# The real cost of driving UberX - is it really that bad?



## Snowman123 (Jun 29, 2015)

I opened up a thread over at Whirlpool AU under jobs / Uber to get some feedback on real costs to test my maths assumptions . This is my first post so I cannot put the link here, but I will later when I have the permission to do so.

For my gross earnings before expenses of around $38 per hour over surge periods [ which is way above the $30 Uber guarantee ] it net's out at around $20-21 per hour income. That's taking in Uber 20% fees, GST, fuel , excess tolls Uber does not pay incurred going to a job, depreciation, maintenance, [ i used the Australian Taxation Office calculator to estimate the running costs, etc etc

Then there's all the risks on a drivers head, like passenger damage, police fines, sorting it out with Uber. It really isn't that good is it ? Actually it's shockingly poor in my opinion. Imagine if I drove in low income periods or had my car off road with an accident or for maintenance.

Thoughts ?


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## tohunt4me (Nov 23, 2015)

Uber gets 25% not 20%.


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## Horsebm (Jul 21, 2015)

tohunt4me said:


> Uber gets 25% not 20%.


I have been driving for Uber for a while and my cut is 80% and Ubers is 20% it all depends on when you started driving.


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## MKEUber (Aug 20, 2014)

Uber takes between 30 - 50% of the total fare depending on the length. Drivers need to stop thinking that the SRF is a separate fee. Not when Uber is clearly using it to protect their bottom line while they continue to lower fares.


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## UberCemetery (Sep 4, 2014)

MKEUber said:


> Not when Uber is clearly using it to protect their bottom line while they continue to lower fares.


You hit that correct. That's what it's all about.


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## Thatendedbadly (Feb 8, 2016)

Snowman123 said:


> Actually it's shockingly poor in my opinion.
> Thoughts ?


In these parts it is shockingly poor, I collected 49.5% of the last fare I drove on Friday. The Uber driver app briefly shows the total fare at the end of each ride-what the pax pays-not what the driver collects. Going by memory because I rarely ever used taxi services where I live-they've traditionally been pretty pricey-but I think the current base rates in metro Detroit for traditional taxis are 4x higher than Uber's base rates.


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## aokusman (Feb 11, 2016)

I am new to uber. If prices are not surging it can never be worth it.


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## UTX1 (Dec 7, 2015)

aokusman said:


> I am new to uber. If prices are not surging it can never be worth it.











Can't say what it's worth to any one party, as everyone sees things their own way.
The above image is rotating on the front page of Up.net in reference to another story.

Here's the _"real"_ story depicted in this image:
One member is holding in his hand the approximate payout received
from an Uber ride given while no surge was in effect. Costs associated with
providing the ride have not yet been deducted. The Rider, let's call him Chris,
ordered an Uber about 8pm on a Friday nite. He dropped the pin about 2 blocks
from where he actually was. This time, it was not because he was trying to avoid
a surge, as is often his m.o. because he's a chronic cheepskate. No, this time he
just dropped the pin there because he was lazy and left it to the driver to figure out
where he was. So the Driver, let's call him Mary, because he's actually a guy, but
sometimes he likes to dress in drag and drive for Uber, he/she politely calls the
passenger and asks, in a deep voice,"... where are you ? I don't see you where you
dropped the pin. .." Chris replies, "..oh, uh, yea.. i dunno why it does that sometimes.."

Mary, "...ok, so where exactly are you ? "
Chris, "...i'm at the blah, blah, blah, something clubhouse blah, blah, blah something, something,
going to blah, blah, blah hotel resort and spa blah, blah, i hope they have a bidet, blah blah
the last time blah, blah, blah.....and so on..."
Mary, "...ok, so where exactly are you ?"
Chris, "...and I coming downstairs, I'll be right there..."

A few minutes later, as Mary checks his email and he starts to think his passenger
might not be coming, he is getting ready to just cancel the trip and move on.
Chris comes out at the last moment, says, "...hey thanks for waiting...I had to
check on a reservation to make sure they spelled my name right. If they don't
have my information right, I have to stand there at the desk and wait and waste
my time just standing there while I wait and they just have me waiting there....."

Mary starts the trip, puts on the navigation, trip is 1.7 miles away - ETA 4 minutes.

Along the way, Chris asks, "... do you have any cold, bottled water? no ?
wow, that's certainly not a 5 star experience... phfffft, I'm just kidding,
I always give 5 stars... I know how hard you people work......"

Mary is thinking to himself, ''::: _you people ? :::" _but he doesn't say anything
because he obviously has many other issues and suffers from low self-esteem
and just wants to get Chris to his GD drop-off, get him out of the car and be
done with this ride and this passenger, who is sill going on and on about how
he hates when people waste his time with such trivial things....blah, blah, blah....

