r/uberdrivers Jun 17 '24

Welcome to r/uberdrivers - FAQ and Community Guide

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Before asking a question, make sure to read this guide and use reddit search to see if your question was already asked. If you have anything you'd recommend to add to this guide leave a comment below.

What does Pax mean? Common terms on this sub explained

Pax: Short for Passenger.

Ping: The noise the app makes when drivers receive a pickup request.

Fare: The fee a rider is charged.

Fair: Fare, spelled wrong.

Surge: Uber occasionally up-charges riders during times of increased demand. The Surge is a multiplier of the base fare rate.

SRF: "Safe Rider Fee", now known as the "Booking Fee". This is the $1-3 fee that Uber adds to every fare to ccover insurance, app fees, etc.

What are the requirements to be an uber driver?

An in-state license is required. Have at least one year of licensed driving experience in the US (3 years if you are under 25 years old) Use an eligible 4-door vehicle

All vehicles being used for rides on the Uber app must meet the following minimum requirements:

  • Must have 4 doors and be able to transport a minimum of 4 passengers
  • Vehicle model must be 16years old or newer
  • Title cannot be salvaged, reconstructed, or rebuilt
  • Rental vehicles, except those from an approved Uber rental car partner are not permitted
  • Cannot have any cosmetic damage, missing pieces, or commercial branding

Should you choose to drive a vehicle you do not personally own, you must have permission from then vehicle owner and be listed as an insured driver on the vehicle’s insurance policy. Please note that Uber cannot allow a vehicle onto the platform if the driver’s name is not on the insurance document.

If your vehicle does not match the requirements above, you may still be able to use your vehicle for deliveries on the Uber app.

Is this fulltime job?

Driving with Uber offers a flexible earning opportunity. It's a great alternative to full-time driver jobs, part-time driver jobs, or other part-time gigs, temp jobs, or seasonal employment.

How do I do my first ride?

Download and install the driver app, and hit "Go Online". Once you get a request (a "ping"), you can hit 'Navigate' to be taken to the rider's pickup location. When you're sure you have arrived, flip back over to the Uber app and hit 'Arrived'. The passenger (PAX) will be notified of your arrival, though it's also nice to text them - to let them know what type of car you're in (though they see this on their app, not everyone looks) and to confirm that they're actually where their pin was placed. When they get in the car, hit 'Begin Trip'. If they haven't entered their destination, you can enter it - then hit 'Navigate' again and you will be routed there. At the end of the trip, hit 'End Trip', rate your passenger, and you'll be placed back online ready to pick up another PAX!

What are the safety features for uber drivers?

Emergency assistance button

You can use the in-app Emergency Button to call authorities to get help if you need it. The app displays your location and trip details, so you can quickly share them with emergency services.

24/7 incident support

Uber customer associates trained in incident response are available around the clock.

Follow My Ride

Friends and family can follow your route and will know as soon as you arrive.

2-way ratings

Your feedback matters. Low-rated trips are logged, and users may be removed to protect the Uber community.

Phone anonymization

If you need to contact your rider through the app, your phone number may stay private.

GPS tracking

All Uber trips are tracked from start to finish, so there’s a record of your trip if something happens.

RideCheck

Using sensors and GPS data, RideCheck can help detect if a trip goes unusually off-course or a possible crash has occurred. If the app alerts us to such events, we’ll check in on you and offer resources to get help.

Contact Safety Agent

You can connect with an ADT Safety Agent via phone call or text on every trip. Just tap the safety shield icon and select Contact safety agent.

Audio Recording

If you feel uncomfortable, you can record the audio of the trip within the app. Just tap the blue shield to open your Safety Toolkit and access the Record Audio option.

Emergency help if you need it

If you ever need urgent help when riding with the Uber app, you can contact 911 using the in-app Emergency Button in the Safety Toolkit.

The app will show your live location, vehicle information, and license plate number, which you can quickly share with the emergency dispatcher so they can send help faster. And in a growing number of US cities, this information is automatically provided to the dispatcher.

