# Does anyone really take UberBLACK or SUV or any other premium service?



## mikeinnewjersey (Oct 23, 2014)

I do not ever hear anyone say they ordered an UberBLACK or a SUV. When someone has 5 people, they usually just order up an UBERX and than put the driver who shows up in a sticky uncomfortable situation forcing the driver to accommodate them all.

If I wanted a really fancy car to take my group in than I would want to know what it is first. If I order up a BLACK car how do I know Im not going to get a beatup high mileage Lexus with some smelly cab-driver like character cracking a foreign accent? What if a Chevy Tahoe shows up, but I was really expecting a Mercedes or a Lexus? I would love to be able to choose what shows up and have some assurance the person will be professional. When you order up a black car around here, usually a beat up high mileage Chevy Tahoe shows up in any event. Riding around in a Tahoe is not really styling and not worth paying double over. I guess by ordering a BLACK car you are assured the guy is properly licensed with the state and has a proper insurance policy, but the states background check lets things slip through just like UBERX and their insurance policy is no better than what UBER offers.

This is a question for those driving the SUV or the BLACK car. Are you really making more money than the guy driving the Camry or other car for UBERX? Just wondering.


----------



## CLAkid (Oct 23, 2014)

I am not an UberBlack driver. I am an UberX driver in L.A. A few weeks ago I picked up an Uber Black driver and asked him how business was. He seemed honest and said that he no longer does Uber Black because when the UberX rates decreased it was hard for him to get any calls. So if he represents the typical UberBlack driver in L.A., then Uber Black seems to be dying.


----------



## where's the beef? (Sep 16, 2014)

mikeinnewjersey said:


> I do not ever hear anyone say they ordered an UberBLACK or a SUV. When someone has 5 people, they usually just order up an UBERX and than put the driver who shows up in a sticky uncomfortable situation forcing the driver to accommodate them all.
> 
> If I wanted a really fancy car to take my group in than I would want to know what it is first. If I order up a BLACK car how do I know Im not going to get a beatup high mileage Lexus with some smelly cab-driver like character cracking a foreign accent? What if a Chevy Tahoe shows up, but I was really expecting a Mercedes or a Lexus? I would love to be able to choose what shows up and have some assurance the person will be professional. When you order up a black car around here, usually a beat up high mileage Chevy Tahoe shows up in any event. Riding around in a Tahoe is not really styling and not worth paying double over. I guess by ordering a BLACK car you are assured the guy is properly licensed with the state and has a proper insurance policy, but the states background check lets things slip through just like UBERX and their insurance policy is no better than what UBER offers.
> 
> This is a question for those driving the SUV or the BLACK car. Are you really making more money than the guy driving the Camry or other car for UBERX? Just wondering.


Are you that same mike from Driver Diaries?
Identify yourself...
I want to welcome you PROPERLY...


----------



## London UberExec Driver (Jul 8, 2014)

UberExec in London, in my opinion is the best one to be in, in terms of earnings, and decent clientele. 

There is no UberBlack in London, UberExec is the like for like equivalent, the cars are similar, except they don't have to be black. 

The work is fairly constant, though you have to make your way back into the centre for the best chance of getting work. 

Rates are double for UberX - for minimum fare, base rate and per minute rate it is. However, mileage rate is £2.65 compared to £1.50. 

Also the quality of driver on UberExec in my opinion is also of a higher standard than UberX - without wishing to offend existing UberX drivers in London here. 

I personally don't mind paying the premium of an UberExec when I need a ride, which I assume is the case with most. It is still cheaper than a London taxi. However, as I live in the suburbs UberX tend to be more readily available. 

Cars are the latest model, and I have always had a Mercedes E-Class (within 3 years old) pick me up, as this is the most popular car on the UberExec platform. Clean and tidy, with knowledgeable drivers. Also most don't have bottled water, sweets etc., though recommended to have, it's not compulsory.


----------



## UBERbldc (Aug 29, 2014)

I own a company with 5 UBER Black vehicles and drivers. I am one of the original 100 or so DC Partners, and have been operating for over two years. Although Uberx has cut down on our volume,
we are all staying busy with the higher end clients who tell us Uber x is a train wreck. What I like best is that I rarely get out of control drunks and large groups trying to pile 5-6 people into my car. My goal is to have 40-50% private clients supplemented by UBER clients. So far so good.


----------



## UberLuxbod (Sep 2, 2014)

London UberExec Driver said:


> UberExec in London, in my opinion is the best one to be in, in terms of earnings, and decent clientele.
> 
> There is no UberBlack in London, UberExec is the like for like equivalent, the cars are similar, except they don't have to be black.
> 
> ...


I though UberBlack was the high end service in the US?

And started with Black Towncars?

So is there no direct equivalent of UberLux in the US?

With topend cars such as LWB S Class, Audi A8, 7 Series or Jaguar XJ?


----------



## Ehmtbescrewingus (Oct 16, 2014)

UBERbldc said:


> I own a company with 5 UBER Black vehicles and drivers. I am one of the original 100 or so DC Partners, and have been operating for over two years. Although Uberx has cut down on our volume,
> we are all staying busy with the higher end clients who tell us Uber x is a train wreck. What I like best is that I rarely get out of control drunks and large groups trying to pile 5-6 people into my car. My goal is to have 40-50% private clients supplemented by UBER clients. So far so good.


