Can You Make Money with Uber ?

picture by i.ytimg.com

Uber is not all it is Cracked up to be

If you are a professional driver who is considering a job driving with Uber, there are some things you need to know. Do not be fooled by their deceptive and sometimes downright dishonest, claims about the benefits of joining Uber.  Ads in most major cities are claiming incomes of $1000 per week, while in reality Uber drivers are earning less than half that amount even working 50-60 hrs. per week. The Uber concept is good for the consumer, great for Uber, and horrible for the driver.
In an article that appeared recently in Business Insider , the author interviewed several Uber drivers and they uniformly stated that they have never come close to earning what Uber ads claim, and that earnings have been steadily decreasing for some time now because  Uber has flooded the market in most major cities resulting in less than 50% occupancy for most  Uber drivers.  Not a single driver reported making anywhere near $1000 a week after subtracting gas cost and fees paid by the driver, and of course after Uber takes their 20% right off the top. Add to this the wear and tear on your vehicle and it turns out the driving for Uber pays significantly less than driving for a conventional cab company.

Uber also employs a bait and switch tactic when trying to attract new drivers;  In LA, for instance Ubert started out with a $2.50/mile rate that attracted many new drivers, since at $2.50/ mile the drivers could earn a living without working  a ridiculous number of hours. Once the needed drivers were hired, Uber dropped the rate to a measly $1.10 per mile, not enough to make a living no matter how many hours the driver works. The chart below shows how Uber empoloyed the same tactic in NJ:

NEW JERSEY:
Original Price          Summer 2014 Price              Fall 2014 Price
$2.25/mile                 $1.90/mile                    $1.64/mile
$0.30/minute               $0.20/minute                  $0.20/minute
$3.00 base                 $3.00 base                    $2.00
$7.00 minimum              $7.00 minimum                 $6.00 minimum

As this chart shows, Uber started out advertising reasonable rates that would provide a full time driver with a reasonable living, and within the space of a few months dropped the rates so that the same driver working the same hours would make 28% less; Thus a driver making $50,000/yr gross to begin with would make only $36,000/yr after the rates were lowered.

Another move by Uber to attract more business was to cut rates in major markets to well below -market levels, attracting new traffic (which Uber profits from) while forcing  drivers  to drive longer hours at the reduced fares to make the same amount of money.  Once again, Uber wins, the consumer wins, and the drivers lose.

It is also worth noting that Uber discourages tipping, and didn’t even include the tipping option in the app until very recently. That is because tipping doesn’t benefit Uber, and by not encouraging tipping the service appears more economical to the consumer.

Probably the best indicator of how Uber views their drivers is the fact that they try to convince their drivers that all of their sleight of hand concerning rates, fares, and commissions is actually in the driver’s best interests. Not only do they brazenly exploit the very drivers who have made them rich, but they treat them as if they are ignorant fools who will believe the wild claims that Uber has been making a standard component of their business model. Compare this shady way of doing things with the legal, moral, and business philosophy of the traditional cab company or limo service, and I think you will agree that there really is no comparison at all.

This is also true when it comes to vehicle maintenance and replacement costs since with the legal cab company the driver does not incur any repair or replacement bills like the Uber driver will encounter as his car ages rapidly from the grueling regimen a commercial car endures. The expense of having to purchase a replacement vehicle is enough to put most single car Uber drivers out of business, or at best deeply in the red for a considerable time.

After taking all of these  factors into consideration, it becomes clear that driving for Uber has absolutely no advantages over driving for a traditional, legal, cab company. The cab company’s rate ( currently around $2.40/mile in most urban markets) is not going to fluctuate wildly. This provides the driver with a stable income allowing them to make future financial plans with a reasonable amount of confidence that their incomes will remain stable moving forward. The cab company is unlikely to flood the market with excessive cars/drivers as has been the case with UBer in several locations. The bottom line is that Uber does not live up to it’s claims and there is more money and more security driving for a legitimate, legal cab company.

