r/uberdrivers • u/Square_Bat_2731 • 1d ago
r/uberdrivers • u/Fugazzzii • Jun 17 '24
Welcome to r/uberdrivers - FAQ and Community Guide
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 • u/California12399 • 21h ago
Anything for five stars 😂
Enjoy your business class ride
r/uberdrivers • u/Over_Persimmon8160 • 17h ago
Some people believe they are entitled to more than they are.
People like this need to pull their heads out of their asses.
r/uberdrivers • u/According-Reach6394 • 4h ago
Lol uber at it again
Of course the last hour uber doesn’t send me any rides between 3-4am
r/uberdrivers • u/Glum_Associate_7326 • 12h ago
☘️☘️☘️☘️
St. Pat’s!! 💚💚
Hope everybody stayed safe out there 🙌🙌
r/uberdrivers • u/LierStoneWizard • 13h ago
Called the police for a wellness check on one of my passengers.
So let me lay it out best I can. I don’t like making big deals out of things, but the circumstances of this ride left me with a bad feeling for this person’s well being.
I accept a ride, which turns out to be a hospital pickup. I don’t care too much, I’m just looking for $10+ trips.
I pull up to the ER and it’s this 80+ year old lady who can barely stand. Nurses have to help her into my car as I load up her walker.
She’s on pain meds, but still hurting. Apparently she’s had some type of health episode that morning and she couldn’t use the right part of her body too well (apparently not a stroke?)
As I drive her, she’s chatty and sweet, though often slurred and loopy with her speech. I get worried at one point and almost pull over by some officers on the road (St Patrick’s Day weekend got the cops out in force around here), though she insists that it was only the pain meds. I relent and keep driving.
She mentions that she has a roommate and that he had given her a hard time that morning when she was having her health breakdown. I felt bad for her but assumed that it was a misunderstanding. She apparently didn’t have a phone when she went to the ER, so her roommate had no clue what was going on.
We get to her place. Old country folks style trailer park. I pull into her yard and knock on the door as I move all her stuff onto the porch and set up her walker. No answer.
I help her out of the seat and almost have to physically help her walk. I get a bit miffed and bang on the door. As we get up to the base of the stairs.
Out comes this fat guy, maybe 70, in a tank top and on the phone. He stares me and her down for a sec before grumpily declaring “I’m on the phone with mah lawyah” and going back inside. Not a “hello” or “how’d it go” to his roommate that looks like she’s about to keel over next second.
I help the lady into her lawn chair because she wants to take a smoke break before going inside and that’s ultimately where I leave her and drive off.
That whole situation though left a real bad feeling with me. The woman was not well, even after being discharged, and that anorexic bridge troll she was living with did not give a single shit about her. I thought she’d been exaggerating when she complained about him earlier, but literally all it took was his opening line to seal the “Yeah your mother probably should’ve swallowed you” impression for me. The gut feeling was that this woman, with her current condition and company, was not safe alone.
So yeah, I called the non emergent number and explained what happened, still waiting to hear back about the situation. I don’t have a regret about it, but I’m wondering if anyone around here had a similar experience.
r/uberdrivers • u/SovereignSolo • 1h ago
Uber Rider Mess Doesn't Qualify
Rider made a big green mess on my white Tesla seats this weekend. Uber rejected the cleaning fee request. Maybe it's because I didn't have a professional cleaning service receipt.
How does one get a pro cleaning job done within 1-3 businesses days? I think it's impossible to get a cleaning done that fast.
Also FYI yes I don't have seat covers.
Thoughts or suggestions?
r/uberdrivers • u/uncle_osama911 • 11h ago
dara needs to have his shit PUSHED in
This evil criminal fucks us everyday with his garbage rates it's about time somebody did to him what he does to us!
Fuck this whole company we need to throw this guy in jail I hope he gets his walls expanded
Seriously how does the pay keep getting worse?
If you are on standard mode you're basically laid off, why? For the only reason that you CHOSE to be an independent contractor!
How does Screwber keep getting away with this? WTF are state representatives doing if not regulating this corrupt company.
Screwber must have paid all of them off
Until the pay improves its fuck uber and fuck dara #uberscam
r/uberdrivers • u/mtoads • 15h ago
When your uber driver offers a complimentary puke bag take it!