Are you taking on contracted drivers?


----------



## UBERbldc (Aug 29, 2014)

Ehmtbescrewingus said:


> Are you taking on contracted drivers?


I've got drivers for all my cars at the moment. Generally I believe you have to go through, or "be sponsored" by a partner with a car for UBER to accept you as an UBER Black driver. To my knowledge they have not been adding any new Partners/Cars for quite some time due to the fact that there are probably too many currently. Check the DC Craigslist for Partners in search of drivers for their cars. Uberx drivers with at least 200 trips and a rating of 4.7 or above are generally allowed to move to Black if someone has a car for them to drive.


----------



## AMBUDRIVER03 (Jul 1, 2014)

UberLuxbod said:


> I though UberBlack was the high end service in the US?
> 
> And started with Black Towncars?
> 
> ...


They are going to start UberLux in LA/OC/SD around Christmas time and have already started recruiting drivers/"partners"


----------



## Sydney Uber (Apr 15, 2014)

mikeinnewjersey said:


> I do not ever hear anyone say they ordered an UberBLACK or a SUV. When someone has 5 people, they usually just order up an UBERX and than put the driver who shows up in a sticky uncomfortable situation forcing the driver to accommodate them all.
> 
> If I wanted a really fancy car to take my group in than I would want to know what it is first. If I order up a BLACK car how do I know Im not going to get a beatup high mileage Lexus with some smelly cab-driver like character cracking a foreign accent? What if a Chevy Tahoe shows up, but I was really expecting a Mercedes or a Lexus? I would love to be able to choose what shows up and have some assurance the person will be professional. When you order up a black car around here, usually a beat up high mileage Chevy Tahoe shows up in any event. Riding around in a Tahoe is not really styling and not worth paying double over. I guess by ordering a BLACK car you are assured the guy is properly licensed with the state and has a proper insurance policy, but the states background check lets things slip through just like UBERX and their insurance policy is no better than what UBER offers.
> 
> This is a question for those driving the SUV or the BLACK car. Are you really making more money than the guy driving the Camry or other car for UBERX? Just wondering.


Howdy Mike,

I guess its different in different markets. Uber Black and Lux was established here in Sydney for some time before Uberx came along.

Black prices here is a $25min and about 20-30% more than cabs. On longet trips they are better value. Between 10pm & 6am cabs have a 20% night surcharge so Uber black prices get closer to cabs still.

If all you have is Uber for work in a Black or Lux car then because of the hugely saturated market it will mean many hours of waiting for a job. Its totally demoralising for those that invested in cars only a year ago to see the amount of jobs per day halve

Couple that with the later release of UBERx in Sydney which must have taken some of the cheapskates out of Black.

Because of the higher statutory costs of a Black car here in Sydney ($8235 p/a Licence fee, $2-3k insurance p/a, and cost of a luxury car $30-70k) a Newbie Uberx driver would easily make more than Newbie with no other work than Uber in the Black fleet.

After 19yrs I've built a client base that means Uber work is just a diminishing sideline for me and my drivers.


----------



## UberLuxbod (Sep 2, 2014)

It seems that Uber have acted in a similar way in Aus as they did in London+Dublin.

High end first then out came UberX when the race to the bottom started.

Many UberLux in London probably think the current work situation is how Kux has always been.

When it was Lux only I don't remember seeing a single complaint about a driver, route taken and job cost.

Now the Uber twitter feed is filled with complaints were the driver has made a mistake so basic that you wonder how they find their car on the drive.


----------



## London UberExec Driver (Jul 8, 2014)

UberLuxbod said:


> I though UberBlack was the high end service in the US?
> 
> So is there no direct equivalent of UberLux in the US?


An UberExec car here, you can use on UberBlack in other cities. As AMBUDRIVER said above, they're launching UberLux, probably to differentiate the higher end UberBlack cars over there.

As at the moment requesting an UberBlack there you could get either an E or an S Class.

In some cities such as Amsterdam and Sydney they have both UberBlack and UberLux.


----------



## Ehmtbescrewingus (Oct 16, 2014)

UBERbldc said:


> I've got drivers for all my cars at the moment. Generally I believe you have to go through, or "be sponsored" by a partner with a car for UBER to accept you as an UBER Black driver. To my knowledge they have not been adding any new Partners/Cars for quite some time due to the fact that there are probably too many currently. Check the DC Craigslist for Partners in search of drivers for their cars. Uberx drivers with at least 200 trips and a rating of 4.7 or above are generally allowed to move to Black if someone has a car for them to drive.


Thanks


----------



## UberLuxbod (Sep 2, 2014)

AMBUDRIVER03 said:


> They are going to start UberLux in LA/OC/SD around Christmas time and have already started recruiting drivers/"partners"


If the experiences of London are of any guide I would not invest in a higher spec car unless my other work warranted the investment.

Many UberLux in London are downgrading their cars.

Myself included.

I can have lower monthly payments, cheaper servicing and cheaper tyres and be in a car able to do the vast majority of BlackLane work. More than likely an E Class.

I would invest in a Viano but UberLDN have decreed that it is an UberXL alongside a Vauxhall/Opel Zafira , Chevrolet Orlando or Ford Galaxy.

