# Frustration in Philadelphia burbs



## Nitedriver (Jun 19, 2014)

Hello.

Uberx driver from Philly , this is now my 4th week with Uber and I love the job but financially I have to say I didn't see the numbers that were promised.

I mostly work @ night and so far the weekend were ok in the burbs, but my most recent trip yesterday to the city sparked my frustration. After drop off about 7 or 8 miles from my departure I received a ping in the city.

That was another 7 miles in a different direction for p/u and drop off for about $ 9.00 , counting the time, the gas and the toll to get back to my initial position was a complete loss for the entire night.

Again I love working for Uber but the money isn't right if I count the gas expenses and all other stuff..
So far I haven't met any other Uberx people in the suburbs .

Have a great 4th of July all the drivers out there ...and make that $$$$$ !!


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## grams777 (Jun 13, 2014)

Nitedriver said:


> Again I love working for Uber but the money isn't right if I count the gas expenses and all other stuff. So far I haven't met any other Uberx people in the suburbs . Have a great 4th of July all the drivers out there ...and make that $$$$$ !!


I generally don't drive anymore unless I can see the right balance between drivers and ride demand. I have a pretty good feel for what it should look like. If it's not at least looking like $10 per hour after all expenses and depreciation, I don't bother. That's barely even worth it at that.

The three biggest issues related to earnings that I see are:
1. Too many drivers relative to demand - hence not enough rides per hour. With a better balance here, the $/ hour can work out. Here, the # of drivers has gone through the roof with demand seemingly static.
2. Not getting 40+ mpg. It's becoming evident that at these fares, a vehicle getting 20 mpg will have a difficult time. Often you have to drive back to where you started to get another fare - resulting in 2 miles driven for every one paid.
3. The fares themselves and the fees.


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## getemtheresafely (Jul 1, 2014)

Nitedriver said:


> counting the time, the gas and the toll to get back to my initial position was a complete loss for the entire night.


Staying put for at least 10 minutes from where you dropped off your last customer will result in another ride without losing the gas and the toll......


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## Scott Goldberg (Jul 7, 2014)

Nitedriver said:


> Hello.
> 
> Uberx driver from Philly , this is now my 4th week with Uber and I love the job but financially I have to say I didn't see the numbers that were promised.
> 
> ...


Hello,

I am considering working for Uber in the Philadelphia Suburbs during the weekday & some weekends. Is there enough work our this area. I currently work as an independent driver but my automobile belongs to the company, so I would have to purchase my own vehicle. I am concerned about making a move if there is not enough work available.

Thanks!


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## Nitedriver (Jun 19, 2014)

Hey welcome,
honestly I have not seen good nbr's so far , I love the job and work mostly nighttime but the only chance you can make some money is on the weekends and of course if you are able to take a trip to the shore , that's the moneymaker. But here it's pretty frustrating. Monday night and Tuesday night a total of two pings !!


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## zakk the bear (Jul 8, 2014)

I mean to put this as gently as I can, but you're new. Like any job, it takes time and experience to figure out the ebb and flow. I have been only driving for a year, and I still have entire sections of my area that are a mystery to me. For example:

what time are airport runs? what areas? What times are the bars starting to pick up customers? What time is the ballgame or concert get out? where are those passengers starting from. being in a Latino neighborhood won't do you any good for a big Jazz festival, etc. 

These things take time, try different things at different times, but make sure you are getting the proper sample size to make an educated conclusion. Some nights the fish just don't bite, doesn't mean they aren't there. Also, IMO, the week after a big holiday is always screwy.


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## Nitedriver (Jun 19, 2014)

Hey zakk and scott goldberg , if u are both in Philly please consider asking to send request to admin to open our Philadelphia forums in the section "cities'..we need at least three members..Uberlady is also from PA.


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## zakk the bear (Jul 8, 2014)

I'm NorCal, but the premise remains the same. it takes time, take notes, look back over your summaries. also get on other platforms. it's about maximizing time and that's hard with only one stream of business.


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## grams777 (Jun 13, 2014)

Nitedriver said:


> Hey welcome,
> honestly I have not seen good nbr's so far , I love the job and work mostly nighttime but the only chance you can make some money is on the weekends and of course if you are able to take a trip to the shore , that's the moneymaker. But here it's pretty frustrating. Monday night and Tuesday night a total of two pings !!


