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The Pros & Cons of Driving with Uber Rideshare

Driving passengers with Uber has both positive points and negative points. Before you sign up, consider realistically both the pros AND the cons. Here is a summary of Uber pros & cons often expressed by Uber gig drivers.

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By the way, the Gig Café (11 Facebook Groups) is a GREAT place to learn what other drivers across Canada like (and don’t like) about driving passengers with Uber – including a group specifically for Uber Rideshare drivers.

PRO: Why Drivers LIKE Uber Rideshare

  • I AM MY OWN BOSS. Nobody tells me what to do. I drive when I want, and I stay home when I want. I really like that!
  • The work schedule is totally flexible, making it possible to participate in other activities any time I want.
  • Uber Rideshare is the perfect part-time job, generating extra income in addition to my main full-time employment.
  • I can earn a decent income. At busy times, I often receive more than $30/hour (before expenses).
  • I can scale my hours, depending on the situation: Part-time, full-time, or as much as 60 hours/week (or more!) if I want a higher income.
  • I get paid weekly, and I can even cash out instantly once a day (and unlike the other gigs, there is no fee for this).
  • At tax time, I can significantly reduce my income tax by deducting my business expenses (fuel, maintenance, repairs, tires, smartphone, data plan, etc.) And I only have to pay it in April of the following year, allowing me to use the funds for other things in the meantime.
  • I get to keep some of the GST/HST which Uber collects from passengers and includes with my payments.
  • This gig is like having my own small business. I am rewarded with profits from my own hard work and smart decisions.
  • Driving with Uber is good, honest work. I don’t have to steal, beg, or depend on government handouts.
  • I meet many interesting people, learn a lot from them, and enjoy some great conversations.
  • I enjoy driving.
  • I get to know my city and see interesting places.
  • Between rides, I am able to listen to the radio, send emails, read, and complete errands.
  • I love technology: The Uber app, Internet, GPS, smartphone, satellite radio, etc.
  • Uber Rideshare and Uber Eats use the same app and the same Uber account. This makes it easy to seamlessly do both gigs at the same time, which can increase my average hourly income and my total net income.
  • Having mastered the Uber Rideshare gig, I find it easy to also drive passengers with Lyft, which increases my average hourly income and my total net income.
  • It’s exciting! Each day when I head out, I never know who I’ll meet or where I’ll go. Ubering is an adventure!
  • It’s good to be outside, moving around and doing useful activity, instead of sitting at home or working inside a building.
  • I make a meaningful contribution to society by helping people get where they need to go. I enjoy serving. I make a difference. I am proud of my work.

CON: Why Drivers DON’T LIKE Uber Rideshare

  • I don’t end up with a very big income. I would have to drive 60 hours a week to make enough money to cover all of my family’s expenses.
  • There are a lot of vehicle expenses to cover (fuel, maintenance, repairs, etc.)
  • The cost of fuel has risen a lot recently, but Uber’s payment rates have not risen.
  • I need to have a set of winter tires, and to pay for changing them twice a year (in most places).
  • I am wearing out my vehicle. It is depreciating steadily in value, and seems to be breaking down more often.
  • I am required to provide a smartphone and pay for a 10GB monthly data plan.
  • I get hit with a big lump sum income tax payment every April.
  • I have to eventually pay the government most of the GST/HST which Uber collects from passengers and includes with my payments.
  • I dislike doing the business side of gig driving (tracking mileage/income/expenses, taxes, registrations, documents, etc.)
  • Passengers usually don’t tip – even when I go the “extra mile” for them.
  • I am just not comfortable with having strangers in my personal car.
  • Passengers might mess up my car – especially if they bring along dogs, or are drunk.
  • I don’t enjoy talking with people I don’t know.
  • Passengers can be frustrating, rude or even racist. Some of them treat me like a servant, and seem to think I’m a loser or a second-class citizen.
  • I get tired of talking to passengers all day, and trying to be polite even when they are irritating.
  • Driving strangers is not safe. I might get Covid (or mugged, or scammed, etc.)
  • I don’t enjoy driving for long times. It makes me nervous (or tired, or sore, etc.)
  • I might have an accident.
  • I might get tickets.
  • It’s difficult to find public washrooms.
  • I don’t like waking up early in the morning.
  • I don’t like driving after dark or during the night.
  • I don’t like technology. It’s confusing and difficult to understand.
  • Driving can be very stressful (especially downtown) – and I don’t like stress.
  • This gig is unpredictable. I prefer to know in advance what to expect from the day ahead.
  • When I need support from Uber, their Customer Service people can often be very frustrating – and sometimes totally useless.
  • I’ve heard that when a passenger submits a complaint (even if it’s a false one), Uber tends to side with the passenger and not with the driver. I worry about Uber suddenly deactivating me because of a bad passenger.
  • There is no job security. I might suddenly be out of work if Uber deactivates me (or if I have an accident, if my car breaks down, if there’s another pandemic, etc.)
  • There are no benefits (medical coverage, severance, pension, etc.)
  • There are no sick days or vacation days – if I don’t drive, I don’t have income.
  • I wonder if Uber’s priority is to have as many drivers as possible on the road, rather than to help me earn a decent income. Sometimes it feels like there are too many Uber drivers competing for too few passengers.

(**Note: Successful Uber drivers have responses & solutions for many of these concerns. They are out on the road earning money in spite of the negative points!)

After considering these points, you may want to study more complete and up-to-date details found on the Uber Website. That’s where you will also find information which applies specifically to the location where you plan to drive.

Ready to Start?

Once you are confident Uber Rideshare may be a good fit for you, then you might as well go ahead and take the next step: SIGN UP! It only takes a few minutes to set up your Uber Account, providing basic information to establish your driver profile.

Don’t worry – Uber does not require fees or deposits, and there are no binding obligations or legal traps. At any point along the way, you can pause to get answers to your questions. But if you’re ready to move forward, the sooner you sign up and launch the registration process, the sooner you’ll be out on the road earning money.

(Note: When you click the link to go to Uber’s sign-up page, you’ll notice it mentions Douglas and inserts an Invite Code douglasa1940ue. This tells Uber you were referred by Gig Drivers of Canada. We would be grateful if you will leave the Invite Code in place, so Gig Drivers can receive recognition and a small referral reward to help cover our expenses. Thank you very much!)

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