Which is plainly wrong and likely due to yet again a lack of tradd knowledge by the staff in the office.

Nobody is going to run a Viano on £1:50pm-20% or whatever the UberXL rate is -20%(or is it 25%)


----------



## Sydney Uber (Apr 15, 2014)

UberLuxbod said:


> If the experiences of London are of any guide I would not invest in a higher spec car unless my other work warranted the investment.
> 
> Many UberLux in London are downgrading their cars.
> 
> ...


Its funny you should mention the Viano.

I have 2 Vianos, one a full-spec 2012 model. They were both 1st allowed on the Black fleet and that kept them busy. But then access to Black work was cut and only SUV work was offered. That has meant a job offer every couple of days! !

Good thing I don't rely on Uber till fill the Vianos


----------



## driveLA (Aug 15, 2014)

plenty of people use the higher end service

and of course you don't have to be worried about professionalism

the higher end drivers invest a lot more so of course professionalism is going to be more consistent

uberx is the neglected bastard child 

its a bit odd to me when i pick up people that are obviously rich ordering an uberx. a ride is a ride i guess but just makes me think of the possible encounter with shitty drivers/messy cars they might have like us regular folk.


----------



## cybertec69 (Jul 23, 2014)

Uberx here in nyc, and I handle myself just like any Uber black driver would, my car is clean and smelling like roses every day, and my customers let me know about it "I always get compliments" , one guy told me he never got in such a clean car before, so before bashing uberx drivers, do some research, and yes I do pick up many people with lots of $, they just want to get from point A to point B, then you have the ones that think they are too good for my car, those folk I could care less about. I can right at this moment get in Mercedes Benz s550 and you "the client" would not know the difference if I drove an uberx car one hour ago. There's the problem with society these days, perception is like a too sided mirror.


----------



## UberLuxbod (Sep 2, 2014)

AutoGlym Odour Eliminator and Autofresh after every client or 2 keeps the car smelling fresh.

Another handy thing is a small brush to clean the mats regularly during the shift.

I usually do them after every client.


----------



## cybertec69 (Jul 23, 2014)

I have one of these, www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B001AQEQNA , and some fabreeze.


----------



## Tony from New Jersey (Jan 21, 2015)

CLAkid said:


> I am not an UberBlack driver. I am an UberX driver in L.A. A few weeks ago I picked up an Uber Black driver and asked him how business was. He seemed honest and said that he no longer does Uber Black because when the UberX rates decreased it was hard for him to get any calls. So if he represents the typical UberBlack driver in L.A., then Uber Black seems to be dying.


 I heard the same here In New Jersey. However these Black car/SUV drivers are hassling at the airport and other areas to get the fare preferably in CASH. Black car UBER flat rate is $100 from Newark airport (NJ) to Manhattan (NY). After commission, drivers gets about $65.00 therefore black driver are asking for $ 65.00 cash instead, undercutting Uber commission and TLC surcharge. That is also a flat fee for Uberx for pickup/destination. Uber X driver get less after commissions. Customer also save if they pay cash. why should Customer wait for UberX if Black can provide the same service for less out of pocket money.


----------



## jackstraww (Jan 20, 2015)

London UberExec Driver said:


> Cars are the latest model, and I have always had a Mercedes E-Class (within 3 years old) pick me up, as this is the most popular car on the UberExec platform. Clean and tidy, with knowledgeable drivers. Also most don't have bottled water, sweets etc., though recommended to have, it's not compulsory.


Must be a whole different thing there in London. All I know is that if I owned a Mercedes E-Class it wouldnt be "tidy" for long, if I was crazy enough to use it as a glorified taxi for Uber technologies .. Bottled water and "sweets" ?? You must be kiddin( just using the word "sweets" sounds funny)
Just because people with a little $$ might step up in Uber class, doesn't mean they are all that much different that those who abuse-oh,,I mean use..UberX. I tried that stupid giveaway for the 1st 2 days I did this gig...I was stopping and throwing out 1/2 empty(or 1/2 full..depending on your outlook) water bottles and sticky gum wrappers.
Yeah...I got a feeling uber is looked at a bit differently in London by drivers and riders.. I could be wrong but most ubers I see are X- and the riders want in.>.drive.>&.out..they want no frills -,and Im happy to provide no frills.


----------



## Tony from New Jersey (Jan 21, 2015)

jackstraww said:


> Must be a whole different thing there in London. All I know is that if I owned a Mercedes E-Class it wouldnt be "tidy" for long, if I was crazy enough to use it as a glorified taxi for Uber technologies .. Bottled water and "sweets" ?? You must be kiddin( just using the word "sweets" sounds funny)
> Just because people with a little $$ might step up in Uber class, doesn't mean they are all that much different that those who abuse-oh,,I mean use..UberX. I tried that stupid giveaway for the 1st 2 days I did this gig...I was stopping and throwing out 1/2 empty(or 1/2 full..depending on your outlook) water bottles and sticky gum wrappers.
> Yeah...I got a feeling uber is looked at a bit differently in London by drivers and riders.. I could be wrong but most ubers I see are X- and the riders want in.>.drive.>&.out..they want no frills -,and Im happy to provide no frills.


