Outside of New York City, Uber drivers make $12-$15/hour. If you get more, you’re doing great. If you happen to get a tip, even better, but Uber discourages tips. And that’s gross before expenses, such as gas and car washes. Uber’s lengthy history of deception regarding driver earnings I’m sure you heard that Uber drivers … Read more
Across the globe, Uber faces many legal challenges to its business model that brings drivers onto its network as independent contractors, rather than employees. In October, a British labor commission ruled that Uber drivers were employees. And in Late November 2016, a European Union court heard similar arguments. One of the original large labor cases … Read more
For months the Uber driver app has slowed down the flow of trip information to the driver. At the end of a trip, the app used to immediately display the driver’s share of the fare (or, in the beginning, the total fare). Recently, as I attempted to log off, Uber sent me a message that … Read more
Uber and Lyft drivers, especially those in small- to mid-sized markets, need to download the FlightAware app in order to plan the best time meet incoming travelers. I live in Burlington, Vermont. Beautiful, and small. Unlike Chicago’s O’Hare Airport, which has flights arriving constantly, Burlington International Airport has periods of the day with little commercial … Read more
Why do Lyft and Uber drivers call passengers before coming to pick them up? When your Uber or Lyft driver calls you after accepting your ride, but before leaving to get you, they’re probably making sure that your trip is worth their time. Drivers don’t see the destination you input when you request a ride. … Read more
In down-to-the-wire negotiations, Uber and Québec’s Transport Minister agreed to sweeping regulations that could provide other governments a blueprint for how to tax and regulate ride-hailing firms. You can tax Uber; you can regulate Uber; just don’t try to fingerprint their drivers. Under the province’s Bill 100, passed June 10, Uber and the Minister had … Read more
As a ‘reward’ to its drivers, Uber recently began offering a discount on retirement programs offered through Betterment, a new online retirement savings management company. Like most offerings from Uber, drivers need to beware. Betterment works best for high earners, and fees for small accounts will cripple a typical driver’s savings growth. Betterment offers account … Read more
This post will show you how to change your name displayed in the Uber ‘Partner’ app. I’ve wanted to change the name Uber shows to my passengers ever since I started driving. My given name, Christopher, appears on my driver’s license, insurance card and my car title. Not surprisingly, Uber used it when I signed on as a … Read more
UberPOOL (like Lyft’s Lyft Line) approximates carpooling. In theory, several riders share a car traveling along a shared route. (In true carpooling, the driver and the passengers share the destination.) Uber’s version uses its large network of riders, finding some that could travel the same path for at least part of their trip. 1) With … Read more
Montréal, Québec, has a relatively new entrant into the taxi industry. Téo Taxi combines an environmental focus with the ease of app-based dispatch and billing to create a powerful hybrid company. While visiting Montréal in June, I decided to give it a try. The service has three key features: every car in the fleet is electric; … Read more