Request your local Uber drivers in Tampa, Miami, Orlando, St. Petersburg, Clearwater, Sarasota, Jacksonville, Ocala, Naples, Gainesville, Tallahassee, Fort Lauderdale, Cape Coral  and ask how much money they really make......

Taxi Driver on Uber and Lyft / Opinion

"The commission’s executives are continuing to negotiate with the ride-sharing businesses over ways to help them operate legitimately, and many of the key issues, including more thorough background checks, commercial insurance, vehicle inspections and whether the commission can impose pre-determined rates on rides, have been worked out."

Neither Uber nor Lyft want to communicate with PTC, why?
because 3-6 months from now, when they are going to be forced to accept conditions imposed on them by court, they also will be forced to raise the rates to compensate drivers for extra expenses like commercial insurance, city license, hack license, car inspections, etc.
............but,.......... by then , their market share in local personal transportation field will be substantially higher, build on $1.20 a mile rides they advertise now.
Needless to say, when they are going to rise rates, they also  will be blaming "bad" PTC for that, making uber look like "Robin Hood" company FORCED TO COMPLY WITH EVIL GOVERNMENT REGULATIONS.
............a cinderella, fighting "corrupted taxi cartels"........?   

picture by TBO.com

"Fight-between-hillsborough-and-ride-sharing-services-goes-up-a-notch

By Keith Morelli | TBO.com

TAMPA — The simmering feud between the agency that regulates cab and limousine services in Hillsborough County and a handful of upstart ride-sharing companies escalated Thursday when a Lyft driver refused to take a plea on a misdemeanor of driving a taxi without a license and demanded a jury trial.

Farhad Kazemi, 42, rejected a misdemeanor intervention program that could have resulted in a dismissal of the charges and said he wanted his case heard by a jury. Hillsborough County Judge Lawrence Lefler set a trial date of Oct. 20.

Another Lyft driver, Darrell Rogers, was scheduled to appear in court Thursday on similar charges but failed to appear. Lefler issued a warrant for his arrest.

The two are the first of nearly two dozen cases made by local transportation inspectors over the past two weeks that now are wending their way through county court. The court cases began after the Public Transportation Commission, which has been locked in a dispute with Uber and Lyft over what level of regulation the ride-sharing services should be subject to, set up an operation to cite the drivers.

“I guess it was a sting,” Public Transportation Commission Executive Director Kyle Cockream said of the operation that netted Kazemi and other ride-sharing drivers. “That’s the closest thing to describe it.”............"

>>>Read More

Uber Lies and Uber BS email

This email was accepted from one of Tampa uber drivers and in our opinion it is worth publishing
 by Independent  Uber's Driver Blog.

"Email from Uber to Uber drivers,  filled with Lies and Uber BS.........
.....hey!!!, if I was making any money with uber and able to pay my bills,  I wouldn't be complaining about some Uber's "cheerleading" , but I don't make any money with them, so, I AM REALLY PISSED OFF,

a  FORMER UBER DRIVER in Tampa Bay

p.s...........is anybody out there  willing to dig in in this pile of uber crap and share uber experience?
PLEASE GO AHEAD, this blog is YOURS



"TAMPA
PARTNER WEEKLY
Hey Karl,

We are seeing demand go off-the-charts in Tampa. We've even seen many drivers working weekend nights making literally HUNDREDS of dollars due to surge pricing! Each unfulfilled request is money being left on the table.  That's why this weekend, we brought back Hourly Guarantees, see below for details!

WEEKEND HOURLY GUARANTEES
To satisfy this sky-high demand, we're making our partners a SPECIAL HOURLY GUARANTEE!!  This weekend you can make at least $150 in Gross Fares for being on the road during peak demand times!

Guarantee Details:

$15 per hour Friday and Saturday night if you are logged-on during one of these shifts:
1:00am to 3:00am (Guarantee of Gross $30 in total fares)
12:00am to 3:00am (Guarantee of Gross $45 in total fares)
11:00pm to 3:00am (Guarantee of Gross $60 in total fares)
10:00pm to 3:00am (Guarantee of Gross $75 in total fares)
We will guarantee you the hourly guarantee in average gross fares over the time period indicated. So you will get either: the gross fares you earn or the gross $15/hour over the sessions less commission– whichever is HIGHER!

