Driving for Lyft and Uber: What You Need to Know

I've taken one taxi ride in my life. I was in England and needed to get to the airport early in the morning. I rode from Oxford to the London Gatwick Airport. The fare was £145, which did not include tip. All said and done it cost about $200. The days of taxis, especially here in the US are winding down. Programs like Lyft and Uber are getting rid of that. The cost to take an Uber from Orem to the Salt Lake Airport from Uber is roughly $50, while a traditional taxi is $120-150.

Are the Drivers Making Money?

The short answer is yes, between $10-25 per hour. The companies don't want me reporting this though, likely because it varies, but I'm not about giving meaningless information. In fact, I had to pass on becoming an affiliate because I listed how much they get paid. I interviewed three Uber/Lyft drivers. I'll share a bit about each, their experiences, and what they've learned.

Christine:
Every daddy wants their daughter picking up strangers and taking them to random parts of the state, right? Christine hasn't ever been in danger at all driving, but her dad still has her carry a can of mace. Her most interesting experience, in her own words, "A drunk 50-year-old told me to go to Wendover with him. But it was mostly Blabbering. Dropped him right off home. No problems other than that."
Christine currently only drives for Uber. She makes fair money from it. On a Saturday, working the whole day, she makes about $150. She loves that she can work when she wants to. She also drives a Prius, so gas is extremely cheap for her. She has no aspirations of being a long term Uber driver. She is going to school right now and wants to get a career in the field she is actually studying in.

Austin:
Austin has been taking off a couple semesters from school to figure out what direction he wants to go in life, and while he's been doing that he's started driving for Uber and Lyft. A lot of his insights will be below, but one of his quick tips to potential drivers is, "Weekends are great 'cause more people are out drinking and such so you get more rides." As you can imagine, having a drunk person in the back of your car can lead to all sorts of pyrotechnics. Austin has had some close calls, but has always managed to get pulled over and get the door open in time to save a trip to the Quick Quack Car Wash.

Derrick:
Two kids, a wife, a job, and about 15 hours a week as a driver. Derrick drives for both Uber and Lyft and makes the most of the three drivers. He earns about $300 per week, or about $20 per hour. Derrick lives in Provo, but usually ends up in Salt Lake City while he's out driving, because that's a popular destination, as well as a good area for getting driving jobs.

Getting Started:
There are a few key things you need to know before you start driving:
1. You need to be able to pass a background check. This will also check your driving record. You don't need to be perfect, but if you have a tendency to play bumper cars on the road, you probably won't get accepted.
2. You need an approved vehicle. It has to be registered in the state you intend to drive, and it has to be a four door. There are other specifics on the vehicle requirements, but they aren't too restrictive.
3. You can pick when you work, but evenings and weekends are the most busy.
4. Does Lyft or Uber pay more? According to the drivers I spoke with, Lyft pays more because there is a built in tipping mechanism in the app. Uber, however, is more popular here in Utah. Most people do best using both.
5. You can, and I would recommend using both. If you want to try one to get started, I would recommend Uber. Again, according to my drivers, it is the most popular.
6. It is never a bad idea to carry pepper spray. None of the people I spoke to had issues, but its better to be safe than sorry.

If you drive for either company, comment below if you have any fun stories! Good luck, and happy driving!