# Question about Lyft and only doing XL



## Arthur Dent (Jan 18, 2019)

So , I'm a newbe and I am now aware that you can not just do XL ( like you can with Uber) So when I log on ( like this morning) my phone blows up with X pings. Then I get ( as you all know) the pop-ups telling me about acceptance rate.
Well I ain't doing X in a van that doesn't get the best mileage. I just is not worth it.

I'ma thinking that I don't give a crap about acceptance rate because Lyft doesn't allow separation of X/ shared and XL

Who else is in this situation and what do you do? And what is the result ?
Thanks, Arthur


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## Atavar (Aug 11, 2018)

I drive an Odyssey van and have no problem with X. I don't think I lose any more money than anyone else. Depending on your market you may not get many XL rides.


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## oldfart (Dec 22, 2017)

I take the regular lyft rides jut like I do with Uber. If I did xl only I would make more per ride but not more per day


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## Arthur Dent (Jan 18, 2019)

Really ? It's worth it for you two to do X at .60 cents a mile ???

Kevin Kargel,, Question please, Why lose at all ?????

The ONLY time it would be worth doing X would be IF I was on DF and wanted to get home without dead-miling...


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## oldfart (Dec 22, 2017)

My expenses are (cents per mile)
gas 13
Insurance 1
Maintenance (incl tires) 5
So 19 cents a mile

Although a Repair/replacement fund is not an expense (until I actually do a repair or replace the car) I’ll budget 10 cents a mile for that fund

Grand total = 29 cents per mile expenses

Over the last year I grossed 70 cents a mile over 70000 total miles; (x, xl, private rides and tips) I did not replace my car and I had no major repairs

So net 70000 miles at 70 cents = $49000
20 cents a mile expense = $14000
Net = $35000

We are paid 75 cents a mile and 10 cents a min for x rides so assuming 50% dead miles I gross less than 37.5 cents a mile for the x rides. Assuming an average speed of 30 mph that’s another 10 cents a mile (total miles)
so 47 cents a mile less my expenses of 20 or 30 cents a mile 
It’s not much but it’s not a loss

My goal is to increase my private rides, yesterday I did two totaling 100 miles (incl dead miles) it took about 2 hours (incl the dead miles and I made $200 (gross)

I use the x rides to make a little money, to fill the time and to find new private ride customers


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## Larry$$$ (Aug 27, 2018)

Arthur Dent said:


> So , I'm a newbe and I am now aware that you can not just do XL ( like you can with Uber) So when I log on ( like this morning) my phone blows up with X pings. Then I get ( as you all know) the pop-ups telling me about acceptance rate.
> Well I ain't doing X in a van that doesn't get the best mileage. I just is not worth it.
> 
> I'ma thinking that I don't give a crap about acceptance rate because Lyft doesn't allow separation of X/ shared and XL
> ...


You probably will get deactivated for low acceptance rate. Stick with Uber if you want do only xl


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## Arthur Dent (Jan 18, 2019)

Yes the handwriting is on the wall. But I think I'll quit Lyft before that happens.

Oldfart, you are the exception and NOT the rule as even the IRS figures .58 cents a mile and you KNOW the IRS is NOT going to allow it to be higher than what they can get away with.

So I applaud you Sir is you are able to to it for that BUT most everybody else will not. Oh those deadmiles will kill ya to.!


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## Juggalo9er (Dec 7, 2017)

oldfart said:


> My expenses are (cents per mile)
> gas 13
> Insurance 1
> Maintenance (incl tires) 5
> ...


You're claiming your expenses are 1/2 the federal standard deduction..... What about depreciation


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## NCRBILL (Feb 13, 2016)

Larry$$$ said:


> You probably will get deactivated for low acceptance rate. Stick with Uber if you want do only xl


My question is why don't you set Lyft to XL only


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## oldfart (Dec 22, 2017)

Juggalo9er said:


> You're claiming your expenses are 1/2 the federal standard deduction..... What about depreciation


My expenses have been less than the standard deduction

When doing taxes one can use the standard mileage deduction or actual expenses. As you noted my actual expenses are considerably less than the irs standard deduction. So for tax purposes I use the standard deduction. Which includes depreciation. So for tax purposes, depreciation is accounted for

I have accounted for depreciation in my actual annual annual expenses too When I put my car into my business I estimated it's value to be $18000 and I based my depreciation schedule on 3 years at 70000 miles a year, Thats $6000 a year or a little less than 9 cents a mile. I rounded up to 10 cents a mile for my reserve fund..

the idea is this :
For every dollar my car loses to depreciation I add a dollar to a reserve account and when my car is fully depreciated and ready for the junk yard, Ill have enough money set aside to buy another one



NCRBILL said:


> My question is why don't you set Lyft to XL only


Cant do that


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## Juggalo9er (Dec 7, 2017)

oldfart said:


> My expenses have been less than the standard deduction
> 
> When doing taxes one can use the standard mileage deduction or actual expenses. As you noted my actual expenses are considerably less than the irs standard deduction. So for tax purposes I use the standard deduction. Which includes depreciation. So for tax purposes, depreciation is accounted for
> 
> ...


