Uber Review
What is Uber and how does it work?
Uber is a platform where individual drivers can connect with riders, eateries, and restaurants for driving to a destination, food delivery, package delivery, couriers, freight transportation, and so on. In cities where Uber is available, you can use the Uber app to request a ride. When a nearby driver accepts your request, the app displays an estimated time of arrival for the driver heading to your pickup location.
This app allows you to pursue your passion for driving while getting paid for it.
Pros and Cons Of Driving for Uber
1. Flexible Schedule
Possibly the biggest advantage to a job like this is the flexible schedule. You can work as much or as little as you would like and during any hours. No need to schedule your driving around other activities. You can drive when you have time.
Like any job of this type, as drivers learn the platform, they’re able to maximize their efficiency driving up their hourly wage and if Uber were to respond, it would likely say that the flexibility of the work is a better value to its drivers than the fixed schedule of Walmart.
2. Taxes
Courts ruled that Uber drivers are independent contractors rather than employees. Because of that, drivers are not eligible for overtime pay or benefits and the driver is responsible for paying their taxes. Fortunately, as an independent contractor, you can deduct expenses associated with your business income, including taking the standard mileage deduction for the miles you travel for your business. A good rule of thumb is to save 25% of your income for taxes but you’ll likely pay much less after deductions.
3. Insurance
As a for-hire driver, your auto insurance policy doesn’t cover your vehicle when you’re functioning as a driver. Many have mistakenly said drivers have to provide their commercial policy but Uber provides commercial insurance that covers the vehicle from the time the trip starts to when it ends. Also included is uninsured motorist coverage along with other coverages including coverage when the driver is between trips.
4. Wear and Tear
You’ve heard it before. Cars depreciate rapidly and probably the biggest enemy to your car’s value is the number of miles. As you pack on the miles, the value of your car falls and the amount of repairs increases. There’s also the normal wear and tear of having people in and out of the back of your car. There will be stains, spills, accidental damage, and the normal wear and tear that comes with frequent use.
Although Uber will help you with some expenses cleaning up vomit or other stains, for example, the wear and tear on your car is an expense that falls on you. Save a portion of your earnings to purchase a new car. You’ll need that money long before the casual driver's will.
5. Your Safety
Most people would think twice about picking up a hitchhiker but as a for-hire driver, you’re letting strangers into your car. Uber does its best to screen riders by having a feedback system where both drivers and rider rate each other but there’s no way to completely mitigate the risk to your safety. There are also plenty of reports online of passengers making inappropriate advances on drivers and the reverse. But like any service as large as Uber, the reports of negative incidents will always gain more attention than the majority of trips that happen without incident and end up being an enjoyable experience for all involved. All drivers should take appropriate precautions and Be safety-minded at all times.
How the Uber Driver App Works
The process of picking up and dropping off passengers involves a few steps:
- Log in to the Uber Driver application and click on “Go Online” to mark yourself as being available for pickups
- Wait for a ride request your phone will start beeping once you receive a ride request and you can see the rider’s pick-up location and destination
- Tap on your phone screen to accept the request
- You have just 30 seconds to accept a ride request before that ride is passed to the next available driver-partner. If you choose to decline the request, it will be passed to the next closest Uber driver-partner.
- Once you have accepted the request, do the following:
- Click on the “Navigate” button at the upper right-hand corner of the app to use the app’s built-in GPS, or you can use another navigation app like Google Maps
- Notify the passenger right away when you arrive, verify their name to confirm you’re picking up the correct person, and greet them into your vehicle
- Verify where you’re driving with your passenger before you start and then start the trip in the app
Note: You will be able to choose a personal destination twice a day. This allows you to only receive trips that have a destination near a particular location. Otherwise, you do not have control over the passenger’s destination.
Once you have reached your passenger’s destination, end the trip by:
- Dropping the passenger off at their destination
- Ending the trip in the app
- After you have completed the trip you will be asked to rate your passenger on a scale of 1-5 stars with the option of leaving comments and your passenger will have the option of rating you as well
Bottom Line
Uber provides an attractive option for people who would like the freedom that comes with being an independent Earner.
Almost any 4-door vehicle that is 10 years old or newer will qualify you as long as it is in good mechanical and cosmetic condition however there was a recent study which brought out the obvious downside from Uber, such as increased congestion, higher traffic fatalities, huge declines in transit ridership and other negative impacts.
Although after some in-depth research 80% of Uber drivers that stopped driving for uber gave their reasons based on their expectations from customers.
The Star Rating system in Uber was being misused by Customers, a customer can rate an uber driver poor even when the driver was good enough to be given a 5 star.
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