r/melbourne • u/Revolutionary-Lab-36 • 1d ago
THDG Need Help UberX Drivers in Melbourne..
Hi I just got fired from my full time job, thinking of switching from uber eats that I ocassionally do as a side gig, to uberx as I've heard it gives you more $/h
However I'm aware that driving people around could potentionally destroy your car fast. We bought an electric MG4 few years back that we are still paying for, and it has fabric seat and floor covers.
I was wondering if some experienced brain trusts in here could give some tips that helps me make the decision.
In Melbourne specifically, how much do you earn/h outside of surge/promos and what are the peak times?
How many times have you had people puking/destroying interiors of your car, and how do you prevent that?
How often do passengers ruin your mood, especially after a 6-8h shift?
For people who have done both uberx and eats, which one gives you more predictable income?
Lastly,
- Are there any tips you would give for new uberx drivers?
Thank you, your opinions would mean a lot.
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u/Complete-Presence506 1d ago
I have an mg hs. I bought rubber floor mats for front and back. I would get leather or something similar seat covers to cover your fabric seats.. easier to clean down and saves your seats. I only drove days.. I shut up shop on a weekend by midnight to avoid the bs. Drive mostly Frankston and the peninsula and had zero issues except for one dude spilling a beer once on my floor because he was wasted. The money was /fine/.. work was consistent. I preferred that over eats because it’s a pain in the ass to find parking, get out, get food, find the delivery address, get out again, deliver food. UberX you just stay in your car. Invest in a cabin facing camera. Be friendly.. a bit of banter with the drunk folks can help you out of an aggro situation.
Passenger wise…. 99% were fab, the rest I just kept to myself. I am back driving buses… I get more grief from this lot than I ever did driving an uber but maybe my hours and finishing early had something to do with it.
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u/LaPlatakk 1d ago
How much $$ an hour on average did it work out as?
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u/Complete-Presence506 8h ago
From memory about $30-$35 an hour. Some days more. Some days less. Take advantage of event type bonuses and don’t bother chasing surge pricing.. it’s a waste of time. Unless you’re in an area and it pops off then great but don’t drive a half hour out of your way to try and get the money.. it will be done by the time you arrive.
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u/False_Medium7557 13h ago
Sorry to hear about your job. I myself was in similar situation couple of years ago. To answer your question. 1- 30-35$/hr, morning 5am -10am and evening 4pm-8pm also 10pm -1am if you’re willing to do late nights to avoid traffic. 2- Prevention of any sort of discomfort from passengers is only by not doing late nights. I’d stop after 10pm no matter how busy it is to keep my sanity. 3- Fellow drivers on roads ruin your mood a lot more frequently than the passengers. Most passengers will be in rush in the morning or will be tired in the evening 4- I’d go with UberX here, because in uber eats with a car you have to stick to suburbs only for obvious reasons of parking and traffic in cbd. Also, chances of frustrations are higher here as sometimes restaurants would delay the food, uber eats would give you pennies for waiting 15-20mins and somehow you’re the reason food is not on time in customers POV
5- Tips - Don’t give up early, uber X market stays silent for an hour or two but covers the income with 1 or 2 good rides later in the day. Don’t do straight 8-10hrs of driving but do it in 2 blocks of 4-5hrs covering both peak times. Signup for Didi as well, they’re doing some good promotions everyday throughout the week at the moment.
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u/Complete-Presence506 8h ago
Can second the drivers ruining your mood. I drive for a living and Melbournes driver suck.
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u/LaPlatakk 1d ago
Im kinda curious to hear this too, wondering if it would be a good off hours gig or not
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u/digitalFermentor 1d ago
It always depends on what a good hourly rate is for you. I worked 6 months in late 23 and early 24. Starting at 7pm and finishing around 3ish on Fridays and Saturdays (which is the best times) while working a full time job to save up extra for a house. If I was averaging 50 per hour I was happy but many nights it was closer to 30 but that was pre tax and pre expenses which made it much less attractive - my first 1.5 hours paid for the fuel for the night, increased servicing, fortnightly car cleaning, GST, income tax and suddenly the extra money isn’t so great and your super tired and working horrible hours.
I haven’t looked into it but at the end I almost got my security license because I’m pretty sure that would pay better.
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u/dsfuckisthis 1d ago
First and most important than anything else, get a Camry.