Skip to main content

The context you need, when you need it

When news breaks, you need to understand what actually matters — and what to do about it. At Vox, our mission to help you make sense of the world has never been more vital. But we can’t do it on our own.

We rely on readers like you to fund our journalism. Will you support our work and become a Vox Member today?

Join now

Uber has been trying desperately to win back drivers, so we asked an Uber driver if it’s working

It’s tough to be an Uber driver lately.

Uber Logo in Sunglasses
Uber Logo in Sunglasses
Photo by Jaap Arriens/NurPhoto via Getty Images

For years, Uber has focused on the rider as the primary customer in lieu of investing in drivers. But now, the company is attempting to rectify its frayed relationship with its three million drivers.

So what is it really like to be an Uber driver dealing with day-in and day-out troubles at the company?

Recode reporter Johana Bhuiyan rode along with one to find out by asking him questions only drivers can answer.

Meet Cameron Kruger. He’s a 4.96-rated Uber driver in New York City who has been driving for the company for two years. As of October, Kruger had given almost 3,000 rides on the Uber platform.

Kruger takes pride in making his ride a good experience for passengers but has also thought a great deal about how to protect himself. Here’s what his setup looks like:

When did Uber’s relationship with its drivers start deteriorating?

Cameron said that he got a call from someone who said he was an employee at Uber in New Jersey. He told Cameron that Uber was lowering prices and that as a result he would be driving more people and get more money.

The result? Cameron said he made $1,000 less every month.

What can Uber do to regain drivers’ trust?

They can’t, says Cameron. The “elephant” in the room, he says, is that they broke drivers’ trust by lowering fares.

Uber recently allowed tipping on its app as a way to appease drivers who felt it was unfair not to have that option. So do people actually tip drivers now?

Cameron says it varies, but the way Uber set up tips makes it hard to earn a reasonable amount of money in tips.

Cameron says the problem is that tipping for cabs, for example, happens right when you pay the driver. For Uber, it happens whenever you happen to get back on the app. And if you’ve ever ridden in an Uber, you know that the options the company gives for tipping is only a few dollars, whereas in taxis it’s a percentage of the fare. That doesn’t help drivers, Cameron says.


This article originally appeared on Recode.net.

More in Technology

Podcasts
Are humanoid robots all hype?Are humanoid robots all hype?
Podcast
Podcasts

AI is making them better — but they’re not going to be doing your chores anytime soon.

By Avishay Artsy and Sean Rameswaram
Future Perfect
The old tech that could help stop the next airborne pandemicThe old tech that could help stop the next airborne pandemic
Future Perfect

Glycol vapors, explained.

By Shayna Korol
Future Perfect
Elon Musk could lose his case against OpenAI — and still get what he wantsElon Musk could lose his case against OpenAI — and still get what he wants
Future Perfect

It’s not about who wins. It’s about the dirty laundry you air along the way.

By Sara Herschander
Life
Why banning kids from AI isn’t the answerWhy banning kids from AI isn’t the answer
Life

What kids really need in the age of artificial intelligence.

By Anna North
Culture
Anthropic owes authors $1.5B for pirating work — but the claims process is a Kafkaesque messAnthropic owes authors $1.5B for pirating work — but the claims process is a Kafkaesque mess
Culture

“Your AI monster ate all our work. Now you’re trying to pay us off with this piece of garbage that doesn’t work.”

By Constance Grady
Future Perfect
Some deaf children are hearing again because of a new gene therapySome deaf children are hearing again because of a new gene therapy
Future Perfect

A medical field that almost died is quietly fixing one disease at a time.

By Bryan Walsh