Yes, only corporate clients because their company pays for it and they do not pay penny from their pocket. These people do not tip because (tip is included, remember).


----------



## Simon (Jan 4, 2015)

I intend to on Valentine's day.


----------



## 20yearsdriving (Dec 14, 2014)

mikeinnewjersey said:


> I do not ever hear anyone say they ordered an UberBLACK or a SUV. When someone has 5 people, they usually just order up an UBERX and than put the driver who shows up in a sticky uncomfortable situation forcing the driver to accommodate them all.
> 
> If I wanted a really fancy car to take my group in than I would want to know what it is first. If I order up a BLACK car how do I know Im not going to get a beatup high mileage Lexus with some smelly cab-driver like character cracking a foreign accent? What if a Chevy Tahoe shows up, but I was really expecting a Mercedes or a Lexus? I would love to be able to choose what shows up and have some assurance the person will be professional. When you order up a black car around here, usually a beat up high mileage Chevy Tahoe shows up in any event. Riding around in a Tahoe is not really styling and not worth paying double over. I guess by ordering a BLACK car you are assured the guy is properly licensed with the state and has a proper insurance policy, but the states background check lets things slip through just like UBERX and their insurance policy is no better than what UBER offers.
> 
> This is a question for those driving the SUV or the BLACK car. Are you really making more money than the guy driving the Camry or other car for UBERX? Just wondering.


Yes a lot more there is a whole other world out there $$$


----------



## 20yearsdriving (Dec 14, 2014)

driveLA said:


> plenty of people use the higher end service
> 
> and of course you don't have to be worried about professionalism
> 
> ...


You are 100% correct thank you for that


----------



## Oscar Levant (Aug 15, 2014)

mikeinnewjersey said:


> I do not ever hear anyone say they ordered an UberBLACK or a SUV. When someone has 5 people, they usually just order up an UBERX and than put the driver who shows up in a sticky uncomfortable situation forcing the driver to accommodate them all.
> 
> If I wanted a really fancy car to take my group in than I would want to know what it is first. If I order up a BLACK car how do I know Im not going to get a beatup high mileage Lexus with some smelly cab-driver like character cracking a foreign accent? What if a Chevy Tahoe shows up, but I was really expecting a Mercedes or a Lexus? I would love to be able to choose what shows up and have some assurance the person will be professional. When you order up a black car around here, usually a beat up high mileage Chevy Tahoe shows up in any event. Riding around in a Tahoe is not really styling and not worth paying double over. I guess by ordering a BLACK car you are assured the guy is properly licensed with the state and has a proper insurance policy, but the states background check lets things slip through just like UBERX and their insurance policy is no better than what UBER offers.
> 
> This is a question for those driving the SUV or the BLACK car. Are you really making more money than the guy driving the Camry or other car for UBERX? Just wondering.


I'd be doing a lot better than X if I owned the car, but since I'm leasing from another partner, I'm making about the same. The difference is I'm not putting miles on my personal car for not much money. Another difference is that the Suburban is soooo comfortable to drive. Gas, as a percentage of gross, is about the same as X, ( i drive a taurus, not true for a prius ) even though my taurus gets better mileage, but at a buck a mile on X, gas as a percentage of gross is about the same as the Suburban. Another difference, which appeals to a lazy guy like me, I'm not working nowhere near as hard for the same money. Many trips are in excess of $25, many are $40 or so, for not that much distance, and so that's nice. Today, I grossed $300 for maybe 8 trips, a lot of sitting around, so I didn't work that hard at all. With X, I'd work like a dog to gross $225, on a friday night. Another thing I like about Black is that most of the drivers are working nights, not that much competition in the day, and in the day I'm getting a lot of professionals, nice crowd to deal with.


----------



## 20yearsdriving (Dec 14, 2014)

Good direction , it gets even better


----------



## rtaatl (Jul 3, 2014)

Like Oscar said...it's a little bit more than X overall with a lot less wear and tear on yourself and the vehicle...but if you really want to see the difference between Black and X go out when there's an event in your city and that's where the gap widens considerably.


----------



## JaxBeachDriver (Nov 27, 2014)

mikeinnewjersey said:


> I do not ever hear anyone say they ordered an UberBLACK or a SUV. When someone has 5 people, they usually just order up an UBERX and than put the driver who shows up in a sticky uncomfortable situation forcing the driver to accommodate them all.
> 
> If I wanted a really fancy car to take my group in than I would want to know what it is first. If I order up a BLACK car how do I know Im not going to get a beatup high mileage Lexus with some smelly cab-driver like character cracking a foreign accent? What if a Chevy Tahoe shows up, but I was really expecting a Mercedes or a Lexus? I would love to be able to choose what shows up and have some assurance the person will be professional. When you order up a black car around here, usually a beat up high mileage Chevy Tahoe shows up in any event. Riding around in a Tahoe is not really styling and not worth paying double over. I guess by ordering a BLACK car you are assured the guy is properly licensed with the state and has a proper insurance policy, but the states background check lets things slip through just like UBERX and their insurance policy is no better than what UBER offers.
> 
> This is a question for those driving the SUV or the BLACK car. Are you really making more money than the guy driving the Camry or other car for UBERX? Just wondering.


