# What's your bottom hourly rate to consider Rideshare worthwhile?



## Terrapin Bound (Mar 4, 2019)

I'm a part timer, primarily the weekend witching hours. Times have been good lately, this weekend average gross was > $45/hr, and other recent weekends have averaged $42 or so. Some individual nights have even been low 50s. I'd go full time if that was typical throughout the week. 

These boom times have increased my expectations. Not sure what the cutoff point is to keep doing this, might find out this fall if things change. 
If I find myself out in the wee hours for only $30/hr, it will be time to move on. Prob $35 is the least I'd consider worth it, but it might take $38-40.

How about you? Do you track it as an hourly average, or just look at your weekly payout? What's your cutoff point?


----------



## ANT 7 (Oct 14, 2018)

Depends on the tax laws in your jurisdiction. So, my answer won't necessarily align with yours.


----------



## Terrapin Bound (Mar 4, 2019)

ANT 7 said:


> Depends on the tax laws in your jurisdiction. So, my answer won't necessarily align with yours.


Understood.
45/hr might be crap wages in some markets. It is adequate here but I've only driven this one market so don't have anything to measure it against.
I don't even know how my mileage rate compares to most other markets. I assume in bigger cities it's more than my rate of $0.95.
I also may be settling for a lowly 45/hr since this is a part-time thing and not my primary income source. $500‐600 a week for 15 hours or so works fine, considering I work when I want and it is a very low stress job.
But there's definitely a break point, and its a little higher now than it was a couple of years ago. I'd have to really need a break from my wife before I'd settle for the rate I used to be satisfied with.
Thanks for the reply.


----------



## bobby747 (Dec 29, 2015)

I dont see the hourly rate like you do. 
i add up all my pay div- by hours after expenses. gas-tax- wear and tear- thats my hourly rate not $450 x 10 hours at $45 on a sat night. 
thats not the true hourly rate.
my math has nothing to do with your night in question. also if you are full time and do $80 on a monday and $800 on a sat night. the math changes alot..all my math is by the week. i understand you are a weekend guy...


----------



## Amos69 (May 17, 2019)

$ per hour is a poor metric for success in RS. Cost per mile driven and Profit Margin are much better.


----------



## Terrapin Bound (Mar 4, 2019)

Amos69 said:


> $ per hour is a poor metric for success in RS. Cost per mile driven and Profit Margin are much better.


Agreed. It's just a quick and dirty guesstimate. I do track other aspects of the expenses, net after fuel is another roughly effective way of estimating what's worthwhile.


----------



## Terrapin Bound (Mar 4, 2019)

bobby747 said:


> I dont see the hourly rate like you do.
> i add up all my pay div- by hours after expenses. gas-tax- wear and tear- thats my hourly rate not $450 x 10 hours at $45 on a sat night.
> thats not the true hourly rate.
> my math has nothing to do with your night in question. also if you are full time and do $80 on a monday and $800 on a sat night. the math changes alot..all my math is by the week. i understand you are a weekend guy...


Many factors determining the net pay after all is said and done. But as a quick guide its effective. Averaging $45 is generally going to net more than averaging $35, though with so many variables it's not a perfect correlation. Could well turn out 6 hours for $210 nets more than 6 hours for $270 after weighing all the factors.

Point of the post being, regardless how it's determined, is there a bottom line threshold below which it's not worth it?
If it were as simple as $$ per.hr, what would it take to keep you driving?


----------



## kdyrpr (Apr 23, 2016)

How the F do you make $45 hr?? Good for you, because the only way that can occur is if you have outrageous surges. Most markets don't have that.


----------



## Ted Fink (Mar 19, 2018)

First a note about these numbers: I compute NET profit per hour AND per mile, after ALL expenses.

My overall average is about $25/hr and $1.08/mile NET PROFIT.

I feel it's worthwhile anytime it's $20+ per hour and $1.00+ per mile. I do drive sometimes at lesser results, of course. You have to play to the long term averages.


----------



## ftupelo (Mar 18, 2018)

If I only considered cash compensation, I'd probably require $200/hr. Luckily I received plenty of ancillary benefits that makes RS worth my while.


----------



## Ted Fink (Mar 19, 2018)

ftupelo said:


> If I only considered cash compensation, I'd probably require $200/hr. Luckily I received plenty of ancillary benefits that makes RS worth my while.


I didn't mention it, but I drive 50% for the money and 50% for the social interaction.


