants to risk everything she owns and give her auto equity to Travis, so be it. Ignorance is bliss. Other new drivers will see this tread and it may help them.
> Another driver on form said,"I don't care about depreciation, my car is paid for". What can you do with that kind of ignorance. You can start a new "Sharing Business" and take advantage of them in your Billion Dollar IPO!


Gas ain't an expense either. Heck it's only $20 a month using the min. payment on the credit card.


----------



## docswife

Week 1: 19.5 hours
Week 2: 22 hours 
Week 3: 33.5 hours

You guys are a bunch of comedians I see! How many of you are still driving and making NO money ?!


----------



## Desert Driver

docswife said:


> I'm fairly new to uber (3 weeks driving part time). I've netted $1416.81 to date. I drive my 8 year old, paid for honda accord that will be handed down to my teenager in July, I get very lucky on trips headed in my direction to and from work. I make a few airport runs here and there and work common surging areas ( I certainly dont chase surges). However, I read throughout this site that we LOSE money driving at .90 per mile. $1400 windfall to my bank account in 3 weeks is not my definition of losing. Anyone care to help me understand the loss??


Have you checked your auto's CPM?


----------



## docswife

Desert Driver said:


> Have you checked your auto's CPM?


What's that? If you're going to tell me more about depriciation, please, dont.


----------



## docswife

I also gathered my gas receipts, $127 is what I've spent on gas. No reason to lie. Believe what you will.


----------



## scrurbscrud

docswife said:


> Week 1: 19.5 hours
> Week 2: 22 hours
> Week 3: 33.5 hours
> 
> You guys are a bunch of comedians I see! How many of you are still driving and making NO money ?!


It's all in the definition of 'make,' baby.

By most counts here we know that in order for you to 'GROSS' before expenses, $1400. Ubers Gross (before their cut) is $1750.

To 'make' $1750 gross before Uber's cut you probably drove at least a couple thousand miles.

A couple thousand miles around here have real costs. At a conservative 30 cents a mile you SPENT $600 to 'make' that $1400, meaning *you NETTED about $800 after COSTS or about 10 bucks an hour. And most of us would probably believe that.*


----------



## docswife

3MATX said:


> Not all of us are married to doctors either princess. How is that M.R.S. degree working for you?


Do you really think a doctors wife would be driving for uber, sweetheart ? Smh


----------



## Sacto Burbs

I'm independently wealthy, and I am driving for Uber ...


----------



## docswife

scrurbscrud said:


> It's all in the definition of 'make,' baby.
> 
> By most counts here we know that in order for you to 'GROSS' before expenses, $1400. Ubers Gross (before their cut) is $1750.
> 
> To 'make' $1750 gross before Uber's cut you probably drove at least a couple thousand miles.
> 
> A couple thousand miles around here have real costs. At a conservative 30 cents a mile you SPENT $600 to 'make' that $1400, meaning *you NETTED about $800 after COSTS or about 10 bucks an hour. And most of us would probably believe that.*


THANKS for the insight.


----------



## docswife

Sacto Burbs said:


> I'm independently wealthy, and I am driving for Uber ...


Why??


----------



## docswife

Luberon said:


> You are using your sons future car to make money today, which is not a bad thing. Just remember that when he comes in 2 years with a broken ******. Dont do the typical mom thing "I took care of this car for 9 good years, now you broke it down in what, 6 months??"


Yup, because driving approx 25 hours a week for a few months is going to really ruin my transmission, right?? You guys Crack me up!!


----------



## scrurbscrud

Michael - Cleveland said:


> It's not a matter of 'extra'. It is income - on which you have to pay income tax (around 25%) and social security tax (15.6%) and unemployment taxes and local taxes. You can't hide the income because it is reported by Uber. However, if you keep accurate and detailed records, your expenses will come pretty close to your income - so the tax burden should be minimized *(because you're not really making any money)*.


Bingo! And neither is little Miss Texas.


----------



## docswife

Roogy said:


> Numbers don't add up. "$100 spent on gas"? You say gas is $1.80 per gallon there. $100/1.80 = 55 gallons. A 2007 Honda Accord gets 26 city/34 highway mpg. Ubering you are probably closer to the 26 number, so let's go with 28 mpg on average. 55 gallons * 28 mpg = 1540 miles. Even if you had ZERO dead miles, which means you never have to drive to get to a ping, instead the passenger comes to you, AND every shift ends with a dropoff at your house.. Even in that outrageous scenario you would barely GROSS $1460 at $0.90 a mile.


----------



## docswife

scrurbscrud said:


> Bingo! And neither is little Miss Texas.


You've seen my numbers. I haven't "lost" any money. I've in fact made profit. I cant speak for long term but as I've said several times throughout this thread, this is a short term thing for me. Sorry if Uber disappointed you guys...


----------



## Lidman

Your welcome


----------



## scrurbscrud

docswife said:


> You've seen my numbers. I haven't "lost" any money. I've in fact made profit. I cant speak for long term but as I've said several times throughout this thread, this is a short term thing for me. Sorry if Uber disappointed you guys...


Look, none of us here believe anyone makes an IRS profit at 90 cents a mile so please spare us the one screen shot pix claiming everything is gravy but the gas. That's just driver idiocy.

The math reality of Uber at 90 cents a mile IS THIS:

You get 72 cents a mile after Uber's cut. With me so far? Then that has to be 'spread' over the TOTAL MILES driven. It's usually 50% paid miles and 50% dead miles (traveling to a pickup and trolling for fares.) So your GROSS cash receipts per mile before expenses are applied is 36 cents. Still with me here?

NOW, the IRS deduction for mileage cost is 57 cents per mile driven. You are getting 36 cents per mile driven.

How much money did you MAKE?

Not one damn DIME in taxable profit or an hourly wage.

The math don't lie. Drivers can't do math. You are a prime example of this. Sorry.


----------



## Roogy

The screenshot of your payment summaries wasn't helpful. The thing is you can't get to that dollar amount on $100 of gas, or on $127 of gas, unless you are using fuzzy math like only counting gas consumed while someone was in your vehicle. Especially in Dallas with things so spaced out, you probably drive at least one mile for every one mile of fares.


----------



## docswife

scrurbscrud said:


> Look, none of us here believe anyone makes an IRS profit at 90 cents a mile so please spare us the one screen shot pix claiming everything is gravy but the gas. That's just driver idiocy.
> 
> The math reality of Uber at 90 cents a mile IS THIS:
> 
> You get 72 cents a mile after Uber's cut. With me so far? Then that has to be 'spread' over the TOTAL MILES driven. It's usually 50% paid miles and 50% dead miles (traveling to a pickup and trolling for fares.) So your GROSS cash receipts per mile before expenses are applied is 36 cents. Still with me here?
> 
> NOW, the IRS deduction for mileage cost is 57 cents per mile driven. You are getting 36 cents per mile driven.
> 
> How much money did you MAKE?
> 
> Not one damn DIME in taxable profit or an hourly wage.
> 
> The math don't lie. Drivers can't do math. You are a prime example of this. Sorry.


I don't troll for fares, are you kidding me ?! Sorry if that's what you had to do in YOUR neck of the woods! I log on during rush hour and get back to back pings that are hardly EVER more than 2-3 miles away. I pick up a guy every morning on my way to work and drop him off 1 mile away from my job and that pays me $25 each time ! Sweet, I know!

I do math very well, thanks.


----------



## Roogy

OK well after you give your car to your son you should consider continuing to drive for Uber with a new car. Uber offers some sweet leases through Santander.


----------



## docswife

Sorry the screen shot didn't help you. Aren't you the one that said it's no possible way I could have netted $1460??? Welp, screen shot proves you wrong!!


----------



## docswife

Roogy said:


> The screenshot of your payment summaries wasn't helpful. The thing is you can't get to that dollar amount on $100 of gas, or on $127 of gas, unless you are using fuzzy math like only counting gas consumed while someone was in your vehicle. Especially in Dallas with things so spaced out, you probably drive at least one mile for every one mile of fares.





Roogy said:


> OK well after you give your car to your son you should consider continuing to drive for Uber with a new car. Uber offers some sweet leases through Santander.


HA!!! Speaking from experience, huh? Mr Bitter! Thanks but no thanks! I have ZERO plans to Uber in my new vehicle...


----------



## Roogy

docswife said:


> Sorry the screen shot didn't help you. Aren't you the one that said it's no possible way I could have netted $1460??? Welp, screen shot proves you wrong!!


I said its not possible to net $1460 on $100 of gas. The math doesn't work. Not on $127 either. Not at 90 cents a mile. Your back-to-back pings 2-3 miles away don't help either because those are minimum fares in which Uber gets 40%.


----------



## scrurbscrud

docswife said:


> I don't troll for fares, are you kidding me ?!


B.S. Everyone who gets a pax to an outlying area DRIVES BACK to pay zones. You are no exception.



> Sorry if that's what you had to do in YOUR neck of the woods! I log on during rush hour and get back to back pings that are hardly EVER more than *2-3 miles away*.


Uh, yeah. Those are called DEAD miles and are part of the total miles driven. These are ADDED to the DEAD MILES you drive back to PAY ZONE miles. If you say all your pax only get delivered to PAY ZONE you're just full of it.



> I pick up a guy every morning on my way to work and drop him off 1 mile away from my job and that pays me $25 each time ! Sweet, I know!


Yeah, and the 50 mile round trip you made doesn't count for mileage either!
*
snore*


> I do math very well, thanks.