You do get to choose what shows up, in a way. When the driver accepts the request, the passenger then sees the driver's pic and the type of car s/he's driving.

BTW, have you been in the new Tahoe? I rented one recently and thought it was really nice. But mostly, I think you pay for a professional driver. There are still some good X drivers around here, I believe, but the last few times I called for one, I quickly cancelled it. One girl looked like a 18-year-old methed-out prostitute, and one guy looked like a 12-year-old papi chulo thug with a 4.4 rating!

I just started driving on UberBlack yesterday in my Town Car. I spent much less on the town car than most of you have on your UberX cars. $25 fare for a 3-mile ride. That same ride would now be $4-$5 on UberX. This is the life! And I'm not married to Uber. We can part ways at any time, and I'm not totally screwed.


----------



## rtaatl (Jul 3, 2014)

JaxBeachDriver said:


> You do get to choose what shows up, in a way. When the driver accepts the request, the passenger then sees the driver's pic and the type of car s/he's driving.
> 
> BTW, have you been in the new Tahoe? I rented one recently and thought it was really nice. But mostly, I think you pay for a professional driver. There are still some good X drivers around here, I believe, but the last few times I called for one, I quickly cancelled it. One girl looked like a 18-year-old methed-out prostitute, and one guy looked like a 12-year-old papi chulo thug with a 4.4 rating!
> 
> I just started driving on UberBlack yesterday in my Town Car. I spent much less on the town car than most of you have on your UberX cars. $25 fare for a 3-mile ride. That same ride would now be $4-$5 on UberX. This is the life! And I'm not married not married to Uber. We can part ways at any time, and I'm not totally screwed.


Enjoy it while it last....in most markets the town car is being phased out. Here in Atlanta they downgraded all of them to UberX this January.


----------



## cybertec69 (Jul 23, 2014)

rtaatl said:


> Enjoy it while it last....in most markets the town car is being phased out. Here in Atlanta they downgraded all of them to UberX this January.


They downgraded the Town Car here in NYC to Uberx 6 months ago.


----------



## JaxBeachDriver (Nov 27, 2014)

rtaatl said:


> Enjoy it while it last....in most markets the town car is being phased out. Here in Atlanta they downgraded all of them to UberX this January.


For sure! I've figured that about 20 short/average rides a week would return my entire investment in 1 year. Of course, I hope to do a lot more than that.

Hopefully by the end of the year, I will have built up enough business of my own to be able to function without Uber. I would like to get a suburban/yukon XL one day, if I'm making enough to justify the upgrade.


----------



## 20yearsdriving (Dec 14, 2014)

JaxBeachDriver said:


> You do get to choose what shows up, in a way. When the driver accepts the request, the passenger then sees the driver's pic and the type of car s/he's driving.
> 
> BTW, have you been in the new Tahoe? I rented one recently and thought it was really nice. But mostly, I think you pay for a professional driver. There are still some good X drivers around here, I believe, but the last few times I called for one, I quickly cancelled it. One girl looked like a 18-year-old methed-out prostitute, and one guy looked like a 12-year-old papi chulo thug with a 4.4 rating!
> 
> I just started driving on UberBlack yesterday in my Town Car. I spent much less on the town car than most of you have on your UberX cars. $25 fare for a 3-mile ride. That same ride would now be $4-$5 on UberX. This is the life! And I'm not married to Uber. We can part ways at any time, and I'm not totally screwed.





JaxBeachDriver said:


> You do get to choose what shows up, in a way. When the driver accepts the request, the passenger then sees the driver's pic and the type of car s/he's driving.
> 
> BTW, have you been in the new Tahoe? I rented one recently and thought it was really nice. But mostly, I think you pay for a professional driver. There are still some good X drivers around here, I believe, but the last few times I called for one, I quickly cancelled it. One girl looked like a 18-year-old methed-out prostitute, and one guy looked like a 12-year-old papi chulo thug with a 4.4 rating!
> 
> I just started driving on UberBlack yesterday in my Town Car. I spent much less on the town car than most of you have on your UberX cars. $25 fare for a 3-mile ride. That same ride would now be $4-$5 on UberX. This is the life! And I'm not married to Uber. We can part ways at any time, and I'm not totally screwed.


Example of what can be done. everything is spot on it it gets even better
I know just by the attitude/vibe of running your own show congratulations


----------



## 20yearsdriving (Dec 14, 2014)

JaxBeachDriver said:


> For sure! I've figured that about 20 short/average rides a week would return my entire investment in 1 year. Of course, I hope to do a lot more than that.
> 
> Hopefully by the end of the year, I will have built up enough business of my own to be able to function without Uber. I would like to get a suburban/yukon XL one day, if I'm making enough to justify the upgrade.


This is the gets better part freedom


----------



## 20yearsdriving (Dec 14, 2014)

When you go solo I will personally welcome you to the club "the expendables"


----------



## jackstraww (Jan 20, 2015)

JaxBeachDriver said:


> For sure! I've figured that about 20 short/average rides a week would return my entire investment in 1 year. Of course, I hope to do a lot more than that.
> 
> Hopefully by the end of the year, I will have built up enough business of my own to be able to function without Uber. I would like to get a suburban/yukon XL one day, if I'm making enough to justify the upgrade.