----------



## oldfart (Dec 22, 2017)

Terrapin Bound said:


> I'm a part timer, primarily the weekend witching hours. Times have been good lately, this weekend average gross was > $45/hr, and other recent weekends have averaged $42 or so. Some individual nights have even been low 50s. I'd go full time if that was typical throughout the week.
> 
> These boom times have increased my expectations. Not sure what the cutoff point is to keep doing this, might find out this fall if things change.
> If I find myself out in the wee hours for only $30/hr, it will be time to move on. Prob $35 is the least I'd consider worth it, but it might take $38-40.
> ...


Weekly gross is my measure. I know my needs and I’ll work as much or as little as I have to to get there


----------



## tothebeach2024 (Sep 25, 2019)

As a ATL Lyft part-timer, I use the benchmark of $20/hr (including waiting times) to gauge my afternoons. If it's not happening after the first 4-5 PAX, I go home. I never plan to drive unless there is some sort of promo.


----------



## ftupelo (Mar 18, 2018)

Ted Fink said:


> I didn't mention it, but I drive 50% for the money and 50% for the social interaction.


Great! Does it also keep you humble and grounded?


----------



## oldfart (Dec 22, 2017)

Ted Fink said:


> First a note about these numbers: I compute NET profit per hour AND per mile, after ALL expenses.
> 
> My overall average is about $25/hr and $1.08/mile NET PROFIT.
> 
> I feel it's worthwhile anytime it's $20+ per hour and $1.00+ per mile. I do drive sometimes at lesser results, of course. You have to play to the long term averages.


I don’t know how you get to over a dollar a mile , net

My expenses are 25 cents per mile without depreciation 

In my market Uber pays
$1.12/mile XL.
And $0.15 / min
If we assume 30 mph the time would add another 30 cents per mile 

so $1.42/ mile net 1.17 and that assumes no dead miles and no wait time

I can’t do it I


----------



## Ted Fink (Mar 19, 2018)

oldfart said:


> I don’t know how you get to over a dollar a mile , net


Different market, different rates. Also I multi-app. Uber, Lyft, GrubHub. I attempt to drive when there is surges and/or bonuses.


----------



## Ted Fink (Mar 19, 2018)

ftupelo said:


> Great! Does it also keep you humble and grounded?


I was already humble and grounded because I was dead broke before uber and now am moderately comfortable. Never had enough money to get an ego. What it does do for me is keeps me constantly exposed to different races, identities, religions, colors, creeds, political views, and beliefs of all kinds. This has the effect of me being more understanding of people who are different than me. So it makes me a better person. And that benefit is priceless.


----------



## ftupelo (Mar 18, 2018)

Ted Fink said:


> I was already humble and grounded because I was dead broke before uber and now am moderately comfortable. Never had enough money to get an ego. What it does do for me is keeps me constantly exposed to different races, identities, religions, colors, creeds, political views, and beliefs of all kinds. This has the effect of me being more understanding of people who are different than me. So it makes me a better person. And that benefit is priceless.


There you go, what a beautiful contribution to the board. What were you doing prior to RS that you were dead broke?


----------



## Ted Fink (Mar 19, 2018)

ftupelo said:


> There you go, what a beautiful contribution to the board. What were you doing prior to RS that you were dead broke?


Same day job I have now, I had just had some unfortunate situations and lack of planning ahead on my part financially. Also, honestly, some bad financial decisions. Too much borrowing, etc. You get the idea.

My day job is data collection. Not too exciting, but very predictable, reliable, stable, and has great benefits. I do Uber to bring some spice to life and do something I enjoy. And also for a few bucks. My original state of emergency has been resolved, but I never stopped driving because I like it too much. Yeah, I know, I'm sick in the head...


----------



## Seamus (Jun 21, 2018)

Terrapin Bound said:


> I'm a part timer, primarily the weekend witching hours. Times have been good lately, this weekend average gross was > $45/hr, and other recent weekends have averaged $42 or so. Some individual nights have even been low 50s. I'd go full time if that was typical throughout the week.
> 
> These boom times have increased my expectations. Not sure what the cutoff point is to keep doing this, might find out this fall if things change.
> If I find myself out in the wee hours for only $30/hr, it will be time to move on. Prob $35 is the least I'd consider worth it, but it might take $38-40.
> ...


