Uber and Lyft drivers say they’re earning less — so some are starting their own ride services

Some Uber and Lyft drivers have set up their own businesses as their pay through the apps has declined.

Brian started driving for Uber in California in 2013. At the time, it paid enough to be his full-time job.

Since then, working for the ride-hailing app has become less profitable, he said. But Uber and rival Lyft still play an important role in his work — to recruit customers for his black-car service.

“I get a lot of people that I pick up randomly on Uber asking me, ‘Hey, do you do private rides?'” Brian said in an interview with B-17. “And I say, ‘yes,’ and I give them my business card, and if they want to book me, I’m happy to give them a price quote.”

Brian is one of four drivers who told B-17 about starting his own business offering rides outside Uber and Lyft. He and the other drivers interviewed for this story asked that B-17 not use their full names for fear of being deactivated by Uber and Lyft. B-17 has verified their identity and work for the apps.

All four have had a similar experience: Driving exclusively for Uber and Lyft used to pay well, they said. But over the last few years, ride-share drivers’ earnings have fallen to as little as $3 per ride. They say their businesses offer customers more reliable, higher-quality rides than they can often find on the apps — and, sometimes, for less money.

Drivers pitch Uber and Lyft customers

About half of Brian’s trips come from his list of private clients, he told B-17. The other he still finds on Uber and Lyft, mostly to fill in what some drivers call “dead miles” — distances driven to get to or from a ride, which the apps don’t compensate drivers for.

A trip for a private client could involve picking someone up at 3:30 a.m. to go to the airport or driving to and from a baseball game on the weekend. Those tend to make him more money than similar ones on the apps, he said, since Uber and Lyft are not taking a share of the fare.

And unlike the apps, he has gotten to know many of the people he drives for, which helps generate repeat business as well as new customers, he said.

“I won’t advertise, but someone will post me on the Nextdoor app like ‘Hey, this driver is good, reliable, his prices are reasonable.'”

When B-17 asked whether drivers are allowed to pitch their own businesses while on a trip for Uber, an Uber spokesperson said the app’s drivers are independent contractors. The spokesperson also referenced company statistics showing that Uber drivers make more than $30 per hour “while active on the app.”

A Lyft spokesperson referenced the company’s terms of service, which state that drivers can have other employment “including but not limited to providing services similar to the Rideshare Services to other companies.”

Making money on Uber and Lyft is harder, some say

Torsten Kunert, a ride-hailing driver and YouTuber who makes videos about the industry, said that he has noticed more drivers trying to develop their own businesses over the last year and a half. He offers an online course for drivers looking to make the change, with advice ranging from pitching Uber and Lyft riders on their services to navigating commercial insurance.

Riders, too, are often looking for a better deal, Kunert said. Kunert said that he often prices his rides for private clients below the going rate for a similar trip on Uber. Prices for various app-based services, such as Uber and Airbnb, have increased over the last few years as the so-called millennial lifestyle subsidy has gone away.

“The rider and the driver are pretty much experiencing the same story, really,” he said.

Offering private rides has its costs, Kunert said. Drivers have to buy their own commercial insurance and develop their list of clients. Many drivers who start their own businesses also drive high-end vehicles, such as luxury sedans and SUVs, which can involve a higher monthly auto loan or lease payment, he said.

The drivers whom B-17 spoke with said the switch was worth it.

Phil, an Uber driver in Ontario, Canada, told B-17 that he offers rides around his town for 10 Canadian dollars regardless of distance. He still works for Uber occasionally, picking up similar rides for pay of 3 or 4 Canadian dollars each just to pitch riders on his private service. “The pay is so poor,” he said.

One driver in San Diego who runs his own black car service told B-17 that he drives a Cadillac Escalade and mostly serves business clients who pay him more than he would make on Uber’s black car service.

It’s more work than just picking up trips through Uber or Lyft. The driver said he spends more time cleaning his car and texting clients to set up rides than when he relied on the apps for work.

However, his earning potential has gone up, he said. Some clients pay him $100 an hour to wait outside business meetings just so they can have a car ready to leave as soon as they are finished, he said.

Many drivers for the apps are “just saying ‘this is not worth it anymore,’ or they’re becoming independent contractors on their own,” he said.

Kunert, the YouTuber and driver, said many drivers he advises enjoy not having to worry about Uber or Lyft deactivating their accounts or figuring out whether the pay that the apps are offering for a trip will make them any money.

“You truly, for the first time, you step into your self-worth, and you become a true independent contractor,” he said.