The math of being a Lyft driver

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  • Опубліковано 16 гру 2014
  • Lyft says drivers can make $35 an hour. Our own Tim Lee put that to the test.
    For more, here's our feature story on Lyft: www.vox.com/2014/12/17/7402311...
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КОМЕНТАРІ • 674

  • @MorganPhillipsPage
    @MorganPhillipsPage 7 років тому +1654

    so basically, no maths involved in this video. just being a lyft driver

    • @GeoffreyMureithi
      @GeoffreyMureithi 7 років тому +12

      Or maybe it was an ad?

    • @MorganPhillipsPage
      @MorganPhillipsPage 7 років тому +6

      The ad finished before the video started. That's how is supposed to work on youtube

    • @GeoffreyMureithi
      @GeoffreyMureithi 7 років тому +5

      +Morgan Phillips lol... maybe this one did not..

    • @mjname
      @mjname 7 років тому +31

      Right they didn't take off the sales city sales tax that wasn't deducted, or the cost of depreciation per mile for gas, insurance, maintenance, and lost value of car for added miles. All of a sudden $600 isn't that much at all.

    • @frosecold
      @frosecold 6 років тому +9

      he did basic math

  • @UnderTheBridge96
    @UnderTheBridge96 7 років тому +896

    If you're driving around for 3 hours and don't get a single ride, you are an idiot
    - Full time Lyft driver

    • @sebastiankegels
      @sebastiankegels 7 років тому +57

      look at when the video was made things have changed by now

    • @Str8Raiser
      @Str8Raiser 7 років тому +18

      I agree. I've only driven Uber for one week, and it became glaringly obvious after the first two days that I needed to rethink where I was trolling for rides.

    • @alivenwell4340
      @alivenwell4340 7 років тому +21

      Marcus Acosta actually it depends where you're from. I think the math is right. There are more drivers than passengers and we're all competing against each other. I've had bad days like this. Maybe in bigger cities it's easier to get ride requests.

    • @WengStansWorld
      @WengStansWorld 7 років тому +31

      Sir, I quit LYFt because 75% of the time my request required me to drive 30 minutes to pick up the passnger and then take them just a few miles. I don't think it's anything I am doing wrong. I do not live in the country that would require me to drive 30 mintues to pick up. I live in a fairly large city area called Hampton Roads, Virginia. We have Newport News, Hampton, Norfolk, Virginia Beach, Portsmouth, Chesapeake....With Uber, I average about $10.00 an hour, in lyft I averaged about $3.00 an hour. am I an idiot as well ?

    • @cvc-gamingglitchrespositor9607
      @cvc-gamingglitchrespositor9607 7 років тому +12

      Yes, because you work for these companies. Keep doing it though, I need someone to take me to the dope house.

  • @secondaryactons
    @secondaryactons 7 років тому +864

    Instead of driving around for three hours wouldn't it be smarter to be stationary in a highly populated region for until a rider requests you? You don't actually have to be in the car to run the app, just ready to pic some one up.

    • @reedcolloton4893
      @reedcolloton4893 6 років тому +104

      Plus you don’t have to pay for the gas

    • @TheMoeHawk
      @TheMoeHawk 6 років тому +19

      I was thinking the exact same thing!! These types of things you gotta be smart, those that are not are not doing it right.

    • @ravensreflections1660
      @ravensreflections1660 6 років тому +87

      No. The key is to do more than one app..Lyft Uber Uber eats Post Mates etc , increases your odds by 100 % of getting another ride within seconds or minutes after completing the last one and within 3 miles. See my comment above.

    • @quillmaurer6563
      @quillmaurer6563 5 років тому +13

      That was my technique after doing it for a little while. I found driving around or deadheading somewhere else didn't do all that much good. My strategy usually was just to hang out near wherever I dropped off a passenger and wait there, unless I was in the absolute middle of nowhere. If I didn't get a ride out of the airport I'd drive away from it though because I know a ton of other drivers were waiting there, but otherwise I'd just sit. Driving somewhere else didn't usually seem to help much, and cost me more in effort and fuel.

    • @TsarOfRuss
      @TsarOfRuss 5 років тому +1

      Raven's Reflections, Thats a very smart idea.. i never thought of it

  • @NanoForest
    @NanoForest 8 років тому +1056

    he has such a scratchy voice

    • @yujinj2903
      @yujinj2903 7 років тому +188

      It's called vocal fry, and I hate it too.

    • @detectivemoustache2585
      @detectivemoustache2585 7 років тому +1

      Yujin J what that

    • @Alex-fh5od
      @Alex-fh5od 6 років тому +1

      NanoForest no I thing there's something wrong with the microphone.

    • @tomritsn2571
      @tomritsn2571 6 років тому +2

      Croak

    • @jhondoux84
      @jhondoux84 6 років тому

      Alex Loo its not he is just young

  • @JohnGuzik
    @JohnGuzik 7 років тому +103

    In linguistics, creaky voice (sometimes called laryngealisation, pulse phonation, vocal fry, or glottal fry) is a special kind of phonation[1][2] in which the arytenoid cartilages in the larynx are drawn together; as a result, the vocal folds are compressed rather tightly, becoming relatively slack and compact. They normally vibrate irregularly at 20-50 pulses per second, about two octaves below the frequency of normal voicing, and the airflow through the glottis is very slow. Although creaky voice may occur with very low pitch, as at the end of a long intonation unit, it can also occur with a higher pitch.

    • @airamericavirtualreality2549
      @airamericavirtualreality2549 6 років тому

      OMG, it's "Cliff Claven" from cheers!!!! ha ha

    • @jesusrafaelpadrondleon2404
      @jesusrafaelpadrondleon2404 6 років тому +1

      You forgot to mention that it's extremely annoying and make some ppl ( like me) wanna smash the phone/computer/tablet against the floor.

  • @theBraxil
    @theBraxil 8 років тому +526

    I was expecting real math, how many drivers in what area with so many customers with likely trip distances and good / bad destination concerning the next fair.