I don't just look at it per hour, I'm more profit focused on rev/mile. However, to put it in your terms per hour, I used to make the bulk of my money driving 8pm to 4 am Friday and Saturday nights(the drunk shift). I regularly averaged $350 in those 8 hours so I guess that's an average of $43.75 per hour. When they took the multiplier surge away in Sept 2019 (in my market) there was no way to do that anymore so I stopped driving pax and switched exclusively to food delivery. Driving the drunk shift is challenging and unless you can make $40+ per hour not worth dealing with drunk pax bs, pukers, getting pulled over by cops looking for DWI's, and drunk drivers on the road. No way I'd drive the drunk shift at base rates or flat surges. When Uber deleted the multiplier surge I deleted them. I will never understand who would do it for base rates or $7 flat surges.

All markets are different but at Uber base rates it's impossible to profit $1 per mile driveway to driveway. You are special.


----------



## Ted Fink (Mar 19, 2018)

Seamus said:


> I don't just look at it per hour, I'm more profit focused on rev/mile. However, to put it in your terms per hour, I used to make the bulk of my money driving 8pm to 4 am Friday and Saturday nights(the drunk shift). I regularly averaged $350 in those 8 hours so I guess that's an average of $43.75 per hour. When they took the multiplier surge away in Sept 2019 (in my market) there was no way to do that anymore so I stopped driving pax and switched exclusively to food delivery. Driving the drunk shift is challenging and unless you can make $40+ per hour not worth dealing with drunk pax bs, pukers, getting pulled over by cops looking for DWI's, and drunk drivers on the road. No way I'd drive the drunk shift at base rates or flat surges. When Uber deleted the multiplier surge I deleted them. I will never understand who would do it for base rates or $7 flat surges.
> 
> All markets are different but at Uber base rates it's impossible to profit $1 per mile driveway to driveway. You are special.


Base rate here is $1.35 a mile Uber X. That's the only reason. If it was like in other places 60-80c a mile... my expectations would be much lower.


----------



## Ted Fink (Mar 19, 2018)

Seamus said:


> I don't just look at it per hour, I'm more profit focused on rev/mile. However, to put it in your terms per hour, I used to make the bulk of my money driving 8pm to 4 am Friday and Saturday nights(the drunk shift). I regularly averaged $350 in those 8 hours so I guess that's an average of $43.75 per hour. When they took the multiplier surge away in Sept 2019 (in my market) there was no way to do that anymore so I stopped driving pax and switched exclusively to food delivery. Driving the drunk shift is challenging and unless you can make $40+ per hour not worth dealing with drunk pax bs, pukers, getting pulled over by cops looking for DWI's, and drunk drivers on the road. No way I'd drive the drunk shift at base rates or flat surges. When Uber deleted the multiplier surge I deleted them. I will never understand who would do it for base rates or $7 flat surges.
> 
> All markets are different but at Uber base rates it's impossible to profit $1 per mile driveway to driveway. You are special.


Almost forgot... I know a guy who multi-apps food delivery full time... he makes WAY more than me per mile, but about the same per hour. Go figure.


----------



## Seamus (Jun 21, 2018)

Ted Fink said:


> Almost forgot... I know a guy who multi-apps food delivery full time... he makes WAY more than me per mile, but about the same per hour. Go figure.


So who's more "profitable"?


----------



## Ted Fink (Mar 19, 2018)

Seamus said:


> So who's more "profitable"?


HE IS. No question. I just don't enjoy food delivery, and I do enjoy rideshare, so I do 95% rideshare 5% food delivery because I don't just want to make money, I want to also enjoy it. 

Actually our net net might be similar, as I have a 44mpg hybrid and he has a 15mpg durango. So he makes more per mile, but it costs him a lot more to run a mile. Plus he drives like a maniac.

I think if you looked at everyone's work habits, it's not always 100% efficiency on the dollar. If the only factor was money, I would have gone to med school or gotten into finance.


----------



## Terrapin Bound (Mar 4, 2019)

kdyrpr said:


> How the F do you make $45 hr?? Good for you, because the only way that can occur is if you have outrageous surges. Most markets don't have that.


Surges are why I drive the bar hours. Between 10pm-2am its almost all surge, though sometimes surge starts closer to 11.
$45 is typically the upper end, sometimes a little more but often $38-42

Last Fri / Sat, 18 of 21 trips were surge. 8.5hrs / $420 including cash tips. As others have said, $$/hr is not the true profit determinant, I just use it as a rough guide.
Overall last week was 22 surge of 38 trips, 19hrs @ 664 plus cash tips, so the weekly average was about 37. Still satisfactory for the week. Just depends if I want to work fewest hours for max return, or a few extra for a lower rate but a nicer payout at the end of the week. It's all very dynamic and changes in any given week.



