# What is with the hourly wage obsession ????



## Hal Green (Sep 19, 2014)

Why are most Uber drivers obsessed with how much an hour they make ???

First of all this is not a real job & you are not hourly employees.

You are using YOUR car , paying ALL the expenses related to operating YOUR car.

Uber takes their percentage of the fare before you get anything .

All the risk is on YOU , there are no benefits , You pay all the taxes federal ,state , local, social security,
no pension / 401k . Which if you were an employee your employer would pay their share of taxes,
and contribute to pension / 401.

Employers would pay all expenses related to operating THEIR car , to conduct the transportation of THEIR
customers.

Drivers need to look at REALITY after all the wear & tear on YOUR vehicle when the time comes to replace
YOUR vehicle and the wear & tear will add up quickly doing this type of service.
And YOU don't have $$$$ to replace YOUR car You will look back and
say I make $35 per hour running for Uber.


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## Mrpushpop (Feb 3, 2015)

I Uber for 1 reason only. To buy a new car. Driving the last 2 years of life out of this one and banking all the Uber money into a separate account.


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## Hal Green (Sep 19, 2014)

[QUOTE="Driving the last 2 years of life out of this one and banking all the Uber money into a separate account.[/QUOTE]

Hopefully the car lasts another 2 years.

2 years in transportation service is an eternity.


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## Big Machine (Jun 19, 2014)

Hal Green said:


> Why are most Uber drivers obsessed with how much an hour they make ???
> 
> First of all this is not a real job & you are not hourly employees.
> 
> ...


It is because most Uber drivers are uneducated and can not grasp the reality that they are business owners. Since they have never held anything but low end per hour pay jobs it is the only thing they can relate too. Hence the constant screaming about tips and thinking they are mandatory.

The reality is that if they are going to run a business, they need to find other sources of revenue for their business. Doing all of this rating riders low, demanding money from riders when the riders are using a service that says no cash is needed, and constantly trying to blame others is just them just trying to push blame on someone else.

Bottom line is if you do not know how to run a business, go apply for a job. End of story.


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## UberTaxPro (Oct 3, 2014)

Big Machine said:


> It is because most Uber drivers are uneducated and can not grasp the reality that they are business owners. Since they have never held anything but low end per hour pay jobs it is the only thing they can relate too. Hence the constant screaming about tips and thinking they are mandatory.
> 
> The reality is that if they are going to run a business, they need to find other sources of revenue for their business. Doing all of this rating riders low, demanding money from riders when the riders are using a service that says no cash is needed, and constantly trying to blame others is just them just trying to push blame on someone else.
> 
> Bottom line is if you do not know how to run a business, go apply for a job. End of story.


yea, they all sound like "cab drivers" always *****ing about something


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## biozon (Jan 6, 2015)

Hal Green said:


> Why are most Uber drivers obsessed with how much an hour they make ???


 It is not an obsession, an hourly rate is just a mere justification of the business you do.



Hal Green said:


> First of all this is not a real job & you are not hourly employees.


 How do you mean it's not a real job? Is someone else driving for you while you chill home and you just collect the dough?


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## Casuale Haberdasher (Dec 7, 2014)

Hal Green said:


> Why are most Uber drivers obsessed with how much an hour they make ???
> 
> First of all this is not a real job & you are not hourly employees.
> 
> ...


POST # 1 / @Hal Green : HEY! You

never got back to me regarding the
Palm Tree-lined Beach y'got theah
inna Avatah photo. Details, please.


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## Liquid (Nov 14, 2014)

I'm obsessed with all of the metrics that pertain to my compensation and expenses.


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## Actionjax (Oct 6, 2014)

Hal Green said:


> Why are most Uber drivers obsessed with how much an hour they make ???
> 
> First of all this is not a real job & you are not hourly employees.
> 
> ...


Not so much of an obsession more of a validation attempt when Uber Marketing says you can make this much per year. In the end what does this mean in the grand scheme of things.

I think we all can prove with a degree of certainty what the reality is. But some people who are used to working an hourly rate need some metric to go off of.