Yeah, which is why you don't even know your total mileage and don't count anything for donating your vehicle miles. Your a 'gas only' cost counter, and a poor one at that.

*snore*


----------



## docswife

Back to back pings are minimum fares only??? Huh? Where do you get this sh** from?! Ok, whatever...


----------



## Roogy

docswife said:


> HA!!! Speaking from experience, huh? Mr Bitter! Thanks but no thanks! I have ZERO plans to Uber in my new vehicle...


Not bitter. I did it for 3 months in Seattle when it was $1.35/mile and my net was in the range of $15 per hour after gas. That was being really selective in how I drove to maximize my profits per hour. If I had been getting .90 a mile my hourly would've been more like $10.


----------



## scrurbscrud

Roogy said:


> Not bitter. I did it for 3 months in Seattle when it was $1.35/mile and my net was in the range of $15 per hour after gas. That was being really selective in how I drove to maximize my profits per hour. If I had been getting .90 a mile my hourly would've been more like $10.


She probably doesn't do any net $2.40 to her fares or if she does them it's at the churn rate of 10 an hour...


----------



## docswife

Roogy said:


> I said its not possible to net $1460 on $100 of gas. The math doesn't work. Not on $127 either. Not at 90 cents a mile. Your back-to-back pings 2-3 miles away don't help either because those are minimum fares in which Uber gets 40%.


Yup, all minimum fares...


----------



## Lidman

I'm sure you're probably profiting. It's smart just to do it part time. I do that with lyft. I think if you drove for uber full time you might be in the red on the long term. If uber continues to slash rates that is.


----------



## Sacto Burbs

docswife said:


> Why??


Because it is an adventure ...


----------



## Uber Math Professor

docswife said:


> I haven't been tracking mileage. Although I do plan to start next week. I can go back and use the data that uber records for each trip, right? What method do you all use for mileage tracking? I am however saving my gas/car wash receipts. Will keep any maintenance receipts as well but none so far.


When you start tracking mileage you realize that at BEST you are cashing out the value of your car for money now.

For instance if you were to take your car around to get an idea of what you could sell it for now. Then drive seriously for uber for two months. Go back and get offers for your cars value after all that mileage. What you earned from Uber will probably be similar to the price difference of your car's now lower value.

You are gonna be SHOCKED when you realize how much mileage you have to put on your car to even earn a decent amount every day. And that's not even paying you for the hours you spend behind the wheel.

To earn enough to live on I would have to drive for about 5 hours everyday. That is how long the drive from LA to San Francisco is. That is a LOT OF DRIVING


----------



## Lidman

Why? Because we like you.... U-B-E-R


----------



## Sacto Burbs

@docswife has figured it out - the real idea of "rideshare". She is going to work anyway, has an empty seat and takes along someone who pays her. We all wish we were that lucky.

She maximizes her time during rush hour. We are all envious because she had made her commute profitable and has back to back pings. Her car is almost fully depreciated as it is.

Well done @docswife. Badly behaved trolls should not be indulged. Make them ask nicely. Making them say pretty please wont do them any harm, and would brighten my day considerably.


----------



## docswife

For the 4th or 5th time, I DO NOT plan to sell my car. It has no value as its been in 2 wrecks, I wouldn't buy it after checking car facts! I DO NOT care about high miles. It already has 160,000 on it. If you haven't heard by now, Hondas will go past 200,000 miles EASY!!


----------



## Uber Math Professor

docswife said:


> Gas in Dallas is approx 1.80, it only cost about $21 to fill up my tank. I know without a doubt I've only filled up 5 no more than 6 times. I will calculate my receipts later and let you know. So given that, I still don't understand how my operating cost can be $400?? I certainly don't care about depreciation on a car that I have driven for 8 years and will be handed down to my teenager in a few months...


I really wish you the best of luck. But what others are saying about Uber being not profitable is true. Don't forget that you are also putting a lot of time and effort into it too.

Don't get any traffic tickets because your Uber earnings will be gone in a second.

And lord help you if you get in a wreck. See the most COSTLY thing about driving for Uber is the amount of RISK you are taking. Even if you are a great drivwr, the more time you spend driving the more your chance of an accident goes up. Also, the more chance you have of getting robbed or assaulted.


----------



## scrurbscrud

She's a gas cost only gal. Apparently people are giving away 8 year old Honda's with 160,000 miles on them for FREE FREE FREE to Uber with.

*Hey, why don't you just send me that title and I'll come and fetch it?*


----------



## Lidman

docswife said:


> For the 4th or 5th time, I DO NOT plan to sell my car. It has no value as its been in 2 wrecks, I wouldn't buy it after checking car facts! I DO NOT care about high miles. It already has 160,000 on it. If you haven't heard by now, Hondas will go past 200,000 miles EASY!!


 I'm sure you'll do just fine. It's good you're able to use a vehicle like a Honda. BTW if SactoBurbs comes to Dallas and you get her as a pax, make sure you have both hands on the steering wheel.


----------



## Sydney Uber

UberHammer said:


> How much less can you care? If you care a lot, it could be a lot less.


Depreciation is an unseen and often forgotten cost.

I'd be broke if I forgot about it.

Over here you can claim a Tax Deduction for depreciation.

Even if a vehicle is only used part time then the deduction is reflected in a percentage of the depreciation.

1st year example 25% depreciation (Ozstralia)

1st year $30,000 car = $7500.00 deduction
2nd yr. $22,500 car = $5625.00 deduction
3rd yr. $16,875 car = $4218.75 deduction

if you UBER part time that those deduction can also be applied against taxable income from other jobs. Say only 50% of the miles you clock up are Attributable to UBERING then those deductibles are reduced by 50%.

Compared with the flat 57cents per mile, this method with all the paperwork and record keeping may be more trouble but provide higher returns


----------



## Michael - Cleveland

docswife said:


> Yup, because driving approx 25 hours a week for a few months is going to really ruin my transmission, right?? You guys Crack me up!!


LOL! famous last words. Somehow I don't think you'll be back here in 3 months to tell us how your muffler fell off or your front rotors needed to be replaced or you broke a strut, or ...


----------



## Sacto Burbs

Lidman said:


> I'm sure you'll do just fine. It's good you're able to use a vehicle like a Honda. BTW if SactoBurbs comes to Dallas and you get her as a pax, make sure you have both hands on the steering wheel.


You bet. But She'll get a 5* no matter what ... And a tip


----------



## Simon

docswife said:


> For the 4th or 5th time, I DO NOT plan to sell my car. It has no value as its been in 2 wrecks, I wouldn't buy it after checking car facts! I DO NOT care about high miles. It already has 160,000 on it. If you haven't heard by now, Hondas will go past 200,000 miles EASY!!


But what about tires, brakes,rotors,oil changes,filters and other wear items that will wear faster than normal? You will need to factor those costs in. have you?


----------



## Desert Driver

docswife said:


> What's that? If you're going to tell me more about depriciation, please, dont.


If you don't know what your car's CPM is or how to find it, you really have no idea whether you're making money or how much money you're making. And if you don't know what CPM stands for, you really haven't done adequate research prior to signing on with Uber/Lyft.


----------



## docswife

Desert Driver said:


> If you don't know what your car's CPM is or how to find it, you really have no idea whether you're making money or how much money you're making.


Gee, thanks.


----------



## docswife

Desert Driver said:


> If you don't know what your car's CPM is or how to find it, you really have no idea whether you're making money or how much money you're making.


Care to share how much you're REALLY making!??


----------



## Desert Driver

docswife said:


> Gee, thanks.


No need to thank me. I'm here to help.


----------



## docswife

Help what?


----------



## Desert Driver

docswife said:


> Care to share how much you're REALLY making!??


Depends on the night and the surge rate, but I'm averaging between $14 and $16 per hour and my car's CPM is $.262. Why?


----------



## Desert Driver

docswife said:


> Help what?


No need to thank me.


----------



## UberHammer

docswife said:


> Help what?


People from unknowingly being exploited by Uber.


----------



## docswife

Desert Driver said:


> Depends on the night and the surge rate, but I'm averaging between $14 and $16 per hour and my car's CPM is $.262. Why?


Oh, so you're "Making" money, too??


----------



## Desert Driver

Sydney Uber said:


> Depreciation is an unseen and often forgotten cost.
> 
> I'd be broke if I forgot about it.
> 
> Over here you can claim a Tax Deduction for depreciation.
> 
> Even if a vehicle is only used part time then the deduction is reflected in a percentage of the depreciation.
> 
> 1st year example 25% depreciation (Ozstralia)
> 
> 1st year $30,000 car = $7500.00 deduction
> 2nd yr. $22,500 car = $5625.00 deduction
> 3rd yr. $16,875 car = $4218.75 deduction
> 
> if you UBER part time that those deduction can also be applied against taxable income from other jobs. Say only 50% of the miles you clock up are Attributable to UBERING then those deductibles are reduced by 50%.
> 
> Compared with the flat 57cents per mile, this method with all the paperwork and record keeping may be more trouble but provide higher returns


But once the asset is fully depreciated, you can no longer claim depreciation expense. On the other hand, at $.57 per mile, you can continue to claim that cost long after the asset is fully depreciated. It is for that very reason that I was able to buy my Honda Fit new in 2007 for $18.5K, but have since claimed in excess of $75k in expenses by using the IRS-allowed $.57 per mile. Had I used the depreciation method, my allowable expenses would have stopped at $18.5K, with the exception of fuel and maintenance. But in my case, my CPM is $.262, so with a mileage allowance of $.57, I make money before a pax ever opens my car door because I use the allowance as an offset to the income I earn from my other businesses.