Seamus said:


> I don't just look at it per hour, I'm more profit focused on rev/mile. However, to put it in your terms per hour, I used to make the bulk of my money driving 8pm to 4 am Friday and Saturday nights(the drunk shift). I regularly averaged $350 in those 8 hours so I guess that's an average of $43.75 per hour. When they took the multiplier surge away in Sept 2019 (in my market) there was no way to do that anymore so I stopped driving pax and switched exclusively to food delivery. Driving the drunk shift is challenging and unless you can make $40+ per hour not worth dealing with drunk pax bs, pukers, getting pulled over by cops looking for DWI's, and drunk drivers on the road. No way I'd drive the drunk shift at base rates or flat surges. When Uber deleted the multiplier surge I deleted them. I will never understand who would do it for base rates or $7 flat surges.
> 
> All markets are different but at Uber base rates it's impossible to profit $1 per mile driveway to driveway. You are special.


Flat surges still work out, there's about two hours each night of $13-19 or more, and many trips are 5 miles or less. The heat map sometimes shows $30 surges, but I haven't gotten one of those. A few $15s can make for a good night, but a long trip can bust up the groove.

Anyways, for all the details, bottom line is I've tailored my approach for max profit, and will carry on for now, expecting the big money to come crashing down if the impending influx of drivers ever does occur. I'll either lower my nightly expectations, or at some point decide if it's worth it at all. Because I absolutely agree, you gotta be making bank to deal with the late night crowd. And in my suburban area, day trips are almost 100% flat rate. Too many miles for too little return.


----------



## Guido-TheKillerPimp (Jan 4, 2021)

Amos69 said:


> $ per hour is a poor metric for success in RS. Cost per mile driven and Profit Margin are much better.


Really? So the time in between pings sitting in your car is not to be calculated? Ridiculous!


----------



## Terrapin Bound (Mar 4, 2019)

Terrapin Bound said:


> Flat surges still work out, there's about two hours each night of $13-19 or more, and many trips are 5 miles or less. The heat map sometimes shows $30 surges, but I haven't gotten one of those.


On a related note, I saw my first multiplier vs flat surge last weekend, since the change anyways. 4.0 multiplier. Thought it might be a fluke, but it paid well, here's hoping it happens again.


----------



## Seamus (Jun 21, 2018)

Ted Fink said:


> HE IS. No question. I just don't enjoy food delivery, and I do enjoy rideshare, so I do 95% rideshare 5% food delivery because I don't just want to make money, I want to also enjoy it.
> 
> Actually our net net might be similar, as I have a 44mpg hybrid and he has a 15mpg durango. So he makes more per mile, but it costs him a lot more to run a mile. Plus he drives like a maniac.
> 
> I think if you looked at everyone's work habits, it's not always 100% efficiency on the dollar. If the only factor was money, I would have gone to med school or gotten into finance.


The only 100% true comparison is you vs yourself because there are many variables between driver A vs Driver B. What kind of car you drive is just one variable. By the way, how can anyone (especially a full timer) think it’s a good idea to do food delivery in a 15mpg vehicle?

In my “you vs yourself” comparison I have 4 years worth of spreadsheet data separated by Rideshare and Delivery. Since I equalize the variables by having the same car etc.etc., I know exactly what is most profitable for me.

Having done 7000 deliveries and 4800 Rideshare trips, I conclude wether you are doing RS or Delivery the 2 biggest factors affecting profitability are:

The car you use. Mpg, reliability, and cost to repair. I can hear it now.... Duh, thanks Captain Obvious!
DEAD MILES! Dead miles is the silent killer of profits and most make no serious effort to track them let alone plan a strategy to minimize them. Honestly, so freakin many on this forum are not nearly aware of the impact it’s having on their wallet. If you try to have a serious conversation about dead miles you’ll hear dozens of excuses and justifications for why you gotta “keep moving”! In addition, the idiocy of having one staging area and driving back to it after each trip is mind boggling! Dead miles throw your money away.


----------



## Ted Fink (Mar 19, 2018)

Seamus said:


> The only 100% true comparison is you vs yourself because there are many variables between driver A vs Driver B. What kind of car you drive is just one variable. By the way, how can anyone (especially a full timer) think it’s a good idea to do food delivery in a 15mpg vehicle?


I like that... competing only with self. Everyone's market is different everyone's car is different everyone's style and tastes are different. 