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## chamomiami (Jan 23, 2015)

i found a lot of good stories here, some complains, some good tips.. but i guess a lot of people bringing negative stuff to the forum are just trying to get new drivers out the street, too much haters around, the worse are the one complaining about immigrants without perfect English


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## UberHammer (Dec 5, 2014)

As the old cliche says, "time is money". As a business owner, time is one of the many assets being invested, so to ignore it is not a wise thing to do as a business owner.

Any good business owner can know that $100 in revenue earned on $50 in costs is $50 in profit. But accomplishing that $50 in profit in one hour of effort and in 50 hours of effort are two completely different situations. The first one is worth it. The second one is not.


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## Oc_DriverX (Apr 29, 2014)

Hal Green said:


> Why are most Uber drivers obsessed with how much an hour they make ???
> 
> First of all this is not a real job & you are not hourly employees.
> 
> ...


If a driver is accounting for his maintenance and depreciation, then he is in fact factoring in that his car will need to be replaced at some point. A driver may do this and still calculate his hourly profits. Time is a valid measure in this business, as has been pointed out by other posters. Just because a driver chooses to look at it using time, does not in and of itself make that driver ignorant.


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## Lidman (Nov 13, 2014)

Big Machine said:


> It is because most Uber drivers are uneducated and can not grasp the reality that they are business owners. Since they have never held anything but low end per hour pay jobs it is the only thing they can relate too. Hence the constant screaming about tips and thinking they are mandatory.
> 
> The reality is that if they are going to run a business, they need to find other sources of revenue for their business. Doing all of this rating riders low, demanding money from riders when the riders are using a service that says no cash is needed, and constantly trying to blame others is just them just trying to push blame on someone else.
> 
> Bottom line is if you do not know how to run a business, go apply for a job. End of story.


 LISTEN UP TO THOSE WHO MIGHT WANT TO DRIVE FOR UBER: This is the typical of pax you're going to get on uberx rates. He's doing us all a favor inadvertently. He's the type that'll make you drive 14 miles to his pickup spot and have you drive him two blocks. And a tip. lololol.....

He boasts about rating drivers 3 and under. Hmmmm Most likely his rating aren't much better. I don't see why a driver would consider taking him anywhere. LOLOL He's part of the Randy Shear fan club.


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## Bolympia (Jan 8, 2015)

Big Machine said:


> It is because most Uber drivers are uneducated and can not grasp the reality that they are business owners. Since they have never held anything but low end per hour pay jobs it is the only thing they can relate too. Hence the constant screaming about tips and thinking they are mandatory.
> 
> The reality is that if they are going to run a business, they need to find other sources of revenue for their business. Doing all of this rating riders low, demanding money from riders when the riders are using a service that says no cash is needed, and constantly trying to blame others is just them just trying to push blame on someone else.
> 
> Bottom line is if you do not know how to run a business, go apply for a job. End of story.


What the hell are you talking about?

Uber drivers aren't business owners, they're pseudo taxi drivers. So according to you, if only they had at some point in their lives achieved a MBA or had some other BS 'white collar' job pushing paper in a cubicle they would be able to utilize the Uber platform to so much better? What do you do for a living again?

Maybe you could give us an example or two of how an Uber Driver (aka business owner) could actually find other sources of revenue for their 'business'?

Condescending prick!


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## Lidman (Nov 13, 2014)

Bolympia said:


> What the hell are you talking about?
> 
> Uber drivers aren't business owners, they're pseudo taxi drivers. So according to you, if only they had at some point in their lives achieved a MBA or had some other BS 'white collar' job pushing paper in a cubicle they would be able to utilize the Uber platform to so much better? What do you do for a living again?
> 
> ...


BigM is one of Travis' minions. They'd make a lovely couple.


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## Actionjax (Oct 6, 2014)

Bolympia said:


> What the hell are you talking about?
> 
> Uber drivers aren't business owners, they're pseudo taxi drivers. So according to you, if only they had at some point in their lives achieved a MBA or had some other BS 'white collar' job pushing paper in a cubicle they would be able to utilize the Uber platform to so much better? What do you do for a living again?
> 
> ...


That's easy. First time rider promo cards.

Hey you asked.


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## biozon (Jan 6, 2015)

Bolympia said:


> Uber drivers aren't business owners


 You are wrong. Most of Uber drivers are, in fact, business owners. They own a car which they use to transport people around and they invest their time, effort and money into it in hope of a better return.



