# Uber decreasing deadheading?



## ObeyTheNumbers (8 mo ago)

I've noticed that Uber seems to be decreasing deadheading.

More often than normal if I get a trip in one direction, will quickly get one going the opposite way.

I often do the same pattern, wait at home (in a hot area) and get out to do the trip, only to arrive and soon get one back the opposite direction.

Sometimes I'll drive slow back towards home base to give maximum chance of getting another trip back. But I Uber for 18 hours a day, not going to sit in an area that I have no idea what's next when I can go home and lay down, get the blood circulation going again. May be 1 minute or 6 hours before the next trip.

So has anyone else noticed an improvement in reductions of deadheading?


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## Donatello (6 mo ago)

It only took them a decade.

Either way, the more ants you see in the streets the less chance of those return matches.

Jeez 18 hours?


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## Boca Ratman (Jun 6, 2018)

ObeyTheNumbers said:


> I often do the same pattern, wait at home (in a hot area)





ObeyTheNumbers said:


> May be 1 minute or 6 hours before the next trip.


Hot area? 6 hours? Hmmm.

Anyway, it's not Uber doing anything, is happenstance. The longer you do this the more perceived patterns you'll be able to pick out of the randomness.


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## UberBastid (Oct 1, 2016)

If it is not in their best interest in some way -- it is purely accidental.

Too long for a bumper sticker ... but true none the less.


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## ObeyTheNumbers (8 mo ago)

Screwber driver north said:


> It only took them a decade.
> 
> Either way, the more ants you see in the streets the less chance of those return matches.
> 
> Jeez 18 hours?


I live in the Uber version of the Upside Down. We don't like doing short trips, but have to do them to get long trips which we do like. Here it's paid like Uber taxi, not ridesharing. Not many drivers living here so lopsided attracts ants from far away. But they lose and starve because the costs to get here are high. They try and try until they give up. Better they Uber in circles where they come from, but most can't do math until their broke.

Thus I sit like a spider and wait for a crack in the ants. At least I have a shower in case I shit my pants. 😁

Edit: Wow! Got Reserve today. 😁


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## Heisenburger (Sep 19, 2016)

ObeyTheNumbers said:


> So has anyone else noticed an improvement in reductions of deadheading?


Yes, I've definitely noticed a change in 2022. It's highly correlated with the switch to Upfront Fares. More specifically, once I get approximately 15+ miles away from my starting area (the suburbs), a majority of the offers I get are back towards my starting area. It's honestly a feeling that it senses my preferred area(s). I've had this feeling on most days of most weeks. Before Upfront Fares, I'd routinely get swept to areas 30-50 miles away from my preferred area. Since Upfront Fares was implemented, it's more rare. But, then again, I accept much fewer trips nowadays than before so that's certainly part of the situation.

Of course, I lack both the motivation and resources to prove this.


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## Heisenburger (Sep 19, 2016)

ObeyTheNumbers said:


> May be 1 minute or 6 hours before the next trip.


Jesus man! Do you live near the Mojave?


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## Lord Summerisle (Aug 15, 2015)

Heisenburger said:


> Jesus man! Do you live near the Mojave?


I ended up in Palmdale today and because disrespectful and dumb as pigshit Uber won't show me the destination, I had to deadmile back.


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## ThrowInTheTowel (Apr 10, 2018)

ObeyTheNumbers said:


> I've noticed that Uber seems to be decreasing deadheading.
> 
> More often than normal if I get a trip in one direction, will quickly get one going the opposite way.
> 
> ...


18 hours? Really? How much do you weigh?


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## Hih1 (9 mo ago)

Lord Summerisle said:


> I ended up in Palmdale today and because disrespectful and dumb as pigshit Uber won't show me the destination, I had to deadmile back.


You're in CA? Use the Trip Radar to preserve your upfront details. If 1 trip appears in radar, and I don't want it, most likely that's my next ping. So I get offline quickly to avoid the decline. If 3 trips appear in radar at once, I go offline, because I can't screen that many trips and get offline before the ping.