Good question about the Durango... I think he does delivery with it because it's what he has. Dude is not in the best shape financially. And he probably focuses on short runs since he burns so much gas. So he has high costs per mile, but he's minimizing the number of miles he drives. I guess that's a pretty smart strategy. I don't know why he doesn't drive his wife's chevy cruze though. That would make more sense. Let her run the kids around in the durango LOL

I agree about dead miles. Some of them are not avoidable, but some are. I probably don't pay quite as much attention to this as I should.


----------



## sopranored (Aug 10, 2021)

Terrapin Bound said:


> I'm a part timer, primarily the weekend witching hours. Times have been good lately, this weekend average gross was > $45/hr, and other recent weekends have averaged $42 or so. Some individual nights have even been low 50s. I'd go full time if that was typical throughout the week.
> 
> These boom times have increased my expectations. Not sure what the cutoff point is to keep doing this, might find out this fall if things change.
> If I find myself out in the wee hours for only $30/hr, it will be time to move on. Prob $35 is the least I'd consider worth it, but it might take $38-40.
> ...


I make $3000 a week. Just X/Comfort.


----------



## Seamus (Jun 21, 2018)

I highlight these 2 quotes because this is so important for those who look at RS as a money making endeavor.



Amos69 said:


> $ per hour is a poor metric for success in RS. Cost per mile driven and Profit Margin are much better.


You and I get it, because we are businessmen who own/owned businesses. It's not what we gross but what we keep that goes into our wallet that is most important in owning a business. I have been pounded on UP over the years for this view.


Guido-TheKillerPimp said:


> Really? So the time in between pings sitting in your car is not to be calculated? Ridiculous!


No one is saying that calculating your per hour revenue is unimportant, but it has very little to do with what goes into your wallet or your "net" after expenses. This per hour tracking is what 90% of RS drivers focus on. It's only importance is in determining if RS is worth your _time_, and wether or not your_ time_ is better spent working at Walmart or doing RS.

For profitability sake, your time costs $0. I realize people think their time is valuable but you sitting for 20 minutes costs $0 and is inconsequential for margin or net profit. Not wanting to sit for 20 minutes leads to dumb decisions like taking money losing offers.

If you want to keep more money, focus on your revenue and costs per mile (Your ROI). This will lead to strategies that maximize your profitability. If you want to figure out which is the best use of your_ time_ (working at Burger King or doing RS) then by all means focus on your hourly rate.

This is pure financial analysis and doesn't take into account non financial considerations.


----------



## FLKeys (Dec 27, 2018)

Amos69 said:


> $ per hour is a poor metric for success in RS. Cost per mile driven and Profit Margin are much better.





Guido-TheKillerPimp said:


> Really? So the time in between pings sitting in your car is not to be calculated? Ridiculous!


I agree with @Amos69 

My metric is earnings per mile driven. Time means nothing to me when it comes to rideshare. If I don't have the time to drive I don't drive. There are other revenue generators for me that I can do while sitting in my car or at home waiting for my next ping.

A typical weekend day when weather is not great for fishing I can be online for 16-18 hours waiting for pings and only be actively driving for 4-5 hours. Now some real numbers.

This past Sunday I made $294.05, I was online for 15 hours and 18 minutes I was physically driving for 4 hours and 47 minutes.

$294.05 ÷ 15.25 hours = $19.28 per hour
$294.05 ÷ 4.75 hours = $61.91 per hour

$294.05 ÷ 212 miles = $1.39 per mile including dead miles.

With depreciation and all expenses including estimate future repairs my vehicle costs me 28.5¢ per mile to drive. So I profited $1.095 per mile driven of which $0.275 per mile driven is tax free profit. 

What ever method works for you is fine, again I prefer my method. To me employees worry about hourly pay. Entrepreneurs are more concerned with bottom line profits.


----------



## Seamus (Jun 21, 2018)

FLKeys said:


> I agree with @Amos69
> 
> My metric is earnings per mile driven. Time means nothing to me when it comes to rideshare. If I don't have the time to drive I don't drive. There are other revenue generators for me that I can do while sitting in my car or at home waiting for my next ping.
> 
> ...


Perfectly stated!


----------



## Guido-TheKillerPimp (Jan 4, 2021)

FLKeys said:


> I agree with @Amos69
> 
> My metric is earnings per mile driven. Time means nothing to me when it comes to rideshare. If I don't have the time to drive I don't drive. There are other revenue generators for me that I can do while sitting in my car or at home waiting for my next ping.
> 
> ...


BS. Your still online with your mind attached to your phone.


----------



## Guido-TheKillerPimp (Jan 4, 2021)

Guido-TheKillerPimp said:


> BS. Your still online with your mind attached to your phone.