If you did the math and you really;y can pull this off...congratulations,,,a rare success story


----------



## 20yearsdriving (Dec 14, 2014)

jackstraww said:


> If you did the math and you really;y can pull this off...congratulations,,,a rare success story


Now he has to . No going back


----------



## rtaatl (Jul 3, 2014)

JaxBeachDriver said:


> For sure! I've figured that about 20 short/average rides a week would return my entire investment in 1 year. Of course, I hope to do a lot more than that.
> 
> Hopefully by the end of the year, I will have built up enough business of my own to be able to function without Uber. I would like to get a suburban/yukon XL one day, if I'm making enough to justify the upgrade.


Good luck with that...can't remember where I read it, but isn't there a $25k tax credit somewhere for buying a vehicle for business over 6000lbs gross vehicle weight? Someone correct me if I'm wrong


----------



## stuber (Jun 30, 2014)

UBER only keeps BLACK for PR purposes. The BLACK drivers would ditch UBER in a heartbeat, if there were an alternative.


----------



## JaxBeachDriver (Nov 27, 2014)

20yearsdriving said:


> Now he has to . No going back


She


----------



## 20yearsdriving (Dec 14, 2014)

Oppss I mean she


----------



## elcanon (Feb 6, 2015)

mikeinnewjersey said:


> I would love to be able to choose what shows up and have some assurance the person will be professional. When you order up a black car around here, usually a beat up high mileage Chevy Tahoe shows up in any event.


I only use UberBlack when UberX isn't available. North Jersey. In once case, I preferred it to get my in-laws and us to Hoboken from Jersey City, to be assured we'd have an upscale experience. We got exactly what you described - a mediocre Tahoe with a surly, sub-UberX grade driver. The driver complained for the entire short drive, no opening of doors, he was dressed sloppy, and the ride cost us $25. Never again.

In NYC and other places, UberBlack is great... but in North Jersey it's junk IMO.


----------



## Tx rides (Sep 15, 2014)

elcanon said:


> I only use UberBlack when UberX isn't available. North Jersey. In once case, I preferred it to get my in-laws and us to Hoboken from Jersey City, to be assured we'd have an upscale experience. We got exactly what you described - a mediocre Tahoe with a surly, sub-UberX grade driver. The driver complained for the entire short drive, no opening of doors, he was dressed sloppy, and the ride cost us $25. Never again.
> 
> In NYC and other places, UberBlack is great... but in North Jersey it's junk IMO.


Why not use a company like Carey, Execucar, Valera, etc? Are they just as bad up there?


----------



## The_Nerd (Jan 7, 2015)

JaxBeachDriver said:


> I just started driving on UberBlack yesterday in my Town Car.


No offense, but if I ordered an UberBLACK and a Town Car showed up on my app, I'd cancel and re-ping a minute later. Even riding UberX here in SW Florida, where at least half the cars doing UberX are UberSelect quality, it would have to be a really nice/new Town Car for me to be satisfied.


----------



## rtaatl (Jul 3, 2014)

The_Nerd said:


> No offense, but if I ordered an UberBLACK and a Town Car showed up on my app, I'd cancel and re-ping a minute later. Even riding UberX here in SW Florida, where at least half the cars doing UberX are UberSelect quality, it would have to be a really nice/new Town Car for me to be satisfied.


Most towncars have been removed by now I do believe.


----------



## picknyourseat (Mar 18, 2015)

rtaatl said:


> Most towncars have been removed by now I do believe.


In Phoenix, there are still a lot of Towncars on UberBLACK, some of them are even white!


----------



## Txchick (Nov 25, 2014)

UBERbldc said:


> I own a company with 5 UBER Black vehicles and drivers. I am one of the original 100 or so DC Partners, and have been operating for over two years. Although Uberx has cut down on our volume,
> we are all staying busy with the higher end clients who tell us Uber x is a train wreck. What I like best is that I rarely get out of control drunks and large groups trying to pile 5-6 people into my car. My goal is to have 40-50% private clients supplemented by UBER clients. So far so good.


Hope it continues to work for you.


----------



## JaxBeachDriver (Nov 27, 2014)

The_Nerd said:


> No offense, but if I ordered an UberBLACK and a Town Car showed up on my app, I'd cancel and re-ping a minute later. Even riding UberX here in SW Florida, where at least half the cars doing UberX are UberSelect quality, it would have to be a really nice/new Town Car for me to be satisfied.


I'm not offended. To each his own. I'd love an Audi A8L, but that's not in my price range  I wanted a suburban, but the TC was a much more affordable way to start out.

I've had lots of compliments on the TC. Mine is the Executive L, so it's made for this. It's 6" longer than the standard TC, and several people have been amused by their ability to change the radio and adjust the front passenger's seat from the redundant controls in the arm rest in the back.

On another note, I've had a Lyft driver pick me up in an S-class. Very nice, smooth ride. Super nice guy. It didnt have the same presence as the TC, though, IMO.


----------



## Scenicruiser (Oct 17, 2014)

The_Nerd said:


> No offense, but if I ordered an UberBLACK and a Town Car showed up on my app, I'd cancel and re-ping a minute later. Even riding UberX here in SW Florida, where at least half the cars doing UberX are UberSelect quality, it would have to be a really nice/new Town Car for me to be satisfied.


