Who agrees? Disagrees? Ideas for source solutions?

Drivers Advice, Experiences
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#1

Since I seem to have the energy to fight the rideshare battles today - here is one I never see addressed, and I feel fixing it would compensate for a ton of other deficiencies.

The reason we feel we are underpaid is largely because of the UNPAID MILES we suffer through, between calls and returning home. I am sure the level of problem is market-specific, and no idea if mine (Baltimore/DC) is worse or better than average. This is the most pressing item that is tempting me to walk away from driving, in spite of the other upsides it currently has. Of the 10,000 miles I added to my vehicle, in 4 months, only 1,500 were personal and I suspect 2K-3K were empty platform miles.

If we filled these miles better, we would not feel the pressure to raise rates, etc.

DESTINATION MODE: I drive for both - I will say this - neither does a terrific job here, but at least Uber doesn’t sign you out repeatedly. I can put in a destination request from my home, to a location 20-50 miles away and Lyft will sign me out before I even leave the house. Uber seems to “drop me offline” while I am en route sometimes but Lyft is awful at it. I have to go back in and reactivate it while on the highway multiple times (and Uber needs more locations saved, like Lyft). Additionally, Lyft displays one specific route - they choose, you cannot edit - and that DEFINITELY is never the route I plan to take. BUT, many times, particularly on the way back to Baltimore (from DC - happens all the time) I don’t care what route I take, as long as it takes me North.

I think we need “Regions” or" Zones" we can choose to head toward, or stay within. I also think these should be used to keep us from getting “too far from home” when we are close to stopping a shift. Also helps drivers become more familiar with routes, over time.

If I could fill empty miles and keep calls limited to my availability, I would drive so much more. If I suspect a call location is going to lead me to an area where I have 20+ dead miles coming back to my zone, I will not accept it. If they want higher acceptance rates, they need to do a better job of matching the rides to where the drivers want to go.

*Deductibility (of these empty miles) is not a strong argument here - the standard mileage rate is never a true gauge for true expense, and deductions do not always equate to tax savings for everyone, and when they do, it is a huge percentage range these savings fall into. So, for this exercise, let’s bench that argument, please.

**Please, although I know it is not the norm for this group, please only comment if adding information or trying to provide solutions. This group could and should be so much more effective - if we worked to fix things, rather than make fun of people and constantly claim we are doomed because the system wants us to be.

We don’t have to agree to still be nice.

#2

You’re the one complaining about all the dead mileage YES there is a lot of off trip milage as you mentioned it as a tax deduction from start to finish of the evening at $0.53 1/2 cents per mile that is if you keep good track of what you do nightly.
The destination filter with left actually find stuff around that area going to that direction you do not have to follow their path and it doesn’t mean they’re giving you people right down that road either. The person could be five minutes of that path or more but they’re heading the direction you want to go. Yes if lyft doesn’t find you a customer within 10 minutes it does log you off. One way to always get trips is to leave your app on and not use the destination filter because there’s definitely dead miles heading home for the day if you don’t except other trips.
Literally there are no zones yes you could get 20+ miles from where you want to be but there are some positives about that you meet new people you pick up other customers and you drive them back to where they want to be. That’s why some people go to shore areas concert areas because they don’t mind driving and going to a distance maybe coming back from it there’s a lot of stuff specially if you don’t my dear acceptance rate get so far behind because you’re not excepting trips.

Yes they may be a reason to at least increase the mileage rate and the minute rate that would be at least a little nice because there are a bunch of dead miles but we can’t change that to either of the local taxi company raise the rates the gas price goes up or people just all of a sudden stop driving which is impossible because there always looking for more drivers that are starting each and every day. We are all replaceable so the more you complain the more likely they are to replace you at least that’s what rideshare guy says.

Always be positive think about it what else could you be doing sitting on your butt driving around making money doing they’re giving you a simple solution turn money on your own with their help you just got to be ready and willing to drive and get paid for helping others get back-and-forth to work grocery shopping and preventing DUI’s.

so who agrees? who disagrees? or has ideas?
It means just get off your butt and continue to drive and make money and be happy get people home safely when you realize that’s what you’re doing you’ll be a lot happier with what you’re doing.

