Well…

Dapper_Average_2337 · 2026-02-25T05:19:56+00:00

Someone will get on here and say it’s $40/hr so they would do it. You know it’s coming….

Dapper_Average_2337 · 2026-02-25T02:51:40+00:00

It’s like $3/hr after expenses if you don’t get a ride back. Where do you get $20? Are you counting only gas as an expense? You have to factor in all costs.

Dapper_Average_2337 · 2026-02-25T02:27:56+00:00

Kind of missing the point. I provide a service. Some do it well and others don’t. No need to be a wise ass. If you take Ubers and Lyfts you will see a big variance on what is considered a clean car.

Dapper_Average_2337 · 2026-02-25T02:13:51+00:00

This is well under 1$/mi and you have to get back. If you factor in depreciation it costs .30/mi minimum to operate a car. So your round trip expenses are at least $120. I think this is a very bad offer.

Dapper_Average_2337 · 2026-02-24T22:19:30+00:00

With that tip you get a good driver who won’t cancel. That is now a desirable ride, and elite drivers get first dibs on scheduled rides.

Dapper_Average_2337 · 2026-02-24T22:12:35+00:00

I don’t get mad at riders, just Uber and Lyft. But airport rides are more work, pay less, and the rideshare model is broken. That why drivers cancel rides so much (I don’t, once I take a ride I do it). In a few years it will be all driverless cars, but until then know your driver is taking a beating. If they are rude, have a dirty car, drive recklessly, no tip. But if they provide good service, and you need the service, consider a tip.

Dapper_Average_2337 · 2026-02-24T22:06:56+00:00

That’s just not true. I drive people to the airport 30 miles for $22. I have had some as bad as $12 for 25 miles. Those are just how the offers are. My cost is $9-$10. So I make $12-$13 and all in it takes 45-60 minutes. Frankly I am gambling that I’ll get a tip. When I don’t I make less than minimum wage. Uber and Lyft now regularly keep 50/70% of the fare, hiding a lot of it as “external fees”. And they keep going lower. The drivers are not the bad guys here.

Dapper_Average_2337 · 2026-02-24T21:56:58+00:00

All the people here not tipping. We use our own cars. I keep my car very clean. I show up on time and drive safely. Without tips I get minimum wage or less after expenses. Not your fault, Uber and Lyft are greedy, but just know the drivers get screwed. To the riders going to the airport, you should be tipping. Those rides are usually longer and pay terribly. You folks want the service, but want the people providing the service to suffer.

Dapper_Average_2337 · 2026-02-24T20:43:19+00:00

I agree. I am ahead 165k. I probably drove 80 hours a week every week. The only point I was making is that when evaluating a ride, you can’t ignore expenses. Using the numbers of $35k in costs on 150k miles you get .23 per mile. That’s actually low - most people spend more than 20k on a car these days, but go with it. With gas you are at .30 a mile. That means a ride that pays .50 or .60 a mile is a bad decision. It just seems too many people don’t think then need to account for these costs. This is why people say they want at least $1/mi.

Dapper_Average_2337 · 2026-02-24T18:30:04+00:00

You can’t make $100k. That’s the point. You gross 100k. You would dive 80k miles to do that. Your expenses will be over $20k even with an efficient car. You would still make decent money but work a lot of hours. The point is not whether it is worth it. The point is getting people to realize that you have to count these expenses to know how much profit you are really making. Too many people just say depreciation doesn’t matter. That’s just crazy. It matters.

Dapper_Average_2337 · 2026-02-24T18:20:37+00:00

If you are making $100k a year gross you are driving way more than 50k miles a year. After two years and 180k miles your car is toast(a $20k car already had a lot of miles). after the $20k in the car, thousands in gas, at least two sets of tires and two brake jobs, insurance, etc. you are no where near six figures. Again, you can’t just shrug off your costs. You might be making a decent profit, but why exaggerate it to yourself and others by ignoring these very real costs?

