# No more night shift, only 24 hour rentals....



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

Gahh...

It's official...
(it's actually been official a while i just didn't notice)

Night shift is gone, only 24 hour rentals (by the day or by the week)

Now i MUST drag my furry behind into the shop at the ungodly hour of 8:30 Am to 10:00 am to start a shift...


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## Another Uber Driver (May 27, 2015)

Are you telling us that you still can drive at night, but, instead of paying for a car for twelve hours, you must pay for twenty four?


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

Another Uber Driver said:


> Are you telling us that you still can drive at night, but, instead of paying for a car for twelve hours, you must pay for twenty four?


yes


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## driverdoug (Jun 11, 2017)

Why’d they do that. Could get someone to split and drive the day shift?


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

driverdoug said:


> Why'd they do that. Could get someone to split and drive the day shift?


Only if we went in on a weekly rental together, but not going to do that.

Monday i worked a shift (not knowing night was gone derp) from 8:30 am to 4:00 whatever PM then tuesday 3:00 something AM to 8:00 am.

That's ONE 24 hour rental...

HONESTLY i think it could be a lot less hard on me that 12 hour shifts.

But tomorrow i'm going to do 10:00 AM to whenever i feel like going home.. because it's Friday. so probably 10:00 am to midnight or 2:00 if i hold out.


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## SleelWheels (Jun 25, 2019)

You rent?


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

SleelWheels said:


> You rent?


taxi rentals is the way it's done in Orlando these days.

The theme park taxi ranks and most of the biggest hotels are dominated by one company.

And the airport as well.

I used to be a "fortune teller" but that was pre-Uber. It's a lot harder to get fares these days.

The cabs I rent have access to the Disney/universal studios cab ranks and the third biggest/best dispatch in Orlando. (After Uber/lyft)


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## doyousensehumor (Apr 13, 2015)

Stevie The magic Unicorn said:


> Gahh...
> 
> It's official...
> (it's actually been official a while i just didn't notice)
> ...


I tested the taxi market again here, back in January. 24's only, and the cage was only open a couple hours. 
That's an inconvenience I would have dealt with, if there was enough fares.

Also what had changed was the company was now watching your every move on camera. The also installed an extremely annoying lane departure warning and nagging speed limit system.

I ended up having a pax high on something waving a gun around. Unfortunately, I couldnt get help because The panic button was moved onto the dispatch tablet, which flashes red when used (defeating the purpose).

I'm done for good with cab.


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

doyousensehumor said:


> I ended up having a pax high on something waving a gun around. Unfortunately, I couldnt get help because The panic button was moved onto the dispatch tablet, which flashes red when used (defeating the purpose).


That's a terrible place for it, and been there done that...

our dispatch has been moved to the tablet and i need tot point out that the cabs have been wired with cameras for over 15 years so they know how to put it together properly. Our panic buttons are still under the steering wheel and outside of view from even the front passenger seat and not tied to our dispatch tablets at all.

The cameras are there for EVERYONE'S protection and i can guarantee that they don't bother watching them at all unless they have a reason to.

The times i used it (not going ot lie, it's happened) the "customer" didn't know i pushed it until the cops told them i pushed it when they were dragging us out of the car. (Procedure is to swarm the car and drag everyone out and sort out who is who when the car is empty).

But it's a different market for sure. I get 366%- 500% (3 1/2 to 5 times) of the uberX rates driving a cab.

for the record it's 53c a mile 8c a minute VS 2.20-2.40 a mile and 45c a minute under 20 MPH.


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## Another Uber Driver (May 27, 2015)

doyousensehumor said:


> I tested the taxi market again here, back in January. 24's only, and the cage was only open a couple hours.


Did you drive for DeSoto/Flywheel or another company? As I understand it, the cab market never was the best in SF. It actually has gotten better, here, of late. In April and May, the bottom had dropped out of it, but it is coming back. Much of this is due to drivers' not working. You can add UberX/Lyft drivers' not working, as well, which is causing longer wait times and frustrations. Of the drivers that are working, many (but not all) of those that are working are the shufflers and the gamers of the application. This adds to customer frustration.

All of this may change come August when the PPP/PUA expires. If Congress does continue it, you might see a blip, then a fade. If Congress does not continue it, who knows? Many drivers that I know have said that they will not return no matter what.

Many of the cab companies here have cut back their office, shop and even radio room hours.



Stevie The magic Unicorn said:


> Our panic buttons are still under the steering wheel and outside of view from even the front passenger seat and not tied to our dispatch tablets at all.