You might want to load the user app. Scan around the city to see where there are too many or too few drivers. Sometimes it works to swim around the crowds of other drivers. Try different things and areas. You might burn some gas figuring it out. It's a dynamic thing changing by the minute.


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## Nitedriver (Jun 19, 2014)

have it already ..

last two nights :

sypqlmkn
07/ 9/14 12:56:48 AM EDT23:378.3423.32
ewjelkaq•00:00•0
ciikpdau
07/ 8/14 01:21:35 AM EDT39:1810.3632.03


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## dominant7th (Jun 24, 2014)

Try downtown, malls, casinos, hotels, schools, if you decide to switch to days. Weeknights are slow until 4am or so; usually you'll get people looking for rides to work/airport. Gotta be flexible and it's your first month so don't expect to be an expert yet. Now you know that weeknights don't have a lot of business in your area (unless there's an event). Chalk that up as experience.


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## Oc_DriverX (Apr 29, 2014)

If you are looking at your numbers compared to the numbers that Uber puts in their ads, then I am not surprised yours are worse. The help wanted ad numbers seem very "cooked." The suggestion to try parking at the end of a ride and waiting a little is probably valid, unless you know that you are in a dead zone. The only problem with the "sit and wait" method is that the sitting time can really add up during slow periods.

I know there was a suggestion about "airport runs." (In CA, those are legally tricky right now.) I would suggest that you look at the numbers for your airport runs carefully. If you don't get some ride action on the destination end, do they justify having to drive back empty? I think people love the big number an airport run can generate, but tend to overlook the possible high costs involved, especially if they are only looking at gas costs, and not those of higher maintenance and depreciation.

Good luck!


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## Nitedriver (Jun 19, 2014)

kool..hey I am still learning , i believe there should be more promo out in the suburbs of Philly. Lot's of people dont know about Uber, tried to get new promo cards but take a lengthy 4 weeks to get them. I also see that on the fare board the prices are not listed for Uberx ..they are all zero :

Market Base Minute Mile Minim Base Minute Mile Minim Base Min Mile Minim XL Taxi
Philadelphia, PA $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $12.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $25.00 

also can we do airport rides here in Philly ?? haven't had one so far ..


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## uberlady (Jun 22, 2014)

Yes, we can do rides to the airport from the suburbs of Philly. The only problem is that we cannot pick up at the airport or anywhere in Philly, so we are forced to drive outside of the city limits to get our next ride. I had 2 airport rides on Wedn which were great. First couple chatted the whole way about their upcoming vacation, loved talking with them. 2nd guy was a businessman not from pa, he didn't say a word, very well then. I have noticed that almost all of UberX riders do not know that we are not allowed to pick up in the city.


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## Nitedriver (Jun 19, 2014)

uberlady said:


> Yes, we can do rides to the airport from the suburbs of Philly. The only problem is that we cannot pick up at the airport or anywhere in Philly, so we are forced to drive outside of the city limits to get our next ride. I had 2 airport rides on Wedn which were great. First couple chatted the whole way about their upcoming vacation, loved talking with them. 2nd guy was a businessman not from pa, he didn't say a word, very well then. I have noticed that almost all of UberX riders do not know that we are not allowed to pick up in the city.


Hey Uberlady good to see you back, yeahh I learned it the heard way not knowing about the city , I remember the first days I straight went downtown and taught I will make bank ..My fault I should have known about it..Anyway where did u position u car @ the airport , I guess the cellphone waiting lot ??
Bytheway did u see on the app how many more drivers are out there now ?? Philly is picking up much more now, would be good to change the thread to Uberxphilly going strong !!

Had two rides yesterday and both of them big distances which brought in a nice $$$ amount, got home late ..Ok Uberlady hope to see u on the road one day !!


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## OGT (Mar 6, 2017)

Wow, nitedriver youve been doing this a while now. How many cars have you been through over this period?


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## Nitedriver (Jun 19, 2014)

OGT said:


> Wow, nitedriver youve been doing this a while now. How many cars have you been through over this period?


oh bro this is a three year old post ...still the same car ,going strong !!!


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