You're making a very strong assumption your car will last 210000 miles
I do all my own maintenance on time or early... Motor in my equinox still blew at 141k


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## oldfart (Dec 22, 2017)

Arthur Dent said:


> Yes the handwriting is on the wall. But I think I'll quit Lyft before that happens.
> 
> Oldfart, you are the exception and NOT the rule as even the IRS figures .58 cents a mile and you KNOW the IRS is NOT going to allow it to be higher than what they can get away with.
> 
> So I applaud you Sir is you are able to to it for that BUT most everybody else will not. Oh those deadmiles will kill ya to.!


I dont know of anybody serious about rideshare that has actual expenses that add up to as much as the standard deduction

Heres whats included in that standard deduction and my numbers from 2018

gas $10000
oil, 600
repairs, 400 (brakes)
tires, 0
insurance, 2000
registration fees, 40
licenses, 0
*depreciation* 6000

Total almost $20000
miles 70000

Less than 30 cents a mile

Thats going to change this year This is my budget

gas $10000
oil $600
repairs/maintenance $3000
Insurance $5400
licenses $200
depreciation $6000

so more like $25000 or 35 cents a mile 
The goal is to make more per mile by doing a better job limiting dead miles and by doing private rides at a higher rate than what uber/lyft pays


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## NCRBILL (Feb 13, 2016)

oldfart said:


> Cant do that


Well I do it every day I drive.


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## Juggalo9er (Dec 7, 2017)

Now lost the cost for an
alternator
Starter
Plugs

And maybe an ignition module


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## oldfart (Dec 22, 2017)

Juggalo9er said:


> You're making a very strong assumption your car will last 210000 miles
> I do all my own maintenance on time or early... Motor in my equinox still blew at 141k


 Its worse than that... I had 70000 miles on the car when I started rideshare so Im expecting the car to go to 280000. 
I took my last ford explorer to 250000 with nothing but routine maintenance. It was still going when I gave it to a charity.so I didnt just pull numbers out of the air They are based on real life experience

If the engine blows, ahead of my schedule Ill either junk it and buy something else, or buy a rebuilt engine Either way Ill re-do my depreciation schedule. and either way I already have the money set aside to do it

By the way I have rebuilt an engine myself. It was a little 4 cylinder, and I wont ever do it again, but I do know whats involved


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## Juggalo9er (Dec 7, 2017)

This is based on 12000 miles


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## oldfart (Dec 22, 2017)

Juggalo9er said:


> Now lost the cost for an
> alternator
> Starter
> Plugs
> ...


every year?

Ive budgeted $3000 a year I think thats enough to do that stuff as well as the new struts going on next month and the transmission service and new plugs planned for later in the year


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## Juggalo9er (Dec 7, 2017)

oldfart said:


> every year?
> 
> Ive budgeted $3000 a year I think thats enough to do that stuff as well as the new struts going on next month and the transmission service and new plugs planned for later in the year


I cited cost of a brand new vehicle above....


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## Arthur Dent (Jan 18, 2019)

Well MCRBILL Just where on the Lyft app do you find that ??

Here in L.A. it ain't there !

Although I am a newbe and going to call Lyft support tomorrow to see IF I can get XL ping ONLY ?


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## oldfart (Dec 22, 2017)

Juggalo9er said:


> This is based on 12000 miles
> View attachment 306935


5 years 12000 miles a year so does not apply

Ive accounted for each of those items on my 70000 miles a year, 3 year schedule and come to a $25000 / year


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## Juggalo9er (Dec 7, 2017)

oldfart said:


> 5 years 12000 miles a year so does not apply
> 
> Ive accounted for each of those items on my 70000 miles a year, 3 year schedule and come to a $25000 / year


Good luck.....


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## oldfart (Dec 22, 2017)

NCRBILL said:


> Well I do it every day I drive.
> 
> View attachment 306929


I am only X and XL 
and I cant choose



Juggalo9er said:


> Good luck.....


I understand Ill need a little luck, but I choose to live life as an optimist rather than a pessimist.. I have a plan, If it doesn't work out Ill make another one.


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## Arthur Dent (Jan 18, 2019)

Like I said "oldfart" YOU are the exception NOT the rule.....


