How to make more money and boost your earnings as an Uber Driver

You’ve probably heard about the financial and personal benefits of driving for Uber/Lyft, but maybe you don’t have a car to use or that you want to use for this career choice. That’s where we come in. At HyreCar, we connect cars with drivers. For aspiring drivers ready for a steady income of good money, or folks with a car to rent out that are down for extra cash in their pockets, HyreCar helps make it happen.

If you’re already driving for Uber/Lyft, we know that just by clicking on this post, you’re interested in taking your career to another level, and are serious about doing so. You’ve probably read “work harder, work more, make more” over and over again across the web. We’ll say it with you: Well, obviously! But there are some secrets we’ve heard from our own drivers, and experts, that prove there are ways to make more without busting your butt by simply making small changes to the way you think and do what you do.

If you’re still looking to start driving for Uber/Lyft, but don’t have a car to do so, head over to our marketplace to book your car and get on the road within 24 hours!

These tips about how to maximize uber earnings will give you more confidence as you tackle your financial goals and in turn put you in a position to maximize the money you make, and make more of it.

If you’re ready to learn how to make the most of your income, here are our three tips.

1. This isn’t a job, it’s your company, and you’re open for business

This is a deceptively simple piece of advice that has different parts to consider.

How often does the phrase “self-employed” or “independent contractor” come up in conversations about what you do? If you’re anything like other drivers, then the answer is often.

If you’re to start making more money, the question you ask yourself should not be “How do I make more money”, it should be “How do I run a better business?” As Kevin D. says from KungFu.co, your Uber small business will call on you to change your mindset. Where a job asks you how to make more money, a business-mindset will ask you how to make money come in longer, more often, and in bigger numbers. Stop thinking of Uber as a job and you can begin thinking bigger (which means more $$$).

Now that you’re thinking right, take it further. Great business owners, namely small business owners (kinda like yourself!) think about what they can do to set themselves apart from competitors. You would do well to do the same. How can your business be exceptional on its own, and especially against other drivers?

2. Play the game – 3 ways

Thanks to an investigative piece Philadelphia journalist Emily Guendelsberger wrote in the City Paper, where Guendelsberger went undercover as an Uber driver to learn more about the life and the gig, we’re now privy to some excellent secrets that will help drivers work their way around the Uber system to make more money. Best of all, it’s all kosher.

Ignore Uber’s Texts

One deviously genius money-making secret Guendelsberger found was to ignore Uber’s texts. Uber sends texts to drivers suggesting to them where good places to drive are, especially in surge pricing times. What Guendelsberger found was that by drivers flocking to these suggested busy areas, the surge pricing went down, and in turn, drivers made less money on rides.

Anticipate surge pricing, and game it

Another genius tip from Guendelsberger was found with some tinkering. During her stint at a Philly driver, she found that 2AM – 2:30AM was a hot time for bar goers needing Ubers. Knowing this, many drivers post up around the bars and wait. (Sound like you?) Guendelsberger found that she’d often get a ride around 1:55AM, before Surge pricing started. Her tip is to log out of the driver app 10-15 min before you anticipate surge pricing, then logging back in. So for her, she’d anticipate the 2AM Surge, so she’d log out around 1:50AM and log back in after the clock struck 2AM. Boom. Surge price accepted.

Use the passenger app

There are some features that exist in the passenger app that aren’t in the driver’s. For one, you can see where other drivers are, which allows you to go where they aren’t. Consider Guendelsberger’s anecdote where she simply drove to the other side of a busy stadium after a game, opposite of where most drivers pooled, and instantly got pinged for a ride. Utilize this same idea and put it into practice when you are out driving next.

Gaming the system is kosher and it’s smart. It’s common for businesses to find these windows of opportunity and running with them to make headway for themselves, and against their competitors.

3. Adding value: to your riders and to your wallet

Keeping snacks and water – for yourself!

Like our fitness-minded friends who know less caloric intake and more caloric burn = net weight loss, a business person like yourself will understand that less costs provide more income.

You’re hip to the idea of keeping some water bottles in the water, like everyone else. Snacks also are obviously a small way to also earn your customers’ delight. But additionally, it’s important to keep snacks (if not meals) for yourself too. If you’re anything like most Uber drivers, you’re used to driving around and taking your meal breaks at a drive thru or ordering to-go. But take some time to consider how a simple fix like that would save you money over the course of a month, and a year.

Study those who kill it.

One simple but effective way to become a better business person who makes more money is to study those who do it right. Uber used to have a resource for anyone to see the top driver profiles, and let us see how they were rated and what they did best. That doesn’t exist anymore, but what we do have are resources like this article about Mohammed, Uber’s highest rated driver in Europe and this subreddit, that’s full of driver’s stories, tips and experiences that will help you learn from their victories, and mistakes.

In conclusion….

What we hope you’ve been able to take from this post was that becoming a business-minded Uber driver will open you up to many more opportunities than you would thinking that Uber is just a job. The difference is exemplified with tactics that give you an edge against competitors and the system, and also give you value to your customers and your bottom line.

We truly hope to make your career as a rideshare driver much more profitable.

If you are still waiting to get on the road,  please visit our marketplace to find your perfect car and begin your journey to financial freedom!

Happy driving!