So, yea, when it's not surging.....well, you know.... blah blah blah


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## flinchy (Feb 13, 2016)

Snowman123 said:


> I opened up a thread over at Whirlpool AU under jobs / Uber to get some feedback on real costs to test my maths assumptions . This is my first post so I cannot put the link here, but I will later when I have the permission to do so.
> 
> For my gross earnings before expenses of around $38 per hour over surge periods [ which is way above the $30 Uber guarantee ] it net's out at around $20-21 per hour income. That's taking in Uber 20% fees, GST, fuel , excess tolls Uber does not pay incurred going to a job, depreciation, maintenance, [ i used the Australian Taxation Office calculator to estimate the running costs, etc etc
> 
> ...


It REALLY depends on what car you drive.

i calculated a gross $35 to work out at about $21.50 in my hand, including Mel/Vic being higher insurance, higher rego for a 4cyl etc.

and i estimated my running costs fairly harshly too, on all aspects.

But that's a Golf TDI.. if you compared say, a commodore or other large car a lot of people seem to uber with (I've been picked up in a Caliber, 300c, those sized cars too), you instantly knock of a couple dollars an hour profit in excess fuel, insurance, tyres/maintenance etc. etc.



MKEUber said:


> Uber takes between 30 - 50% of the total fare depending on the length. Drivers need to stop thinking that the SRF is a separate fee. Not when Uber is clearly using it to protect their bottom line while they continue to lower fares.


OP Is sydney

In Australia there's no SRF or anything and it's a flat 80/20 split.

\


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## dpv (Oct 12, 2015)

I am going to start giving free rides out of protest.


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## UTX1 (Dec 7, 2015)

dpv said:


> I am going to start giving free rides out of protest.


Oh, yea ? Well, I'm gonna pay people to let me drive them somewhere. 

How much would you charge me to let me drive you downtown ?
Please be reasonable, though... I drive for uber, you know...
Can't really afford more than 2x surge... for you dpv, maybe 2.5...


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## dpv (Oct 12, 2015)

UTX1 said:


> Oh, yea ? Well, I'm gonna pay people to let me drive them somewhere.
> 
> How much would you charge me to let me drive you downtown ?
> Please be reasonable, though... I drive for uber, you know...
> Can't really afford more than 2x surge... for you dpv, maybe 2.5...


I am making peanuts anyways. Why not just give occasional free rides? I would probably make more off cash tips then what Uber is paying us.


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## UTX1 (Dec 7, 2015)

I'm calling the new service Rebu (uber in reverse).

We pay you to ride with us ! We tip lavishly and even let you drive, if you want.
There are no stars, no ratings, it's hit or miss, you get what you get.
Eat in the car, if you want. Out of consideration for others, pleae don't smoke in the car,
but feel free to _"get it on"_ in the back seat while we drive you, if you feel frisky.


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## dpv (Oct 12, 2015)

UTX1 said:


> I'm calling the new service Rebu (uber in reverse).
> 
> We pay you to ride with us ! We tip lavishly and even let you drive, if you want.
> There are no stars, no ratings, it's hit or miss, you get what you get.
> ...


 You had me rolling almost out of my seat! LMAO!


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## UTX1 (Dec 7, 2015)

dpv said:


> You had me rolling almost out of my seat! LMAO!


Back in your seat... eyes on the road....hands on the wheel... Rebu on !


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## MKEUber (Aug 20, 2014)

dpv said:


> I am making peanuts anyways. Why not just give occasional free rides? I would probably make more off cash tips then what Uber is paying us.


Just don't get into an accident.


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## Chicago88 (Feb 7, 2016)

UTX1 said:


> I'm calling the new service Rebu (uber in reverse).
> 
> We pay you to ride with us ! We tip lavishly and even let you drive, if you want.
> There are no stars, no ratings, it's hit or miss, you get what you get.
> ...


Thank you, great humor for what is really a terrible job. I drive because I'm bored, my real job pays at least 5-10 times more than this job... I really don't know how people can do this job day in and day out for a full time income. I really don't need the money which makes it carefree, but even with that said I only drive when it's surging, I feel like I'm sticking it to the passengers at that point... I don't dislike the passengers but at least when it's 1.8+ I feel as if the deal between us is reasonably fair.


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## UTX1 (Dec 7, 2015)

Chicago88 said:


> Thank you, great humor for what is really a terrible job. I drive because I'm bored, my real job pays at least 5-10 times more than this job... I really don't know how people can do this job day in and day out for a full time income. I really don't need the money which makes it carefree, but even with that said I only drive when it's surging, I feel like I'm sticking it to the passengers at that point... I don't dislike the passengers but at least when it's 1.8+ I feel as if the deal between us is reasonably fair.


I don't drive every single day either, but when I do make my way out there, I try to have some fun with it.
Not everybody's always on board and sometimes they just want to get home and that's okay too. To each his own.

Like anything else, what we get out of it depends on what we put into it. That part's not so bad, for me anyway.


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## I Aint Jo Mama (May 2, 2016)

aokusman said:


> I am new to uber. If prices are not surging it can never be worth it.


Only as a p/t gig ,MAYBE!!!!


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