Taxi/Private Hire/Uber drivers

[il-mostro]

Hi folks.
Has anyone on here gone from a regular job into taxi/PV or Uber driving? I’m 46 years and fancy a change of career having done 18 years Police and 7 years in the railway industry.
Salary isn’t a big driver as the mortgage is manageable. Shifts and working hours aren’t a big drama as I have shift worked all my life.
So has anyone done similar? Was it rewarding, worth it, or a massive mistake? What are the pitfalls you encountered? What big decisions did you need to make?

All info would be much appreciated.

Thanks, Mark.

[Artsy]

I can't speak from personal experience, but a friend of mine did this for a bit with UBER.

He leased the car through them I believe, plus all phone stuff etc and it he was reasonably happy with it all.

He did it more out of boredom between jobs but it did bring some money in, especially if he worked unsociable hours.

[Jamescrs]

Can’t speak from personal experience but the Uber drivers in the area I live seem to be doubling up and doing the Uber eats on top of the private hire stuff.

[Giantt]

Uber drivers are crying their eyes out at.the moment, amusing FB group,500 new drivers in London week before last,markets saturated,ice cars not getting jobs,people getting Uber £5k grant for ev, taking cheap jobs

[ThingsBehindTheSun]

I ordered an Uber a couple of weeks ago and having never been in a Tesla before was excited when it turned out we were getting picked up by a 24 plate Tesla Model Y.

I can only assume they must be making a bit if they can afford to use a brand new car like that?

I spent the whole journey being amazed at the cars and trucks being recognised and displayed on the central screen, complete with brake lights.

[TwigtheWonderkid]

I use Uber a lot, in the UK and abroad. They all tell the same story, they survive on tips. They get 50% of the fare and that just about covers costs plus a tiny bit of profit. But it's the tips that makes it pay. They all say ultimately the money is crap, but it's better than nothing and the flexibility is key. They can fit it in around their spouses job/ childcare/looking after elderly parents or whatever.

[stevetav]

I quit the corporate world after lockdown and started my own PH business. Its the best thing i have ever done. I work in an area where UBER is not licensed (for now) so options are limited. I do school contracts and airport transfers. Some of the competition in the big cities is rife with some guys working 20 hours a day but if you pick your market and offer a good service it can work well.

[PorkInsider]

TwigtheWonderkid said:

I use Uber a lot, in the UK and abroad. They all tell the same story, they survive on tips. They get 50% of the fare and that just about covers costs plus a tiny bit of profit. But it's the tips that makes it pay. They all say ultimately the money is crap, but it's better than nothing and the flexibility is key. They can fit it in around their spouses job/ childcare/looking after elderly parents or whatever.

50% is probably as good as it gets a lot of the time.

Was in an Uber in Houston earlier this year and he said he was getting $17 for a trip I was paying $62 for.

Last week I was in Cleveland Ohio and the hotel to office Uber driver told me he was getting $5.50 of the $17 fare.

I'm sure Uber will manipulate the cut up and down to manage the business in a given area, to the point the driver may get most or all of the fare at times if they want drivers in the area, but most of the ones I've spoken to about fares say it's dire.

[Glasgowrob]

Avoid uber and find a decent local ph/taxi company to work for. Just sold my ph company after nearly 20 years in the job. But it’s incredibly variable depending on where and when you work.

Plenty of good advice to be had on here from experienced operators who know the industry. So feel free to ask away.


Generally though like most small businesses your will get out what you put in. Although remember a lot of your costs are fixed in the job and may not lend itself to a part time job depending on where / what you do