    • @5centsmedia
      @5centsmedia 7 років тому +8

      theBraxil You are an independent contractors so you have to run it as your own business. You have to plan your week out taking into account events, concerts, weather, etc to know when you will have the biggest payout. Knowing when those surges will happen because of these things. Just plugging in and playing taxi will do you nothing but run yourself into the ground. I easily made their benchmark by not driving but also working outside the car and doing my research.

    • @jareda.1353
      @jareda.1353 6 років тому +2

      Well considering drivers aren't "workers" and these companies aren't transparent that type of data isn't cheap or easy.

    • @TheFunkoDunko
      @TheFunkoDunko 6 років тому +1

      *fare, not fair

    • @reecedrystek2992
      @reecedrystek2992 6 років тому +1

      Was thinking the same thing, how much did you spend on expenses, gas etc. It was pretty shitty reporting.

    • @computerscientist7795
      @computerscientist7795 4 роки тому

      check my math above I explained everything in great detail about how the whole thing is a sham

  • @angelopaolo
    @angelopaolo 7 років тому +224

    you don't have to drive around looking for passengers, that's a waste of gas. pull over and wait until someone requested you. look for any gas stop or 7-11 and just chill for awhile. I average driving in LA for lyft about $150-200 Saturday nights, sometimes more during promotions.

    • @CGagnon5
      @CGagnon5 7 років тому +2

      0% chance this is true

    • @abenitez213
      @abenitez213 7 років тому +3

      Angelo Lopez same here

    • @CGagnon5
      @CGagnon5 7 років тому

      X0Gamingx0 Imagine how much you can be making if you worked for a good ride sharing app, like Uber for example. Lyft is for retards tbh.

    • @anonymouschristmascrackers486
      @anonymouschristmascrackers486 7 років тому +1

      yeh, and Jesus is real too

    • @N00biePwner
      @N00biePwner 7 років тому +3

      There's a huge opportunity cost of waiting to pick up passengers. The longer you wait, the less money you earn. Taxi drivers are employees of a taxi company, and therefore earn money regardless of how many passengers they pick up.

  • @KalStorch
    @KalStorch 8 років тому +20

    When I first heard about Uber/Lyft the appeal for drivers was that it was a great way to make supplemental income. None of the drivers that I've chatted with did it full-time. I realize that things have changed since then and both companies are pushing as many people as possible to drive as much as possible to grow their market share... But damn, I miss when it was so much simpler.

  • @Adrian-iv9ux
    @Adrian-iv9ux 7 років тому +284

    4/10 needs more math

    • @pwoodson21
      @pwoodson21 7 років тому +13

      who reduces fractions these days lol

    • @christophercrawford2736
      @christophercrawford2736 7 років тому +2

      pwoodson21 people who don't want their rating to be on a scale of 1 to 10.

  • @justinharber
    @justinharber 7 років тому +560

    he has soooooo much vocal fry.

    • @leafyon
      @leafyon 6 років тому +7

      i literally had to watch a dnews video to understand what vocal fry was

    • @EliasFabricius
      @EliasFabricius 6 років тому +5

      Sooo irritating...

    • @obrkenobi1170
      @obrkenobi1170 6 років тому +4

      Who cares, it's fine.

    • @xDqvidGamingMinecraft
      @xDqvidGamingMinecraft 6 років тому

      Justin Harber IKR

    • @gjackson3498
      @gjackson3498 5 років тому

      Justin Harber that’s the first thing I thought. I had a hard time listening to him.

  • @pseudonym4893
    @pseudonym4893 9 років тому +47

    Pardon my naivete but why were you driving around when you didn't have a customer? Doesn't the app notify you when a customer needs a ride? So it's not like you're a regular taxi trolling for street fares, right? Seems like a waste of gas, so I assume I'm missing something.

    • @sasuke2910
      @sasuke2910 9 років тому +5

      The app tells you when there is someone new near your GPS coordinates. Moving is a tough optimization to try to figure out in a large city like that, but the odds seem much more in you favour if you're moving.

    • @xXxM4A1xXx08
      @xXxM4A1xXx08 9 років тому +4

      Just adding my two sence, as I am a Lyft/Uberx driver mostly Uber because uber offers the promise of paying me anywhere from $27 - $50 an hour , as long as I do 1 ride per hour and reach a rating of 4.75, but when I am looking for a fare like when I start for the night I stay in one place til I get that first request after which the request come fairly regularly once I get going for the night, but you also have to use common sence, where are there going to be people needing rides more than other people , near big cities or the surrounding towns and cities

    • @QASIMARA
      @QASIMARA 9 років тому

      Jeru Sanders and Cnetral Control in Beijing wants to be able to move you around like a pawn since it can follow you on GPS. They are playing you like a game. Welcome to teh People's LIberation Army. zuckerz

  • @catrose2169
    @catrose2169 6 років тому +16

    That man had the croakiest voice ever

  • @JoeJenkins
    @JoeJenkins 7 років тому +40

    this guy just tryna make some quick lyft money while being paid more money to make a video

  • @youbidoubidou
    @youbidoubidou 8 років тому +192

    A magical car with no wear & tear, depreciation, insurance, etc. Only needs fuel and will run for ever & ever! "Math" LOL.

    • @Nyxeme
      @Nyxeme 7 років тому +15

      I couldn't watch the rest of the video because it bugged me so much

    • @lukamagicc
      @lukamagicc 6 років тому +5

      I believe the term is: depreciation

    • @hmz01_
      @hmz01_ 6 років тому +1

      in a week? its not gonna wear and tear in a week

    • @imscared6
      @imscared6 6 років тому +8

      That's not how accounting works. You still depreciate the car for the amount you used it during that week. For example, if you need a $50 oil change every 5,000 miles, you expense it at $0.01 per mile. So 50 miles in a day is $0.50 cost. Do that for all of the expenses of the car though. Tires, Brakes, oil, etc.

    • @fxbrianh
      @fxbrianh 6 років тому +1

      imscared6 by depreciation he means the loss of value of the car

  • @solar_warden81
    @solar_warden81 8 років тому +30

    $163 for 10 hours? Not worth it.