Bolympia said:


> they're pseudo taxi drivers.


 Again, you are wrong. Do not let some minor similarities confuse you. Yes, Uber drivers transport passengers for money, but it doesn't have anything to do with a taxi service.



Bolympia said:


> Condescending prick!


 Way to participate in a conversation - you will achieve a lot with such attitude!


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## Jay2dresq (Oct 1, 2014)

The hourly justification is this... If you can make more flipping burgers, you probably should. Flipping burgers doesn't drive your car to an early grave either.


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## biozon (Jan 6, 2015)

Jay2dresq said:


> The hourly justification is this... If you can make more flipping burgers, you probably should. Flipping burgers doesn't drive your car to an early grave either.


 That!


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## Vexus (Mar 8, 2015)

This thread is spot on.

I'd like to add, that the peace of mind of being your own boss when it comes to Uber as a full time venture, or Uber as a side venture, is very valuable. Even flipping burgers, you have to be on time, in uniform, for a set number of hours, have to listen to someone who bosses you around, get burned by hot oil, and so on.

Feeling bad? Don't go online. Feel like going online at 3am - do it! You answer to yourself. But, that is something new and difficult for a lot of people. I just had a thought; will Uber swing politics? The irresponsible will fail, deactivate, complain and demand payment for their inconvenience, and the responsible will grow wealth, show strength, and advocate for what is right over what is popular.


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## Fuzzyelvis (Dec 7, 2014)

Vexus said:


> This thread is spot on.
> 
> I'd like to add, that the peace of mind of being your own boss when it comes to Uber as a full time venture, or Uber as a side venture, is very valuable. Even flipping burgers, you have to be on time, in uniform, for a set number of hours, have to listen to someone who bosses you around, get burned by hot oil, and so on.
> 
> Feeling bad? Don't go online. Feel like going online at 3am - do it! You answer to yourself. But, that is something new and difficult for a lot of people. I just had a thought; will Uber swing politics? The irresponsible will fail, deactivate, complain and demand payment for their inconvenience, and the responsible will grow wealth, show strength, and advocate for what is right over what is popular.


What are the rates where you are?


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## Vexus (Mar 8, 2015)

Currently 1.25 base/1.10 mile/0.20 minute - going up Monday 3/16 to 1.35 base/1.35 mile/0.24 minute.


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## observer (Dec 11, 2014)

Vexus said:


> Currently 1.25 base/1.10 mile/0.20 minute - going up Monday 3/16 to 1.35 base/1.35 mile/0.24 minute.


Can someone from LA, Riverside IE, post their current rates, so we can compare.

Thanks


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## UberHammer (Dec 5, 2014)

Vexus said:


> nd the responsible will grow wealth


The only wealth being grown in the Uber system is by the shareholders. Drivers are liquidating their wealth into cash.


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## Actionjax (Oct 6, 2014)

UberHammer said:


> The only wealth being grown in the Uber system is by the shareholders. Drivers are liquidating their wealth into cash.


Not true. You know this. Its market driven and platform driven. Some are making a decent wage still. And true wealth is different for each individual.

Sometimes happiness has a wealth all on its own.


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## Jay2dresq (Oct 1, 2014)

Yes, the flexibility was a big thing for me. Partly why I stuck with it as long as I did. I just refuse to drive for under $1/mile.


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## zandor (Mar 6, 2015)

I think hourly rate is a perfectly reasonable way to judge the viability of a service business like driving for Uber. Why in the hell would you do it if you can get a better deal working for an hourly wage elsewhere? It's not like driving for Uber offers a promotion path. You can buy an upgrade to select, plus, or XL or move to black/SUV/lux by getting the license, insurance, plates, and vehicle, but you can't get promoted to team lead or manager so there isn't any reason to bust your back side for Uber to move a notch up the corporate ladder. That said, you do have to consider other factors, some of which can't be quantified in dollars and cents. The obvious ones are being able to work when you want to (though demand will make some times better than others) and how much you like driving for a living. Intangibles have value, but how much they are worth is something you have to decide for yourself using fuzzy math. "You can work whenever you want" simply doesn't have a fixed dollar value.


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## Uberdawg (Oct 23, 2014)

Vexus said:


> the responsible will grow wealth, show strength, and advocate for what is right over what is popular.


