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You have a decent car, a clean driving record, and unlimited data on your phone, and you’re looking for ways to supplement your income? Working for a ridesharing company is one of the better possibilities available. You may set your own hours, work for yourself, and meet a lot of intriguing people.

What it’s like to drive for Uber is the real question.

How It All Started

I recall seeing this big billboard on the side of a bridge in New York City in 2013, with only a few catchy lines to get the point through.

I needed to make some money, so I did additional research. I imagined myself earning as much as $2000 each month. That was a significant sum of money for me, given that I already had a full-time job and a preschooler.

It turns out that a Taxi and Limousine Commission license is required in New York City. As a result, my short-term ambition was smashed, and I decided to abandon it.

Here We Go Again

It wasn’t until I moved to the Capital District Upstate NY in 2019 that I realized I didn’t need a TLC license. All you needed was a good car that wasn’t more than ten years old.

I generally drove for Uber because it’s the most popular, but I also drove for Lyft for a year and a half, mostly on weekends because I was still working in the city during the week.

I treated it as if it were part-time work as an independent contractor. I had specific times when I wanted to be online.

The Income

To be completely honest, the weekly salary wasn’t horrible. I’ll bring home up to $400 during peak hours, after Uber takes their 30% cut, but on average, I’ll make $250 for the 12 hours of work. That works out to around $20 per hour – pre-taxed. The tips were not as regular, but on some good days they were enough to cover a full tank of gas.

For New York City drivers, that will be sufficient for fuel and tolls, but traffic in the Capital District region is not very terrible, and most tolls rates are in the pennies.

The Riders

Because this is a customer service-oriented business, if you’re not a people person this job is not for you. You never know what kind of character you’re going to get.

I’ve established some fantastic connections; for example,  In 2019, I had a customer who was just divorced give me some invaluable marriage and financial advice.

He stated that divorce is not an issue. It is sometimes the only option. The problem is that if you truly love the person you originally thought of as your soulmate, you should never give up on her, no matter what.

In addition, he was advising me to invest in cryptocurrency. In his words:” It is the currency of the future, and the dollar will lose a large amount of value”. Bitcoin was in the four-digit mark at that time.

I wasn’t unfamiliar with the crypto world. Due to the volatility in 2018, I panicked and liquidated my fraction Bitcoin stake for a little profit. I’m still not a big fan of the crypto market. I’ll explain more in a later post.

Anyways, I’m always interested in hearing other people’s perspectives.

In addition to the negative experiences. This is a story I’ll never forget.

I picked these couples in a bar lounge. They got in the car pleasantly and asked how my night was going. They sounded like some cool people. Until something came up in their talk  things started to go downhill. They became so furious that the young lady attempted to open the door while the car was still moving.

When it came to what I should expect while driving for rideshare services, I heard a variety of stories. But nothing could have prepared me for this.

Wear And Tear

We’d all like to make our vehicle into a profitable investment. As a result, it is critical to take proper care of it. Do not disregard the recommended maintenance schedule.

Before I started driving for Uber, I changed the fluids, cleaned the stains, and vacuumed the inside of my 2011 Toyota Rav4 every four months. Because I do all of my own car maintenance, I can say that I’ve saved a lot of money.

After I started driving for Uber, I based my maintenance on the mileage because I was reaching it much faster than the recommended months. Roughly every 3 months. Let’s not forget the unexpected breakdowns that can make a big dent on your savings.

Guess who pays for it – YOU!

Uber has no problems with covering up to $200 in damages caused by riders. If you drive long enough on a Saturday night, expect it to happen.

Only once did a customer puke on the back seat floor because he didn’t get a chance to lower the window. That was, without a doubt, my last ride. I added a couple of photos, submitted my claim right away, and received $75 within 24 hours. I was fortunate enough to be able to handle it myself, and it wasn’t nearly as awful as what other drivers had to deal with.

Taxes

I never bothered to recalculate my withholdings since I assumed that as a weekend driver, my income wouldn’t grow significantly. I was mistaken. My earnings for that year increased to $14,000. I was shocked because I had no idea where the money had gone. 

At the time, I had no idea how important it was to have a budget.

It’s important to remember that as an independent contractor, you’re responsible for putting money aside to pay your taxes. All I wanted to do at the moment was make some money, but my carelessness cost me.

After filing my taxes, I discovered that I owed the IRS about $5,000.

That’s when I realized “I’d eff-ed up”.

To Sum Things Up

Everyone’s scenario is unique. What exactly do I mean? The flexibility appeals to some people. The 9-to-5 job isn’t for them or isn’t an option for them. Then this is a great method to earn money while also being your own boss.

However, I enjoyed driving people around and had a good time doing so, but I now realize that any company that requires you to utilize your own vehicle as a condition of employment is not worth it.

Plus, the risk of being held personally accountable in the event of an accident or having to pay extra for insurance coverage is too great.

In other words, you waste your time waiting for your automobile to break down. At the end of the cycle, you’ll lose money, and it’ll be even worse if you have to finance the vehicle.

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