Does Uber help in event of an accident?

When you earn with a transportation network company (TNC), referred to here as ridesharing, many states require extra—and costly—insurance.

Uber maintains this insurance on your behalf. What’s covered depends on factors such as who was at fault; whether you were offline, online, en route, or on-trip; and your personal insurance policy.

Offline coverage:

Your personal auto insurance covers you while you’re offline. You must maintain personal automobile insurance at mandatory minimum limits and provide proof of your insurance to drive and deliver with a vehicle with Uber.

Coverage to repair your car when you’re en route to or on a trip is contingent on your personal insurance including comprehensive and collision coverage.

Coverage when online and available for a trip

Accidents happen. Suppose you’re at fault and another person gets hurt or their vehicle gets damaged. In that case, our third-party liability insurance covers the cost of injuries or damage in at least the following amounts:

-$50,000 per person and $100,000 per accident for injuries

-$25,000 in property damage per accident

Depending on the law of your state, Uber may maintain extra coverage for you and your riders, including one or more of the following:

Coverage for you and your riders for injuries in a hit-and-run or an accident caused by an uninsured or underinsured driver

Personal injury protection, including medical expenses and lost wages for you and your riders, no matter who’s at fault

Medical payments coverage for you and your riders, no matter who’s at fault.

Coverage when en route or on a trip

Uber maintains some of the most comprehensive insurance for ridesharing and deliveries, including:

-Insurance that covers at least $1,000,000 for property damage and injuries to riders and third parties involved in an accident where you’re at fault

Insurance that covers the cost to repair your car, up to the actual cash value, with a $2,500 deductible, contingent on your personal insurance including comprehensive and collision coverage. This extra insurance maintained by Uber protects your car, no matter who’s at fault, if you maintain comprehensive and collision coverage on your own vehicle.

In most US states, you can also purchase Optional Injury Protection to cover your additional medical expenses if you’re hurt in an accident. This insurance offering, pioneered by Uber, is designed specifically for drivers.

Depending on the law of your state, Uber may maintain extra coverage for you and your riders, including one or more of the following:

-Coverage for you and your riders for injuries in a hit-and-run or an accident caused by an uninsured or underinsured driver

Personal injury protection, including medical expenses and lost wages for you and your riders, no matter who’s at fault

Medical payments coverage for you and your riders, no matter who’s at fault

Is being an uber driver worth it?

Recent reports from Uber state that "the vast majority of drivers are satisfied" and that "as of last quarter, drivers in the US were making about $33 per utilized hour" before expenses.

Its for you to decide if its worth it for you personally, volume and earnings will vary greatly between markets. Drivers as independant contractors are also responsible for all expenses which have been rising fast when drivers pay has stayed stagnant.

There are many direct and hidden costs associated with being an uber driver. To start with, You are responsible for tracking your own miles, profits and losses, as well as expenses such as gas, repairs, washes, and so on.

In addition, no one but you is responsible for ensuring you are earning enough. You need to be aware at what rate you are making enough for it to be worth it.


r/uberdrivers 14h ago

The Gig Economy

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r/uberdrivers 3h ago

🤔🤨😮

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Can someone explain to me how I get stuck in traffic due to police activity and get paid this much. The follow up was to contact customer support. As an ambitious driver that I am I wake up at 1:15a confident things will improve as I have been told at nauseam. The payout was roughly $83 dollars and I took my first morning trip not seeing a payout. My first thought was too check if the Uber Pro Card has a glitch - it always has a glitch - always. Then I noticed I’m apparently in a negative balance thinking my account may have been compromised cause I barely get shit so I need all that I can get. I called the support person who told me this trip was why and that I was taking too many detours and delaying the progression of a trip that was already allocated. While triggering a support message warning me of a policy violation.

