# 14 hours for $112



## urge2surge (Feb 4, 2016)

Note I AM A NEWBIE 
I made $114 for 14 hours yesterday - WTF am I doing wrong? 
OK I tried to get surge areas but missed most of the time
Most riders are cool but the fare is nothing meaty -- it's $5, $9, $12 and that with the Boat Show

Getting tired already....
Any suggestions welcomed.


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## Stygge (Jan 9, 2016)

Don't drive when there isn't demand. If there's never demand, never drive. Simple as that. Not only did you drive at base fare, you probably idled most of the 14 hours. UberX can not be a full time gig. The money just isn't there.


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## urge2surge (Feb 4, 2016)

trying to understand the demand aspect - I mean, there's always a demand - No sooner do I drop off and within 3 minutes it's flashing again


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## Anonü (Sep 15, 2015)

urge2surge said:


> trying to understand the demand aspect - I mean, there's always a demand - No sooner do I drop off and within 3 minutes it's flashing again


6 months ago in most markets you could have made a more reasonable amount. That's just not going to happen anymore. 114 sounds about right. Don't forget to put money aside for car needs plus your ride share insurance that I'm sure you got already.


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## Stygge (Jan 9, 2016)

urge2surge said:


> trying to understand the demand aspect - I mean, there's always a demand - No sooner do I drop off and within 3 minutes it's flashing again


That's odd. You should be able to make more even at base fare if you're busy all the time. We talk payout amount, right? How many miles did you drive? If more than 114 miles you basically made no profit at all.


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## Stygge (Jan 9, 2016)

So with 15c a minute and $1 per mile you should do at least 20 miles an hour = $26 an hour. Minus uber 28%=$19 per hour. So in 14 hours you should've had a payout of around $260 give or take. It should've been 25 to 40 trips.


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## Darrell (Dec 27, 2015)

urge2surge said:


> Note I AM A NEWBIE
> I made $114 for 14 hours yesterday - WTF am I doing wrong?
> OK I tried to get surge areas but missed most of the time
> Most riders are cool but the fare is nothing meaty -- it's $5, $9, $12 and that with the Boat Show
> ...


Man it's nothing you are doing wrong, it simply is the rates. Nothing you can do about it. I've been driving for a year and pretty much had everything calculated on how much a fare was going to be from my favorite sit/hot spot to a location I drop off ALL THE TIME, like say a college. Those trips before January 2016 where a guaranteed $ 33 - $ 37, depending on how deep the dorm / apartment was into the actual campus. Now those same trips pop up on my phone as $ 16 - $ 21. I can drive somebody a long distance and after I complete trip, it comes to no more than $ 20. It's crazy how low the rates are and Uber doesn't give a sh*t because they make money no matter what. They can lower the rates to what ever they want and as long as they have drivers, they make money. The only way to make money now off the system is to catch the surges, which rarely happens unless there is an event happening.

What I am curious about is if Uber will raise the rates once the gas goes back up. Gas being low is the ONLY thing that's working in all of our favors.


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## SLYFOX (Feb 14, 2016)

Your problem is that you're driving X. There's no money to be made in X. That time has come and gone. Some tips:

1. Don't chase the surge. You'll just look like a chicken with your head cut off. 

2. If it surges around/on you, wait until it hits 1.5x. Your apps map is delayed, so you want surges of 2.0x or higher. You log on at 1.5x and it's going to take some time to find you a ride; by then it should be around 2.0x. This works most of the time.

Personally, I don't drive X anymore. Just not worth it.


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## BostonTaxiDriver (Nov 23, 2014)

urge2surge said:


> Note I AM A NEWBIE
> I made $114 for 14 hours yesterday - WTF am I doing wrong?
> OK I tried to get surge areas but missed most of the time
> Most riders are cool but the fare is nothing meaty -- it's $5, $9, $12 and that with the Boat Show
> ...


Which city do you drive?


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## Greguzzi (Jan 9, 2016)

The more you drive, the more money you're going to lose at those rates. F*ck Uber. Tell them to buy their own cars.


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## Ace Richards (Jun 9, 2015)

Don't you guys realize that you're losing the benefits of Uber on a daily basis.
Your biggest problem is that you're working in a deregulated environment and
Uber's ability to continually onboard unlimited amounts of drivers will erode
your ability to earn, they continue to lead you into poverty! The only way to
bring new riders into the program is continually lower rates. You can't win!


