Bill, a retiree who drives for Uber “to get out”, maximised his profits by taking steps to eliminate extra spend and avoiding “long and unprofitable” trips, it added.

Also Read: Uber charged a US couple ₹24 lakh for a single ride. Here’s what happened next…

“I only take rides that are worthwhile and profitable. I drive to get out and don’t need the money. I love it,” Bill explained.

Tactics

Average hourly earnings are down to $15-20 post-Covid, whereas during the pandemic he pulled in $50/hour due to the low availability of Uber drivers, according to Bill. He however shared other methods to pump in the dollars.

Also Read: Uber Completes 10 Years in India, Says Drivers Earned Over ₹50,000 Crore

One among these is parking near high-traffic areas such as airports, bars, and restaurants between 10 pm and 2.30 am peak hours on Fridays and Saturdays to grab surge pricing fares.

“When a plane lands and people request Ubers the price jumps drastically. A 20-minute ride goes from $10 to $20 to $40 and sometimes $50. The driver gets just short of 50 percent so a 35-minute ride can get you $30 to $60,” he explained.

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Bill has used the US IRS rate of $0.65 per mile standard mileage to calculate what rides will offer his base pay and above and only takes those. “I don’t work unless we have a surge. The surges are much more infrequent, and I’m not going anywhere for $0.61 a mile. There is no profit on many rides that only offer the base pay,” he explained.

Another trick? Avoiding one-way trips. He shared an experience driving a passenger to a rural place for $27, but having to return “free” without a ride.

Bill also cancels rides liberally — notching a cancel rate of 34 percent — much higher than Uber’s 10 percent recommended levels. While not imposed, drivers with a higher than 10 percent cancel rate miss out on perks such as petrol discounts and other rewards, besides the possibility of losing account access.

Also Read: Uber will now allow users to book Hot Air Balloon rides. Here’s how it works

However, Bill is unfazed by the consequences. “I don’t really care about the ratings. I just want to enjoy myself and make a little money on the side,” he added.

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Updated: 07 Nov 2023, 09:58 AM IST