Let's see all these responsible people grow that wealth at .75. Advocating that someone should at least be able to make minimum wage would not only be right, but popular as well.



Vexus said:


> Currently 1.25 base/1.10 mile/0.20 minute - going up Monday 3/16 to 1.35 base/1.35 mile/0.24 minute.


I understand that you are a happy camper but I wonder how happy you would be if your rates were 1.25, .75 and .17. Not sure you would still be in bed with Uber then.
And I am not *****ing about my rates, they are still better than your new ones. But I also realize they will be coming after mine at some point, just like they have everyone else.



Actionjax said:


> Not true. You know this. Its market driven and platform driven.


So when they lowered your rates in Toronto, that was market driven? Oh puhleeezzeee.


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## troubleinrivercity (Jul 27, 2014)

Big Machine said:


> The reality is that if they are going to run a business, they need to find other sources of revenue for their business. Doing all of this rating riders low, demanding money from riders when the riders are using a service that says no cash is needed, and constantly trying to blame others is just them just trying to push blame on someone else.


Troll. Or fantastically stupid.


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## Actionjax (Oct 6, 2014)

Uberdawg said:


> So when they lowered your rates in Toronto, that was market driven? Oh puhleeezzeee.


When someone says that you can't be profitable and all you are doing is liquidating your car for cash that's not a true statement in all markets. That's what I was talking about market driven. Its dependant on each market. So I guest it would be true in some places. But the statement was generalizing. Nothing to do with lowering the rates. That I can't put my finger on the reasons on that other than a few theories.


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## Vexus (Mar 8, 2015)

And regarding liquidating your car for cash; if you DON'T do this, you let it depreciate for nothing anyway. I much prefer Uber which I earn a profit enough to actually plan for a future new car, new entertainment center, new furniture... stuff I could get but would take my longer not driving Uber. The car? I didn't buy a 20k money sink! I did my homework and made out like a bandit.


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## Uberdawg (Oct 23, 2014)

Vexus said:


> And regarding liquidating your car for cash; if you DON'T do this, you let it depreciate for nothing anyway. I much prefer Uber which I earn a profit enough to actually plan for a future new car, new entertainment center, new furniture... stuff I could get but would take my longer not driving Uber. The car? I didn't buy a 20k money sink! I did my homework and made out like a bandit.


The primary component in depreciation is miles driven. A car depreciates if it simply sits in the garage but that depreciation number is accelerated by by every mile you put on your car. Don't take my word for it, go to the NADA website and enter your cars information with 30k miles. If you will put 3K a month in Uber miles on it then check the value of the same car with 66K miles on it.

If you got a good deal on your car originally then depreciation will be less. I bought mine for $14,900 with TTL and just sold it for $14,200. I used it for 7 months with Uber and put 20K Uber miles on it (30K total). So my depreciation for Uber was only $466. That's not going to be typical.

Good thing you are planning for a new car. You will need one 3 times faster driving for Uber so hopefully you are making a profit so you will be able to do that.


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## Vexus (Mar 8, 2015)

Uberdawg said:


> The primary component in depreciation is miles driven. A car depreciates if it simply sits in the garage but that depreciation number is accelerated by by every mile you put on your car. Don't take my word for it, go to the NADA website and enter your cars information with 30k miles. If you will put 3K a month in Uber miles on it then check the value of the same car with 66K miles on it.
> 
> If you got a good deal on your car originally then depreciation will be less. I bought mine for $14,900 with TTL and just sold it for $14,200. I used it for 7 months with Uber and put 20K Uber miles on it (30K total). So my depreciation for Uber was only $466. That's not going to be typical.
> 
> Good thing you are planning for a new car. You will need one 3 times faster driving for Uber so hopefully you are making a profit so you will be able to do that.


I think everyone on this forum needs to hear these kinds of things more often. Purchasing a good car at a wholesale price, using it for a year, and reselling it at nearly the same as you paid for it while getting another, is what a lot of smart drivers could be doing. Reducing their effective maintenance and depreciation cost greatly.

Down the line when I have a year or so under my belt I may be able to provide more how-to info, but what you said here makes a lot of sense and should be a strategy on the table for any serious driver. Good job.


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