    • @2012neely
      @2012neely 8 років тому +3

      +MpJ27 lol
      you forgot to minus fuel first
      They dont pay for you gas, Your paycheck does!

    • @EakenJeremy
      @EakenJeremy 8 років тому +8

      +MpJ27 That's $16 bucks an hour! That's twice what I'm making now! Shit anything over $12 an hour and you're rich!

    • @fisherphotoworks7214
      @fisherphotoworks7214 8 років тому +5

      +Jeremy Eaken independent contractors have to pay their own taxes, so set aside 20% for that, plus their own gas, so depending on where you live and what type of car you drive will determine how much goes towards that. One should set aside a healthy percentage towards future auto repairs, car washes, potential upgrades for equipment, insurance, plus save for the deductible on Lyft's insurance should one get into an accident, plus potential phone data plan increase. All this costs money and will make one's dollar per hour even less. Do some quick math and you'll see it's not amazing money, unless you can keep all overhead low and drive during those hours and in places where the rate that is charged to riders translates to more money per mile to the driver.

    • @grantcivyt
      @grantcivyt 8 років тому +1

      +fisherphotoworks That's a common criticism, but it actually isn't so simple. As an employee, you also pay for many of those costs. The only difference is you don't have to do the math yourself, but often doing the math yourself can be to your benefit.
      This is similar to the argument about self-employment taxes vs payroll taxes. People often think their employer pays part of their social security and medicare benefits, but that isn't so. The employee bears all of those costs.

    • @xedapdoi228
      @xedapdoi228 7 років тому

      Yep Yep and Yep .. you might wanna see sometimed 140$ for 11h1/2 also .. as you can drive certain speed in residential area .. it wont accumulate into a higher rate.. still 3.50 ~ 3.88 for few miles ..reagardless how much time you drive
      another word.. not worth it

  • @mybuttlookslikeurfac
    @mybuttlookslikeurfac 6 років тому +8

    Having to pay for my own gas, insurance, putting mileage on my car which subsequently devalues it, taxes, risking damage to my own car, etc. is not a risk I'm worth (nor should most people) taking. No thanks. I feel really bad for taxi drivers who are being out-competed by a scam.

  • @Timster480
    @Timster480 7 років тому +28

    WHY ARE YOU TALKING LIKE THAT?

  • @Jorge-xy8do
    @Jorge-xy8do 8 років тому +23

    That's why this is a good for side money tbh Its great if you have another job with hourly pay

    • @omairbhore
      @omairbhore 7 років тому +7

      Yup if your driving more than 16 hours a week you need to figure something else out. Uber/Lyft are bad full-time positions...

  • @JulieHerrick
    @JulieHerrick 7 років тому +50

    I drove Uber and Lyft for a short period of time in 2015. I did some math, the percentage cut taken by the company, a percentage set aside for income tax, fuel costs, and average wear and tear on my car. After all those things, I was taking home $3-5 /hour... so I quit.
    One thing that killed me was the fuel cost for all the miles with no passenger. I get a request, drive (unpaid) to the location of the customer, drive (paid) to their destination, and then drive (unpaid) from their destination to a populated area where I'm likely to get another passenger. I think this dynamic is worse in the suburbs where everything is spread out and each of those unpaid drives could be long.

    • @flacsmada
      @flacsmada 6 років тому +4

      I have driven for lyft for a week and just did all of the math and found the same thing

    • @NoDisturbia
      @NoDisturbia 5 років тому

      I have tried Lyft in two different cities as well as Postmates and Uber Eats, I earn around the same amount. Most people actually earn around this amount per hour in these types of ridesharing and food delivery services.

    • @wellsilver3972
      @wellsilver3972 2 роки тому

      Wouldn't people in the suburbs have their own car? I mean would you wait 10 minutes for a car to get from there to here if you even get one in the suburbs. Im pretty sure the main appeal for uber and lyft is people coming from the airport or doing business in a location they cant bring their car.

  • @austingulotta9817
    @austingulotta9817 7 років тому +13

    The $35/hr is a bit of a trick. EARN (meaning how much you bring in, before any deductions) UP TO (meaning in a great hour with solid tips). so take off 25%, then another 35% for taxes (with a 1099 you should expect this, but know that many only pay 5-15%), then about $0.65 per mile for all car expenses. then you get reimbursed $0.54 per mile for taxes. bear in mind this is only while you have passengers. If you drive smart, you should get reimbursed around $0.40 per mile while driver mode is on. Tips are not reduced, so it's hard to count for that in all of this, but if you're great and drive a few groups to a club on a Saturday night and get tipped $5 each group, you can expect to profit $6/hr before tips. I assumed that you drive at about 15mph with waiting (how it is where I am). Giving you around $21 profit per hour at best. That's a Lyft estimate though. sometimes you'll make much more and sometimes much less. Also, I didn't account for prime time.
    That's how you use math to analyse Lyft profit.

    • @pizzadispenser1389
      @pizzadispenser1389 6 років тому

      Factor in depreciation of driving the car, and the fact that you will need to buy a car faster.

  • @ConradW
    @ConradW 6 років тому +3

    Can this guy talk without croaking?

  • @MiguelMiguelRamos
    @MiguelMiguelRamos 8 років тому +11

    if you didn't get any passenger on sunday is because you didn't know where to go, there are some areas where you should go and depends on the time too,

  • @Ratiosaurus
    @Ratiosaurus 7 років тому +277

    This "vocal fry" is driving me crazy (no pun intended). I'm really grateful it isn't a thing in my country. It's really a chore, listening to someone talking like that.

    • @Ratiosaurus
      @Ratiosaurus 7 років тому +16

      It's not a meme - it's just a thing people do with their voices that only recently got a name. Now instead of saying "I hate the way he/she talks" we can be more specific and point to this terrible thing called "vocal fry".

    • @beef_haus
      @beef_haus 7 років тому +5

      What country? People are built pretty much the same all over the world, so I presumed there would be examples of vocal fry in every culture.
      (No worries on the pun intention. No pun detected.)

