Does anyone here drive for Lyft or Uber?

[phorsenuf]

My son recently moved down with us and was considering working for them so he could also work on designing clothes. He thought it may be a good way to make money, yet have a flexible schedule.

Does anyone drive for them, or may have done so in the past? Would love to hear your experiences. Thanks!

 

[Kaytie]

Search this forum for posts by JimMIA and Joelkfla. The former, especially, has posted several times about both companies.

I'm not in Florida and don't drive, but even though many drivers work for both (and other) companies, I always use only Lyft. I get the impression they treat the drivers better.

One problem JimMIA has pointed out is, Lyft has fewer drivers so there can be a longer wait. I don't consider it long, but I've only used Über once, so don't know how much shorter my wait would be.

So Lyft needs more drivers!

 

[Rich M]

I am a Lyft Driver in the SF Bay Area but only do it when I feel like making some extra money. You can make as much as your willing to drive for. You set your own schedule and the more you drive during peak times the better money you will make. If you find big events you can make a lot. I know some drivers can make $1000 a weekend during big time events like gay pride and bay to breakers here in SF. If your looking for making your own hours and flexibility then I would say go for it.

 

[JimMIA]

Feel free to PM me with any questions he may have. I'm sure Joel would be glad to help as well.

 

[joelkfla]

I am a retired Disney bus driver, and I drive for Uber/Lyft just for fun more than to make money. Sometimes I'll drive 3 days a week, and sometimes I won't drive at all for a few weeks. But I enjoy driving (usually) and talking to all the tourists and cast members around WDW and the rest of the Orlando tourist corridor.

It's really hard to make any meaningful money in the Orlando area, because we have the lowest rates in the country, and the area is saturated with drivers. If you don't mind driving drunks around, you can make more by driving nights in nightlife hot spots, and as someone else said, looking for big events in your area.

I suggest you direct your son to this blog website: http://therideshareguy.com/. Sign up for the mailing list, and you'll get a link to a list of past blogs arranged to be useful for new drivers.

 

[JimMIA]

I second The Rideshare Guy suggestion. Harry Campbell is a straight-up guy who's not trying to sell you anything (OK, he'll give you a referral code -- big deal!), and his information is usually pretty accurate.

One thing to watch with anything like this however is the DATE of the broadcast. A lot of stuff changes rapidly, there are vast differences between markets, and driver pay rates have been dramatically reduced in recent years. Old stories based on pay several years ago are fairy tales today.

There are also vast differences between urban legends...claims...assumptions -- and actual facts from people in the same market who are actually driving, and really know what they are talking about. Like Joel or Rideshare Rob in the Orlando market.

OP -- if your son is coming to live with you in Davenport, FL, then he's most likely going to be driving in the Orlando market.

The basic X rate in the Orlando market is 53 cents per mile -- less than half the SFO/LA rates, and more than 20% below our Miami rates. 53 cents per mile is about the same as the IRS figures it costs to use your personal car for business purposes (53.5 cents). So he's not going to get rich driving Uber/Lyft in that market.

Joel and I both are retired and doing this as a "side hustle." If your son wants to do this part-time to make a little additional money, has a car that qualifies, and passes the background checks, it might be a decent thing for him to do. The only way he'll know is to actually sign up and try it. DO NOT let him buy or lease a car for rideshare driving.

 

[phorsenuf]

I am a retired Disney bus driver, and I drive for Uber/Lyft just for fun more than to make money. Sometimes I'll drive 3 days a week, and sometimes I won't drive at all for a few weeks. But I enjoy driving (usually) and talking to all the tourists and cast members around WDW and the rest of the Orlando tourist corridor.

It's really hard to make any meaningful money in the Orlando area, because we have the lowest rates in the country, and the area is saturated with drivers. If you don't mind driving drunks around, you can make more by driving nights in nightlife hot spots, and as someone else said, looking for big events in your area.

I suggest you direct your son to this blog website: http://therideshareguy.com/. Sign up for the mailing list, and you'll get a link to a list of past blogs arranged to be useful for new drivers.

I second The Rideshare Guy suggestion. Harry Campbell is a straight-up guy who's not trying to sell you anything (OK, he'll give you a referral code -- big deal!), and his information is usually pretty accurate.

One thing to watch with anything like this however is the DATE of the broadcast. A lot of stuff changes rapidly, there are vast differences between markets, and driver pay rates have been dramatically reduced in recent years. Old stories based on pay several years ago are fairy tales today.

There are also vast differences between urban legends...claims...assumptions -- and actual facts from people in the same market who are actually driving, and really know what they are talking about. Like Joel or Rideshare Rob in the Orlando market.

OP -- if your son is coming to live with you in Davenport, FL, then he's most likely going to be driving in the Orlando market.

The basic X rate in the Orlando market is 53 cents per mile -- less than half the SFO/LA rates, and more than 20% below our Miami rates. 53 cents per mile is about the same as the IRS figures it costs to use your personal car for business purposes (53.5 cents). So he's not going to get rich driving Uber/Lyft in that market.

Joel and I both are retired and doing this as a "side hustle." If your son wants to do this part-time to make a little additional money, has a car that qualifies, and passes the background checks, it might be a decent thing for him to do. The only way he'll know is to actually sign up and try it. DO NOT let him buy or lease a car for rideshare driving.

Thank you so much for all the info! He's going to apply and give it a whirl. What do you know about the program that Lyft offers abut getting a car through them in exchange for X amount of rides per week? Familiar with that at all?

 

[joelkfla]

Thank you so much for all the info! He's going to apply and give it a whirl. What do you know about the program that Lyft offers abut getting a car through them in exchange for X amount of rides per week? Familiar with that at all?

I am not familiar with Lyft's program, but I've heard of a lot of people being burned by Uber's lease program. Tell him to be sure he completely understands all the conditions and carefully reads all the documents. What happens if he gets sick and can't drive for weeks? What if he wants to cut down on his drive time while pursuing other opportunities? What if he puts the time in but just can't get enough rides? What if he wrecks the car, and it's in the shop for a week or 2? What if he finds out he doesn't like driving for Lyft? What if Lyft deactivates him for any reason? What if he decides to leave the area?

 

[JimMIA]

I am not familiar with Lyft's program, but I've heard of a lot of people being burned by Uber's lease program. Tell him to be sure he completely understands all the conditions and carefully reads all the documents. What happens if he gets sick and can't drive for weeks? What if he wants to cut down on his drive time while pursuing other opportunities? What if he puts the time in but just can't get enough rides? What if he wrecks the car, and it's in the shop for a week or 2? What if he finds out he doesn't like driving for Lyft? What if Lyft deactivates him for any reason? What if he decides to leave the area?

I agree with Joel. I don't know what the rates are in the Orlando area, but here in Miami they are like $180 per week and up for a Toyota Camry. That kind of weekly expense really can change the financial equation in a fundamental way. Most of the guys that lease from Uber/Lyft are full-time drivers and many of them are driving 60-80 hours a week.

Also, if you rent/lease from one company, you can't drive that car for the other company -- so you're limited.

My suggestion is to check the rent/lease rates from both companies -- and don't believe ONE WORD they tell you about the income you can expect. Those lease salesmen are in the same mode as timeshare salesmen -- they'll tell him anything to get him signed up.

I would look at buying a good used car that can be used for 2-3 more years for a few thousand dollars. If he can get an SUV or minivan that will seat six passengers, that will give him the XL/Plus option as well. A good used car will probably be a much more viable option if he doesn't have a a car.