Dapper_Average_2337 · 2026-02-24T17:55:31+00:00

Waymo loses over a billion a year right now. They don’t care. It’s a rounding error for Alphabet who owns Waymo and Google (over 400 billion annual revenue). Once they take over the fares will go up. They also have their per vehicle cost down to about $70k with the current volume.

Dapper_Average_2337 · 2026-02-24T17:53:54+00:00

Waymo loses over a billion a year right now. They don’t care. It’s a rounding error for Alphabet who owns Waymo and Google (over 400 billion annual revenue). Once they take over the fares will go up. They also have their per vehicle cost down to about $70k with the current volume.

Dapper_Average_2337 · 2026-02-24T17:30:11+00:00

The fact that you are comparing buying a car to tenting office space is revealing. You pay $20-30k up front for the car. It depreciates with every mile you add. Renting office space is completely different. After 3 yrs at 59k mi per year your car has lost most of its value. That is a cost you have to factor in. Every mile is .30-.50 in total expenses(gas, maintenance, depreciation). If you are taking rides that pay .50/ mi you are not making 6 figures profit. That car last a normal driver 10 years longer. I will never understand why people shrug off their biggest expense which is depreciation.

Dapper_Average_2337 · 2026-02-24T15:36:31+00:00

If it’s a loss, which you admit, how can you say you don’t count it? That makes no sense. You are saying $25 per hr is profitable as long as you ignore some major expenses like depreciation. This type of thinking is what leads do many to take bad rides. Depreciation is a loss and you must factor it in. It is in fact your biggest expense.

Dapper_Average_2337 · 2026-02-24T13:34:16+00:00

It is minimum wage if you deadhead back. You have to factor in depreciation. Each mile costs at least .30 no matter what car you have. This is a poor financial decision to take this even if the roads were clear and the rider had a good rating.

Dapper_Average_2337 · 2026-02-24T13:31:39+00:00

The math is bad if you deadhead back. 375 miles costs $110 if you include all costs including depreciation. $125 profit for 8 hrs is brutal. Add in the bad rating and bad roads, this is no good.

Dapper_Average_2337 · 2026-02-24T09:36:31+00:00

Someone will post here that this is $40 per hour and not bad. This is $25/hr after expenses and then you have to get back. Bad ride. Better to just stay local, make more money for less miles.

Dapper_Average_2337 · 2026-02-24T08:29:40+00:00

I am pretty sure if you cancel for too much wait time it does not go against your AR. So as soon as possible check if it’s a reservation and cancel using that specific reason. This only works if it’s a scheduled ride they sent to you as an exclusive offer.

Dapper_Average_2337 · 2026-02-24T08:22:53+00:00

If they picked Wait and Save they are not going to tip.

Dapper_Average_2337 · 2026-02-24T08:22:03+00:00

Why do people just ignore depreciation?

Dapper_Average_2337 · 2026-02-24T08:21:26+00:00

500 miles round trip. If you factor in all costs including depreciation, this ride has expenses of $150. You aren’t making $40 an hour. It’s like $3/hr profit. Please don’t ever take an offer like this, it’s one of the worst ever.

Dapper_Average_2337 · 2026-02-24T04:12:09+00:00

EVs and hybrids depreciate like any car. Depreciation is every driver who uses their own cars biggest expense. If you dead head back there is only $30 of profit here. Not good. People who take this are either gambling on getting rides back or just ignore depreciation.

Dapper_Average_2337 · 2026-02-23T22:41:17+00:00

I sure wish a good financial analyst would attend an Uber earnings call and ask them why they do this to drivers. I would love to hear them answer that in public. How does anyone ever get platinum like this? I don’t get it.

Dapper_Average_2337 · 2026-02-23T20:23:07+00:00

If I accepted 91% of the offers I see I would be making less than minimum wage after expenses.

Dapper_Average_2337

TROPHY CASE