----------



## chi1cabby

*Okay This Needs To Be Said!*

Forum Members @uberpeople.net please stop badgering @docswife . Many of you have made the same arguments about the hidden costs of Driving for Uber.
@docswife has already stated:
1) She's doing this part-time for a few months only.
2) She's driving a 8 year old car, that she'll be giving to her son, and that she does not care about other vehicle related costs besides gas.

This pattern of badgering New forum members was also evident in @KDub thread
*WHY COMPLAIN...just stop driving!!!*


----------



## Desert Driver

docswife said:


> Oh, so you're "Making" money, too??


Yes, but not a lot. There's no way in hell drivers can earn the kind of hourly rates Uber pimps out to us. And if you don't know your CPM, you really have no idea how much you're actually making.


----------



## Desert Driver

chi1cabby said:


> *Okay This Needs To Be Said!*
> 
> Forum Members please stop badgering @docswife . Many of you have made the same arguments about the hidden costs of Driving for Uber.
> @docswife has already stated:
> 1) She's doing this part-time for a few months only.
> 2) She's driving a 8 year old car, that she'll be giving to her son, and that she does not care about other vehicle related costs besides gas.
> 
> This pattern of badgering New forum members was also evident in @KDub thread
> *WHY COMPLAIN...just stop driving!!!*


Desert Driver never badgers. Desert Driver only educates and assists. That's one of the many services the ol' caballero provides.


----------



## UberHammer

Desert Driver said:


> But once the asset is fully depreciated, you can no longer claim depreciation expense. On the other hand, at $.57 per mile, you can continue to claim that cost long after the asset is fully depreciated. It is for that very reason that I was able to buy my Honda Fit new in 2007 for $18.5K, but have since claimed in excess of $75k in expenses by using the IRS-allowed $.57 per mile. Had I used the depreciation method, my expenses would have stopped at $18.5K, with the exception of fuel and maintenance. But in my case. my CPM is $.262, so with a mileage allowance of $.57, I make money before a pax ever opens my car door because I use the allowance as an offset to the income I earn from my other businesses.


A fully depreciated vehicle only has useable miles because the owner is constantly replacing all the original parts of the vehicle with new parts which have a new amounts of useable miles.

So while depreciation would be reported on the itemization at $0 by the business accountant, the maintenance costs would be so high they would still benefit by itemizing on the taxes, assuming of course itemizing is higher than just claiming the standard IRS mileage deduction.

Most Uber driver's costs are going to be below the IRS standard deduction, so very few should be itemizing anyway. But I have to laugh at those who say they have low depreciation costs, because they are at a point where maintenances costs are rising quickly, and will reach a point where it's probably cheaper to just buy a new car.


----------



## Desert Driver

UberHammer said:


> A fully depreciated vehicle only has useable miles because the owner is constantly replacing all the original parts of the vehicle with new parts which have a new amounts of useable miles.
> 
> So while depreciation would be reported on the itemization at $0 by the business accountant, the maintenance costs would be so high they would still benefit by itemizing on the taxes, assuming of course itemizing is higher than just claiming the standard IRS mileage deduction.
> 
> Most Uber driver's costs are going to be below the IRS standard deduction, so very few should be itemizing anyway. But I have to laugh at those who say they have low depreciation costs, because they are at a point where maintenances costs are rising quickly, and will reach a point where it's probably cheaper to just buy a new car.


Exactly. Well stated. In my case, I have to itemize because I own two other businesses outside of my Uber driving and I own a couple rental houses, so I am always looking for means to lower my taxable income. So, piling up miles on my car (whether earning fares or not) actually helps me with my taxes because each mile that clicks onto my odometer lowers my taxable income by 57 cents.


----------



## docswife

chi1cabby said:


> *Okay This Needs To Be Said!*
> 
> Forum Members @uberpeople.net please stop badgering @docswife . Many of you have made the same arguments about the hidden costs of Driving for Uber.
> @docswife has already stated:
> 1) She's doing this part-time for a few months only.
> 2) She's driving a 8 year old car, that she'll be giving to her son, and that she does not care about other vehicle related costs besides gas.
> 
> This pattern of badgering New forum members was also evident in @KDub thread
> *WHY COMPLAIN...just stop driving!!!*


THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!


----------



## Desert Driver

docswife said:


> THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!


Again, no need to thank us. This is a forum. We're here to help. Well, most of us, anyway.


----------



## Sacto Burbs

A well bred person always says thank you. Any well bred person also replies don't mention it, no need to thank me.

Reading such pleasantries on this forum is quite delightful.

As to the trolls I say f*ck em.


----------



## Sacto Burbs

I think when a new driver wants to know if Uber is worth it, this should be our first question: What is your car worth?

Second, what is the depreciation schedule ?

Only then ask about their driving experience.


----------



## docswife

Sacto Burbs said:


> View attachment 5480
> 
> 
> I think when a new driver wants to know if Uber is worth it, this should be our first question: What is your car worth?
> 
> Second, what is the depreciation schedule ?
> 
> Only then ask about their driving experience.


Sacto are you driving for both Lyft/Uber? What kind of car do you drive? Thanks for the KBB snapshot but my honda is 2006...I get your point though.


----------



## Desert Driver

Sacto Burbs said:


> View attachment 5480
> 
> 
> I think when a new driver wants to know if Uber is worth it, this should be our first question: What is your car worth?
> 
> Second, what is the depreciation schedule ?
> 
> Only then ask about their driving experience.


Also, what is the CPM (Cost per Mile) to operate the car you plan to use for Uber/Lyft. Here's the DOE calculator for figuring out how much it *really* costs to operate any given car.

http://www.afdc.energy.gov/calc/


----------



## Desert Driver

docswife said:


> Sacto are you driving for both Lyft/Uber? What kind of car do you drive? Thanks for the KBB snapshot but my honda is 2006...I get your point though.


Docsbride - to calculate your CPM (cost per mile) use this handy tool.

http://www.afdc.energy.gov/calc/


----------



## Sacto Burbs

I am driving a 2013 Mazda5 that's underwater by $3000 on its loan. 

Only 25 MPG city driving. 

I have squandered about 4000 miles to date with much less than $1500 to show for it.

I most certainly am not driving for the money. I hate rush hour driving, and I won't drive drunks, so I sit at home looking at the surges. 

Lyft currently earns me more in Sacramento, but I just went down to San Francisco for the first time to drive Uber there. A once a month jaunt to San Francisco paid for by a few hours Uber driving sounds like fun to me. 

I am the poster child of what not to do if you want to make money.


----------



## Desert Driver

Sacto Burbs said:


> I am driving a 2013 Mazda5 that's underwater by $3000 on its loan.
> 
> Only 25 MPG city driving.
> 
> I have squandered about 4000 miles to date with much less than $1500 to show for it.
> 
> I most certainly am not driving for the money. I hate rush hour driving, and I won't drive drunks, so I sit at home looking at the surges.
> 
> Lyft currently earns me more in Sacramento, but I just went down to San Francisco for the first time to drive Uber there. A once a month jaunt to San Francisco paid for by a few hours Uber driving sounds like fun to me.
> 
> I am the poster child of what not to do if you want to make money.


Go easy on yourself. We've all been poster children for how to lose money. That's why I now follow some simple rules.

Don't pick up paxs rated lower than 4.6
Don't accept pings that are behind you when you're in motion
Don't accept pings that are more than 10 minutes from your current location
Once I started getting smarter and more selective about who I drive and what pings I accept, my hourly wages went up, while my odometer stopped piling up uncompensated miles.


----------



## scrurbscrud

chi1cabby said:


> *Okay This Needs To Be Said!
> she does not care about other vehicle related costs besides gas.*


*
Claims of making money with gas cost only are lies. Stating it's not true is not badgering, but stating truth.

No one has said people can't drive for peanut money if they want to.



This pattern of badgering New forum members was also evident in @KDub thread
WHY COMPLAIN...just stop driving!!!

Click to expand...

Stating math fact is not complaining nor does not driving for 90 cents a mile stop anyone from complaining about the truthfully bad business deal at 90 cents a mile.

Not doing it does not relinquish a right to speak truthfully about it i.e. just because you do quit it doesn't and should not equate to not speaking about it.

Travis would really like ex drivers to shut up. *


----------



## docswife

Desert Driver said:


> Go easy on yourself. We've all been poster children for how to lose money. That's why I now follow some simple rules.
> 
> Don't pick up paxs rated lower than 4.6
> Don't accept pings that are behind you when you're in motion
> Don't accept pings that are more than 10 minutes from your current location
> Once I started getting smarter and more selective about who I drive and what pings I accept, my hourly wages went up, while my odometer stopped piling up uncompensated miles.


Very good rules Desert Driver and I do follow these rules with the exception of the first. Why not pick up a 4.6??


----------



## docswife

scrurbscrud said:


> *Claims of making money with gas cost only are lies. Stating it's not true is not badgering, but stating truth.
> 
> No one has said people can't drive for peanut money if they want to.
> 
> Stating math fact is not complaining nor does not driving for 90 cents a mile stop anyone from complaining about the truthfully bad business deal at 90 cents a mile.
> 
> Not doing it does not relinquish a right to speak truthfully about it i.e. just because you do quit it doesn't and should not equate to not speaking about it.
> 
> Travis would really like ex drivers to shut up. *


Stop driving for .90 a mile and drive surges only, DUH! Or at least majority surge...


