‘$3 is a slap in the face:’ Rideshare drivers quitting Uber due to low earnings

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Many rideshare drivers across the country said they recently quit working for Uber due to declining earnings.

Action News Jax caught a ride with one local Uber driver who said his earnings dropped nearly in half this year.

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When an Uber driver picks up a passenger, they take on all the risks from the maintenance of their vehicle to their safety. But one driver said it’s not worth it if their earnings keep decreasing.

According to coworker.org, Uber has cut drivers’ mileage rates from $0.99 per mile to $0.68 per mile.

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“That’s not cutting it for us. We risk our lives to get the people home or work safely. I don’t understand why Uber is cutting into our earnings like that,” Uber Driver Larry Johnson said.

Johnson has been a 5-star driver for Uber in Jacksonville for nine years. He never thought the driver’s earnings would be cut in half.

“When I first started, it was 80% I was getting. Now, it’s under 50%.”

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Johnson said he noticed the change in his earnings when a customer paid $37 for his normal route at Jacksonville Airport, and he only got 40% of that.

“When I get to the airport to close that customer out, I only get $15 of it. I have a problem with that,” he said.

He took this issue to the Uber Support team. In their conversation, Uber acknowledged Johnson is one of the top-rated drivers in the city. But to resolve his concerns they offered him an extra $3 and 10 Uber loyalty points.

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“Three dollars is a slap in the face. That’s not even a gallon of gas,” he said.

Uber’s average driver pay per trip declined year-over-year by 11.9% in the third quarter of 2023, according to Forbes.

Local people we spoke with are behind the drivers getting paid more of their fares.

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“If they are doing the work, they must be paid for what they do,” Christine Wade said.

“They need to make more of their money. I believe the company makes 80% and they make 20%. It needs to be 50/50. They are taking all the risks,” Aaron Booker said.

Action News Jax reached out to Uber to answer our questions, but we haven’t received a response at this time.

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