Ridesharing with Uber and Lyft
Uber Vs. Lyft
As a lyft driver I have discovered the comraderie among most lyft and uber drivers is of great comfort when driving the streets late at night. I have been given great advice and had some great conversations while waiting to get pinged by riders.
In speaking with fellow ride share drivers I was receiving the same advice over and over as a lyft driver.
"Become an Uber driver"
The advice set in and I began the process to become an Uber driver.
The process is a little different then lyft in that you must have your car inspected by a certified mechanic. You also do not have a mentor like you do with lyft although you do meet with an Uber employee who will finish up your registration. This is helpful if you have any questions or concerns.
I was told that Uber is a much busier platform and you get 3 times more rides then lyft.
I began driving for Uber on a Thursday night.
Driving with Lyft on a Thursday night for about 4 to 5 hours I would make about $80 in the Newport area. Give or take a few.
The first night with Uber I made $120 driving for 5 hours. I was excited to have made more money with Uber and couldn't wait for the weekend to start.
That weekend I worked for Uber only as I wanted to test out the theory I have been made aware of.
I was busy all night driving in Newport to West Hollywood to Fullerton then back to Newport and ended in Irvine.
The ride to West Hollywood made me $62 and took me about 45 mins. After driving around in WeHo for a bit I headed back toward Orange County (no rider).
I bounced around for a while and ended up in Fullerton. Once I made my way back to Newport I got pinged around 2:45 am. It was a ride to Irvine.
There was a surge so once I finish my ride I was eager to see how much I was going to make.
$74 for a 15 min ride. I was stoked and decided that was a good ride to end the night on.
Working Thursday, Friday and Saturday night I brought home about $350.
Working this same Thursday, Friday and Saturday schedule with Lyft I have not yet made over $275.
Although Uber is a much busier as far as number of rides, I find there are still slow times throughout the night and I like to work both platforms.
Working both platforms is a great way to optimize your time to the fullest.