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## Grand Lake (Feb 27, 2018)

Larry$$$ said:


> You probably will get deactivated for low acceptance rate. Stick with Uber if you want do only xl


My impression was that Lyft cares about cancel rates, but not so much about acceptance rates (as long as you're not letting the pings time out). I decline far more Lyft pings than I accept. Every single time I decline one, I get the stupid popup complaining about my low acceptance rate, but it doesn't seem to go beyond that. I wish someone would come up with an app that would automatically clear that popup.


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## Juggalo9er (Dec 7, 2017)

oldfart said:


> I am only X and XL
> and I cant choose
> 
> 
> I understand Ill need a little luck, but I choose to live life as an optimist rather than a pessimist.. I have a plan, If it doesn't work out Ill make another one.


This has nothing to do with optimism, it's realism.....


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## oldfart (Dec 22, 2017)

Juggalo9er said:


> This has nothing to do with optimism, it's realism.....


My optimism is based on real life experience


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## Arthur Dent (Jan 18, 2019)

Ya , Oldfart. LIKE I said YOU are the exception and NOT the rule ......

Just because YOU can do it does NOT mean that the average person Ubering can ......

If we go on with this without you explaining your method of making a profit doing X 
We are all going to know you are full of IT !!!


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## Juggalo9er (Dec 7, 2017)

oldfart said:


> My optimism is based on real life experience


I'll bite
Cars break down randomly
A vast amount of mechanical failure are unpredictable
Never mind the fact that vehicles are a depreciating asset.... But your right, be optimistic or be realistic


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## h-ales (Oct 6, 2018)

Arthur Dent said:


> So , I'm a newbe and I am now aware that you can not just do XL ( like you can with Uber) So when I log on ( like this morning) my phone blows up with X pings. Then I get ( as you all know) the pop-ups telling me about acceptance rate.
> Well I ain't doing X in a van that doesn't get the best mileage. I just is not worth it.
> 
> I'ma thinking that I don't give a crap about acceptance rate because Lyft doesn't allow separation of X/ shared and XL
> ...


No it does, u can set ride preferences and only receive XL requests, if u do this, sometimes they might send you X with surge prices and labeled optional so it doesn't affect your rate


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## Arthur Dent (Jan 18, 2019)

No where on the app ( L.A. ) am I able to do that.

But I am calling tomorrow to try to get XL only......


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## oldfart (Dec 22, 2017)

Juggalo9er said:


> I'll bite
> Cars break down randomly
> A vast amount of mechanical failure are unpredictable
> Never mind the fact that vehicles are a depreciating asset.... But your right, be optimistic or be realistic


Yes cars break down without warning but maintenance is done on a schedule I haven't had a breakdown but I've already spent $200 on tires and $100 on headlights and I'll spend nearly $1000 next quarter on new struts. So I'm already on track to exceed my budget. And I might have to take money from my reserves later this year

It's important to note that while we have to be prepared for those random breakdowns; they are not expenses until they happen

[automerge]1553489851[/auto-merge


Arthur Dent said:


> No where on the app ( L.A. ) am I able to do that.
> 
> But I am calling tomorrow to try to get XL only......


I can't select cl only either. My understanding is that if you qualify for two or more ride types, you have to be available for at least two of them
I know a couple of xl drivers that called and gave lyft a choice, "either let me do xl only or I won't do lyft at all. They only do xl now.

Good luck[/automerge]


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## Bubsie (Oct 19, 2017)

Juggalo9er said:


> You're making a very strong assumption your car will last 210000 miles
> I do all my own maintenance on time or early... Motor in my equinox still blew at 141k


You actually were lucky with that engine. A coworker had her Equinox engine seize up just prior to warranty expiring. She got a new engine. There's a defect in those engines (2010 to 2017 2.4l 4 cylinder), the piston rings wear prematurely and oil consumption increases massively.


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## Juggalo9er (Dec 7, 2017)

Bubsie said:


> You actually were lucky with that engine. A coworker had her Equinox engine seize up just prior to warranty expiring. She got a new engine. There's a defect in those engines (2010 to 2017 2.4l 4 cylinder), the piston rings wear prematurely and oil consumption increases massively.


I've posted that before
Class action lawsuit is already underway


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## SurgeMasterMN (Sep 10, 2016)

XL only is the way to go. You reduce wear and tear on your vehicle as well as the mileage. If X drivers run their vehicle hard they are putting 60K-70K miles a year on their vehicle. If you are running XL only or Select Only you will put half that on or 30K-40K miles. If you set yourself up at strategic times you can get those long runs and get better mileage as well. This is why I only run XL only on Uber and screen for XL runs on Lyft until they have the XL only option or I upgrade to my new XL Lux vehicle.


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