..............as are ours, although, when an emergency signal come is, it will pop up right on top of the call assignment screen in the radio room.

QUOTE="Stevie The magic Unicorn, post: 6365018, member: 145628"]But it's a different market for sure. I get 366%- 500% (3 1/2 to 5 times) of the uberX rates driving a cab.

for the record it's 53c a mile 8c a minute VS 2.20-2.40 a mile and 45c a minute under 20 MPH.[/QUOTE]

I do not get five times, but, I get better than tree times what Uber pays to the X driver for mileage and twice for time, on base rates. Unlike Uber/Lyft, the cab meter charges only for time or only for mileage: one or the other, not both. UberX and Lyft charge for both simultaneously.. Still, I prefer the cab. As the cab has gotten better here, I drive it more. The only reason that I drove it Sunday and Monday was that I had forgotten to go get my insurance card and the cab company closed early, due to cutbacks in operating hours. Girlfriend had to go to the doctor Monday, I had to go to the dentist Tuesday and girlfriend had to go back to the doctor again Wednesday, so I could not go then, either. I worked UberX one of those days for a couple of hours, though, but UberX/Lyft. Finally, I got to the cab company yesterday and got this week's and next week's insurance card, so that I can work the cab this weekend.


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

Took out a car for Friday.










let me say... cleaning it up was really polishing a turd man.

but it's 24 hour rate is only $60 so I'll take it lol.

And our time Ticks when the speed is under 20 mph.

so heavy traffic it's like $3.00 per mile.


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

So for Friday I started at 9:10 am and turned in the car just after 2:00 am Saturday.

made $280 and walked home with $190.

$280
-$60 (cab rental half rate dispatch only car no theme park stands, airport ect)
-$20 gas
-$10.17 tolls, and gas charge back from not completely filling the tank, $5.00 in background check payment. Ect.

for 190 profit.


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

Since coming back after the covid lockdown the least I’ve gone home with is $170 for a days rental.


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## CJfrom619 (Apr 27, 2017)

Stevie The magic Unicorn said:


> So for Friday I started at 9:10 am and turned in the car just after 2:00 am Saturday.
> 
> made $280 and walked home with $190.
> 
> ...


Thats crazy man. Way to much work for that little profit. Your not truly making those rates if the rental cost that much.


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

Worked Saturday, 9:30 Am to midnight, my profit (after all expenses) is just shy of $200. Well I didn't walk home with it, they didn't have any cash to give me and told me to come back at 9:00 am if i REALLY needed it.

I'm paying $75 for the taxis that have access to Disney/universal studios Orlando taxi stands/hotel stands. ($15 than the ones that are dispatch only)


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## driverdoug (Jun 11, 2017)

Stevie The magic Unicorn said:


> I'm paying $75 for the taxis that have access to Disney/universal studios Orlando taxi stands/hotel stands. ($15 than the ones that are dispatch only)


That sounds like a fair deal to me. You only supply labor and gas? Compare how Uber splits the income and expenses.


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

driverdoug said:


> That sounds like a fair deal to me. You only supply labor and gas? Compare how Uber splits the income and expenses.


Unfortunatly...

That's the 50% off Coronavirus special.

Regular price is $150 a day (24 hours)

Regular price for 9:00 PM to 9:00 AM is $76.

I'm literally paying what i used to pay for 12 hours for all 24 hours.


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## The queen 👸 (Jan 2, 2020)

Stevie The magic Unicorn said:


> Since coming back after the covid lockdown the least I've gone home with is $170 for a days rental.


You ain't making money for all those hrs .


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## driverdoug (Jun 11, 2017)

Stevie The magic Unicorn said:


> Unfortunatly...
> 
> That's the 50% off Coronavirus special.
> 
> ...


I see that makes it tough. 3 double shifts a week or you need a partner.


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

driverdoug said:


> I see that makes it tough. 3 double shifts a week or you need a partner.


They don't allow partners on a daily rental (not sure why). If i did a weekly rental there's actually a higher rate for a weekly rental with a partner VS solo. It's just so absolutely stupid priced right now that no one does it.

The way this is currently working out is that one person can do better cherry picking the best hours of the week than 2 working around the clock.