#3

I complain about the empty miles. I also complain about taking one of those empty rides 20 miles out to pick someone up hoping the ride will in turn be profitable and 9 out of 10 times have led to shorter rides than it took for me to get there. This is why I quit taking those absurd calls at the expense of my acceptance ratings and emails from Uber shaming me for those low acceptance rates.

#4

do you actually set your DF to DC (DCA?) from Baltimore? Or do just happen to end up in DC and want to catch a ride back? I hear ya about the miles. The same issue may end this gig for me, or at least result in a major reduction in rides/miles. No impact to Uber, as it seems, for each driver that drops out, two new ones sign up.

#5

Hmmm, yeah, it’s like a wasteland between Baltimore, DC and Annapolis, in terms of getting a ride home. I deadheaded back from Baltimore Sat night – no DF pings, even all along the Ritchie Hwy corridor. The Bowie/Crofton area is a serious Lyft hotspot, but still long dead miles for you…

#6

I think you need to remember that the government is giving you $0.54 in tax relief for every mile, especially those dead miles. That should make you feel a bit better.

#7

If you guys don’t like it, quit. And no, you’re not the first one to think of a boycott

#8

Extensive. However it’s a stepping stone. Now I see. People are fun until they puke or worse in your car. Then you lose the happy lol

#9

I think it would be a good idea if we got paid at least $.50/mile for everything over 2 miles to pick up a rider. This would also improve acceptance rates. I’m tired of getting requests 5-7 or more miles away. I simply won’t drive more than 15 minutes to pick up a rider.

#10

The Uber system knows in advance what the distance /time estimate is going to be and the distance a driver is going to have to take to arrive. The system should factor a surcharge into their upfront pricing to cover those types of absurd situations where the time distance to get to rider is longer than the actual ride the rider will take. Ensuring the drivers are equally compensated.

#11

don’t expect much with destination filter between dc and baltimore. there’s rarely any one travel between these cities. stay in DC, or Baltimore, use Uber and Lyft both at the same time. With Uber in DC, it keeps you company.

Uber does a pretty good job (on weekends) to match your next ride pretty close to your current ride to eliminate dead miles

although lyft “display” a route, it does not match you to that route specifically. IT DOES match you towards the same direction.

Although in DC, there’s only 1 lyft ride per 5 Uber rides, but if your’e in DC before 9pm, uber destination filter does a pretty good job finding rides towards your actual destination.

#12

I’m with you on the the need to better compensate us for our $$ investment, esp vehicle costs. All I’m saying is, in the larger scheme of things, our “net” income is right on par with other service industry occupations. I don’t like it, it’s unfair, etc. If, for example, I make $40k/ year driving and my vehicle expenses’ depreciation, etc = $15k, I’m making about the same (maybe more) as that Target employee.

#13

Ppl make a choice to drive for Uber…if its sooooo horrible WHY still drive…PERIOD :roll_eyes: …if you have been fired laid off or can not get a job because of criminal past, or WHATEVER…thank your lucky stars theres ANY opportunity to make money to live on…if its extra incone…there are plenty other PT options out there…no one is forcing anyone

#14

As long as uber and lyft can keep getting people willing to drive anywhere for a buck, this is a pointless argument. If you don’t want to drive a long ass way to get a pax, cancel it. Simple.

#15

Rich people in my experience are the least likely to tip. I see the same thing Steve.

#16

Yeah, Lyft says “Sorry, we couldn’t find a rider going in your direction”, and logs you out. Uh, what about somebody that makes a request in two more minutes? I’m still going!

#17

On some Thurs and Friday mornings, I’ll park w/iPad & Coffee at the hotel/conference center cluster and both DFs to the airport. Batting 1000 with Uber. Lyft just keeps timing me out. One Friday, I kept only Lyft online with the DF during peak checkout times - was one of only two Lyft drivers there; neither of us received pings. Turned on Uber @ 11:00am was was rolling within 10 minutes.