I never wanted to fart so hard in my seat and let the wind be my guide. How insulting is this and how miserable can a Diamond driver be getting back to back single digit rides. Paying endless toll fees for trips that are $20 dollars the. The toll is $7.50 and then you get dropped off in a dead zone with more single digit trips and then when you get tired of the bullshit your CMT score starts getting low and you notice your under the speed limit but who am I. The Apple Iphone is my coworker, what a snitch. Im tired of
Uber and the bullshit and I’m not Politician but I know well enough to know this shit will make you homeless. Damn I’m thinking of an Onlyfans tag right now goddamn.


r/uberdrivers 9h ago

A Real FU from Uber in LA Today!

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  • Trip 1: Airport Ride: 1 hr 13 minutes, 37.74 miles. Trip had a dog with an extra stop at a restaurant. First driver cancelled. I made $49.76 out of $125.99. 39%. The best ride all day.
  • Trip 2: Airport Ride: 24 minutes and 15 seconds, 16.94 miles. I made $14.05 out of $37.95. 37%.
  • Trip 3: Union Station to LAX hotel: 30 minutes and 40 seconds, 21.32 miles. I made $14.26 out of $50.85. 28%.
  • Trip 4: LAX hotel to downtown hotel: 25 minutes and 56 seconds, 17.03 miles. I made $11.21 out of $40.94. 27%. Luckily, the customer tipped $5 which I'm sure Uber was calculating into the hourly wage cap of around $20.
  • Last trip: more unaccompanied minors!

Trip 4 was what had me turn off the app. I kept thinking it would get better and it didn't. Every last ride was capped around $20 per hour. $5 for 15 minutes. $7 for 20 minutes.

For context, all of this after I rent a car for $452 per week with 1-2 hours of charging per day for around $20. I had to spend hours calling rental companies to make sure they had inventory and the right type of vehicle. As usual, the car was dirty at pickup. I spent another hour or so cleaning the car. Then, I spent another hour charging the car because it wasn't full at pickup. And now, Uber is piling on and taking 73% of the fare.

Also, I am a female driver so not sure why Uber thinks it's a good idea to f*ck with female drivers since there are so few of us and we are in demand. Uber is a deeply misogynistic company and needs to rethink their sexist ways. I am convinced that I get massive amounts of unaccompanied minors because I am a female and have to drive far, far out of my way to cater towards female riders with a preference for women drivers.


r/uberdrivers 5h ago

Question about tip

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r/uberdrivers 18h ago

Who would take this?

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r/uberdrivers 14h ago

Uber cutting3300 jobs as robotaxi competition heat up

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Thoughts?


r/uberdrivers 10h ago

Lol its brutal out here in my market. You can easily do 15 to 20$ per hour . But i need minimum 30 per hr. That 30 getting harder and harder to reach.

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r/uberdrivers 3m ago

UBER QUANTUM SURGE™

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r/uberdrivers 4h ago

How long it took to get reactivated

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r/uberdrivers 4h ago

Hello Uber New Zealand,

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I am a Pakistani driver currently living in Pakistan. I have 6 years of food delivery driving experience in Oman with Talabat, and I hold an Oman driving licence.

I am interested in working as an Uber driver in New Zealand. Could you please tell me if there is any opportunity for overseas drivers and whether Uber has any employer, partner, or visa sponsorship pathway available?

If you can, please connect me with the right person or department who can provide information about this.

Thank you.


r/uberdrivers 5h ago

Surge pricing vs pay

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I leaving my car at my wife's job so she can drive home in the a.m. I looked at the rider app and they want $30 for what is normally a $10 ride. I open the driver app and see a $2.75 surge. What the hell? That is uber taking about an 85% cut of the surge pricing. Even worse is that I have now sat here for about 5 minutes logged on and have gotten no ride offers. What are these people doing?


r/uberdrivers 17h ago

45% Pay?

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I’ve consistently kept around 50% of the customer fare until recently..


r/uberdrivers 19h ago

Anyone else dead today?