To qualify you must:

- Accept 80% of requests for the entire duration you are online during the guarantee period
- Complete at least 1 trip per hour for the duration of time you are on the road during the guarantee period
- Must be logged in and ready to accept requests for at least 90% of the period
- Be located near Downtown or St. Pete
- OPT-IN to the Hourly Guarantee HERE

The top-up guarantee will show up on your next pay statement! Please let me know if you have any questions.
GENERAL SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT
Both lanes of the Park Boulevard Bridge will be closed starting on September 29 for repairs.  It is expected to remain closed for the entire month of October.  Drivers will have to take the Indian Rocks Causeway or the Tom Stuart Causeway instead.
EVENTS OF THE WEEK
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 25 AND FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 26

What: Luke Bryan Concert
Where: Mid Florida Credit Union Amphitheatre (4802 N US Highway 301)
Drop Off: 6-7:30pm
Pick up: 10-11:30pm
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 27

What: SeptemBEERfest
Where: Southern Brewing & Winemaking (4500 N Nebraska Ave)
Drop Off: 4-6pm
Pick up: 7-9pm
HOTSPOTS
ST. PETE'S IS HEATING UP!

In addition to Downtown Tampa and Clearwater, we are seeing more requests than ever in St. Petersburg. Head to these locations to find rides!

As always, weekend evenings from 6pm-3am are the busiest, but we are expecting high demand all throughout the weekend. Below, you'll find a map of where we're seeing the most requests!

USE YOUR OWN iPHONE
Many of you have told us that you would rather use Uber on your personal iPhone instead of a separate device.  To qualify, you must:

- Have an iPhone 4S, 5, 5C, 5S, or 6
- Have iOS 7 or 8 (to check go to Settings > General > About > Version)
- Have a data plan that allows you to use at least 2GB/month of data for Uber
- Use any major phone carrier (Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile, Sprint)

If you are interested in seeing if you qualify, CLICK HERE and fill out the required information.  If you do qualify, we will automatically send you a return envelope so you can return the Uber iPhone.
SURGE PRICING
Surge Pricing is in Effect!

During high demand times, fares can be as high as 3 times the normal rate! Surge pricing rewards you for staying logged online during high demand times by earning higher fares on each trip you take (check out this video for more info). Check your Driver App to see if surge pricing is in effect and where it's surging!
REFERRALS

Referring a friend, family member, or colleague to Uber Tampa will get you both $100!  THAT'S RIGHT, you AND the referred partner get paid!

This incentive will be paid as soon as the referred partner completes 20 trips. The person being referred MUST sign up for Uber using the link sent to their email from the BLUE BUTTON seen above.

PLEASE NOTE: If you do not see the Blue Button on your App, press the 'Home Button' on your iPhone and then reopen the Uber Driver App.

The incentive will be in effect for LIMITED TIME ONLY. Take advantage while it lasts!...."

How much money can you make being an Uber driver?

Watch this video first, before you sign up with Uber or Lyft for unrealistic earnings promises, which will turn out to be slave wages.

How much can you make as a Lyft or Uber driver?

Is  driving for Uber or Lyft legal in Tampa Bay? Can you really make $35/hour driving for Uber in Florida? Can you really make $70,000 a year driving for Lyft in Tampa Bay? What are your weekly expenses when you drive for Uber or Lyft? Is it safer in Tampa Bay to take Uber or Lyft than Taxi? Why people hate taxis in Tampa Bay and love Uber and Lyft? Is it tip included in all Uber and Lyft fares? Who has better cars and better drivers, Lyft, Uber, Taxi? How to improve Uber, Lyft service? Why Uber drivers refuse to take my call?  

feel free to comment as a anonymous person

Want to be a taxi driver? Read This

Safety tips for new taxi drivers in Tampa Bay, Florida and not only........

picture by wnyc.org

TAXICAB DRIVER SAFETY

by Gord Barton

Taxi Training Instructor

GOAL:

To maximize personal safety for taxicab drivers
OBJECTIVE:
To ensure that all new and veteran taxi drivers fully understand and comprehend the basic safety rules that they need to follow and embrace.
MODULES:

• Understanding the inherent dangerous nature of the industry
• Understanding the nature and personalities of people.
• Learning to "read" your customer.
• Learning and understanding the basic safety rules.
• Police relations.
• Weapons - the none use of and why.
• Prostitution - your legal guidelines
• Needles - the extreme danger of drugs/disease
• Hostility and negativism
• You and your part.