    • @Ratiosaurus
      @Ratiosaurus 7 років тому +24

      Poland. I can't recall meeting anyone talking like that - I've only heard it from americans on TV or Internet. Because this is NOT a "biological" thing, but a cultural mannerism. I don't know about other countries but it's definitely not present where I live at all.

    • @brennyluv
      @brennyluv 7 років тому +1

      its definitely annoying but i guess you get used to it after a while. I hate it when I catch myself doing it.

    • @danidejaneiro8378
      @danidejaneiro8378 7 років тому +10

      +Nicholas Lorenson - If people are all built the same, why does everybody have a unique voice? Why can't Chinese people say _R,_ why do French people struggle _TH,_ why cant English speakers do a Xhosa click? Because our vocal tracts might be built the same, but we still have control over _how_ we use them. Just because all humans are _capable_ of doing vocal fry, doesn't mean they actually _will_ do it.

  • @5centsmedia
    @5centsmedia 7 років тому +3

    Working with lyft you have to not just drive but also plan your day. People that just drive with lyft don't make any money and actually lose money.

  • @omairbhore
    @omairbhore 7 років тому +26

    I drove Uber for over a year. You make no more than 15 dollars an hour after taxes and gas... Car depreciation is a major factor as well. Uber and Lyft draws in drivers by providing a quick money way out. You need a job and some money, your in between jobs, you need extra cash on the side... They target that audience by providing quick cash... In the long run it is not worth while for drivers... Try to get out of this industry as soon as you can... Don't stick around.. It will burn you.

    • @moef.5326
      @moef.5326 7 років тому +3

      I used to ride Uber a lot. They need to offer a tipping option. I generally don't believe in tipping, however it is an individual-based job. Some drivers are WAY better than others, but they all make the same. A simple $1 tip button at the end of a ride would drastically improve the riding experience. When a driver does 20 or 30 rides in a day, he could make $10+ more daily without costing Uber apart from, perhaps, a very slight drop in use, but unlikely.

    • @omairbhore
      @omairbhore 7 років тому +1

      I agree, but Uber has a strong opinion on making a seamless experience... and even tho most people don't care about tipping... Just psychologically the fact that a person has to deal with one extra transaction (which is the tipping screen) makes an impact... The whole point of Uber is Get in... Get out... Its seamless... This part of the reason why Uber works better than Lyft. It's just that one little extra thing you have to do can add up... As a driver .. of course I would love frequent tips.... But from a business stand point I get their decision... In today's world, tech and business... people wanna do the most amount of things in the fewest amount of clicks... its just how everything runs... Just look at Rocket Mortgage... Its a quick mortgage tool... .It's mortgage.. its not supposed to be quick... but ppl want quick.. quick sells.

    • @BurningtunaDC
      @BurningtunaDC 7 років тому

      With the Lyft app it is super simple for a rider to leave a tip but based on my experience driving for two weeks just about no one will do so.

    • @5centsmedia
      @5centsmedia 7 років тому

      You are an independent contractors so you have to run it as your own business. You have to plan your week out taking into account events, concerts, weather, etc to know when you will have the biggest payout. Knowing when those surges will happen because of these things. Just plugging in and playing taxi will do you nothing but run yourself into the ground. I easily made their benchmark by not driving but also working outside the car and doing my research.

    • @omairbhore
      @omairbhore 7 років тому +1

      5Cents Media Please there's more than one asterisk on their 19 dollar an hour claim. I know what an independent contractor is. Your an independent contractor so Uber doesn't have to provide you with certain benefits and pay part of your taxes while completely avoiding any sort of vicarious liability. Uber can be great for a specific demographic. But beware and do your research. That's it.

  • @BetaBoyz3D
    @BetaBoyz3D 7 років тому +4

    The voice of this dude...

  • @AlexMercersRevenge
    @AlexMercersRevenge 7 років тому +381

    wait a minute you "drove around" and didn't get any trips? Your waisting gas stupid your doing it all wrong. no wonder your not making that much.

    • @lostinYourReality
      @lostinYourReality 7 років тому +66

      Ironic calling someone stupid who can't spell the right waste and you're

    • @williwonti
      @williwonti 7 років тому +148

      Education and intelligence are separate things.

    • @henryhavard5012
      @henryhavard5012 7 років тому +21

      lostinYourReality you just got roasted

    • @MyMjtaylor
      @MyMjtaylor 7 років тому

      That what i was saying

    • @dianaholomari9644
      @dianaholomari9644 6 років тому

      Explain

  • @uncoverbrother
    @uncoverbrother 8 років тому +2

    rideshare profits are like real estate: it depends on the market you're in.

    • @villaropublishing5090
      @villaropublishing5090 8 років тому

      +uncoverbrother So true, Honolulu is HOT.

    • @circusboy90210
      @circusboy90210 6 років тому

      uncoverbrother Ride sharing is not a for profit activity. What you're doing is actually a taxi not ride sharing

  • @peterwonaprize
    @peterwonaprize 7 років тому +3

    Full time Lyft driver here, and I have to say a lot of variables come into play. Demand greatly depends on the neighborhood you're in..it just takes a little trial and error to find the sweet spot. I used to spend about 40 hours/week to make around $600 (before gas expenses). I've since shaved it down to ~25 hours to make the same amount. Drivers can also double or triple their income by marketing the Lyft app to new drivers ($150 to $750 each) and passengers ($10 each).

  • @jacksonearles9006
    @jacksonearles9006 4 роки тому +1

    This mans a genius, he just got paid by lift and Vox for driving 50 hours

  • @Keegs101x
    @Keegs101x 9 років тому +60

    why do almost all of the journalists on vox have horrible croaking voices?

