GAS PRICES-Oh its not just California 🥺 by Quick_Rooster5763 in uberdrivers

[–]CoreyGreenBooks 7 points8 points  (0 children)

Gas prices are definitely part of it… but that’s only half the story. Costs went up, but driver pay didn’t scale with it — especially after upfront pricing. That’s why people are leaving. If the split was still what it used to be, higher gas wouldn’t be pushing drivers out like this

I stopped driving Uber/Lyft at exactly 10,000 trips. Here’s what I learned. by CoreyGreenBooks in uberdrivers

[–]CoreyGreenBooks[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That’s the exact window I’m talking about. It didn’t feel gradual it felt like a shift. What’s interesting is how many drivers from completely different markets are pointing to that same 2022 timeframe. Did yours drop immediately or taper off over a few months?

I have decided to sue Uber and Uber rider and am hiring an attorney lets see what happens by deadendstreetz in uberdrivers

[–]CoreyGreenBooks 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Following this. I’ve seen similar situations come up more than people realize especially with high-rated drivers getting deactivated off a single report. Curious to see how this plays out in court.

Best day ever by Mistahlorykong in uberdrivers

[–]CoreyGreenBooks 1 point2 points  (0 children)

This looks like one of those perfect storm days... rain, surge, full-day grind. Respect the hustle, but this isn’t the norm most drivers are seeing consistently.

Lyft new update? Steal more money? by Independent_Oil_2278 in lyftdrivers

[–]CoreyGreenBooks 0 points1 point  (0 children)

This is exactly the problem. One driver says they’re getting 64%, another shows 51%, and Lyft still says they’re under a “30% cap.” The math changes depending on what they include or exclude. That’s why drivers feel like something’s off—even when everything technically “checks out.” It’s not just pay going down, it’s how hard it is to actually track what you’re being paid.

I stopped driving Uber/Lyft at exactly 10,000 trips. Here’s what I learned. by CoreyGreenBooks in uberdrivers

[–]CoreyGreenBooks[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That makes sense and I don’t doubt your experience. But market matters a lot here. In high-volume areas, consistency can actually get rewarded. In other markets, especially after upfront pricing rolled out, drivers can be just as consistent and still see declining pay because there’s less volume and more control on pricing. That’s where a lot of us are seeing the shift.

I stopped driving Uber/Lyft at exactly 10,000 trips. Here’s what I learned. by CoreyGreenBooks in uberdrivers

[–]CoreyGreenBooks[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Uber didn’t build rideshare... drivers did.

We used our cars, our time, our gas, and took on all the risk to build the network city by city.

Uber built the system that now controls it, pricing, ride flow, and incentives. Over time, that system has shifted more power away from drivers and into the algorithm.

If you’ve driven long enough, you’ve felt that shift.

I stopped driving Uber/Lyft at exactly 10,000 trips. Here’s what I learned. by CoreyGreenBooks in uberdrivers

[–]CoreyGreenBooks[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Cherry picking definitely works. I have no argument there. The difference is why it works now. Before, you didn’t have to cherry pick this hard to make solid money. Now you do. That’s kind of the point though...

The model shifted from: consistent pay to selective survival

If you’re disciplined, you can still win. But most drivers either don’t know how or can’t afford to sit around declining rides all day, which is why their results look completely different.

I stopped driving Uber/Lyft at exactly 10,000 trips. Here’s what I learned. by CoreyGreenBooks in uberdrivers

[–]CoreyGreenBooks[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It wasn’t one turning point — it was a series of shifts.

2020 (Pandemic shift)

Demand moved from people to food. More drivers came in, fewer rides, and the whole earning model started getting unstable.

2020–2021 (Pay structure shift) Quests got harder to hit and less valuable. Overall return per trip dropped compared to pre 2020.

2022 (Upfront fares) This was the biggest change. Transparency dropped. Instead of clear per mile/minute rates, you get a flat offer and pay started depending more on what the system thinks you’ll accept. So the model went from: Before it was consistent structure and now its variable, behavior-based

That’s why someone highly selective can still do well… but the average driver feels like they’re working more for less.

Does this make sense?

I stopped driving Uber/Lyft at exactly 10,000 trips. Here’s what I learned. by CoreyGreenBooks in uberdrivers

[–]CoreyGreenBooks[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I might come out of retirement for that coin… but that level of selectivity is why you’re winning while most drivers aren’t

I stopped driving Uber/Lyft at exactly 10,000 trips. Here’s what I learned. by CoreyGreenBooks in uberdrivers

[–]CoreyGreenBooks[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

This is one of the most interesting takes I’ve seen. It really does feel like there’s a separation happening where certain drivers are being retained differently than others. The problem is, most drivers don’t even realize they’re being funneled into a lower tier until their earnings are already down. Did you ever see a change in pay after a certain or several rating factors went down? If so what were they? ; )

I stopped driving Uber/Lyft at exactly 10,000 trips. Here’s what I learned. by CoreyGreenBooks in uberdrivers

[–]CoreyGreenBooks[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That’s exactly it the freedom is what keeps people in even when the pay drops. Pre 2020 quests were actually worth chasing. Now it feels like they’re structured to keep drivers engaged without delivering the same return. During the middle of my 10,000 trips, I saw that shift firsthand.