Foreword:

It is extremely important that all taxi drivers, especially those of you that are new to the business, to understand the dangerous and complex nature of the industry itself, to understand some of the dynamics, to learn how not to become a victim.

Module 1: The danger of the industry

The taxicab business is a very different one from most occupations, and there is a very real and high risk of personal danger to each driver, and it appears to be getting steadily worse each year, and the statistics bear this out.
The last report on workplace violence and homicide places TAXI DRIVERS in the unenviable spot of #1 most dangerous occupation in North America at the present time, and this danger is rising. There are 20 homicides where taxi drivers are victims to every 100,000 drivers. Convenience store clerks are #2, being out 15 homicides to each 100,000 workers. In contrast, the police ratio is only 7 homicides to each 100,000 officers. This alone should tell you something.
The reasons for this are actually very simple in nature, seemingly unrealistic, but they are true, and they are as follows:

• You work alone
• You work all types of long, 12 hour shifts
• You work in isolated areas.
• You always have ready cash
• People perceive that you have the lowliest job of all, and therefor you are of no human value.
• You are always dealing with strangers.
• The very nature of your business, service, requires you to deal with everyone.
• Very often, you have a language barrier, which is difficult to deal with.
• Your own peers often cheat the public, thus raising disrespect and contempt
• Racism plays a factor

Module 2: Understanding the nature and personalities of people

• No two people are the same, in body, or in mind.
• Some people are psychopaths with no emotions, feelings, or remorse.
• Most people you deal with are nice, but we all have our bad days
• People judge other people by their own values, with little regard for reality

Module 3: Learning how to "read" your customer

• You must read up on and become familiar with "body language". This goes hand in hand with "active listening" to what the people are really saying versus what their "body language" is telling you.
• You must never, ever, underestimate your customer and what they may be capable of doing to you.
• You must never let your guard down when you have a fare in your taxi, irregardless of who they are, or how they are dressed or appear to be.

Module 4: Learning and understanding the basic safety rules.

1) Radio and the dispatcher

• The most important piece of equipment in your taxi is your radio, as it connects you to your dispatcher. The dispatcher is "your lifeline".
• They are the ones who will get you help if you are in trouble.
• They are the ones who will give you accurate information when you need it.
• They are the ones who will "sense" when you are in trouble and assist you.
• They are the ones who will dispatch you for trips in a fair and equitable manner with all the other drivers.
• They are the ones which will keep you informed on what is happening.
• Have a good relationship with all dispatchers - you need them on your side.                                                                                                                                                                                          
• 2) Be alert and aware.

You must keep yourself very alert and aware of what is going on around you at all times, whether you are parked or driving. Take good care of yourself, be rested, eat well, and get lots of exercise. The exercise and movement around you will get by handling peoples luggage, going to doors to get your customers, opening and closing doors all contribute to the enrichment of oxygen in your blood, which is what keeps up your energy and awareness.

>>>Read More

Why Complain About Uber When They Are Doing Their Best!

Written by JC

If you’ve never hear about the Uber on-demand car service before, I’ll let you into a little secret. This company makes being able to get from A to B as easy as possible. No more waiting for buses that don’t turn up on time, heading down into less than savory subway stations or standing in the rain trying to hail a taxi that speeds by leaving a trail of wet spray in its path.

In recent years the Uber on-demand car service has gone high tech like a lot of other companies, and it’s now even easier to get a ride wherever you are, and whatever time of day it is.