----------



## docswife

This is happening in my neck of the woods ! Holla at yall later..


----------



## scrurbscrud

docswife said:


> Stop driving for .90 a mile and drive surges only, DUH! Or at least majority surge...


Yeah. Every driver quickly changes to their I only drive surge when they see the real math at 90 cents per mile.

Had you started your story with that you wouldn't have received the math lesson. We all know making money is possible with surge only. That's a different approach that has other interesting issues, not all in behalf of drivers.


----------



## docswife

scrurbscrud said:


> Yeah. Every driver quickly changes to their I only drive surge when they see the real math at 90 cents per mile.
> 
> Had you started your story with that you wouldn't have received the math lesson. We all know making money is possible with surge only. That's a different approach that has other interesting issues, not all in behalf of drivers.


I take $4 fares too! Just not many of em'!


----------



## scrurbscrud

docswife said:


> I take $4 fares too! Just not many of em'!


From your previous clip it appears that 22% of your fares were min. Fare runs (2 out of 9).

If yer app on and no surge they are unavoidable. And they really spoil the gig.


----------



## docswife

scrurbscrud said:


> From your previous clip it appears that 22% of your fares were min. Fare runs (2 out of 9).
> 
> If yer app on and no surge they are unavoidable. And they really spoil the gig.


Surge gone, I'm gone. Playing it smart for the most part. I will take 20% any day!


----------



## scrurbscrud

docswife said:


> Surge gone, I'm gone. Playing it smart for the most part. I will take 20% any day!


Surge is always hit n miss and mostly very early and very late hours.


----------



## chi1cabby

scrurbscrud said:


> Travis would really like ex drivers to shut up.


You've made 18 posts on this thread, essentially making the same point.
https://uberpeople.net/search/4270704/
That is badgering.

If forum members want another way to educate New Drivers on the the hidden costs of Driving for Uber, I suggest a more proactive & productive outlet. Post @uberpeople.net links on Uber related articles in order to grow the forum with New Drivers.

I posted these comments on Uber articles just today:








http://www.latimes.com/business/technology/la-fi-tn-uber-la-public-transport-20150226-story.html#









http://www.theverge.com/2015/2/27/8119875/uber-won-me-over-with-its-free-rides-in-seoul#comments









http://www.bethesdanow.com/2015/02/...il&utm_term=0_45ad56dcf7-9219e6f4d6-391126829









http://www.opb.org/news/article/npr...r-bill-to-write-uber-style-services-into-law/


----------



## scrurbscrud

chi1cabby said:


> You've made 18 posts on this thread, essentially making the same point.
> https://uberpeople.net/search/4270704/
> That is badgering.


I've made hundreds of posts about Uber math reality and insurance reality and so have others.

It's done to counter driver ignorance and Uber shilling.

And you do the same Mr Pot. Daily and more than any of us.

If I'm a badger you're The Honey King Badger.


----------



## UberHammer

I stand corrected!

You are actually making MORE in profit than what Uber pays you! That's right, driving your car around naturally makes money. When you add on Uber's trip earnings to it, it's even MORE MONEY!!! 

It's crazy how the math works out like that, but the math doesn't lie. Consider yourself lucky that you found out about this before the rest of the US population does, because as soon as they do, they'll be flocking to this lucrative stream of revenue you've stumbled upon. 

I'm kicking myself for having done the math wrong and concluding the car is a liability. Stupid me. I've lost months of revenue because of this. I better start cracking to make up for it.

UBER ON!!!


----------



## Sydney Uber

Desert Driver said:


> But once the asset is fully depreciated, you can no longer claim depreciation expense. On the other hand, at $.57 per mile, you can continue to claim that cost long after the asset is fully depreciated. It is for that very reason that I was able to buy my Honda Fit new in 2007 for $18.5K, but have since claimed in excess of $75k in expenses by using the IRS-allowed $.57 per mile. Had I used the depreciation method, my allowable expenses would have stopped at $18.5K, with the exception of fuel and maintenance. But in my case, my CPM is $.262, so with a mileage allowance of $.57, I make money before a pax ever opens my car door because I use the allowance as an offset to the income I earn from my other businesses.


You are correct if holding onto a car longer, and if the capital outlay isnt so high. You can get great deductible value out of a cheap car that costs little to run.

In the Black car game the capital cost is much higher, the vehicle is kept 3-5 yrs maximum, and a big part of business are A/D (as directed) bookings where you sit around for hours not going anywhere and earning an hourly rate. The cpm deduction doesn't work when you are avoiding miles!


----------



## Sydney Uber

Desert Driver said:


> But once the asset is fully depreciated, you can no longer claim depreciation expense. On the other hand, at $.57 per mile, you can continue to claim that cost long after the asset is fully depreciated. It is for that very reason that I was able to buy my Honda Fit new in 2007 for $18.5K, but have since claimed in excess of $75k in expenses by using the IRS-allowed $.57 per mile. Had I used the depreciation method, my allowable expenses would have stopped at $18.5K, with the exception of fuel and maintenance. But in my case, my CPM is $.262, so with a mileage allowance of $.57, I make money before a pax ever opens my car door because I use the allowance as an offset to the income I earn from my other businesses.


One other question, once the depriciation Schedule is used, if the car cant then change to a cpm deduction rate - unless its sold by the entity and "starts a new life" in the business owned by another party.

To give new drivers in this business a "start" those that show promise as a driver for one of my cars are offered an "equity lease" to continue driving for me for say another 12- 18 months.

I tack on another $100-$200 p/wk in their weekly fee depending on the projected value of the car at the end of the equity lease period. I have a "indentured" driver (not a nice term) who has a stake in the car and now drives it like he owns it, and is motivated to work.

At the end of the negotiated period i hand over the keys, the driver get a big advantage in not having to stump up for a car and starts in the industry without finance hanging over his head for the first 1-2 establishment years that yhe car is still good for. And goes straight onto the simple cpm

I don't get ANY value out of the sale of the vehicle as its value was amortised over the life of the equity lease as income. So I can claim its final depreciated value as a loss.

I've kicked off 3 great prospects in this industry with this method, the secondary benefits are that there are no disposal problems and I have a great affiliate team for life.


----------



## Desert Driver

docswife said:


> Very good rules Desert Driver and I do follow these rules with the exception of the first. Why not pick up a 4.6??


As drivers, we get deactivated if we fall below 4.6. Ergo, as drivers, why should we have to deal with passengers who don't measure up to the standards we're forced to abide by?


----------



## Sacto Burbs

scrurbscrud said:


> I've made hundreds of posts about Uber math reality and insurance reality and so have others.
> 
> It's done to counter driver ignorance and Uber shilling.


You do it to bore people to death with text that is hard to understand, is not snappy but snarky, and does not bring the new person along gently. Too much text. Not enough graphics. The content may be fine, but the delivery needs a lot of help. Self-righteous self-appointed forum posting is a performance art. You can easily improve by looking over your posts and having a disinterested party tell you if they can understand you, and feel drawn in - or attacked - by the tone. Get with it all you self-righteous non-drivers. Entertain while you educate. Show respect for ignorance when it is seeking wisdom - even when it is cocky. Be an "educator" not a lecturing troll. If you are going to say the same thing over and over, make it accessible, refine it, and then cut-and-paste. We can critique your posts so they can improve and help you get the word out.

This thread shows that there IS a way to make money with Uber. But you need to be in the right market, and drive the right way, with the right car.


----------



## Fuzzyelvis

UberHammer said:


> A fully depreciated vehicle only has useable miles because the owner is constantly replacing all the original parts of the vehicle with new parts which have a new amounts of useable miles.
> 
> So while depreciation would be reported on the itemization at $0 by the business accountant, the maintenance costs would be so high they would still benefit by itemizing on the taxes, assuming of course itemizing is higher than just claiming the standard IRS mileage deduction.
> 
> Most Uber driver's costs are going to be below the IRS standard deduction, so very few should be itemizing anyway. But I have to laugh at those who say they have low depreciation costs, because they are at a point where maintenances costs are rising quickly, and will reach a point where it's probably cheaper to just buy a new car.


But all of this is academic because she's not keeping track of mileage and can't deduct anything anyway. Which seems to be a common theme here. So whether or not people are making money if they're not keeping track of mileage they're going to have a tax bill at the end of the year.


----------



## Sacto Burbs

Just double the paid miles.


----------



## scrurbscrud

Sacto Burbs said:


> You do it to bore people to death with text that is hard to understand, is not snappy but snarky, and does not bring the new person along gently. Too much text. Not enough graphics. The content may be fine, but the delivery needs a lot of help. Self-righteous self-appointed forum posting is a performance art. You can easily improve by looking over your posts and having a disinterested party tell you if they can understand you, and feel drawn in - or attacked - by the tone. Get with it all you self-righteous non-drivers. Entertain while you educate. Show respect for ignorance when it is seeking wisdom - even when it is cocky. Be an "educator" not a lecturing troll. If you are going to say the same thing over and over, make it accessible, refine it, and then cut-and-paste. We can critique your posts so they can improve and help you get the word out.
> 
> This thread shows that there IS a way to make money with Uber. But you need to be in the right market, and drive the right way, with the right car.


You sound just like a typical entitled Uber pax.

If the claim is making money only Ubering at surge, uh yeah. Fair pay will produce a theoretically better number. Brilliant deduction.


----------



## UberHammer

Fuzzyelvis said:


> But all of this is academic because she's not keeping track of mileage and can't deduct anything anyway. Which seems to be a common theme here. So whether or not people are making money if they're not keeping track of mileage they're going to have a tax bill at the end of the year.


