She has been driving for Uber for already 10 years now, but she still feels dissatisfied.
The Uber driver, Anja Holthoff, who has been driving in Atlanta, left her corporate work in 2016 in the hopes that driving for the app would provide her with better wages. Did it?
First things first, the facts. According to Google’s estimation, Uber drivers usually earn between $15 and $25 hourly, but this could even increase to $30 or even $50 hourly during peak demand times and surge hours in high-demand markets, such as Atlanta.
“Ten years ago this month, I lost my corporate job. I was in customer service. At first, I sent out hundreds of résumés, but I thought I was being low-balled on pay – if I even got a response,” Holthoff told Ridesharing Forum. “So, a few months later, I started driving for Uber and, later, Lyft. I started with a Hyundai Sonata… But this year has been tough. The demand for rides has gone down in my area.”
The demand for rides going down nowadays? Really? Well, Google would agree. The search engine added that those figures above are gross earnings before expenses like gas, maintenance, and insurance. So, there are high chances that the take-home pay would be lower.
Factors influencing earnings include location, driving strategy, time of day, and the driver’s efficiency, it added.
At first, things went well for Holthoff when she changed jobs. From her Hyundai Sonata, she started driving black car rides where she found more money.
“At one point, I had a fleet of three cars. I’m very familiar with the business and know that I can be a hustler. My first black car ride was on Lyft. It was a little over a mile long, and I made $21. I was like, ‘I can do this,’” she continued.
She even noted how her lifestyle changed the moment she changed jobs. It wasn’t like she became suddenly rich driving for Uber, for who would? But, she was saying she was able to feed her kids well, like usual, while also being able to go on vacation, save money, and have that work-life balance.
But, recently, at a particular point, her earnings from Uber dwindled down.
“I used to be able to make a minimum of $300 a day, and I could pay my bills with that. Now, sometimes, it takes me two days to make that amount. I’m driving way more miles, too, so my expenses are higher. I’m literally now driving to pay my next bill,” she sobbed.
So, she started to speculate, looking deeper into the matter. She noticed how leisurely and business travel in her city had declined, simply because it had become even more expensive for people to afford traveling.
Then, there’s the threat from self-driving cars like Waymo, or vehicles with no driver, but could take you to your destination.
“Honestly, I don’t know what to do anymore. I sit in my car crying a lot,” Holthoff further noted.
Is it a good idea for her to return to the corporate world? People there would tell her not to come back, since the situation is just as bad as when she left. So, she’s at the crossroads for now.
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