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## Thatendedbadly (Feb 8, 2016)

urge2surge said:


> Note I AM A NEWBIE
> I made $114 for 14 hours yesterday - WTF am I doing wrong?
> OK I tried to get surge areas but missed most of the time
> Most riders are cool but the fare is nothing meaty -- it's $5, $9, $12 and that with the Boat Show
> ...


Not driving for a 'living', just a little supplemental income, I set a dollar amount net for the day, if things don't appear to be working out or I've hit the goal that's a day for me. 2 1/2 hours online today, only about 1/2 hour deadhead home from downtown, saw my dollar amount and called it a night, based on my previous experience I knew that average would not increase if I stayed online and in all likelihood it would decrease to the point where I had a rotten day-not that I made enough to brag about. I actually only drove 95 miles total today, my average would have been even better but it's Michigan and I had to wash the car before I went out. The definition of irony, throwing a buck in the tip jar at the car wash and realizing that you probably won't get tipped that day. Naturally I didn't


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## Oscar Levant (Aug 15, 2014)

urge2surge said:


> trying to understand the demand aspect - I mean, there's always a demand - No sooner do I drop off and within 3 minutes it's flashing again


It's simple, the rates you are charging riders were about right in 1978, for which $112 at that time would have been a good day's work, but since most taxi companies split the shift on cars, the most you could have been able to drive was about 11 1/2 hours, meaning your gross would have been $90, which is about right on days that had back to back calls. You could rent a one bedroom apartment in L.A. in those days for about $150, s0 it was doing well, if that's what you did.

In other words, you're not doing anything wrong, Uber is living in the past with its rates.


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## Rich2nyce (Jan 25, 2016)

i did 17hrs this weekend and after ubers cut i made 310..


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## Jiynks (Aug 10, 2015)

urge2surge 
Heres a bit of advice i think may get ya started in the right direction.
Early am- go to residential areas. As people tend to have mid range distanst fairs going to work and if your lucky you may even get an airport run err two.
3-6Pm- go to more commercial areas even nice buisness offices. All thos people working 9-5 will certainly need to get home.
Hope that helps alittle.


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## TwoFiddyMile (Mar 13, 2015)

Thatendedbadly said:


> Not driving for a 'living', just a little supplemental income, I set a dollar amount net for the day, if things don't appear to be working out or I've hit the goal that's a day for me. 2 1/2 hours online today, only about 1/2 hour deadhead home from downtown, saw my dollar amount and called it a night, based on my previous experience I knew that average would not increase if I stayed online and in all likelihood it would decrease to the point where I had a rotten day-not that I made enough to brag about. I actually only drove 95 miles total today, my average would have been even better but it's Michigan and I had to wash the car before I went out. The definition of irony, throwing a buck in the tip jar at the car wash and realizing that you probably won't get tipped that day. Naturally I didn't


You didn't obtain supplemental income on a 14 hour shift with that gross.
You barely turned a profit.
#destroyyourcarforuber


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## SLYFOX (Feb 14, 2016)

TwoFiddyMile said:


> You didn't obtain supplemental income on a 14 hour shift with that gross.
> You barely turned a profit.
> #destroyyourcarforuber


There's really no need to be so negative. You're not suggesting anything so maybe try being helpful.


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## SLYFOX (Feb 14, 2016)

SLYFOX said:


> There's really no need to be so negative. You're not suggesting anything so maybe try being helpful.


At this point my advice would be to focus on the hourly guarantee but also get to know your surrounding areas. Be aware of where people move to and from, consider the airport. Start early, longer drives usually take place early.

Granted I'm on UberSelect but I had 3 airport runs yesterday morning and they were all 5-7am. You can get those 20+ mile runs with NO traffic.


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## TwoFiddyMile (Mar 13, 2015)

SLYFOX said:


> There's really no need to be so negative. You're not suggesting anything so maybe try being helpful.


#DontDestroyYourCarForUber.
More helpful?


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## SLYFOX (Feb 14, 2016)

TwoFiddyMile said:


> #DontDestroyYourCarForUber.
> More helpful?


If you don't "destroy your car for Uber" then I guess you don't drive, which begs the question. What are you doing here?


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## UberBlackPr1nce (Dec 28, 2014)

urge2surge said:


> Note I AM A NEWBIE
> I made $114 for 14 hours yesterday - WTF am I doing wrong?
> OK I tried to get surge areas but missed most of the time
> Most riders are cool but the fare is nothing meaty -- it's $5, $9, $12 and that with the Boat Show
> ...


Find a new gig.


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