When one does cash basis accounting when reporting their taxable profit to the IRS, they don't use the mileage deduction. So not recording the mileage is moot in cash basis reporting. But in this case, I didn't hear about any receipts for gas, which she claimed as costs. So even in a cash basis, without receipts... there's no costs to claim, and the IRS taxes it all as profit. Which, given the driver thinks it IS profit, that is the right thing for the IRS to do. it's not the IRS's job to tell them it's not profit. Nor does the IRS exist to protect people from being exploited by Uber. Ask yourself, who does exist to protect people from being exploited by Uber, and your lack of answer is why Uber gets away with it so easily.


----------



## Fuzzyelvis

Sacto Burbs said:


> View attachment 5480
> 
> 
> I think when a new driver wants to know if Uber is worth it, this should be our first question: What is your car worth?
> 
> Second, what is the depreciation schedule ?
> 
> Only then ask about their driving experience.


there are two types of new drivers the ones who asked about how much money they are making and when we give them a bunch of information go back and go home I never thought about depreciation I haven't been keeping track of miles I need to sort this all out and then there's the other ones who say you don't know what you're talking about I'm getting a big check every week


----------



## Fuzzyelvis

UberHammer said:


> When one does cash basis accounting when reporting their taxable profit to the IRS, they don't use the mileage deduction. So not recording the mileage is moot in cash basis reporting. But in this case, I didn't hear about any receipts for gas, which she claimed as costs. So even in a cash basis, without receipts... there's no costs to claim, and the IRS taxes it all as profit. Which, given the driver thinks it IS profit, that is the right thing for the IRS to do. it's not the IRS's job to tell them it's not profit. Nor does the IRS exist to protect people from being exploited by Uber. Ask yourself, who does exist to protect people from being exploited by Uber, and your lack of answer is why Uber gets away with it so easily.


even if you using the cash basis you have to keep track of what percentage of your vehicle is being used for businessunless its a 100% you still need the mileage


----------



## Sacto Burbs

Give them a bunch of "information". Dull as paint. Know your audience. Your posts are undigestible for the gas-only crowd. You do want to reach them don't you ? You are their saviour aren't you ?


----------



## Desert Driver

Sacto Burbs said:


> You do it to bore people to death with text that is hard to understand, is not snappy but snarky, and does not bring the new person along gently. Too much text. Not enough graphics. The content may be fine, but the delivery needs a lot of help. Self-righteous self-appointed forum posting is a performance art. You can easily improve by looking over your posts and having a disinterested party tell you if they can understand you, and feel drawn in - or attacked - by the tone. Get with it all you self-righteous non-drivers. Entertain while you educate. Show respect for ignorance when it is seeking wisdom - even when it is cocky. Be an "educator" not a lecturing troll. If you are going to say the same thing over and over, make it accessible, refine it, and then cut-and-paste. We can critique your posts so they can improve and help you get the word out.
> 
> This thread shows that there IS a way to make money with Uber. But you need to be in the right market, and drive the right way, with the right car.


Well stated. Very diplomatic and pragmatic.


----------



## THE MAN!

First of all bag the bottled water. When fares were much higher made sense. Doesn't effect your ratings at all. Just get them there timely and safely! Grab a free newspaper and a handful of mints heading out of the restaurant. You don't need any added cost. Example, when Uberx launched in DC $5 - $2.50 a mile 8/13. Now $2 - $1.02 - .20 a minute.


----------



## Actionjax

Sacto Burbs said:


> How come no one sends newbies to this calculator? On page one ...
> 
> https://uberpeople.net/pages/EarningsCalculator/
> 
> How many of you have used it?


It's a great tool. Just needs to be done where you can type in your own per mile cost. I'm in the same boat as hammer.


----------



## Desert Driver

THE MAN! said:


> First of all bag the bottled water. When fares were much higher made sense. Doesn't effect your ratings at all. Just get them there timely and safely! Grab a free newspaper and a handful of mints heading out of the restaurant. You don't need any added cost. Example, when Uberx launched in DC $5 - $2.50 a mile 8/13. Now $2 - $1.02 - .20 a minute.


There aren't still drivers handing out free shit to paxs, are there? Isn't everyone wise to that insane notion by now?


----------



## Oscar Levant

docswife said:


> I've spent $3 on a case of bottle water, $20 on car washes and approx (don't have receipts in front of me) $100 in gas. That's it.


If this is a temp gig, you won't feel the depreciation. But , if you drive for , say, three years, your car is going to have ton of miles on it, and
the 'cost' is when you either rebuild the ****** and motor, or trade it in for a new car, and it wont be worth a lot with 200K miles on it. That's when that particular debt is paid, and so the money you think you are making, should be set aside for that eventual expense.


----------



## Uber SUCKS for drivers!

docswife said:


> I never said my only cost was gas. I realize that. I will say though that my costs are minimal. I have no car note, I have no uber phone. My car gives great gas mileage and requires very little maintenance. I do this part time, short term and as long as those direct deposits from Uber greatly outweigh the costs that have been DEBITED from my bank account, I'm winning!!


You are Ubers favorite kind of ignorant driver!
Just the fact that you said "I dont care about depreciation".
Uber wants and needs every driver to consider their car to be "free"!
It "feels" like you're "winning"!


----------



## Luberon

Uber SUCKS for drivers! said:


> You are Ubers favorite kind of ignorant driver!
> Just the fact that you said "I dont care about depreciation".
> Uber wants and needs every driver to consider their car to be "free"!
> It "feels" like you're "winning"!


Just because Uber doesnt work in your situation does not mean it is altogether a bad thing. Myself and many others make double digits after ALL expenses, which is not bad for an unskilled gig.

In a different thread I listed factors that will determine whether or not you make profit with Uber. @docswife ticks most of the boxes meaning she has few disadvantages beyond the low uber rates. Her car is fully paid for, depreciated, fuel efficient and she drives part time surge hours mostly.
https://uberpeople.net/threads/how-to-really-make-money-on-uberx-no-maths-involved.14799/

Dont let your frustration with uber blind you from a dispassionate judgement.


----------



## Desert Driver

Uber SUCKS for drivers! said:


> You are Ubers favorite kind of ignorant driver!
> Just the fact that you said "I dont care about depreciation".
> Uber wants and needs every driver to consider their car to be "free"!
> It "feels" like you're "winning"!


You make a good point. You're encouraging drivers to look at ALL the variables in the driving equation. Too many times it's easy to forget about the indirect expenses that you never "feel," like depreciation, or the clutch that needs to be replaced at 160K miles. (I say that because I'm replacing my clutch as we speak.)


----------



## Uber SUCKS for drivers!

KDub said:


> There are some legit HATERS on most of these Uber threads!


If ur still driving for Uber, we can hate you too!


----------



## Actionjax

Uber SUCKS for drivers! said:


> If ur still driving for Uber, we can hate you too!


Come on Hate is a strong thing to say.

Stay positive KDub...hope it works out for you.


----------



## bscott

Actionjax said:


> Come on Hate is a strong thing to say.
> 
> Stay positive KDub...hope it works out for you.


Hope in this case is nothing but FUTURE DISSAPOINTMENT GUARANTEED


----------



## betzaruba

docswife said:


> For the 3rd time, I couldn't care LESS about the depreciation of a car that I've driven for 9 years in July. My teenager, soon to be senior will be driving this accord to and from school and around our neighborhood. I am purchasing a new car in July and you can best believe I wont be UBERING in it!  Thanks for the heads-up though!


I totally get it. It makes perfect sense to me. Some people just can't be supportive.


----------



## Desert Driver

betzaruba said:


> I totally get it. It makes perfect sense to me. Some people just can't be supportive.


That is so true. And by the same token, some people will never fully grasp cost accounting.


----------



## Desert Driver

Actionjax said:


> It's a great tool. Just needs to be done where you can type in your own per mile cost. I'm in the same boat as hammer.


With all the wonderful resources Uber provides its "partners," isn't it odd that Uber doesn't provide a calculation tool that allows one to see concretely just how horribly he/she is being taken advantage of and how little money is actually being made? Now that would be a valuable tool for us "partners" on the "partner" portal. Thankfully, someone on this site corrected Uber's omission.

And by the way, since I'm a partner in this fine company, where's my equity share statement that members of partnerships are supposed to receive annually? I have to generate them for my partnerships.


----------



## scrurbscrud

Desert Driver said:


> It still amazes me that Uber would actually put up a calculation tool that allows one to see concretely just how horribly he/she is being taken advantage of and how little money is actually being made.


You are the Uber tool. Or not, if you chose not to be. Really shouldn't need a tool to run the math.


----------



## Desert Driver

Sacto Burbs said:


> Uber didn't. Someone on this forum did.


Desert Driver stands corrected. Gracias, amigo.


----------



## Desert Driver

scrurbscrud said:


> You are the Uber tool. Or not, if you chose not to be. Really shouldn't need a tool to run the math.


Good point. I have become adroit at gaming the system to maximize my profit and minimize my costs. I'm also quite capable, mathematically speaking. You've seen my dissertations on Statistics on this site. But others who are not as versed in the mathematical sciences will surely benefit from that tool. Too many people think that expenses begin and end with putting gas in the tank.


----------



## scrurbscrud

Desert Driver said:


> Good point. I'm quite capable, mathematically speaking. You've seen my dissertations on Statistics on this site. But others who are not as capable in the mathematical sciences will surely benefit from that tool. Too many people think that expenses begin and end with putting gas in the tank.