How Uber Works

The first thing you need to do is pay a visit to their website and sign-up for an account. This couldn’t be easier and once done, you can download the app to your mobile device. Incidentally, if you think you need to reach for your wallet at this stage, thing again! This app is available for free from Google Play Store, the Apple App Store and BlackBerry App World.

When you’re ready to use the service, there are several different types of taxi you can opt for and these include, black car, UberX, SUV, LUX and of course your everyday taxi. However, do bear in mind it depends on what city you’re in so you may not get all the options.

Once you’ve selected the type of car you want, simply enter your location and the app will do the rest. Using GPS detection, Uber will find the nearest driver to your location and you don’t have to worry about staring at your phone because they will send you a text when your ride is on its way.

Pricing

Uber couldn’t be more transparent about the way they fix the pricing. If you know your destination, you can easily get a quote for the cab ride before you even book anything. You also don’t need

Taxi Driver talks about......

Taxi Driver Opens Up About Cab Sex, Cyclists, And Tipping

There are a lot of things that Reddit is good for, but our favorite feature continues to be the regular Ask Me Anything's the site hosts. How else would we learn about the inner lives of subway conductors, McDonald's employees, EMTs, and astrophysicists? Exactly. And today Reddit's got another good 'un: an AMA with a 26-year-old taxi driver. And yes, your driver knows you are having sex back there—that's why he keeps hitting potholes.
The driver (who says he was "raised in the USA" but also spells favorite with a u and mentions going to "four year university") doesn't own a medallion, mostly works the night shift and is chock full of interesting anecdotes. Here are some that stood out to us:
Has he seen sexy times in his cab? "Yes many times. Sometimes they even ask. To which I usually just really?........

>>>Read More

Free listings of transportation / Taxi jobs in Tampa Bay

If you are an owner of taxi company or one taxi cab and you are looking for reliable driver or dispatcher please place your listing on this blog for free.
All you need to do is fill the form below to list your taxi / dispatcher job
Please allow us 24 hrs to process your request

Picture by TampaBay.com

>>> Click here To list Your Taxi / Dispatching Job

>>>Taxi Driver Jobs, Cape Coral / Ft. Myers, FL

Cab Driver from Hell

Taxi driver suspended for putting lives in 'grave danger"

Sydney cabbie Nicholas Charles Brown, 55, has had a string of complaints about him, including overcharging, short-changing, smoking, failing to assist a pregnant woman, being rude, aggressive, not knowing the way from the city to the airport and ''consuming alcohol and driving recklessly whilst conveying passengers''.

The Administrative Decisions Tribunal has suspended Mr Brown's taxi driver's licence after his actions were found to have placed his passengers and the public ''in grave danger''.

One of the 17 complaints occurred last October, when two young women in Potts Point hailed Mr Brown's cab at 10pm.

''After we had been in the taxi for a couple of minutes, the driver put on sunglasses, turned the music up and began to sing loudly. His driving was erratic and I noticed that he would frequently swig out of a can that appeared to have an alcohol .....

>>>Read More

Credit Card Surcharge on Taxi Fares in Florida

By BR

It became legal for cab drivers in Florida and other 40 States to charge customers up to %4 extra of the meter if they decide to pay with credit card.
Great news for cab drivers and not so good for riders, but then again, some passengers pretend that they don't know how to use credit card applications and conveniently skip tipping procedures without asking a cab driver how to do it.
Sure guys, Tipping is a city in China, your grandpa was Kunta and I owe you until I die, even though we look alike and your skin is whiter.
.....Just because I came off the boat 25 years ago and I have an accent??!!
WTF?
I tip anybody and everybody who provides me with any kind of services in this country.
If I can not afford to tip, I either don't use their services or at least try to behave like human being and be thankful for helping me.
Next time you get your drunk ass in the cab to take you home, be thankful too and tip the driver, even if you pay with credit card, or even more so........


ABC News

Taxi drivers post reward for info

http://www.wivb.com/dpp/news/local/taxi-drivers-post-reward-for-info

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) - Airport Taxi drivers have posted a reward for information about the death of Mazen Abdallah. Drivers have collected a $5,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of who is responsible for killing the taxi driver.