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Driving Uber’s Way vs Driving My Way

Should you drive the way Uber wants you to – or should you use your own driving strategies? The answer seems simple, but maybe Uber really does know what’s best for us and we should follow the ‘take every ride’ mentality. Senior RSG contributor Sergio Avedian tested out whether driving the way Uber wants you to is more effective than employing strategies like his favorite surge-only driving strategy.

For the past few years, I’ve made a challenge for myself to figure out the Uber algorithms and use my best strategies to earn more. After all, it certainly looks like Uber is all about controlling the driver, from when and where they drive to how much they earn. Although, things appear to be changing now that Uber is eliminating flat rate surge and getting rid of upfront pricing.

New Lyft Driver - Earn 1500:week

However, maybe Uber really does have our best interests at heart. Maybe they want us to earn as much as we can with their algorithms, and I’m just not listening. I decided to put this theory to the test below.

First, I do want to mention that during my podcast with Harry on RSG and Jay on Rideshare Dojo, I explained some basic strategies I deploy. Driving for Uber may seem like a simple job with very low barriers to entry, as with everything else, I believe you will get out of a job as much as what you put into it.

Quick links:

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I Got Skunked by the Uber Algorithm!

Is driving for Uber and Lyft really as flexible as it seems? What happens when you’re in a high surge area and dozens of drivers around you are getting ride requests but for some reason, you’re not getting any pings?! Today, senior RSG contributor Sergio Avedian investigates what happens when you get skunked by the Uber algorithm!

Interested in improving your driving strategies? Check out these quick links below:

I’ve been driving for Uber for just about four years, and in that time I’ve seen the good, bad and ugly of driving for Uber. When I first started, you could turn on your app, drive and make money. In Los Angeles, you could expect to earn over $35-40 an hour! However, things have changed over the last four years.

During that time, I have tweaked my driving strategies to keep my hourly earnings up. Uber has recently released some new features and made some big announcements that will make me tweak my driving strategies again but the principles discussed below will remain the same. Uber might be getting rid of flat rate surge but things will always be changing and it’s important for drivers to adapt or suffer the consequences.

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The Ratings Game: Who is Better Between Uber and Lyft?

One question we get a lot at The Rideshare Guy is which platform is more ‘fair’ to drivers in terms of ratings. It’s a tricky question, since Uber and Lyft calculate ratings in different ways. However, senior RSG contributor Sergio Avedian was up to the task. Below, he compares the rating systems that currently exist and declares a winner between Uber and Lyft.

We’ve been living in the sharing economy for the past decade. Instead of staying in a hotel, we spend the night in an Airbnb. Instead of renting an office, we started using a coworking space and instead of taking a cab, we use Uber or Lyft.

These platforms all take existing assets and make them accessible to consumers through the use of digital technology. We push a button on our smartphones and a car will show up to usher us to our destination.

the ratings game

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What You Need to Know About Uber’s New Terms of Service Agreement

Recently, drivers received another update to the Uber Terms of Service (TOS) agreement. Senior RSG Contributor Sergio Avedian decided to read all 27 pages of it, and in this comprehensive article he will explain what it means when you sign this agreement.

Like many others, I tried to go online to drive with Uber last week and was greeted with a pop-up notification about a new Terms of Service (TOS) agreement. As with previous updates, we were asked to read it carefully and electronically sign it if we want to continue to use the app and earn a living. Most drivers probably instantly signed it without reading, since I’m sure they wanted to go online and make money, but I decided to dig deep and read all 27 pages of it, partially because I wanted to and most importantly because we need to know what we are agreeing to as drivers!

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Is Uber Bringing Back The Original Surge Multiplier?

During his usual early morning shift, senior RSG contributor Sergio Avedian has discovered that some of his Uber rides had the old surge multiplier attached. He wrote extensively about the Penny Surge (Uber Flat Rate Surge) in his previous article and explained some of his new strategies. Let’s take a deeper look at this new phenomenon of Uber possibly bringing back the old surge multiplier and sharing the wealth with their drivers.

Over the past year, I have started driving less and less for Uber and Lyft (fewer than 20 hours a week total) and we all can guess what the reason is. Rate reductions (last one in March of 2019 in Los Angeles to the tune of 10%) have taken a toll on my pocketbook. Even with all the strategies I deploy, I can’t duplicate the good old days of averaging over $40-45 per app on hour.

That said, I still manage to crack the $30 barrier easily. I am a surge only/mostly driver, always have been, and Uber is still my preferred rideshare company when I decide to get on the road and drive over Lyft. The following screenshots are from Monday, November 18, 2019!

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