And they will taste math reality whether they can do the math or not.


----------



## Desert Driver

scrurbscrud said:


> And they will taste math reality whether they can do the math or not.


And the taste goes something like... "Shit, my transmission just went out. Now where the hell is all that money I thought I was making driving for Uber/Lyft???"

That's gotta be a bitter pill.


----------



## Sacto Burbs

Desert Driver said:


> Desert Driver stands corrected. Gracias, amigo.


M saai hak hei. (Cantonese) 
*唔使客氣*


----------



## Rich Brunelle

Sacto Burbs said:


> How come no one sends newbies to this calculator? On page one ...
> 
> https://uberpeople.net/pages/EarningsCalculator/
> 
> How many of you have used it?


I think I figured out why they didn't tell us about it?
*Vehicle Cost* $48.16
*Gas Cost* $6.88
*Safety Fees* $4.00
*Total After Costs* $8.39
*Earnings* $2.24/hour
*Rides per Hour* 1.07


----------



## Desert Driver

Rich Brunelle said:


> I think I figured out why they didn't tell us about it?
> *Vehicle Cost* $48.16
> *Gas Cost* $6.88
> *Safety Fees* $4.00
> *Total After Costs* $8.39
> *Earnings* $2.24/hour
> *Rides per Hour* 1.07


Rich - I really like what I see on your website. I will definitely be joining.


----------



## KingTravisHasNoClothes

docswife said:


> I'm fairly new to uber (3 weeks driving part time). I've netted $1416.81 to date. I drive my 8 year old, paid for honda accord that will be handed down to my teenager in July, I get very lucky on trips headed in my direction to and from work. I make a few airport runs here and there and work common surging areas ( I certainly dont chase surges). However, I read throughout this site that we LOSE money driving at .90 per mile. $1400 windfall to my bank account in 3 weeks is not my definition of losing. Anyone care to help me understand the loss??


It has always been my believf that you should take a full calendar year before you make an observation on your business peaks and lows. By the way , how's that equity in your vehicle looking?. Or have you started cutting back on your uber days?


----------



## docswife

Wha


KingTravisHasNoClothes said:


> It has always been my believf that you should take a full calendar year before you make an observation on your business peaks and lows. By the way , how's that equity in your vehicle looking?. Or have you started cutting back on your uber days?


Why does equity matter when you have no intent to sell? The Honda belongs to my teenager now.


----------



## UberHammer

docswife said:


> Wha
> 
> Why does equity matter when you have no intent to sell? The Honda belongs to my teenager now.


Why does gas matter when you have no intent to sell your gas?

The answer is because you are consuming its useful purpose. The only difference between the cost of the gas and the cost of the car is the frequency. Cars last longer than tanks of gas do.


----------



## GooberX

docswife said:


> Gas in Dallas is approx 1.80, it only cost about $21 to fill up my tank. I know without a doubt I've only filled up 5 no more than 6 times. I will calculate my receipts later and let you know. So given that, I still don't understand how my operating cost can be $400?? I certainly don't care about depreciation on a car that I have driven for 8 years and will be handed down to my teenager in a few months...


A docs wife killing an 8 year old honda doing Uber, before she hands it down to her son.

Yeah, doc who?

Track your expenses CLOSELY, BEFORE you come here questioning drivers that have tracked them for a long time.

Tell doctor evil to go back to his lair and work on his giant laser.


----------



## docswife

GooberX said:


> A docs wife killing an 8 year old honda doing Uber, before she hands it down to her son.
> 
> Yeah, doc who?
> 
> Track your expenses CLOSELY, BEFORE you come here questioning drivers that have tracked them for a long time.
> 
> Tell doctor evil to go back to his lair and work on his giant laser.


Go Uber or take a seat somewhere! Thanks. Ass!


----------



## flashgordonnc

You got an ear full from the above many posts and I surely did not read them all.
Remember, you have to keep real dollar reserves to pay for brakes, tires, extra engine repair(due to high mileage driving). Maybe even replacing upholstery or fixing broken seats, etc., the list goes on.
This has to be "real cash" kept in an account and can not be called earnings per se as if you were working for someone standing in their building and getting paid by the hour.


----------



## docswife

UberHammer said:


> Why does gas matter when you have no intent to sell your gas?
> 
> The answer is because you are consuming its useful purpose. The only difference between the cost of the gas and the cost of the car is the frequency. Cars last longer than tanks of gas do.


I certainly got my money worth and then some! Ubering in my 9 year old Honda helped with the down payment on my brand new luxury car. My teenager is now enjoying my honda. No worries here about equity.


----------



## GooberX

LOL.....docs wife Ubered for down payment on luxury car.

You just CAN'T make this stuff up.


----------



## docswife

flashgordonnc said:


> You got an ear full from the above many posts and I surely did not read them all.
> Remember, you have to keep real dollar reserves to pay for brakes, tires, extra engine repair(due to high mileage driving). Maybe even replacing upholstery or fixing broken seats, etc., the list goes on.
> This has to be "real cash" kept in an account and can not be called earnings per se as in if you were working for someone standing in their building and getting paid by the hour.


Yes, true if you're driving hours on end for many months or years. 4 months of Uber which is my case, will not require all those repairs.


----------



## flashgordonnc

Did I miss the post that explains why a docs wife is Ubering?


----------



## flashgordonnc

docswife said:


> Yes, true if you're driving hours on end for many months or years. 4 months of Uber which is my case, will not require all those repairs.


----------



## docswife

flashgordonnc said:


> Did I miss the post that explains why a docs wife is Ubering?


My spouse is not a doctor. Just his nickname. If my husband was a doctor, I wouldn't be here entertaining you folks..


----------



## flashgordonnc

So you are stopping after four months.
If not, bank for the unexpected.
I sincerely do wish you accomplish your goals.
Regards


----------



## MoneyUber4

Hello Docswife.

$1400 on 3 weeks average $466 per week.

At your mentioned rate (which is lower than other States) I can calculate that you are driving more than 8 hours per day which make it as a full time job.

Now if you calculate per hours work + gas + insurance + ware and tear of vehicle + maintenance + tolls + give a ways + Uber Insurance $1 per ride + 20% to Uber.

You still owe 20% to the IRS income taxable at the end of year.

$466 per week? It is lunch money.


----------



## docswife

flashgordonnc said:


> So you are stopping after four months.
> If not, bank for the unexpected.
> I sincerely do wish you accomplish your goals.
> Regards


Yup, calling it quits. I've made my fair share in 4 months.


----------



## GooberX

docswife said:


> My spouse is not a doctor. Just his nickname. If my husband was a doctor, I wouldn't be here entertaining you folks..


It was entertaining.

Listen, I'm not being disrespectful, well, ok I was, but please heed the advice.

4 months and you're leaving...great.

If not, your costs of tires, oil changes, etc, etc....are there.

Don't ignore them.

If you change oil every 3000 miles and you drove 1500, there's half the cost of an oil change.

If your tires are good for 60,000 miles and you drove 1500, there's some more.

And on and on.

Good luck.


----------



## docswife

MoneyUber4 said:


> Hello Docswife.
> 
> $1400 on 3 weeks average $466 per week.
> 
> At your mentioned rate (which is lower than other States) I can calculate that you are driving more than 8 hours per day which make it as a full time job.
> 
> Now if you calculate per hours work + gas + insurance + ware and tear of vehicle + maintenance + tolls + give a ways + Uber Insurance $1 per ride + 20% to Uber.
> 
> You still owe 20% to the IRS income tax at the end of year.
> 
> $466 per week? It is lunch money.


Sweetheart, I hold down a full time job and it ain't Uber! Go reanalyze.


----------



## GooberX

docswife said:


> Sweetheart, I hold down a full time job and it ain't Uber! Go reanalyze.


Sweetheart......go get a clue.

Your costs associated with Uber, are STILL the costs associated with Uber.

But carry on, bury your head in the sand.

I've reanalyzed.

I can't say, I'll get rebuked by admin.


----------



## bscott

I give docs wife credit that she's done with uber. Good for u and hope not to see her return to the world's most notorious sewerage known as SEWBAR


----------



## MoneyUber4

Your numbers don't add up to 2 hours per day at that very low rate.
Numbers don't lie.


----------



## MrsUberJax

You are like every new driver that comes to Uber. Bright eyed and bushy tailed just making those deposits without actually looking at your costs to operate. You are clearly coming out ahead - but you are not running a business - if you were, you'd be tracking your mileage, all of your costs, including commissions, vehicle depreciation, taxes, & insurance- and you would be deducting all of those costs from your earnings. Instead, you pull money from your personal finances and subsidize the costs - never really measuring your profitability as a whole. You are in a better position than most - your car is paid off - but again, if you were actually calculating your true costs- you'd see that your not as well off as you think. Good luck & welcome to Uber .


----------



## brikosig

docswife said:


> Sweetheart, I hold down a full time job and it ain't Uber! Go reanalyze.


Hello docswife..... I'm curious.... Why the nickname docswife"??


----------



## cybertec69

docswife said:


> I'm fairly new to uber (3 weeks driving part time). I've netted $1416.81 to date. I drive my 8 year old, paid for honda accord that will be handed down to my teenager in July, I get very lucky on trips headed in my direction to and from work. I make a few airport runs here and there and work common surging areas ( I certainly dont chase surges). However, I read throughout this site that we LOSE money driving at .90 per mile. $1400 windfall to my bank account in 3 weeks is not my definition of losing. Anyone care to help me understand the loss??


