I Accepted 20 Uber Ride Requests in a Row - Here Are the Results

Join RSG contributor Sergio as he shares the outcome of his recent Uber experiment.

As the host of the most popular gig economy livestream/podcast in the nation, SMTMC (Show Me The Money Club) on the Rideshare Guy Youtube channel and the Chairman of the CPU (Cherry Pickers United), a couple of weeks ago, I did something I had not done in 8 years.?

I have been on the Uber Platform. With my AR (Acceptance Rate) hovering around single digits, I decided to trust the algorithm and took 20 trips in a row, working exactly the way Uber wants every driver to work.?

Why Do This Experiment?

I am in touch with thousands of drivers weekly. I run into many types: cherry pickers and drivers with 100% AR who swear by it. In Los Angeles , where I drive, I used to hunt the Surge (not chase it) by applying the 3Ps: Patience, Position, and Planning!?

Well, things have changed a lot since the nationwide release of Upfront Fares about 18 months ago. I believe that the “Rebalancing” rhetoric by the CEOs of Uber/Lyft that Upfront Fares have been nothing but another rate cut in exchange for seeing the destination of the rider.?

This shows especially on trips longer than 10 miles compared to the days of the Rate Card (the last one in LA was 60/21).?

Here is Jeff from Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, in our popular BTW (Behind The Wheel) series boasting about his 100% AR and 0% CR!

But let’s get back to the experiment. So, I did accept 20 trips in a row. Luckily, I was not sent to the Tijuana border, but I drove all over Los Angeles County during this adventure. Of 20 trips, 2 were UberX Shared, 3 were UberX, and 15 were Uber Comfort.?

It was really interesting that Uber kept feeding me Comfort trip after Comfort trip.?

Is Uber pushing the regular X passengers to use more Comfort by pricing them competitively??

Is Uber competing with the new Lyft Extra Comfort category??

I am not sure, but I accepted all 20 trips without much thought!

Metrics I Used

A lot of drivers use different metrics to gauge their profitability. In my case, unlike Uber/Lyft CEOs' Active/Booked/Utilized Hour claims of $32 per Active Hour nationwide, I will use Online Hours.?

I drive a 2021 Hyundai Santa Fe, and I have figured out my cost to operate this vehicle to be about $6-7 per hour, including gas, maintenance, insurance, depreciation, etc. For this article, I will use $6! Below are the definitions according to the TNCs. You all should be familiar with the terminology!?

I have also included the Quest incentive I had for that week, which was 20 trips for an additional $15, as well as my Tips, although Quests and Tips are not guaranteed and are variable at best!

Results & Totals

Online Hours: 11

Active Hours: 7.25

UR (Utilization Rate): 66%

Gross Earnings (Including Tips & Incentives): $236.62

Total Miles Driven (P1, P2, P3 and Dead Miles): 180

MPG: 27.8

Gas Cost: 6.5 Gallons @ $4.25 a gallon = $27.63

Total per Online Hour Cost: $66 ($6 per hour x 11)

Gross Earnings per Online Hour: $21.50

Net Total Earnings per Online Hour: $170.62

Net Earnings per Online Hour: $15.50

Total per Active Hour Cost: $43.50 ($6 per hour x 7.25)

Gross Earnings per Active Hour: $32.63

Net Total Earnings per Active Hour: $193.12

Net Earnings per Active Hour: $26.63

I hope all drivers are using some of these metrics to judge the success of running their small business of Rideshare services. These days, this is a must since our margins have been declining in the face of increasing vehicle operating costs .?

Inflation has been a huge problem for everyone in the country over the past few years, and Rideshare drivers are specifically susceptible to these increased costs. I wish Uber/Lyft economists would come up with a chart explaining driver earnings going back to 2017, adjusted to inflation!

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My Conclusions

To be perfectly honest, after the fourth or fifth straight trip request, I relaxed into the experiment. There were no quick math challenges, as the ping will only last 10 seconds on Uber. I just clicked accept and moved.?

There definitely were a couple of trips that I would not have taken since they took me to parts of town with very low demand, and that may be the reason for the abysmal results.?

I have always said as much as I enjoy the flexibility and freedom of this gig, one must drive when and where there is demand. I drove on a sunny Los Angeles Saturday, a prime day, really.?

As most of you gathered by the screenshots, the demand was not there for me to finish accepting 20 in a row in one day. I had commenced this experiment at 11 am, and the 17th trip brought me within 8 miles of my house at 8 pm, when I called it quits for that day.?

The next day, on Sunday, I was able to finish the experiment quickly.?

Things have drastically changed in my city of Los Angeles over the past 18 months. The incentives have been reduced if not totally eliminated, but most importantly, millions more drivers have joined the Uber platform, causing massive oversaturation in its top 20 markets.?

As a company, Uber does not care about driver supply. They can’t have enough drivers on the road since they would like to pick up every passenger in less than 5 minutes.?

According to the Uber CEO during the last conference call, supply may be outstripping demand, which is not good news for drivers around the nation!

Please take a look at this very popular video we posted after the experiment was over.

Another thing Uber likes and, as cherry pickers, we despise is the lack of Surge. That was the incentive for me to go out and drive since I am great at positioning myself in the right spots.?

Well, since there is no more Surge due to oversaturation, with the exception of NYE, Halloween, and a few other special occasions, how can I pick cherries if there are no cherries to pick??

One must use the hybrid model these days; just drive like a robot and accept everything thrown your way, trusting the algorithms. Then, if and when Surge kicks in, become a cherry picker.?

My results speak for themselves: at $15.50 per Online Hour after expenses, I earned less than the minimum wage for Los Angeles County.?

I get the Active Hours sales pitch from the CEOs of the Rideshare companies, but I think measuring one’s earnings/profitability by Active Hours is a fallacy.?

The risks involved in driving thousands of miles a month are not commensurate with the earning potential of this gig any longer! How are you doing in your cities? Hit reply and let us know!

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