  • @notapplicable6652
    @notapplicable6652 6 років тому +2

    why does it seem like every vox employee has vocal fry. my ears are in legitimate pain

  • @shaququ
    @shaququ 9 років тому +50

    there are many other costs associated with a car that you didnt take into account.
    fuel is not the only thing you have to pay for, you have to service your car and fix it when it breaks or when you have a car accident, clean it, antifreeze, oil, deprecation of the value of the car because of adding mileage, pay tickets and fines, have a bigger data plan on your phone, insurance, and other variable and fixed expenses as well as the time spent doing all these things and wasted time to wait for customers ( while you could be doing something else, opportunity cost)
    Take all of those into account over a longer period, and you would probably make MUCH LESS.

    • @pizzainc95
      @pizzainc95 6 років тому +4

      Don't forget the blinker fluid

    • @myriamburgos7990
      @myriamburgos7990 6 років тому +1

      Those jobs are goods for part-time and it is better if you have an older car. I like to drive for uber and lyft because I'm a part-time student in college and I have a flexible schedule for studying and working. Now I am renting a small apartment and thanks to my jobs uber and lyft I can do that.

    • @jasonggabbott
      @jasonggabbott 5 років тому +1

      You forget about the tax deduction

  • @furaosentu
    @furaosentu 6 років тому +2

    so much croaking

  • @420hotbox36
    @420hotbox36 7 років тому +15

    He is book smart, but Lyft is about being street smart pun intended

  • @bossjaycross
    @bossjaycross 8 років тому +38

    I can verify these figures. As a 4.9 driver with years of driving experience I thought I was in a good position to make extra $ driving both Uber and Lyft. Uber has twice the ride demand that Lyft does in my town, which is a very busy tourist destination. Factoring in tips I can confidently tell you my average pre tax and pre expense net is $13 per hour. I average 1.6 rides per hour. Do NOT buy a new car to drive Uber/Lyft!! If you are looking for part time income and own a nice used car you don't mind racking miles on this is a good opportunity for part time money.

    • @ravensreflections1660
      @ravensreflections1660 6 років тому +1

      I am a 4.7 with Lyft and 4.8 with Uber. I have 23 years experience I drove metered cabs and town cars. I average about $20 an hour gross. Then I average another $30 a day in cash tips mostly from Uber customers.Increased my salary by $75 a shift when I started working Lyft and Uber after working only Lyft for 2 months. You are right about not buying a car. I lease a Prius that has 459,000 miles on it and used to be a cab on the biggest metered cab fleet in town with over 600 cars that Uber crushed. It is going on its 3rd engine this week. My personal car is a Black Lincoln Town Car that is retired from a town car service that also took a pretty good hit . it has 393,000 miles, with about 220 on its 2nd engine. I can take Lyft Premier and Uber Select rides with this car .We buy cars specifically to use as work cars. They may double as personal cars and our personal cars do get used for business on occasion or part time. All our cars also carry ride share endorsements on our insurance policies.

  • @rahulk5793
    @rahulk5793 7 років тому +27

    If they are offering $30/hr, then why don't you just turn on the app, and do a different job?

    • @MegaBallPowerBall
      @MegaBallPowerBall 6 років тому +2

      Rahul K Your boss won't appreciate you running out every hour or so to pick someone up.

    • @MrLastlived
      @MrLastlived 5 років тому

      You have to meet minimum pickup and hour quotas to get matched for the difference. And these promotions are usually one time only

  • @ericharrison315
    @ericharrison315 5 років тому +2

    My mom used to drive for lift and uber but the said if she could go back in time she wouldn’t do it again. She said she barely broke even with the gas and the wear and tear on her car was horrible.

  • @TraxsmythBeatz
    @TraxsmythBeatz 8 років тому +4

    I believe it also depends on what city you're in.. From what I understand, San Francisco is one of the more profitable cities as opposed to other places where there are just as many drivers on the road as they're riders that requests them.

  • @user-he7df7yz6g
    @user-he7df7yz6g 8 років тому +13

    fryyyyyyyyyyyyyyyying voice

  • @graham1034
    @graham1034 6 років тому +1

    So is it possible to just turn on the app and just sit at home waiting for rides that you want to fulfill? Or are you supposed to just take the rides they give you? Also, do you know when the prime/surge rates are so that you can just work those times (assuming that you're a part time driver)?

  • @tommyfabre8307
    @tommyfabre8307 7 років тому +1

    His vocal fry is KILLING me.

  • @ianlister7333
    @ianlister7333 7 років тому +13

    never be self employed, if its not as part of a firm you own, and see the final reward from, and certainly never be full time self employed for someone elses business, always ask what costs are being passed on to you, and ask if business is soo good, why does the firm need to pass on those costs? So many of these online firms start with the idea of you doing it occasionally, then people start to use them as full time gig, and we wonder why it goes wrong.

  • @ALEXFVHS
    @ALEXFVHS 9 років тому +5

    Rideshare profits for drivers are actually much shakier than that, he only took fuel into consideration for drivers expenses. But as a full time driver you know there is much more than that.

    • @boxereightynine
      @boxereightynine 8 років тому +1

      I drive a Prius v in San Francisco. I usually work 2-5 hours a day and make roughly $120-$200 clear then spend anywhere from $5-$10 on gas assuming gas stays at $3.70. So when people say stuff like that you gotta wonder if it's just a taxi driver trying to make u we sound bad. I do hate the rating system though. If you maintain a average of 4.6 or lower for uber and lyft your booted off as a driver.

    • @boxereightynine
      @boxereightynine 8 років тому +1

      * trying to make uber and lyft sound bad.
      Sorry typo

    • @circusboy90210
      @circusboy90210 6 років тому

      Alex Silcock Its. ride sharing ride sharing is not for profit or a job. Ride sharing is commuting and asking for a little bit of gas money

  • @stevenfoster9402
    @stevenfoster9402 5 років тому +1

    BRO. Here's a glass of water

  • @micweis
    @micweis 9 років тому +4

    While I'm sure that Lyft's $35/hr ads are a bit exaggerated, I would guess that a driver could make MUCH better money if he drove late in the evening, especially on weekends. Tuesday morning is probably the worst time to pick up fares. Unfortunately, that means that drivers can't be home with their families or out with friends, so it's not exactly a perfect job.