Is that what Uber paid you, then that is not NET but Gross.


----------



## Tim In Cleveland

docswife said:


> Sorry the screen shot didn't help you. Aren't you the one that said it's no possible way I could have netted $1460??? Welp, screen shot proves you wrong!!


You totally look like a shill. You didn't "net" $1460. That was your gross. Net is after you deduct gas, maintenance and depreciation from having driven those miles.

If you're saying "I'm giving my car to my kids soon and don't care if I hand them something that just needs to be junked" then your argument starts to make sense. Why not burn out the car if you don't care about it? The car is still losing value, and you need to stick your fuzzy math because you are full of it.

Great, if you just pick up fares to/from work or during surges you do have less dead miles than most Uber drivers. That doesn't change the fact that Uber's drivers are MOSTLY people trying to make a living and not just hobby workers only working while to/from work.


----------



## Sacto Burbs

Tim In Cleveland said:


> You totally look like a shill. You didn't "net" $1460. That was your gross. Net is after you deduct gas, maintenance and depreciation from having driven those miles.
> 
> If you're saying "I'm giving my car to my kids soon and don't care if I hand them something that just needs to be junked" then your argument starts to make sense. Why not burn out the car if you don't care about it? The car is still losing value, and you need to stick your fuzzy math because you are full of it.
> 
> Great, if you just pick up fares to/from work or during surges you do have less dead miles than most Uber drivers. That doesn't change the fact that Uber's drivers are MOSTLY people trying to make a living and not just hobby workers only working while to/from work.


Most drivers are part timers. I don't think it's true that most of them are trying to make a living at it


----------



## Blind Driver

docswife said:


> I'm fairly new to uber (3 weeks driving part time). I've netted $1416.81 to date. I drive my 8 year old, paid for honda accord that will be handed down to my teenager in July, I get very lucky on trips headed in my direction to and from work. I make a few airport runs here and there and work common surging areas ( I certainly dont chase surges). However, I read throughout this site that we LOSE money driving at .90 per mile. $1400 windfall to my bank account in 3 weeks is not my definition of losing. Anyone care to help me understand the loss??


It sounds like you're making money. However, I'm thinking you're not really netting $1400. I suspect you haven't factored in all your internal and external costs. But it certainly sounds like your operating above the BE line, so kudos to you!


----------



## uberguy_in_ct

docswife said:


> I'm fairly new to uber (3 weeks driving part time). I've netted $1416.81 to date. I drive my 8 year old, paid for honda accord that will be handed down to my teenager in July, I get very lucky on trips headed in my direction to and from work. I make a few airport runs here and there and work common surging areas ( I certainly dont chase surges). However, I read throughout this site that we LOSE money driving at .90 per mile. $1400 windfall to my bank account in 3 weeks is not my definition of losing. Anyone care to help me understand the loss??


Driving for uber is like taking out a reverse mortgage, except it's your car instead of your house and with a much shorter term to maturity.


----------



## Blind Driver

uberguy_in_ct said:


> Driving for uber is like taking out a reverse mortgage, except it's your car instead of your house and with a much shorter term to maturity.


That's an excellent analogy. Only I'd replace the term 'maturity' with 'asset value depletion.'


----------



## docswife

MrsUberJax said:


> You are like every new driver that comes to Uber. Bright eyed and bushy tailed just making those deposits without actually looking at your costs to operate. You are clearly coming out ahead - but you are not running a business - if you were, you'd be tracking your mileage, all of your costs, including commissions, vehicle depreciation, taxes, & insurance- and you would be deducting all of those costs from your earnings. Instead, you pull money from your personal finances and subsidize the costs - never really measuring your profitability as a whole. You are in a better position than most - your car is paid off - but again, if you were actually calculating your true costs- you'd see that your not as well off as you think. Good luck & welcome to Uber .


Insurance? Why would I have included that as an operating cost for Uber? Didn't I need it before and after Uber? Yes.

Depreciation? I'm not going into that all over again. Please read my countless replies about it.

True, I didn't accurately account for miles driven in the first 3 weeks but I did from thereon out. I know my profitability and I must say, I'd do it all over again. Uber worked for me. Sorry if it wasn't profitable for you all.


----------



## Taxi Driver in Arizona

Hey, the lady Ubered for a few months in an old beater, made a few bucks and then quit.

Her story proves that there's a bit of short term money to be made with Uber. Long term? Not so much.


----------



## docswife

Actually wouldn't call it an old beater. You'd be surprised how many compliments I got on the cleanliness and overall upkeep of my 2006 vehicle!


----------



## Taxi Driver in Arizona

Are you tempted to go Uber select in your new luxury vehicle?


----------



## docswife

Haha! I try to be an honest person. I'd be lying if I said I didn't think about it! The risk is much too great. If I were properly insured, most def I would do it!!


----------



## Taxi Driver in Arizona

docswife said:


> Haha! I try to be an honest person. I'd be lying if I said I didn't think about it! The risk is much too great. If I were properly insured, most def I would do it!!


The problem is, proper commercial insurance makes the gig much less profitable at current rates.


----------



## cybertec69

docswife said:


> Actually wouldn't call it an old beater. You'd be surprised how many compliments I got on the cleanliness and overall upkeep of my 2006 vehicle!


You are lucky you are in Dallas, here in NYC you need to have a 2011 and up, preferably a 2013 to operate, you also need to have commercial Taxi insurance and TLC licence plates "not your personal Allstate/State Farm/Progressive or the like insurance and standard passenger plates", and only you can operate the car or someone else with a FHV license that is on your commercial insurance, no 2006 Ubers here.


----------



## MoneyUber4

Ok, Docswife, we give up. You are a winner.

We are giving up because:
Your math does not add up.
You seem unrealistic of the risk you are taking and as a driver for an illegal Taxi Company called Uber.

You are the winner.

Just let us know if you ever get arrested or ticketed or else, may be than we can help you to calm your nerves.


----------



## cybertec69

MoneyUber4 said:


> Ok, Docswife, we give up. You are a winner.
> 
> We are giving up because:
> Your math don't adds up.
> You seems unrealistic of the risk you are taking and as a driver for an illegal Taxi Company called Uber.
> 
> You are the winner.
> 
> Just let us know if you ever get arrested or ticketed or else, may be than we can help you to calm your nerves.


I suggest it's time for you to go back to school and get your high school diploma.


----------



## MoneyUber4

cybertec69 said:


> I suggest it's time for you to go back to school and get your high school diploma.


You got the idea. I try to write fast and some time I do errors but that it is fine.

Uber is Illegal - Do NOT drive for Uber.


----------



## docswife

MoneyUber4 said:


> Ok, Docswife, we give up. You are a winner.
> 
> We are giving up because:
> Your math does not add up.
> You seem unrealistic of the risk you are taking and as a driver for an illegal Taxi Company called Uber.
> 
> You are the winner.
> 
> Just let us know if you ever get arrested or ticketed or else, may be than we can help you to calm your nerves.


Thanks.


----------



## docswife

cybertec69 said:


> You are lucky you are in Dallas, here in NYC you need to have a 2011 and up, preferably a 2013 to operate, you also need to have commercial Taxi insurance and TLC licence plates "not your personal Allstate/State Farm/Progressive or the like insurance and standard passenger plates", and only you can operate the car or someone else with a FHV license that is on your commercial insurance, no 2006 Ubers here.


Wow! Didn't know that. I wonder why the rules about the year of the cars vary? I thought they were the same across the board...


----------



## cybertec69

docswife said:


> Wow! Didn't know that. I wonder why the rules about the year of the cars vary? I thought they were the same across the board...


Because in NYC you need to be registered with the TLC, possess a FHV drivers license "which requires a fingerprint background check and annual drug test", TLC issues license plates with base stickers "which you can not obtain without proper commercial Taxi/FHV insurance", here in NYC there is no part time Uber/Taxi driver. The car that you will use with Uber or any other base can not be 5 years or older from the current calender date "TLC rules", your car must also be inspected every 4 months, and no one else can drive the car but you or anyone else with a FHV drivers license and they must be under your commercial policy.


----------



## MrPlow

$1400 is pretty good! 
If you read around here or ask these guys - they'll have you factoring in the average cost of wear and tear on your car seat for every time a pax shifts their left buttcheek a 1/4" to the left or right. 
By the time these guys will be done with their maths, you'll actually owe the Government a half million dollars just for working a PT shift for Uber.


----------



## docswife

MrPlow said:


> $1400 is pretty good!
> If you read around here or ask these guys - they'll have you factoring in the average cost of wear and tear on your car seat for every time a pax shifts their left buttcheek a 1/4" to the left or right.
> By the time these guys will be done with their maths, you'll actually owe the Government a half million dollars just for working a PT shift for Uber.


Bwhahahaha!!


----------



## croatbob

my question is... if every here says they are making 6 bucks and hr or losing 10c per mile or only making 20c per mile.... why the hell are uber drivers still driving? thats madness


----------



## cybertec69

croatbob said:


> my question is... if every here says they are making 6 bucks and hr or losing 10c per mile or only making 20c per mile.... why the hell are uber drivers still driving? thats madness


Uber is like heroine, it's like a drug, drivers know it's bad for them but still do it, trying to capture that first initial high "where uber have them more jobs to hock them in like a fish", which will never come. Uber are nothing but snakes in the grass.


----------



## docswife

croatbob said:


> my question is... if every here says they are making 6 bucks and hr or losing 10c per mile or only making 20c per mile.... why the hell are uber drivers still driving? thats madness


My thoughts exxxxxxactly!