The way 24 hours works, is that working 15-18 hours is approximately 50-80% more revenue than 12 hours. (the math checks out trust me on this)

A 12 hour shift is really only 10 hours of clock on actually working, as you lose up to 20 minutes setting up, driving to where you want to work ect, the last hour is just returning back to the shop. You also lose time waiting around for the guy who had it before you to show up. On top of losing an hour, you might lose more than that because you might have to cut early because your just too far away or can't make it through the taxi queue you're currently in (this phenomenon alone can cost you stupid amounts of working time I NEVER sat in queues for the last hour i could work a 12).

So 12 hours is really 9-10 hours $200-300
15 (13 hours) $260-390
18 (15 hours) $400+

A 24 hour rental at full priced,
$150 in rental
$30-35 in gas in tolls
$180 in total costs.

When i was paying full rates i shot for $330+ in revenue for 14 hours ($150 in profit) (this is about 65% higher than the min i shoot for in 12 hours) It usually takes me about 14+ hours to make $330. If i'm really feeling frisky I can put in 18 hours, that's usually 4:00 PM until 10:00 AM. That's almost always been $250+ in profit. (or roughly equivalent to two 12 hour days)

And as to how 24 hours end up mathematically better, and that's not including the fact that your picking the absolute best hours of the day work and not just the hours your "Stuck" with on 12s either. For instance... if i wanted to i could pick up a cab at 10:00 am, go home take a nap, start working at 3:00 PM work until 2:00 AM take another nap, go back out at 4:00 AM and work until 9:00 AM. This is the best parts of the 9:00 AM- 9:00 PM shift and the best parts of 9:00 PM to 9:00 AM shift all it one go.

Working _stupid stupid_ hours,
(none of this applies during covid)
10:00 am to 3:00 PM, medical account fares. ($100)
3:00 PM to 9:00 PM Disney dinner rush and or closing time (or sometimes this goes til midnight) ($150+) 
(disney close) until 3:00 AM - Fun time in the hood ($100-$150)
3:00 am to 9:00 AM - early morning airport run and more medical calls ($100-150)

Those are seriously numbers i can pull in various times of the day. A 12 hour period 10:00 to 10:00 is in the $200-250 range but if threw the book out i can pull stupid numbers by working all of them. And some of these don't always exist every day of the week either.

If i really wanted ot kick my ass and somehow put in 24 hours straight... it could easily hit $500 with $300 being mine.

Grand total a 24 hour shift is usually in the neighborhood of 50-100% of the profit of a 12 hour shift. (the way my stupid ass works anyway)
12 hours puts me at $150-200
24 hours puts me at $200-500+ (NYE for the $500)

So if your doing 24 hour shifts your car is good to go you just need to show up to the shop and turn in your paperwork and get it reprinted.

CURRENTLY I'm doing two All day rentals a week. So that's pretty much a double. this is on top of my day job. This weekend i'm probably going to do Friday and Sunday.


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## Another Uber Driver (May 27, 2015)

Stevie The magic Unicorn said:


> weekly rental with a partner


The major problem that we had with illegal vehicles/driver here was unlicenced drivers who were driving legitimate cabs. Back in the Zone Days, the test for the hack face was not easy. People regullarly had to take it three and four times. Some people never passed it. I actually passed my first try, but, had I answered one more question incorrectly, I would have failed. The scenario here used to play out (and still does, but far less, since Uber/Lyft):

These four guys would all go at the same time to write the hack test. Eventually, one of them passed. He went through the process and got his hack face. He then went to the offices of this one large fleet operator and asked to rent a cab. The guy had his hack face and his money, why not rent him the cab? So Mr. X pays his money, goes out there and works the cab six hours. He then goes to the parking lot to pick up cousin Y. Cousin Y, like all ot the rest, has no hack face. Only Mr. X has a hack face. At any rate, Cousin Y drops off Mr. X at home and works the cab for six hours. Cousin Y then goes to the hotel to pick up Uncle W. Uncle W, with no hack face, drops Cousin Y at home, then works the cab for six hours. Uncle W then goes to Brother-in-Law Z's home, picks him up, drives to school, gets out and Brother-in-Law Z then works the cab for six hours. Finally, Brother-in-Law Z goes to the restaurant, picks up Mr. X, and the cycle starts anew.

The cab is going twenty four/seven/three-sixty-five with days off only for a major Ethnic Association Event, graduation, funeral or wedding. Mr. X does have to go to the office every week to pay the rent and must be the one to take it to the shop if it needs something. If it breaks down on the street, whoever is driving calls the office, which sends the tow truck. The driver is instructed to leave the key in the ashtray, on the right front tire or under the floor mat up front. Of course, when the car is repaired, Mr. X must go to fetch it. The shop foreman does not care if the car is coming in more frequently than you would think. Everyone knows that this fleet operator rents out mostly hoopties, anyhow, so if he cares at all, which he usually does not, he does not think that it is out of the ordinary.