  • @LabGecko
    @LabGecko 9 місяців тому

    It would be nice to see an updated, more thorough version of this video.

  • @nephetula
    @nephetula 5 років тому +1

    Wonderful is the freedom of being your own boss and working only when you feel like it!
    What's not so wonderful is the minimum wage net income (if you're lucky), along with no paid holidays, no paid sick days, no paid vacation, no insurance benefits, no 401-K or other retirement benefits, and NO chance for advancement. None, zippo. All those deficiencies make a $10/hr job at Walmart or Home Depot look pretty damn good.

  • @LuckyK7777
    @LuckyK7777 7 років тому +1

    He should be doing surveys for rewards points or cash on his cellphone while he is waiting for his next customer ;)

  • @villaescusacarloscv
    @villaescusacarloscv 7 років тому +3

    i drove for uber for a couple of months and all i gotta say is its ok if u need quic cash but other than that not worth wearing out your car and people messing it up, had a problem with a passenger and uber never covered the cleanup, said it wasnt a big mess

  • @tollboothjason
    @tollboothjason 6 років тому +1

    This video underestimates the costs of driving, which are more than just gas. Maintenance, the expected per mile wreck costs, etc. matter.

  • @quillmaurer6563
    @quillmaurer6563 5 років тому

    I did Lyft last summer, had a mixed experience. Was better in many ways than a bottom-feeder unskilled "crap job" (as an engineering student with 3 years of school finished I'd hoped for something better like an internship), but I had plenty of complaints as well. Pay I estimate came to around $15 an hour, better than minimum wage but not awesome - I drove a Prius so fuel costs weren't bad. Didn't have bosses to deal with (bottomfeeder job bosses are always horrible in my experience, like to make sure their employees know they are beneath them), very flexible, and most passengers were pretty chill.
    It was very unsteady though, mostly due to the problem of market saturation. I saw tons of others driving around, most empty, and when I logged out of driver mode and logged in as a passenger (for some reason they didn't want us to see where the other drivers were) I could see that there was one on every corner much of the time. Problem is one of economics of their business model, as this guy says. Most businesses want to balance supply with demand - they have to pay for supply, whether that be employees to provide services, food, manufactured goods, whatever it may be, whether or not it's sold, so having too much is a loss. With Lyft, they don't pay for people to sit around, that's the drivers' loss, the company is best off to have one on every corner, even if they rarely get rides and hardly make any money. Thus they aggressively recruit drivers and are constantly urging them to get out and drive, with annoying texts that say "demand is skyrocketing." I found there is no good strategy, as if there were everyone else would be doing the same and it thus wouldn't do any good. I always avoided sports games and concerts because I figured every other driver was going to them. Just wander about and hope for the best - I generally targeted morning and afternoon commuters myself.
    Overall I found it to be decent, but it was very unsteady, and as a result somewhat stressful. A nice supplement, but not a trustworthy income source. I would not suggest it as a career or primary job, and one should NEVER buy a car for this purpose (unless they wanted to buy a suitable car anyway), but if you have a suitable car it's not bad as a temporary or sideline thing while between jobs, being a student, or having another job.

  • @elitestar
    @elitestar 7 років тому

    Issues with this:
    1. Started at 12:30pm. It is dead at that time. Try 5-6am start or 3-4pm start.
    2. You're constantly driving wasting fuel while waiting. AKA Deadmiling. Just sit and wait. Don't drive around.

  • @sarcasmo57
    @sarcasmo57 7 років тому +9

    In 5 years lyft and uber will both sack all their drivers in favor of robot cars.

    • @jasonlisonbee
      @jasonlisonbee 6 років тому

      Someday those with steering wheels will be phased out due to not enough demand; except those only rich people could afford anyway. Around the time there are about 1 robot car per 6 humans who commute daily.

  • @rizalie2003
    @rizalie2003 9 років тому +7

    Yes it all depends on what city you are driving for LYFT. Some of the comments are correct below. Tuesdays you are probably not going to get a lot of rides, however there are peak times on anyday during the week that LYFT advises you to go out and make some $$. Yes the weekends are the best and the evenings are a must to work if you want to make some amaazing money. $35hour? Yes and then some. It is a "HUSTLE" to get it. No breaks, non stop early evening till 3am. thanks Go LYFT! (San Francisco LYFT Driver 3 weeks) Looove it !

    • @wellsilver3972
      @wellsilver3972 2 роки тому

      Why Tuesdays though? Like smack dab in the middle of the week you don't get that much.

  • @valonmehmeti3155
    @valonmehmeti3155 7 років тому +4

    Depends on which city he drove in, I'm a fulltime driver and I get at least 5 rides an hour so its bullshit if you can't make money with lyft its not because lyft isn't worth it for you its because you're an idiot. I make minimum of 1,750 a week my tips pay for gas and I take home at least 1,200 after taxes. I work when I want and I don't when I don't want to. Its the best thing that's happened to me, I wish I found this earlier! I work in the boston area!

    • @Mira_linn
      @Mira_linn 7 років тому

      however, service, insurence (company grade)/extra insurence for customers, usage and downriding of the value of the car, tire ware, increased expenses on repairs.?

    • @Mira_linn
      @Mira_linn 7 років тому

      And what about pension, healt insurence and other benefits that is normally paid by the employer?

    • @RangeWilson
      @RangeWilson 7 років тому

      Those disappeared for most people back around 1995.

    • @valonmehmeti3155
      @valonmehmeti3155 7 років тому

      Range Wilson those?

    • @BurningtunaDC
      @BurningtunaDC 7 років тому +2

      Are you an avid fisherman? Those are some stories. 5 rides an hour? Tips? 1,750 a week?

  • @recap9589
    @recap9589 9 років тому +3

    I live in Nashville, started driving yesterday. I've made $160 in two days, prob drove a total of 10hrs.

  • @EddieLeal
    @EddieLeal 5 років тому +1

    Recently started with Uber and I have made more off of Uber than with Lyft. Most riders I asked on why they chose Uber vs Lyft most of the time I heard they were more familiar with Uber than with Lyft. At times cost was the reason for going with Uber as a rider than with Lyft.

