If you own a car and you have a lot of free time, working for services like Uber sounds like the best thing ever. Perhaps you’re right – it might be a great way to make some extra money, particularly if you wanted to save for important things. But even if people keep telling you how convenient this job is, you shouldn’t jump into it right away. There are some things you should know before getting behind the wheel and taking people to their destinations.
Becoming an Uber driver is a big decision to make, and you must ensure you are prepared. Here are a few things you should know before working for Uber:
You Will Need Frequent Breaks
With Uber, you will use your personal car to drive people around. It’s your property, and you cannot be told to work when you don’t want to. So, you can drive people around at all times, whether that’s in the morning, at night, or in the middle of the day. If there’s high demand for drivers in a specific area, you may be tempted to keep working and waste no minute.
However, a few extra dollars are not worth your health and sanity. Since you’re your own boss, you should take breaks now and then. You need to rest, have something to eat or drink, and mentally and physically prepare for the next clients.
Even though you’re technically sitting all day, the job can be pretty demanding. You are responsible for the safety of your passengers while having to potentially deal with unpleasant people. Besides, you must focus on the road. So, don’t hesitate to take a break if you need one.
Not taking breaks could put you at great risk of a car accident, endangering not only yourself but also your passengers. For instance, statistics show that a total of 331,796 car crashes took place in Georgia in 2020. You don’t want to contribute to these numbers or have to fight your clients and their Atlanta car accident attorney in court.
The Pay Isn’t the Highest
Working as an Uber driver is convenient. But unless you are willing to work full-time, the pay may not be high enough to allow you to support yourself and your family.
Uber advertised that it is possible to make upwards of $40 per hour or up to $90,000 per year if you work with them. But this is not really the case. In reality, you generally get around $15-$20 per hour depending on the time or area you drive.
Not to mention that you also have to take care of your car’s maintenance yourself. This means that if there are any vehicle defects, you’ll have to pay all expenses. All of these take away from the amount of money you would enjoy if Uber took care of repairs.
During busy times of the year, such as Christmas, New Year’s, or Halloween, you may be able to make more money, though.
You May Deal with Vomiting Passengers
From time to time, you will have to transport people that are returning from crazy parties or just from their typical night out in a bar during the weekend. Lots of individuals drink in these places, which doesn’t always have a good ending. Some people get sick, and it might so happen that they vomit in your car.
You may want to carry special bags in your car for these situations, particularly if you drive more at night when the demand is higher and the costs increase.
You Need Good Reviews to Stay Active
If you start working for Uber, chances are that you want to stay active for as long as possible on the platform. For that to happen, you must provide good service. On the app, a rating of at least 4.6 stars must be maintained unless you want to fail.
All clients can leave a review for you after the ride, and if you know how to be a good worker, you will almost always get a maximum rating. If you go under 4.6 stars after one or two months, Uber will deactivate you as a driver.
Final Thoughts
Working for Uber sounds great, but the job can be pretty stressful and demanding at times and you may not always make huge amounts of money. Not to mention that you need to stay within a certain rating to be active on the platform. So, keep these things in mind before becoming a Uber driver.