So what? So do I. I monitor and play the market while in my car. Were are in or cars waiting foe the next ping. Hour by hour. Hence, it is the real way of determining your HOURLY earnings. Sheesh!!! 😐


----------



## Guido-TheKillerPimp (Jan 4, 2021)

Seamus said:


> I highlight these 2 quotes because this is so important for those who look at RS as a money making endeavor.
> 
> 
> You and I get it, because we are businessmen who own/owned businesses. It's not what we gross but what we keep that goes into our wallet that is most important in owning a business. I have been pounded on UP over the years for this view.
> ...


Blah blah blah blah blah blah blah


----------



## sopranored (Aug 10, 2021)

Terrapin Bound said:


> I'm a part timer, primarily the weekend witching hours. Times have been good lately, this weekend average gross was > $45/hr, and other recent weekends have averaged $42 or so. Some individual nights have even been low 50s. I'd go full time if that was typical throughout the week.
> 
> These boom times have increased my expectations. Not sure what the cutoff point is to keep doing this, might find out this fall if things change.
> If I find myself out in the wee hours for only $30/hr, it will be time to move on. Prob $35 is the least I'd consider worth it, but it might take $38-40.
> ...


I make $3000 a week. Just X/Comfort. Uber. Houston.


----------



## Rockocubs (Jul 31, 2017)

Part time warrior here also, I don't think i can drive anymore if I can't gross $20 hour. Below are my yearly gross per hour. 

2017 - $14.28 
2018 - $17.81
2019 - $17.09
2020 - $20.33
2021 - $29.27


----------



## Ted Fink (Mar 19, 2018)

FLKeys said:


> I agree with @Amos69
> 
> My metric is earnings per mile driven. Time means nothing to me when it comes to rideshare. If I don't have the time to drive I don't drive. There are other revenue generators for me that I can do while sitting in my car or at home waiting for my next ping.
> 
> ...


I like $/hour and $/mile NET PROFIT. (Figure Gross $/hr, and subtract the cost of the miles driven, figure gross $/mile, and subtract the cost of the miles driven). This tells me how much I get to KEEP, per hour AND per mile.

@Guido-TheKillerPimp you're not wrong - $ per hour IS important. But $/mile is too. Both tell you different but equally important things.


----------



## Guido-TheKillerPimp (Jan 4, 2021)

Ted Fink said:


> I like $/hour and $/mile NET PROFIT. (Figure Gross $/hr, and subtract the cost of the miles driven, figure gross $/mile, and subtract the cost of the miles driven). This tells me how much I get to KEEP, per hour AND per mile.
> 
> @Guido-TheKillerPimp you're not wrong - $ per hour IS important. But $/mile is too. Both tell you different but equally important things.


Meh! Why do I even respond to these threads. In reality, I couldn't care less. My earnings are very impressive by any standard. 💪😎💰


----------



## ANT 7 (Oct 14, 2018)

Ted Fink said:


> competing only with self. Everyone's market is different everyone's car is different everyone's style and tastes are different.


Exactly.

I made $50 an hour yesterday for the first 2 hours (starting with a $55 "unicorn trip" at 630AM) then got "throttled at 900AM with $100 on the clock. Basically sat for 3 hours with one $5 trip at the 90 minute mark only.

The 60 hours a week I put it will always have an average lower benchmark dollar figure than someone solely doing PT during the best times of day. Which in my market are from 6AM - 1PM...........and 10PM - 3AM.............for reference I work 630AM - 530 PM only.


----------



## Terrapin Bound (Mar 4, 2019)

ANT 7 said:


> The 60 hours a week I put it will always have an average lower benchmark dollar figure than someone solely doing PT during the best times of day. Which in my market are from 6AM - 1PM...........and 10PM - 3AM.............for reference I work 630AM - 530 PM only.


Nothing wrong with that. I focus on the witching hours for max profit, but often do a few base trips to supplement. We work when we want, and somehow it all works out.


----------



## FLKeys (Dec 27, 2018)

Guido-TheKillerPimp said:


> Meh! Why do I even respond to these threads. In reality, I couldn't care less. My earnings are very impressive by any standard. 💪😎💰


Here is where it is important, I know a couple of drivers in Orlando that bust their butt running rides all day long. They make around $200-$250 a day which is very good for Orlando. The problem is they have so many dead miles that they are losing money long term. They average 2 dead miles for every paid mile. So that $16-$18 per hour they run has a negative bottom line. Now they run their cars into the ground to have money now with no way to replace or possibly pay for a major repair. All they see is the money now, sure that $1500 a week in the bank account is nice and pays the bills. Long term it is not sustainable.


