Driving Lyft/Uber with a rental car - need quick answers (Aurora: rentals, insurance)

[Quietude]

So my daughter has discovered that Lyft has a car-rental program and she's ape to go for it. My general suspicion is that it's a lot of cost and liability, suitable only for a narrow range of people who can drive a lot of hours in a day and don't have any other way to get a suitable gig/personal car.

In broad strokes, how good a deal is the Lyft program, going through the GM rentals (she's just under 25), and how much driving would be needed to hit the break-even point? How much demand is there centered on Aurora, just north of Quincy Reservoir?

Between school (dawn to 1:00 pm each weekday) and an okay retail job, she doesn't have all that much driving time I'd be comfortable with.

Some good answers by the time she gets home this afternoon would be helpful.

[SkyDog77]

I take Lyft almost every week to the airport and have spoken to many drivers using this program. They have told me that if you aren’t driving full time it is hard to hit the minimum rides required to have Lyft pay for the car. It gets expensive to rent a car full time and will significantly eat in to her earnings if she’s not hitting the minimum.

[Quietude]

That was pretty much what I thought. Why she thought 90-some rides a week was possible, with maybe 20 hours of driving time... but a lot of it is being limited by us sharing one car. It seemed like an option. It's not.

[Gerania]

Yeah, if she has to pay for the car, it's a wash. You can earn decent money if you put in a lot of hours, pick up all of the walking wounded in the middle of the night, and are willing to fearlessly go to dicey neighborhoods. My son's friend did that between jobs. It paid his big city rent and put food on the table. Very tiring, though.

[ponyupgrl]

Definitely have her research/ calculate how much she'll actually be earning after all costs are taken care of (car, keeping car clean, gas, driving around to pick people up without a paying customer in the car, etc.)

There are a lot of articles online that have some of the calculations broken out.

She'll probably make more money with another type of 2nd job (example: bartending).

[Cfella]

Her profit margins would probably be better if she bought a used car to use. I believe the car has to be 2005 and newer. Also, get a 4 cylinder so gas is cheaper.

[abcdefg567]

She's 24. Let her figure it out on her own.... unless there's special needs. If she messes up, then she learns.

I'd urge my child to buy their own used cash car, find a higher paying job, or spend their nights bartending or whatever if they couldn't afford a car during school.

But if she's really set on it - and doesn't have special needs - I'd give my opinion and then drop it like a hot potato and hope it works out...

[Gaylord_Focker]

I drive part time for Uber. It's a tough gig

[bostonguy1960]

I've driven a taxi in Boston for a long time. I tried the Lyft rental program in February of this year in Boston for several months. It partners with Hertz, and yes, it only makes sense for full-time drivers.

To get the "free car," it's become more stringent. Back then, I only needed to do 75 rides per week. Now, it's around 125-135 rides weekly! Plus, now they make you drive a minimum number of peak rides, plus as always, you must accept 90% or more of requests. Otherwise, no free car! "Free" means taxes and fees are still charged to you, maybe $35-$40 weekly. Pay your own gas. Unlimited mileage is available, even for personal use.

$2,500 insurance deductible on the Lyft rental program!

Lots and lots of competition in each city.

Expect to drive about 15-20 miles each hour in most cities...that can get tiring, as a poster above mentioned.

If your rating goes too low, or you cancel too many requests...you're deactivated! Kind of stressful.

[bostonguy1960]

Originally Posted by Gaylord_Focker

I drive part time for Uber. It's a tough gig

But it seems so fun, lucrative and easy in the recruitment ads! Easy money!?

I didn't make that much while renting a car for Lyft in Boston but others claim good earnings here.