EDIT: Forgot to say, if it's a single trip in radar, and I want it, I don't accept it. Because radar trips don't count toward upfront details. I wait, until I get the ping to accept, because that counts. The single radar trip appears to be a preview of the next ping most of the time (at least in my account).


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## ObeyTheNumbers (8 mo ago)

Got a long trip to a major area, much better lining up of next trips. Although other Ubers closer, I get the next trip about 5 minutes before dropoff of previous trip.

Much better emphasis on taking care of moving drivers over those staking a location, so less on the proximity factor.

Yes I'm slightly overweight, but I'm retired. 😁


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## TobyD (Mar 14, 2021)

You sit at home between trips? If I dont get a trip within about 6 minutes of dropping a rider off, it’s not busy enough to keep driving. I couldn’t imagine waiting 6 hours for a ping!


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## ObeyTheNumbers (8 mo ago)

Heisenburger said:


> Yes, I've definitely noticed a change in 2022.
> 
> a majority of the offers I get are back towards my starting area.
> 
> It's honestly a feeling that it senses my preferred area(s).


Yep I'm getting that too. In the taxi business we called that area "central".

Of course with Uber it's not so much as a combined central, as more like our personal centrals slightly away from other drivers thus we can respond quickly to a nearby trip.

Every driver takes care of their "area", don't go poaching near me mutherfscker! 😄


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## ObeyTheNumbers (8 mo ago)

TobyD said:


> You sit at home between trips? If I dont get a trip within about 6 minutes of dropping a rider off, it’s not busy enough to keep driving. I couldn’t imagine waiting 6 hours for a ping!


Yea you would if it was a fat trip with return paid. The catch is, can you wait 18 hours for it to maybe come in?

Perhaps when Uber realizes our Central home location anything over 40 minutes from that area the customer would be charged double so it's enough for the driver to come back and then he would more likely take the long run


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## 25rides7daysaweek (Nov 20, 2017)

Screwber driver north said:


> It only took them a decade.
> 
> Either way, the more ants you see in the streets the less chance of those return matches.
> 
> Jeez 18 hours?


I week ago this guy was complaining
he had only made $15k with 80k miles
His numbers arent any good
I wouldnt believe a word he says...


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## elizabethchipman870 (6 mo ago)

ObeyTheNumbers said:


> I've noticed that Uber seems to be decreasing deadheading.
> 
> More often than normal if I get a trip in one direction, will quickly get one going the opposite way.
> 
> ...


What exactly do is deadheading??


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## elizabethchipman870 (6 mo ago)

What is deadheading? That's what I meant sorry


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## UberBastid (Oct 1, 2016)

elizabethchipman870 said:


> What is deadheading? That's what I meant sorry


Returning to your starting point or staging area empty.
Unpaid miles.


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## Boca Ratman (Jun 6, 2018)

elizabethchipman870 said:


> What is deadheading? That's what I meant sorry


Following the band, The Grateful Dead, while they tour.


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## Boca Ratman (Jun 6, 2018)

ObeyTheNumbers said:


> Yes I'm slightly overweight, but I'm retired.


18 hour days hardly sounds retired. 🤔


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## Boca Ratman (Jun 6, 2018)

ObeyTheNumbers said:


> Perhaps when Uber realizes our Central home location anything over 40 minutes from that area the customer would be charged double so it's enough for the driver to come back and then he would more likely take the long run


It would be nice, or at least some kind of supplement on long trips to cover dead miles back. 

Instead they are trending the other way. Long trips in markets with the new pay structure now pay less! 

A 140 mile trip under the old pay structure, per mile & min, would have paid me ~$150.00 -160.00. (Still too low but, that's not the point) 

With the new pay structure.









This is the high side for a long trip . Some where i have a screen shot of a similar offer for under 100 bucks.

Jacksonville, this offer is about $65-75.


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## ObeyTheNumbers (8 mo ago)

Boca Ratman said:


> It would be nice, or at least some kind of supplement on long trips to cover dead miles back.
> 
> Instead they are trending the other way. Long trips in markets with the new pay structure now pay less!
> 
> ...


Well they did say they were going to reduce long trip pay to pay drivers more on shorties.

I don't think this is the correct way to go.