----------



## Guido-TheKillerPimp (Jan 4, 2021)

FLKeys said:


> Here is where it is important, I know a couple of drivers in Orlando that bust their butt running rides all day long. They make around $200-$250 a day which is very good for Orlando. The problem is they have so many dead miles that they are losing money long term. They average 2 dead miles for every paid mile. So that $16-$18 per hour they run has a negative bottom line. Now they run their cars into the ground to have money now with no way to replace or possibly pay for a major repair. All they see is the money now, sure that $1500 a week in the bank account is nice and pays the bills. Long term it is not sustainable.


Thats why use a shitbox for this job. Also, dead miles are extra miles to deduct. In my Prius, dead miles are proritable!


----------



## Guido-TheKillerPimp (Jan 4, 2021)

Guido-TheKillerPimp said:


> Thats why use a shitbox for this job. Also, dead miles are extra miles to deduct. In my Prius, dead miles are proritable!


Profitable


----------



## Seamus (Jun 21, 2018)

Guido-TheKillerPimp said:


> Thats why use a shitbox for this job. Also, dead miles are extra miles to deduct. In my Prius, dead miles are proritable! profitable probable plausible predictable painful


FIFY! You're just not the same anymore without your big dog mentor!


----------



## Ted Fink (Mar 19, 2018)

@Guido-TheKillerPimp while it is absolutely true that your Prius is cheaper per the mile than most if not all cars, it is NOT true that you are making a profit by driving around when you're not getting paid. Your per-mile cost is low, but not zero. And when you don't have a PAX in the car you're not being paid. So you are spending money. Less than most or all of us, for sure. But still not profitable.

And yes, I know about the tax deduction. Every mile lowers your taxable income by 57 cents. Which, if you're in the 10% tax bracket, lowers your tax by 5.7 cents. If you think you can drive for 5.7 cents a mile, including all expenses, I have a bridge I want to sell you.

NOTE: I drive dead miles myself and in my Honda Hybrid my costs are low too, but not zero. So I've been trying to learn how to park and wait. I'm way to fu$$ing OCD to sit still for a long time though.


----------



## Guido-TheKillerPimp (Jan 4, 2021)

Ted Fink said:


> @Guido-TheKillerPimp while it is absolutely true that your Prius is cheaper per the mile than most if not all cars, it is NOT true that you are making a profit by driving around when you're not getting paid. Your per-mile cost is low, but not zero. And when you don't have a PAX in the car you're not being paid. So you are spending money. Less than most or all of us, for sure. But still not profitable.
> 
> And yes, I know about the tax deduction. Every mile lowers your taxable income by 57 cents. Which, if you're in the 10% tax bracket, lowers your tax by 5.7 cents. If you think you can drive for 5.7 cents a mile, including all expenses, I have a bridge I want to sell you.
> 
> NOTE: I drive dead miles myself and in my Honda Hybrid my costs are low too, but not zero. So I've been trying to learn how to park and wait. I'm way to fu$$ing OCD to sit still for a long time though.


Thanks, I'm in the "no tax" bracket. Works out fine for me!


----------



## Ted Fink (Mar 19, 2018)

Guido-TheKillerPimp said:


> Thanks, I'm in the "no tax" bracket. Works out fine for me!


That's cool. Yea I keep forgetting that many RS drivers don't have the day gig. Damn day gig puts me in a tax bracket right out the gate. Although not a high one, it's not like I work with @ftupelo


----------



## Illini (Mar 14, 2019)

I generally don't track $ per hour. With my 55mpg vehicle that has very little depreciation left and has not had one single problem since I've owned it, I worry only about my total gross earnings for the week.


----------



## ftupelo (Mar 18, 2018)

Ted Fink said:


> That's cool. Yea I keep forgetting that many RS drivers don't have the day gig. Damn day gig puts me in a tax bracket right out the gate. Although not a high one, it's not like I work with @ftupelo


Well, luckily you aren't in the top tax bracket (37%) like some who are making over $630k.


----------



## Ted Fink (Mar 19, 2018)

ftupelo said:


> Well, luckily you aren't in the top tax bracket (37%) like some who are making over $630k.


Yea I'm in the 12% tax bracket. De La Creme is De Creme De Cash.


----------



## Atavar (Aug 11, 2018)

Hourly rate is meaningless for gig work. Instead look at monthly or maybe weekly.