Yeah...you never have to worry about getting an A8 or 7 series with 300,000 on the clock


----------



## rtaatl (Jul 3, 2014)

Scenicruiser said:


> Yeah...you never have to worry about getting an A8 or 7 series with 300,000 on the clock


Yeah, those vehicles would never make it that far..lol! In reality I'd like some expensive German luxury sedan too. But for the price you can just about get a Sprinter; not to mention something that expensive just isn't worth tearing up for $15 minimum fares....or in the case of Jacksonville $11 fares.


----------



## bilyvh (Feb 4, 2015)

JaxBeachDriver said:


> On another note, I've had a Lyft driver pick me up in an S-class. Very nice, smooth ride. Super nice guy. It didnt have the same presence as the TC, though, IMO.


Wait, an S-Class on Lyft? Was he at least driving on Lyft Plus?


----------



## Tx rides (Sep 15, 2014)

The_Nerd said:


> No offense, but if I ordered an UberBLACK and a Town Car showed up on my app, I'd cancel and re-ping a minute later. Even riding UberX here in SW Florida, where at least half the cars doing UberX are UberSelect quality, it would have to be a really nice/new Town Car for me to be satisfied.


We have two in our fleet, we keep them booked. Most of our clients care most about a safe, professional chauffeur, concierge level service, and 100% reliability for business travel.


----------



## Tx rides (Sep 15, 2014)

rtaatl said:


> Yeah, those vehicles would never make it that far..lol! In reality I'd like some expensive German luxury sedan too. But for the price you can just about get a Sprinter; not to mention something that expensive just isn't worth tearing up for $15 minimum fares....or in the case of Jacksonville $11 fares.


Amen, amen!!! The only $70K+ Mercedes I'm putting in our fleet is going to seat at least 12 people!


----------



## Tx rides (Sep 15, 2014)

picknyourseat said:


> In Phoenix, there are still a lot of Towncars on UberBLACK, some of them are even white!


High Hispanic population? Affiliates tell us the Hispanic population really likes the white vehicles, but even here, or in San Antonio, I don't see a lot of white vehicles on the road as luxury vehicles, so I don't know how true that really is.


----------



## stuber (Jun 30, 2014)

White may never go over with the traditional operators, but the actual customers don't particularly care, IMO.

The white cars look great... and they're much easier. Mine requires about half the number of washes. No fingerprints. No water spots. And the touch up paint is harder to detect.

White is the new black.


----------



## 20yearsdriving (Dec 14, 2014)

stuber said:


> White may never go over with the traditional operators, but the actual customers don't particularly care, IMO.
> 
> The white cars look great... and they're much easier. Mine requires about half the number of washes. No fingerprints. No water spots. And the touch up paint is harder to detect.
> 
> White is the new black.


Bingo!!!!!!!!


----------



## 20yearsdriving (Dec 14, 2014)

I have 2 white cars , impossible to deal with black paint


----------



## Sydney Uber (Apr 15, 2014)

UOTE="JaxBeachDriver, post: 219694, member: 5419"]You do get to choose what shows up, in a way. When the driver accepts the request, the passenger then sees the driver's pic and the type of car s/he's driving.

BTW, have you been in the new Tahoe? I rented one recently and thought it was really nice. But mostly, I think you pay for a professional driver. There are still some good X drivers around here, I believe, but the last few times I called for one, I quickly cancelled it. One girl looked like a 18-year-old methed-out prostitute, and one guy looked like a 12-year-old papi chulo thug with a 4.4 rating!

I just started driving on UberBlack yesterday in my Town Car. I spent much less on the town car than most of you have on your UberX cars. $25 fare for a 3-mile ride. That same ride would now be $4-$5 on UberX. This is the life! And I'm not married to Uber. We can part ways at any time, and I'm not totally screwed.[/QUOTE]

Travis's charity knows no bounds. "UBERRehab"! Jobs for recovering addict streetwalkers!


----------



## JaxBeachDriver (Nov 27, 2014)

rtaatl said:


> Yeah, those vehicles would never make it that far..lol! In reality I'd like some expensive German luxury sedan too. But for the price you can just about get a Sprinter; not to mention something that expensive just isn't worth tearing up for $15 minimum fares....or in the case of Jacksonville $11 fares.


The minimum fare is $15. After Uber's 25%, it's $11 something.


----------



## JaxBeachDriver (Nov 27, 2014)

bilyvh said:


> Wait, an S-Class on Lyft? Was he at least driving on Lyft Plus?


LyftPlus is basically uberXL. That thing did have 300k, but you'd never know it!


----------



## DrJeecheroo (Feb 12, 2015)

nah, just uberx


----------



## rtaatl (Jul 3, 2014)

20yearsdriving said:


> I have 2 white cars , impossible to deal with black paint


Black paint definitely sucks today here in Georgia with all of this damn pollen. I just hosed the car off a couple of hours ago and I already have a yellow film again...ugh!


----------



## bilyvh (Feb 4, 2015)

I used to drive a silver Camry and now drive a black one. My goodness, what a world of difference, any tiny scratch is visible immediately, not to mention the dirt. I used to go weeks between car washes on the silver car, now I get a wash every week on the black one. Definitely not loving this arrangement.