----------



## docswife

Even with rates down, and a very saturated market Uber can be profitable. You can work certain events, hours, etc and catch 3.0-4.5 surge rides. For anyone saying 3.0-4.5 is not profitable is nuts!


----------



## cybertec69

docswife said:


> Even with rates down, and a very saturated market Uber can be profitable. You can work certain events, hours, etc and catch 3.0-4.5 surge rides. For anyone saying 3.0-4.5 is not profitable is nuts!


----------



## croatbob

"catch a surge"? that means during peak times like events, sat nights i assume?


----------



## docswife

croatbob said:


> "catch a surge"? that means during peak times like events, sat nights i assume?


Yes sir! Friday nights too. Know what's going on in the city and plan to be around to work them. Especially the ending of major events they always surge!


----------



## croatbob

i assume the most profitable way to work uber is not to work all day all hours but just the am and pm rush, fri sat nights and during events??? i do live close to miami beach florida which is always happening so i assume thats a good route to work??


----------



## docswife

croatbob said:


> i assume the most profitable way to work uber is not to work all day all hours but just the am and pm rush, fri sat nights and during events???


You certainly can't do this full time and expect it to be profitable. Watch the app, learn the common surging areas. Know what events are going to cause a huge request for rides.


----------



## docswife

Unless it's a day like, St. PATTY'S! That was def a profitable day to remember! Surged, ALL DAY LONG!


----------



## ber fine print

read carefully all documentation that y ou signed with uber uber is not to be trusted


----------



## SmarterRideShare

uber is a losing proposition


----------



## shiftydrake

A little over 1 year.......this post WAS dead but someone made a remark........captain obvious I still don't understand why people STILL jump in feet first and blind to the truth behind Uber


----------



## ABC123DEF

docswife said:


> Even with rates down, and a very saturated market Uber can be profitable. You can work certain events, hours, etc and catch 3.0-4.5 surge rides. For anyone saying 3.0-4.5 is not profitable is nuts!


Where in the world does that kind of surge happen anymore? Certainly not in Tennessee!!!


----------



## KMANDERSON

docswife said:


> When that repair bill comes, I will be sure to deduct it from my PROFITS.  Btw, repair bills are inevitable. Uber, no uber.


Uber just bring the repair bill a lot faster


----------



## FrankG

pengduck said:


> Ok. At .90 per mile you take home .72 after Uber's 20%. According to IRS it takes .575 per mile to operate your car. Just set up a spread sheet at put in your mileage and deduct it from your earnings. Then see what you have left over. The figure the taxes on what is left over. Then see how much you are making per hour.


The IRS deduction is inaccurate. It costs $.71 a mile to operate an Altima. IRS only gives you $.54 but it does not mean it is the real cost. Uber drivers lose money and many do not realize it. Between Uber, Uncle Sam, and car costs, there is nothing left. Because the car costs are deferred (depreciation), many drivers believe they are making money.


----------



## merkurfan

FrankG said:


> The IRS deduction is inaccurate. It costs $.71 a mile to operate an Altima. IRS only gives you $.54 but it does not mean it is the real cost. Uber drivers lose money and many do not realize it. Between Uber, Uncle Sam, and car costs, there is nothing left. Because the car costs are deferred (depreciation), many drivers believe they are making money.


if your car requires .71 a mile to operate. it's time to get rid of it or have the fuel leak repaired.


----------



## Tnasty

Casuale Haberdasher said:


> POST # 19 /@docswife: The Good
> Doctor's Wife is delusional to
> the the point of hysteria. Bedrest
> and a Good Sedative for the missus.
> 
> Dope Slap for I.M. Clueless, M.D. for
> letting his Bride get Rope-a-Doped
> into this Scammy Racket!


The culture at Uber is downright scummy.whenever I open the fuber app I say that I'm opening the portal to hell.


----------



## Just one more trip

Way to go guys! Revive a year old dead thread!


----------



## FrankG

Type "AAA Altima .71 a mile" in Google to fully understand the real costs of operating a car


----------



## Ray H

Where I am rate is close to 70 cents a mile and Uber get 28 percent of it and by the time you pay for your gas, maintenance and tax and mileage on your car and time spend on the road, you wont be making much


----------



## pedro_pendukot

DrJeecheroo said:


> I think you'll be fine if you do it just part time.


Well, most of the drivers are part timers, aren't we? We can't rely Uber to pay all our bills, mortgage, insurance, pension, RRSPs, medical and dental costs. If we drive Uber, the money that we receive will only pay for the extras such as fine dining once in a while, perks in life that we don't want to buy with the money coming out of our full time job, extra money for our trips and vacations. That's what I do being a part timer. I hope so do you guys.


----------



## Just one more trip

The cost is the cost. Some drivers can lie to themselves, but that does not change the facts. Unless Uber raises rates back to their previous level (before the "limited-time" discount) in Houston, drivers in this saturated market will lose money at 87 cents per mile. The riders don't care. Uber doesn't care (as long as they get their tip fee), and Travis really truly twice on Sunday doesn't care while he lives his extravagant lifestyle.

When did the majority of humans stop understanding human behavior and math?


----------



## Lexi13

docswife said:


> I never said my only cost was gas. I realize that. I will say though that my costs are minimal. I have no car note, I have no uber phone. My car gives great gas mileage and requires very little maintenance. I do this part time, short term and as long as those direct deposits from Uber greatly outweigh the costs that have been DEBITED from my bank account, I'm winning!!


 Just ignore these idiots, they're all out of their minds, addicted to negativity, I've been earning on it too, heard all the negative shit, but realized it all made no sense, I've also been driving my car for years before I started this, only ever needed to get it MOT'd and it was always fine. These people must not know how to drive without ruining their car.

The guy that showed that "report" of his, said he spent 5k on Gas, lol wtf?

Private Hire insurance is 140 a month, gas is like 160 a month, MOT is like 100 a year, car is always fine, been driving it for years, dno how these psycho drivers drive but I just chill.

Even if my car did need repairs, it's not fancy, it's always been ever 200-300 bucks, 500 maximum at one point.

So 300 bucks a month basically, (british pounds), whilst earning 50-100 bucks a day, 1200-2700 a month, you people are out of your minds.

Also talking about inevitable accidents and shit, do none of you people save money? Also you could get struck by lightning or hit by a car whilst not doing this job.

This shit doesn't just happen once a year, get real.


----------



## Volvonaut

Lexi13 said:


> Just ignore these idiots, they're all out of their minds, addicted to negativity, I've been earning on it too, heard all the negative shit, but realized it all made no sense, I've also been driving my car for years before I started this, only ever needed to get it MOT'd and it was always fine. These people must not know how to drive without ruining their car.


You just bumped a TWO THOUSAND FIFTEEN thread from the grave lmao. I’m sure it will bring him much needed consolation all these years later now that Uber’s a million times worse and we’re almost certainly really losing money. But where you see negativity I see an edge the forum’s lost, drivers could learn a lot from the OG’s.


----------



## elelegido

Volvonaut said:


> You just bumped a TWO THOUSAND FIFTEEN thread from the grave lmao. I’m sure it will bring him much needed consolation all these years later now that Uber’s a million times worse and we’re almost certainly really losing money. But where you see negativity I see an edge the forum’s lost, drivers could learn a lot from the OG’s.


Lol, I very rarely insult people on this forum. Almost never. But in his case I will make an exception. What a moron!


----------



## ObeyTheNumbers

docswife said:


> .., I read throughout this site that we LOSE money driving at .90 per mile. $1400 windfall to my bank account in 3 weeks is not my definition of losing. Anyone care to help me understand the loss??


You could be not making as much as you think you are.

I've broken down ridesharing costs to operate into a per mile basis as a guide and it comes up to about .60 cents a odometer mile. (Note this is not a CPM for your vehicle which is lower).

Now saving .15 cents a odometer mile and at 300,000 miles should provide about $45,000 or so for a replacement vehicle.

$20 an hour for driving adds your pay at apx..25 cents a mile.

Add them all up and you get $1 per odometer mile.

So yes if your only grossing, including tips, less than a $1 per odometer mile, your not doing well and likely should make a few changes (like less running around to find trips and less deadheading) to try to get your pay to exceed the amount of miles you put on your vehicle (for ridesharing purposes) daily.

Note it is only a guide, because Uber tries to get people to take 400 mile trips for .50 cents a mile which is stupid.


----------



## UberSux25

docswife said:


> I'm fairly new to uber (3 weeks driving part time). I've netted $1416.81 to date. I drive my 8 year old, paid for honda accord that will be handed down to my teenager in July, I get very lucky on trips headed in my direction to and from work. I make a few airport runs here and there and work common surging areas ( I certainly dont chase surges). However, I read throughout this site that we LOSE money driving at .90 per mile. $1400 windfall to my bank account in 3 weeks is not my definition of losing. Anyone care to help me understand the loss??


If you’re actually doing most trips in the direction you’re traveling anyways then it’s perfect for you. That’s what “rideshare” is supposed to be. Only way to actually do it full time is to work the drunks on friday and Saturday nights when you can make closer to $10-$12 per hour after mileage.


----------



## elelegido

UberSux25 said:


> If you’re actually doing most trips in the direction you’re traveling anyways then it’s perfect for you. That’s what “rideshare” is supposed to be.


No, that's incorrect. Rideshare is regularly pitched by the companies as something that's supposed to be an earnings alternative to a job, not as a means of earning a little extra money from people who happen to be going in the same direction as people on trips they would be driving anyway.


----------