Rather the long trips should pay the same as before, just the shorties pay more because there is more work involved doing them.

Customers are ordering Uber's to go one or two blocks down the road or drivers have to travel up to 25 minutes for these type of trips.

There is no reason to do 20 shorties over 10 hours and only get $200, when one 2 hour trip nets the same $200.

After doing the 20 shorties, one is done for the day, but after 2 hour trip they can still do three more before becoming tired. So it's $200 verses $600 for the same amount of effort.

What would resolve this is placing long runs and shorties on separate rotations, requiring x amount of shorties being done before being granted a long trip.

Of course Uber doesn't even have the compensation correct for long trips with zero chances of a return trip fixed, which is what they should concentrate on first.

If I was only king... 👑


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## OldBay (Apr 1, 2019)

The pattern I've noticed, which I think makes sense for Uber, is this:

(trade secret)


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## OldBay (Apr 1, 2019)

ObeyTheNumbers said:


> Well they did say they were going to reduce long trip pay to pay drivers more on shorties.
> 
> I don't think this is the correct way to go.
> 
> ...


You either don't understand throttling, or work in a market that is not throttled. The algorithm divvys up the trips so that underperforming drivers make more, and overperformers have to wait around or deadhead back.


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## Heisenburger (Sep 19, 2016)

ObeyTheNumbers said:


> There is no reason to do 20 shorties over 10 hours and only get $200, when one 2 hour trip nets the same $200.


 Color me confused. Two hour trips one way are unicorns. Not nearly enough in a month to make any strategic sense. And $200? In what starting market?



ObeyTheNumbers said:


> After doing the 20 shorties, one is done for the day, but after 2 hour trip they can still do three more before becoming tired. So it's $200 verses $600 for the same amount of effort.


 Color me confused. Nobody's getting offered three two hour trips within 10 hours.



OldBay said:


> You either don't understand throttling, or work in a market that is not throttled. The algorithm divvys up the trips so that underperforming drivers make more, and overperformers have to wait around or deadhead back.


 Evidence?


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## Donatello (6 mo ago)

Heisenburger said:


> Evidence?


Of throttling?

Send your acceptance to 1% and you'll see you no longer have priority over anyone next to you when it comes to who gets the request first.


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## Heisenburger (Sep 19, 2016)

Screwber driver north said:


> Of throttling?
> 
> Send your acceptance to 1% and you'll see you no longer have priority over anyone next to you when it comes to who gets the request first.


I'm seeking evidence for this allegation:



OldBay said:


> The algorithm divvys up the trips so that underperforming drivers make more, and overperformers have to wait around or deadhead back.


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## ObeyTheNumbers (8 mo ago)

Heisenburger said:


> Color me confused. Two hour trips one way are unicorns. Not nearly enough in a month to make any strategic sense. And $200? In what starting market?
> 
> Color me confused. Nobody's getting offered three two hour trips within 10 hours.
> 
> Evidence?


"Stay out of my territory" 😁


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## kdyrpr (Apr 23, 2016)

Screwber driver north said:


> It only took them a decade.
> 
> Either way, the more ants you see in the streets the less chance of those return matches.
> 
> Jeez 18 hours?


That's all I got out of this post. What a life.


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## Uber Anthony (Aug 3, 2015)

ThrowInTheTowel said:


> 18 hours? Really? How much do you weigh?


Yo rampage. You're an idiot for asking that ?? and an uneducated fool for assuming the driver is over weight.. and before you respond..i usually drive 10 hrs daily and my weight is nunya business. Do you mind sharing your weight or better yet your IQ


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## ThrowInTheTowel (Apr 10, 2018)

Uber Anthony said:


> Yo rampage. You're an idiot for asking that ?? and an uneducated fool for assuming the driver is over weight.. and before you respond..i usually drive 10 hrs daily and my weight is nunya business. Do you mind sharing your weight or better yet your IQ


Everyone knows what "Nunya Business" equals. Just a health concern for anyone who drives that many hours. A life insurance policy for a truck driver is the double the cost for an average person. I wonder why? Oh yeah because the insurance company has a low IQ.


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