----------



## Uber-Doober (Dec 16, 2014)

I drive for a limo company here in Vegas. 
My gut level instinct tells me that Uber here wouldn't do very well, with mileage piling up particularly during rush hour transports. 
My shift, that I've had every opportunity to change, is really pretty good. 
I come on the clock at 5:AM when McCarran is virtually closed except for private planes. 
I have over 200 regular customers which is something that Uber can't give us and they know to call me, instead of dispatch, to pick them up at such and such a date and time. 
And, yeah, sometimes it's really close.... even at 5:In The Morning. 
I do a TON of pickups over at Signature where the private jets come in. 
I also do a TON of FedX pilot pickups that don't tip at all... penurious little pukes. 
Most of my business is done before the sun comes up.... and my shift officially ends at 2M. 
What I'm saying is that I get 1/3 of the fare, even the $11.00 pilot fares that are only about three miles to the FedX terminal, but I do pretty well. 
Hey, I paid for my house on tips.


----------



## 20yearsdriving (Dec 14, 2014)

Uber-Doober said:


> I drive for a limo company here in Vegas.
> My gut level instinct tells me that Uber here wouldn't do very well, with mileage piling up particularly during rush hour transports.
> My shift, that I've had every opportunity to change, is really pretty good.
> I come on the clock at 5:AM when McCarran is virtually closed except for private planes.
> ...


You get a penalty for this 
::::: classified information breach:::::::::


----------



## Uber-Doober (Dec 16, 2014)

20yearsdriving said:


> You get a penalty for this
> ::::: classified information breach:::::::::


^^^
Huh? 
Did you put that "classified" thing in, or did the site?


----------



## 20yearsdriving (Dec 14, 2014)

Uber-Doober said:


> ^^^
> Huh?
> Did you put that "classified" thing in, or did the site?


New Law 
LOL


----------



## The_Nerd (Jan 7, 2015)

Uber-Doober said:


> I have over 200 regular customers which is something that Uber can't give us


Actually, I and quite a few other drivers build a large roster of regulars through Uber. If riders like the ride and the driver, they want quality control...


----------



## 20yearsdriving (Dec 14, 2014)

The_Nerd said:


> Actually, I and quite a few other drivers build a large roster of regulars through Uber. If riders like the ride and the driver, they want quality control...


Bingo!!!!!!!!!!!
Gol!!!!!!!!!!


----------



## 20yearsdriving (Dec 14, 2014)

The_Nerd said:


> Actually, I and quite a few other drivers build a large roster of regulars through Uber. If riders like the ride and the driver, they want quality control...


I been waiting to hear this statement for monts 
Many said it could not be done


----------



## Khalvo (Dec 14, 2014)

20yearsdriving said:


> I been waiting to hear this statement for monts
> Many said it could not be done


It can.

We're currently taking the best drivers for a new app launch in London, although I have a very varied work background and the contacts within travel, property etc to make it work.

It's more difficult when it comes to drivers than passengers.


----------



## DrJeecheroo (Feb 12, 2015)

I thought about UBER Suv, but that would be having to purchase a more $$$ car, not to mention a bigger cut by UBER. 28%.


----------



## 20yearsdriving (Dec 14, 2014)

Khalvo said:


> It can.
> 
> We're currently taking the best drivers for a new app launch in London, although I have a very varied work background and the contacts within travel, property etc to make it work.
> 
> It's more difficult when it comes to drivers than passengers.


That is great news 
This the only way to break away from UBER Rule
I know it will work fir you congrats


----------



## Khalvo (Dec 14, 2014)

20yearsdriving said:


> That is great news
> This the only way to break away from UBER Rule
> I know it will work fir you congrats


Thanks.

The key thing is having decent accounts; we have several travel agents/property companies who need airport pickups, and with around 60 cars we're currently managing a minimum of 100 jobs per day, with an average fare of around £50 ($75).

Currently charging £3 basic and £2/mile on account for X, +25% for XL and +50% for Exec. Not enough yet to make a real living, but higher rates than Uber and dedicated clients who earn a commission back (currently 5%), with 95% of the work coming from third party bookers.


----------



## 20yearsdriving (Dec 14, 2014)

Khalvo said:


> Thanks.
> 
> The key thing is having decent accounts; we have several travel agents/property companies who need airport pickups, and with around 60 cars we're currently managing a minimum of 100 jobs per day, with an average fare of around £50 ($75).
> 
> Currently charging £3 basic and £2/mile on account for X, +25% for XL and +50% for Exec. Not enough yet to make a real living, but higher rates than Uber and dedicated clients who earn a commission back (currently 5%), with 95% of the work coming from third party bookers.


It's great keep at it 
75 is a solid number it can grow you average from there 
Keep the quality control I think I'd key on your operation


----------



## Khalvo (Dec 14, 2014)

20yearsdriving said:


> It's great keep at it
> 75 is a solid number it can grow you average from there
> Keep the quality control I think I'd key on your operation


Where Uber have failed, here at least....


----------



## 20yearsdriving (Dec 14, 2014)

Khalvo said:


> Where Uber have failed, here at least....


We're working on here too 
We have a perimeter set 
Good luck my friend


----------