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I've been online for almost 30 minutes and haven't gotten a single request (not even a crappy one)


r/uberdrivers 22h ago

EXCLUSIVE UBER RIDE 🫪🫪🫪

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Don’t worry guys, it comes with a $6 Boost+ included so that will definitely help 🤣


r/uberdrivers 5h ago

I will always FIGHT for EVERY dollar! Chat bot told me to kick rocks. I called the HOTLINE and the Rep found a way to add $5.25. I win!

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I shouldnt have waste 10mins of my energy to do this! For all the Charlotte drivers who got jipped at 1am by uber of your surge, sorry!


r/uberdrivers 20h ago

Uber asking us to speak up about Hamilton's new rules.

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r/uberdrivers 1d ago

False Passenger Complaint

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Last night I had a pickup, someone with a 4.96 rating going about 6 miles. As I approached the pick up address, I noticed the blue pin was not near the address. I get in front of the house and I’m watching the blue pin move further away from the pickup address, as if it’s moving down the road in a car. I message the passenger at the 4 minute mark asking if they have the correct address, no response. I wait the 7 minutes and cancel as a no-show.
About an hour later I get a message from Uber saying a passenger claims that I was using a different car than what was listed on the order. That is a complete fabrication. I explained my story and uber said no further action is required - but I’m pissed this persons dishonesty could have impacted my ability to earn my income.


r/uberdrivers 8h ago

The Promotions They Give When You Skip Your Usual Days

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I normally Uber for 10 hours straight every Saturday into Sunday morning, usually about 30 rides in total, as well as 6 hour blocks on Thursday and Friday. This past week I didn't do a single ride, then on Monday I get a promotion for $250 for 10 rides. Needless to say with the pathetic tips it would not have been a worthwhile day without the promo.


r/uberdrivers 10h ago

Uber bicycle account unavailable

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r/uberdrivers 16h ago

I saw post that uber take $2 from them i went to check mine i get chocked …thanks uber for Crumbs 😂

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r/uberdrivers 10h ago

G1 is accepted by Uber Eats

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r/uberdrivers 1d ago

Uber passenger and her husband, both dressed up in evening wear.. evening gown and tuxedo, were embarrassed to be dropped off in my older car. She turned up her nose and asked if i would cancel ride when I showed up. Too broke or cheap to order Uber Black.. but too good for Uberx

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UberX is the budget tier. The car is the price. You cannot buy the cheapest option and be owed the appearance of the most expensive one. What complicates it is that Uber sells the fantasy in its own advertising - clean, quiet, sleek - while paying drivers five dollars for a five-mile run in a car we have to maintain out of that same five dollars. The rider's expectation gets set by the company. The disappointment gets delivered to the driver's face.

(I could tell she was an internet demon. She just appeared snobbish and very image concious. Probably All over social media painting a life of fantasy and the minute we push back on those type they go to taking pictures and acting hood. So I cancelled and drove off. It was a short trip to her anyway. Given how horrible her facial expression was when i pulled up.. i wouldnt have wanted her in my car. My car is small. Older. With a small dent in the front fender. But it's clean.)

By the way.. this trip paid $5.00.

Update:

HIGHLAND PARK DIDN'T BLINK

Picked up four rich SMU college girls in Highland Park tonight. About as much money as Dallas has. Dressed to the nines, white gowns, coming out of a house most people will never see the inside of.

They got in like it was nothing. Friendly the whole ride. Said thank you. Asked me to pull right up to the door.

Highland Park didn't blink.

So it was never about the car.


r/uberdrivers 11h ago

Shared ride surge

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Today, Labor Day Holiday, I got 2 separate share ride pickups from the airport after dropping off passengers. And one of the rides was a share ride to the airport! I asked and the passengers said that the share ride was $15 cheaper. Normally it is only $3 or $4 less. None of the passengers had taken a shared ride before so I explained the system. Anyone else have this happen to them?


r/uberdrivers 15h ago

Very slow day today

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Today's been a totally dead day as far as businesses concerned in my city. Usually holiday weekends like this you will run into something decline in business but this one's been really dismal this year