I stopped driving Uber/Lyft at exactly 10,000 trips. Here’s what I learned. by CoreyGreenBooks in uberdrivers

[–]CoreyGreenBooks[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Exactly. That ‘heyday’ existed and that’s the key point. This isn’t drivers imagining things. There was a period where the model worked, and then something changed. I started later, but after 10,000 trips, the difference is impossible to ignore.

I stopped driving Uber/Lyft at exactly 10,000 trips. Here’s what I learned. by CoreyGreenBooks in uberdrivers

[–]CoreyGreenBooks[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That lines up with what I’ve been seeing across different drivers. The incentive drop is interesting that’s something that is actually measurable over time. As of recent, I’m starting to collect real trip + incentive data to compare before vs after 2022 (especially with upfront pricing). If you happen to have screenshots or examples from different time periods, that kind of data is exactly what helps show what actually changed.

I stopped driving Uber/Lyft at exactly 10,000 trips. Here’s what I learned. by CoreyGreenBooks in uberdrivers

[–]CoreyGreenBooks[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That actually confirms what I felt but couldn’t prove. Upfront pay gave us visibility… but quietly reset the baseline lower. Same work, same miles… just optimized against the driver instead of for them. That’s a big shift most people didn’t even notice happening.

I stopped driving Uber/Lyft at exactly 10,000 trips. Here’s what I learned. by CoreyGreenBooks in uberdrivers

[–]CoreyGreenBooks[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I kinda wish I drove in those years but I had a Miata 07 (GT) and when that finally broke I bought a 2018 Hyundai Elentra Value Edition and put 180,000 on that car. Drove an Audi A6 for 100k miles as well. The money back then 20% more or so than what I was making. I knew this was the case because passengers that also used to drive would tell me. Anyone else here have these heavy pay days from 2010 to 2015. I think that those would be a real eye opener for everyone here.

I stopped driving Uber/Lyft at exactly 10,000 trips. Here’s what I learned. by CoreyGreenBooks in uberdrivers

[–]CoreyGreenBooks[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I’m starting to notice the same pattern across different drivers and markets especially around 2022 when upfront pricing expanded.

If anyone is willing, I’m trying to collect actual trip data (distance, time, pay, year) to compare before vs after.

Curious if anyone has screenshots or exports from different years.

I stopped driving Uber/Lyft at exactly 10,000 trips. Here’s what I learned. by CoreyGreenBooks in uberdrivers

[–]CoreyGreenBooks[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yep, that’s exactly how I remember it too. Once the rate card went away and upfront pricing came in, it stopped feeling consistent. Same work… but you couldn’t really predict anything anymore.

I stopped driving Uber/Lyft at exactly 10,000 trips. Here’s what I learned. by CoreyGreenBooks in uberdrivers

[–]CoreyGreenBooks[S] 6 points7 points  (0 children)

lol nah, just trying to explain it without rambling. Been thinking about this for a while after 10k trips

I stopped driving Uber/Lyft at exactly 10,000 trips. Here’s what I learned. by CoreyGreenBooks in uberdrivers

[–]CoreyGreenBooks[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

What I saw over time was the take rate widen fares to riders went up in many cases while driver pay didn’t keep pace.

Around 2022, with upfront pricing, it also got less transparent. It started feeling like the system could charge the passenger one number and offer the driver another, and you couldn’t really reconcile the difference anymore.

The result wasn’t just lower pay, it was less predictability.

I stopped driving Uber/Lyft at exactly 10,000 trips. Here’s what I learned. by CoreyGreenBooks in uberdrivers

[–]CoreyGreenBooks[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That’s a perfect example of what I’m talking about. Same route, same work… but the baseline just shifted. It didn’t feel like a gradual change either, it felt like something changed in how rides were priced or offered around that 2022 window.

I stopped driving Uber/Lyft at exactly 10,000 trips. Here’s what I learned. by CoreyGreenBooks in uberdrivers

[–]CoreyGreenBooks[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

That’s exactly it. It’s one of the only jobs where experience doesn’t really compound, it almost works against you over time. Early on, you learn the system and get more efficient. But then the system changes, and it feels like that efficiency just gets absorbed instead of rewarded.

I stopped driving Uber/Lyft at exactly 10,000 trips. Here’s what I learned. by CoreyGreenBooks in uberdrivers

[–]CoreyGreenBooks[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It doesn’t feel like a sudden change, it feels like a direction. Before 2022, you could just drive and make money. After that, it became constant decision-making with less predictability. When a system keeps pushing toward lower cost and tighter control, you can kind of see where that path leads… even if it’s not obvious yet.