----------



## PukersAreAlwaysYourFault (Mar 25, 2021)

Everyone here is a liar. The real answer is $0.00.


----------



## JeanOcelot0 (Dec 30, 2020)

Terrapin Bound said:


> I'm a part timer, primarily the weekend witching hours. Times have been good lately, this weekend average gross was > $45/hr, and other recent weekends have averaged $42 or so. Some individual nights have even been low 50s. I'd go full time if that was typical throughout the week.
> 
> These boom times have increased my expectations. Not sure what the cutoff point is to keep doing this, might find out this fall if things change.
> If I find myself out in the wee hours for only $30/hr, it will be time to move on. Prob $35 is the least I'd consider worth it, but it might take $38-40.
> ...


Just wait until the unemployment benny in your state ends. You will suddenly feel financially dispossessed.


----------



## JeanOcelot0 (Dec 30, 2020)

Amos69 said:


> $ per hour is a poor metric for success in RS. Cost per mile driven and Profit Margin are much better.


The proper metric would be after-tax (explicit & implicit) income from the 1099 AFTER deducting for the WHOLE cost of driving (including dead miles & wear & tear on your ride, etc.).


----------



## JeanOcelot0 (Dec 30, 2020)

Ted Fink said:


> I didn't mention it, but I drive 50% for the money and 50% for the social interaction.


Do you pick up chick pax?


----------



## JeanOcelot0 (Dec 30, 2020)

Guido-TheKillerPimp said:


> Really? So the time in between pings sitting in your car is not to be calculated? Ridiculous!


That's the time the ant can spend on UberPeople.Net.


----------



## Ted Fink (Mar 19, 2018)

JeanOcelot0 said:


> Do you pick up chick pax?


Hell naw. Married, and respectful.


----------



## Terrapin Bound (Mar 4, 2019)

JeanOcelot0 said:


> The proper metric would be after-tax (explicit & implicit) income from the 1099 AFTER deducting for the WHOLE cost of driving (including dead miles & wear & tear on your ride, etc.).


On average since March, I've been grossing $40-45/hr during the bar hours. Whatever metric used, I'm pretty sure driving the bar crowd grossing $45/hr will net more than ant driving for $15 - 25. Somewhere in the mix, there is a bottom line $$ per hour rate I'm willing to work for. I already know ant rates fall below that hourly threshold. So $$ per mile and other factors are less important, and parsing every variable isn't really essential for my part time, side-gig situation..

I'm not inclined to RS if at the end of the day, I'm only grossing ant rates for those bar hours. But $45 is worth it. 

The question is, like it would be for any other job, just what is that rate when the earnings are not worth the time investment?
I expect I may find out soon enough, whenever the drivers come back.

Thanks everyone for the replies and insight.


----------



## EagleWolfSparrow (Aug 7, 2021)

I would say must be 30~35+ per hour before Gas .


This is what I made in Las Vegas part time.


----------



## JeanOcelot0 (Dec 30, 2020)

EagleWolfSparrow said:


> I would say must be 30~35+ per hour before Gas .
> 
> 
> This is what I made in Las Vegas part time.
> ...


This is meaningless without knowing how many TOTAL miles (i.e., pax miles + dead miles) were traveled.


----------



## EagleWolfSparrow (Aug 7, 2021)

JeanOcelot0 said:


> This is meaningless without knowing how many TOTAL miles (i.e., pax miles + dead miles) were traveled.


Yea I axtually.not sure how many dead miles I drive... as Uber and Lyft didn't count the picking up mileage and time... I feel they definitely need to include those so driver can do Tax write off.


----------



## sopranored (Aug 10, 2021)

EagleWolfSparrow said:


> I would say must be 30~35+ per hour before Gas .
> 
> 
> This is what I made in Las Vegas part time.
> ...


what do you do fulltime


----------



## FerengiBob (Nov 6, 2019)

Based on local sources... $20 minimum net per hour with an eye toward $1 net per mile.

Will let you know in about two weeks how that prediction is holding.


----------



## SOLA-RAH (Dec 31, 2014)

$30/hr is the minimum for it to be worth my time in DC. If it’s busier and I can crush that, then great! But if not, I stay home and find something else to do.


----------



## Nythain (Jul 15, 2021)

Well, previous salary worked out to be ~20/hr (sounds so much better when I say 41k/yr lol). So as long as I'm making more than that, it's better than what I was doing. Currently grossing almost 2x what my "real job" paid, which effectively covers extra expenses and is helping dig me out of a financial hole.


----------