  • @fainted5989
    @fainted5989 5 років тому

    I got an ad from Careem, which is basically the Uber/Lyft of the United Arab Emirates, but we still have Lyft and Uber in there.

  • @yotzincastrejon
    @yotzincastrejon 6 років тому +1

    there was little to no math.

  • @Lambo6fo
    @Lambo6fo 6 років тому +1

    Then one day your car breaks down with a million miles and you can't afford to fix it with 14 bucks an hour....

  • @LilMsSunshine888
    @LilMsSunshine888 7 років тому

    I don't know where you drive, but in Chicago, there's isn't a 3-hours stretch with no passengers, even at 5a.m. on a Sunday morning.

  • @12KevinPower
    @12KevinPower 9 років тому +3

    Supply and Demand folks.

    • @Bandera0417
      @Bandera0417 9 років тому

      Get.uber.com/cl/rideshare/500/?invite_code=iddrg

  • @tyu3456
    @tyu3456 8 років тому +8

    Don't forget self-employment taxes mean that you pay almost twice as much tax as a normal employee

    • @villaropublishing5090
      @villaropublishing5090 8 років тому +1

      +tyu3456 I call BS, 10% for 2015.

    • @tyu3456
      @tyu3456 8 років тому +1

      Self employment tax is 15.3% for 2015, add that to the income tax of ~15% (if you make under 40K) and you get twice the tax. And that's just federal...

    • @dothedeed
      @dothedeed 8 років тому +1

      +tyu3456 You don't pay more tax than a normal employee. You pay tax + Medicare + social security. You just have everything bundled together.

    • @michaeleric76
      @michaeleric76 6 років тому +1

      You pay double the self-employment tax because you also pay the half that the employer normally pays. But the self employment tax is only part of the whole income tax. I have discovered that with an annual income of around $30,000 driving full time, my overall taxes are about 25%.

    • @simontakataka
      @simontakataka 6 років тому

      with lyft you can keep all your gas,food,bebarages receipts for your income taxes and you can save few buks

  • @douglassnyder9612
    @douglassnyder9612 5 років тому +1

    Vehicle depreciation? Auto Repairs? Auto Insurance? Medical Insurance?

  • @nevadastreak
    @nevadastreak 6 років тому

    Thanks, movies and tv for making me extra nervous when theres a left side view of the car. I always think theres going to be a truck collision.

  • @arasb3258
    @arasb3258 6 років тому +2

    So much voice fry...

  • @misterstaple
    @misterstaple 7 років тому +2

    you are driving during the daytime...first mistake...

  • @billjohnsonseattle
    @billjohnsonseattle 5 років тому +1

    You are forgetting to factor in the cost to buy the car, the cost to insure the car, maintenance & oil changes, repairs, depreciation, and also the cost to eventually buy a new car, as after a few years they won’t let you drive that car once it hits a certain age. Once you factor in all of those costs, you will soon see that you are subsidizing the company, and not getting compensated for all of those costs, not to mention the self employment taxes and federal & state taxes. Add it all up and you are losing money regardless of whether it is Lyft, Uber or any other rideshare company. YOU ARE GETTING RIPPED OFF!

  • @incee_netinai
    @incee_netinai 7 років тому

    audio seems slightly out of sync by just a couple milliseconds in the beginning

  • @Livereater
    @Livereater 6 років тому +2

    I drove for Lyft for 50 rides... after expenses... I made approximately $10.50 per hour.
    ..
    ..
    I no longer drive for Lyft.

  • @donovancorcoran1392
    @donovancorcoran1392 6 років тому

    You have a lot more expenses than just fuel.
    Insurance
    Maintenance/repair
    Vehicle registration, taxes, fees
    Payroll taxes (self-employed individuals pay SE tax)
    Cell service (with a big data plan)
    The IRS says that the standard cost of operating a vehicle (which includes fuel, maintenance, insurance, registration) is 53.5 cents/mile (for 2017 taxes). I like to use that figure when calculating my actual earnings.
    Of course in reality, any reliable and reasonably efficient vehicle actually costs much less per mile to operate. But the IRS says anyone who drives for work can deduct 53.5 cents/mile, so the difference between that and one's actual costs is as close to free money as exists in this world.

  • @RoadDawgLife
    @RoadDawgLife 6 років тому +1

    This video is pretty accurate. The real way you make money driving with Lyft & Uber... is NOT to drive with Lyft & Uber... it's to get other ppl to sign up to drive with Lyft and Uber. So now you know the secret.

  • @tristanmoller9498
    @tristanmoller9498 6 років тому +1

    Pretty interesting. Thanks for the great analysis.

  • @MaxArmani
    @MaxArmani 7 років тому +2

    You have to learn where the good spots are at and try not to drive around, you will waste gas. I made $188 in just 2 hours in Inland Empire area in Cali.

  • @IEJ7654321
    @IEJ7654321 4 роки тому

    Tip: do research for high demand to get the max profit for your second job.

  • @2resist2existinsta83
    @2resist2existinsta83 4 роки тому

    It's one of the hardest jobs out there, stop and go , stop and go , drive to passenger 7 miles - customer cancels the trip-- customer lies for free ride -- pick up customers who are doing laundry 9 bags -- customers have a few stops fast food drive thru, target , Wal-Mart ect ect waste gas , tire change , breaks , cleaning you're car daily , scratches, dents, the worst job and if a customer complains then good luck because you get deactivated and it can be weeks if not months before they let you back on. Lyft and Uber make half of what you take on a ride without lifting a single finger , it gets worse and worse

  • @lowridr2
    @lowridr2 7 років тому +3

    Where do you live i lyft in chicago and make 38/hour on average location must be important

  • @samuvisser
    @samuvisser 5 років тому +1

    What kind of title is this, was waiting the entire video for some facy arguritms to tell when to drive and when not

  • @KuraIthys
    @KuraIthys 8 років тому

    My mother was a taxi driver for a while. That was way before services like this existed.
    But the fundamental problem and uncertainty about income is the same either way.
    You never know if you're going to get 100 customers in a 12 hour shift, or 10...
    So your income is equally unpredictable...
    (with traditional taxis you also have to note that, at least in the places I know of, the driver gets 50% of the profits, and the owner of the car the other 50%, and the driver also pays 50% of the fuel costs. - the net effect of this is that average wages tend to be below minimum wage on all but the busiest of days...)