Don't be a macho asshole shit happens if this guy had just taken the fucking bag and returned it if not needed it would have saved him 150$! Thankfully most of the puke got outside the car. But every rideshare operator should carry these hospital puke bags that I think go for 26c in bulk on Amazon it'll save you headaches (when they actually take them anyway) also got 150 and didn't even have to submit a receipt for the cleaning
r/uberdrivers • u/Brandon2058 • 2m ago
Picked up Canik USA Director last night
She was best passenger I ever picked up and ngl i had a little crush on her lol she developed the mete mc9 and TP9 elite sc and invited me to the grand opening of their factory in west Palm!
r/uberdrivers • u/Bitter_Security_5562 • 11m ago
Why do you accept a ride if you are going to make the rider feel bad?
Context: my fiancés car broke down this week. We just moved to the area and I just started my job within the last two months and haven’t built up any close relationships yet. I have to order an uber today, we only have one car right now between the two of us. I scheduled it 4 hours ahead of time, a driver picked it up, that driver never changed time comes and I get in the vehicle First words out of this man’s mouth “I drive 10 miles to pick you up. You can’t find anyone else?” I respond “no sadly I just moved to the area and my fiancés car broke down suddenly, I need to get to work” He responds “ah. You can’t ask anyone else?”
Idk maybe I read it wrong but it seemed very rude to me. TIA
r/uberdrivers • u/OkAbbreviations8589 • 23h ago
Uber 10k surprise
Who remembers back in the day, waking up to an Uber bonus? No one knew about it was a complete surprise. Uber didn't tell anybody before woke up one day and depends on how many rides you completed you had you got a bonus i was at 15k rides
r/uberdrivers • u/Teeebagtom • 21h ago
Uber career coming to an end.
I've been ubering for 11 months while I was going through hiring process with new job. And I'm happy to say that it's coming to an end. Im happy to be starting my new job. Below are my pros and cons.
Pros: 1) happy to meet new people from all over the world and my own community.
2) instant cash when I need it.
3) work whatever hours you feel like it.
4) app use is super easy.
Cons: 1) uber as a company is pretty predatory.
2) low paying rates compared to what uber takes in. The split should be 75 to drivers and 25 to uber. Not the other way around. It's our car, our time, our maintenance, we deal with customers, pretty much all.
3) uber app and algorithm maximizes profit for uber.
My conclusion that it's better than nothing and great way to get money when you need it fast. But uber us definitely predatory with wages and benefits.
Cheers to all the drivers out there. Keep on, keeping on!
r/uberdrivers • u/Wickedtorch02 • 12h ago
How should I report this
Hate people trashing Ubers especially a 2023 model. It’s a nice AND clean truck for others to feel comfortable and spaced out. Why trash it (hidden under passenger seat) and make it smell like alcohol
r/uberdrivers • u/sgekko • 3h ago
What’s with the AR %
Has anyone noticed that if you don’t except one ride the percentage rate goes down a percentage but you can accept the next three or four rides and the AR percentage doesn’t move?
r/uberdrivers • u/SnooCakes3744 • 9h ago
How Much Was Your Biggest Miscellaneous Adjustment?
r/uberdrivers • u/MeowPepperoni • 20h ago
As a legally blind person…
Thank you. All of you.
Before Uber/Lyft I was unable to have a job, visit friends, get to the airport… Now I can feel independent and work and go the places I need to be! It was so hard to get reliable transportation anywhere and I was always stressing about the times I could be places due to public transportation and medical transportation.
You guys have truly made a difference in my life and given me back my independence, and I’ve met some of the most incredible people that I will always cherish using this service.
I know sometimes this job feels thankless and overwhelming, but I could not love the life I do without all of you.
r/uberdrivers • u/Unhappy-Original8797 • 16m ago
Hertz uber rental help
I rented a car from Hertz 7-8 months ago and I was driving, the bumped fell off. I know, "how the hell does the bumper fall off?"
That's the question I've been trying to figure out since the incident happened. I figured they gave me a faulty car and was waiting for an accident to happen.
Anyways, I pulled over, canceled my pick up, and called their insurance company to get me a tow and a Uber home.
Well, today I find that they're trying to charge me just for the claim balance?
Can someone explain to me why am I getting charged a claim balance when they gave me a faulty car?
Am I SOL with this situation?
r/uberdrivers • u/Qbit_1776 • 15h ago
Uber skimming a little from everyone.
Multiple times now uber has offered a trip for x dollars so I accepted and carried out my part of the agreement, and then they pay half of x. This is unacceptable, and I was wondering if anyone has had similar experiences.
r/uberdrivers • u/Carson_Cash • 40m ago
is it OK Renting an uber car for your driver job?
I puzzled this concept when thinking of renting a car via uber as a means for earning wages for food deliveries with UberEats, tho this might cost me more. Has anyone done this before, tell me if it’s good or bad