Where it breaks down is if there is a collision. At that point, if the wrong guy is driving it, there is trouble. The cab company gets the Police Report and sees that the driver is not the one assigned to the car. The cab company tells the insurance company and the insurance company denies coverage.

The other possibility is that the hack inspector stops the cab when the wrong driver is behind the wheel. At that point, the cab gets impounded and, if the hack inspector has a bug up his [donkey], he issues a summons not only to the driver, but also to the owner for permitting an unlicenced operator.

This does not happen as much as it used to happen, Uber/Lyft are largely responsible for this as well as a former Chair of the then-Taxicab Commission, who had his hack inspectors go after illegals. At that point, the unlicenced drivers thought "Why risk it"" and went to Uber/Lyft. The illegals were actually the source of most of the problems that the riding public had with the cabs. When UberX and Lyft came, as the illegals parked their cabs, the complaints against the drivers diminished markedly. These former illegals did take their bad habits with them to Uber/Lyft, but m ost of them have not been de-activated Y-E-T.


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

Another Uber Driver said:


> The major problem that we had with illegal vehicles/driver here was unlicenced drivers who were driving legitimate cabs. Back in the Zone Days, the test for the hack face was not easy. People regullarly had to take it three and four times. Some people never passed it. I actually passed my first try, but, had I answered one more question incorrectly, I would have failed. The scenario here used to play out (and still does, but far less, since Uber/Lyft):
> 
> These four guys would all go at the same time to write the hack test. Eventually, one of them passed. He went through the process and got his hack face. He then went to the offices of this one large fleet operator and asked to rent a cab. The guy had his hack face and his money, why not rent him the cab? So Mr. X pays his money, goes out there and works the cab six hours. He then goes to the parking lot to pick up cousin Y. Cousin Y, like all ot the rest, has no hack face. Only Mr. X has a hack face. At any rate, Cousin Y drops off Mr. X at home and works the cab for six hours. Cousin Y then goes to the hotel to pick up Uncle W. Uncle W, with no hack face, drops Cousin Y at home, then works the cab for six hours. Uncle W then goes to Brother-in-Law Z's home, picks him up, drives to school, gets out and Brother-in-Law Z then works the cab for six hours. Finally, Brother-in-Law Z goes to the restaurant, picks up Mr. X, and the cycle starts anew.
> 
> ...


I can actually explain why there aren't off the books extra guys in Orlando,

Getting hired is easy, getting fired is actually pretty hard, for anything other than being a total asshole or getting into accidents, or getting caught doing exactly the above.

That and since we don't use CBs anymore when dispatch calls us to get a hold of us over someone losing a cell phone ect they call the driver who has the car signed out, Disney also does badge checks, and the cashiers who take our money know all our handwriting by heart that includes on the voucher fares you end up getting from literally anywhere in town and have to fill out. They can even read _my_ chicken scratch, you show up with slips filled out by different drivers and they know...

Me handing the keys over to someone else to work for a while is next to impossible to pull off. They accidentally created a climate that's impossible to get away with it.


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## Another Uber Driver (May 27, 2015)

Stevie The magic Unicorn said:


> I can actually explain why there aren't off the books extra guys in Orlando,


Your market conditions allow for it. In this market, where you can get so many customers from bumping the kerb, it is much easier to pull off this stunt. Given the current COVID-19 conditions, it is somewhat more difficult, as there are not that many street hails out there. If the economy ever does come back, the street hails will return.


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

Another Uber Driver said:


> Your market conditions allow for it. In this market, where you can get so many customers from bumping the kerb, it is much easier to pull off this stunt. Given the current COVID-19 conditions, it is somewhat more difficult, as there are not that many street hails out there. If the economy ever does come back, the street hails will return.


I think it has more to do with Disney's badge checks and dispatch calling the drivers personal cell phone when they need to get a hold of us. Knowing the system as well as i do, If i put someone else in my cab while I had it signed out? Yeah that's not going to last very long at all. That and the driver assistance line is staffed by like under 4 operators, If multiple people are working a car around the clock those guys will notice. And if your working dispatch you can't really avoid talking to them.