  • @pablonalerio8839
    @pablonalerio8839 5 років тому

    Where is this? I live in SF it's 24/7 packed with costumers

  • @Eoin-B
    @Eoin-B Рік тому

    This is literally why taxi and hackney licences exist. This same problem happened during the mid 20th century. Licences are not some cartel, they are needed to make driving profitable.
    If he get 14$ per hour and in 3 years he will have to lease or buy a new car, he will find his wage has gone down to below minimum wage.

  • @ashlandwithouttheshd
    @ashlandwithouttheshd 2 роки тому

    Title: math
    Video: no math

  • @raymondpatricio4603
    @raymondpatricio4603 6 років тому +1

    Lmao $163 for 10 hours? I usually make $250 on a Saturday night driving for uber

  • @plzHD
    @plzHD 7 років тому +239

    Vox, don't allow this guy to speak out loud please

    • @obrkenobi1170
      @obrkenobi1170 6 років тому +3

      He's fine, I didn't care at all.

    • @visho8979
      @visho8979 5 років тому

      I think he can't

  • @thisisrachels
    @thisisrachels 8 років тому +45

    arrghhhh vocal fry!!

    • @obrkenobi1170
      @obrkenobi1170 6 років тому

      It's fine, I didn't affect my ability to listen at all.

    • @guilima3097
      @guilima3097 6 років тому

      Lmao, it's a prerequisite for Vox editors. All of them have this.

  • @orbisdux1397
    @orbisdux1397 5 років тому

    Thanks for the video Vox.

  • @trentwerner7398
    @trentwerner7398 5 років тому

    What were the “T” cars on the maps with the lyfts and uber card?

  • @andreaboucher3225
    @andreaboucher3225 7 років тому

    Been trying to lease a car when Lyft started advertising to drive still waiting for a car to become available 1 month later. What is going on??

  • @jonr5637
    @jonr5637 8 років тому

    The real math would add in commercial vehicle insurance, 54 cents per mile expenses, and also a stipend for risking your life every day as well as the risk of tickets and higher insurance if you make a mistake. It ends up you break even almost exactly. And thats if you work 60 hours a week. Any less than that and your paying to work.

  • @doctorstork
    @doctorstork 7 років тому

    I just took a gentleman and his wife on a ride for Lyft. He showed me his charges which were $6.50. When I looked at my app it showed me that Lyft only collected $4. Then Lyft charged me a $1 fee. So I collected $3 for the ride while Lyft collected $6.50.

  • @craiglumsden2306
    @craiglumsden2306 6 років тому

    Got an advert for uber before this video

  • @WengStansWorld
    @WengStansWorld 7 років тому

    I live in Hampton Roads region of Virginia. I drove one week with UBER, and averaged $10.00 an hour. I drove a week with LYFT, and averaged $3.00 an hour.I did considerably more sitting around with LYFT then I did with UBER. ( I drive part time, 2-3 hours weeknights after work, and about 5 hours Saturday and Sunday. I earned 3X more in UBER than I did with LYFT.
    I live on the Virginia Peninsula, Newport News between Hampton and Williamsburg. Through the tunnels is Southside Hampton roads. For the most part, UBER will keep my pickups within 10 miles. LYFT will have me drive 30 minutes to pick up and take rider 3-5 miles. I got 5X more cancellations in LYFT than I do in UBER. ( Mostly because LYFT riders would request, I would be a half hour drive away and the rider didn't want to wait that long )

  • @emmaswan6219
    @emmaswan6219 7 років тому

    Got an uber ad for this video 😂😂

  • @maddoxhell
    @maddoxhell 6 років тому +1

    It puts the lotion in the basket.

  • @nookmuenseeprom2033
    @nookmuenseeprom2033 7 років тому

    I'm working two jobs at the moment, but because of my school schedule my boss can only schedule me to work one day a week. I think it might be perfect for because it's flexible, I'm available during prime time, and it sure beat the 128 per bi weekly pay check sometimes less -_-

  • @flamedrag18
    @flamedrag18 9 років тому +2

    question, where was he driving? $30/hr might be possible in more busy places like NYC and downtown LA.

    • @kuhataparunks
      @kuhataparunks 9 років тому

      Isn't the standard of adequate living there somewhere around $50?

    • @flamedrag18
      @flamedrag18 9 років тому

      kuhataparunks that's the point, these drivers don't make enough to live on, I think it's meant for if you're out already and want to make a few extra bucks, in some places, a taxi fare is $30, so you would make $30 in less than an hour, but it wouldn't be enough money to live on in the long term since the other days of the week don't pay nearly as much. for example, where I live, $500+ a week is amazing money, only the top earning people make that here, but in the cities, you need a lot more.

  • @MrDete49
    @MrDete49 8 років тому +1

    Lyft is taking 25% now

    • @Wowimhungry9
      @Wowimhungry9 7 років тому

      Dale E yeah and they're are paying less for miles

    • @circusboy90210
      @circusboy90210 6 років тому

      Dale E No dispatch company deserve more than 3%. Go drive a legal taxi and Lauren exactly how much you're getting ripped off by paying 25% of your money to a company that only does a dispatch function. It's your money not theirs you are providing equipment and doing the work all they have is a couple of computers and a building somewhere. Legal taxis pay $15 a week for dispatch services

  • @edwardmcgee863
    @edwardmcgee863 Рік тому

    I drive lyft in Detroit and I drive everywhere. I made over 100,000. After all expenses I pocketed about 85,000. I do drive 12 hours a day most days. I took vacations also.

  • @BillyRamirez
    @BillyRamirez 6 років тому

    Holy hell, the vocal fry on this dude.