"Hey this is 801, i need a gatecode off my current customer"

"OK Stevie, giving them a call"

"Hey this is 801, what entrance is the customer at, My fare screen says both the main entrance and the ER of this hospital"

"GAhh... yeah it does say both, i'll call the contact"

WHen it's two guys running that line late night you get to know them REAL quick, the customers usually talk to the Calltakers, they are the ones who get the customers pickup info and phone number to put into the system, there's a lot more of those.


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

And the taxis are back up to full rates, however i can go back to the cheaper 12 hour night shifts.


So i'll more than likely be doing the $66 for 9:00 pm to 9:00 am, no disney world, no airport pickups dispatch only cars.


The math on that is a goal of $190+ in revenue with $100+ profit.

Compared to a goal of $400 revenue on a 24 hour rental giving $220 in profit.

12 fares at about $17 a fare is really all that it takes to make that shift worth while. Based on the numbers i've been getting in the hood late night i shouldn't have much of a problem pulling that off.


And i'll be dropping the disney pickup option for a few reasons, firstly the number of guests in town is already plummeting, secondly the hours they are open are getting cut way way back from 11:00 pm yesterday to 7:00 pm.

But thankfully the early morning business seems to be picking up as well, plenty of fares in the hood to keep me busy.


So back to working hood calls through the night and dealing with the crazies... YAY.. *face palm*

or i could just quit until summer...

choices choices...


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## AvisDeene (Jun 7, 2019)

Can't you just put a saddle one and give people rides on your back? I'm sure there are loads of people who would love to ride a unicorn. Bonus points if your farts come out as rainbows.



Seriously though, I'm sorry they made your life difficult.


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## EagleWolfSparrow (Aug 7, 2021)

Why rent? Get a car lol


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

EagleWolfSparrow said:


> Why rent? Get a car lol


Easy...

UBerX rates are 53c a mile
Ubertaxi is $1.71 a mile
Taxi at the credit card rate is $2.30
Taxi at the cash rate is $2.40 a mile

I'd much rather shell out for a taxi when I'm making $1.20-1.87 MORE per mile.



AS far as owning my own taxi?

That doesn't work here anymore. Only company taxis can queue at Disney world and I depend on dispatch outside of closing time at Disney and queuing at the hotels...

I also don't do it enough to justify $500 in monthly insurance premiums for taxi insurance, but that's very secondary to the above.



So today I shelled out $76 for a taxi. (9:00 pm to 9:00 am)

$235 in gross revenue on $20 in gas and I have about 2 hours more to catch another fare.

So no more than _32%_ to the cab company today... a lower % than uber takes these days for sure. And it's not my car.

My last 2 fares were trips to the airport. $30 and $25 (including tip)
Neither would have broken _$10 on uberX_.


Yeah i'd rather have 60% of 2.30 or 2.40 a mile than 10% of 53c a mile thank you very much.


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## 20yearsdriving (Dec 14, 2014)

Morale of this tread become a gypsy.. historically the best option of all.


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## EagleWolfSparrow (Aug 7, 2021)

Stevie The magic Unicorn said:


> Easy...
> 
> UBerX rates are 53c a mile
> Ubertaxi is $1.71 a mile
> ...


Actually Uber rate is all difference between cities.

UberX/Lyft Base 0.6$ Mile in Las Vegas

0.89 in Columbus OHIO


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

EagleWolfSparrow said:


> Actually Uber rate is all difference between cities.
> 
> UberX/Lyft Base 0.6$ Mile in Las Vegas
> 
> 0.89 in Columbus OHIO


but my point.. if Uberx is .53 a mile, and a taxi is $1.71-$2.40 a mile it’s a no brainer.


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## EagleWolfSparrow (Aug 7, 2021)

Stevie The magic Unicorn said:


> but my point.. if Uberx is .53 a mile, and a taxi is $1.71-$2.40 a mile it’s a no brainer.


If driver take home 1.71, 2.40 per mile. 
And it'd always busy (Not much stopping time, always driving)

Yes. Do taxi is better


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

EagleWolfSparrow said:


> If driver take home 1.71, 2.40 per mile.
> And it'd always busy (Not much stopping time, always driving)
> 
> Yes. Do taxi is better


There's often back to back fares to get and during large events it's far easier to load and go, for instance closing time at the theme parks concerts ect. It's easier for me to find the first dude who walks up wanting a ride than Bob Reynolds who is the only passenger i'm legal to pickup, who I may or may not have to drive the entire way around the stadium to find.


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