Driving The Weekend: The Good, The Bad, The Ugly

Join Senior RSG Contributor Jay as he shares how he made $600 over a weekend.

After spending a decade behind the wheel as a rideshare driver, completing over 32,000 rides, I’ve seen it all.

I was a full-time driver for four years, pushing myself 10 hours a day up and down the streets of San Francisco. After the pandemic, I had to back off driving as I moved to Sacramento, and a few other interests became my work passions.

Still, I wanted to drive. Therefore, I cut it back to working on the weekends. I became a weekend warrior. There’s something unique about driving on weekends. It’s intense, unpredictable, and sometimes lucrative.

I’ve set a clear goal this weekend: earn $600 between Friday and Sunday. Let’s dive into the nuances—the good, the bad, and the ugly—that every driver faces during these busy days.

1. Earnings

The Good: Surge pricing and higher demand during weekends can significantly boost earnings.

The Bad: Competition among drivers is fierce, and too many drivers out at peak times can dilute potential earnings.

The Ugly: Unpredictable downtime between rides can severely impact hourly earnings.

What Actually Happened This Weekend

I did have one good surge ride. I hit a $13 surge over a 12-minute $7 trip. $20 for 12 minutes. Perfect. The degree to which demand dropped after 7 AM on Saturday was bad and ugly. I was determined to get to $400, which took me an extra hour to hit my goal. I drove seven hours instead of six.

It was very good that I hit my weekend goal, which I adjusted to $600. Sunday was fire, and I achieved the $600 before 8:30 AM. 

You can see that $66 was from tips, and I received another $27 in cash tips. 15% is about what I usually get, so this weekend is nothing exceptional. My total of $640, divided by 19 hours, comes out to be $34 per hour. 

That is strong.

I took advantage of several Lyft bonuses, especially the hourly bonus of $5 extra per ride. Overall, I am pleased to have achieved my goal.

2. Passengers

The Good: Weekend passengers are generally more upbeat, excited about their social plans, and often tip more generously.

The Bad: They may have been drinking, which can lead to loud and unpredictable behavior.

The Ugly: The risk of passengers getting sick in the car increases significantly, especially if you drive from 10 PM to 3 AM.

What Actually Happened This Weekend

I had some great passengers.

One guy was a Lyft driver who had just been in an accident. We had a good chat about the business. I took one woman to the airport, and we shared stories about cruises (she was off to Orlando to board a ship).

I also picked up a man who had a big white pit bull named Rage. Rage was as gentle and chill as you could ask a dog to be. Fantastic!

For the bad and ugly, my first ride on Saturday morning was a casino pickup. I welcomed a couple into my car. Immediately, the car exploded into a very loud conversation (close to yelling) about an incident in the casino. From what I gathered, these two did something that got them banned from the casino.

Thankfully, this was a 10-minute ride, and they got out of my car without incident.

3. Challenges

The Good: Overcoming challenges like navigating heavy weekend traffic can sharpen driving skills and route efficiency.

The Bad: Increased traffic congestion around entertainment venues and nightlife areas adds stress.

The Ugly: Dealing with intoxicated or confrontational passengers requires significant patience and skill to de-escalate situations.

What Actually Happened This Weekend

Everything went according to plan.

I have been doing this for so long that there isn’t much that I have not seen before. I did not get anyone super drunk. There was never any thick traffic. I don’t even think there was one passenger who made me wait more than a few minutes.

The one ugly thing that happened was I accidentally canceled an airport run on Lyft that would have paid me $50 per hour. I had a passenger in my car and was about to make a turn. Then, the next ride appeared on my screen. $50 per hour! Wow, I thought to myself.

It stayed on the screen for a long time. I was flustered as I could not see my next turn, and since I had not driven in over a month, I pushed the wrong spot on my screen. Lyft immediately told me, “You have declined a ride.” Arghh.

4. Strategy

The Good: Planning ahead and knowing peak hours, events, and popular nightlife areas can dramatically enhance efficiency and earnings.

The Bad: Even with strategic planning, unpredictable events like accidents, heavy traffic, and road closures can derail your strategy.

The Ugly: Sticking too rigidly to a strategy might result in missed opportunities elsewhere, demanding a careful balance between planning and adaptability.

What Happened This Weekend

My strategy was simple. Start each day at 3 AM and crush it until I hit my $200 goal. 

I always started by driving toward the casino, a 10-minute drive away. I usually get a ride within those 10 minutes. After that, I go where the rides take me. I expect to get at least one or two airport runs, after which I will drive past the Amazon warehouse and get another quick ride.

The bad is that I only got one airport run each day. However, they all tipped me well. Overall, I earned $90 in tips, most of which came from the airport runs.

5. Successes

The Good: Successfully meeting or exceeding weekend earning goals provides an enormous sense of accomplishment.

The Bad: Success often requires sacrificing personal or social weekend activities.

The Ugly: Sometimes hitting goals requires long, exhausting hours, leaving drivers physically, mentally, and emotionally drained.

What Actually Happened This Weekend

The good is I hit my goal. $600 is now safely in my bank account.

That feels good.

It always feels good. 

I am now so happy I stayed out an extra hour on Saturday and Sunday to ensure I would hit my goal at the end of my final shift. I also saw a spectacular sunrise on Saturday morning while driving a fellow Lyft driver home.

We marveled at the things we saw while also earning some money.

Key Takeaways

Driving the weekend shifts as a rideshare driver is undeniably a mixed bag, yet incredibly rewarding when approached strategically. 

Each weekend brings its own unique adventures, challenges, and valuable lessons. As you have read, even an old dog like me had to learn and relearn a few tricks.

Despite the exhaustion and occasional frustrations, there’s an unmatched satisfaction in finishing a successful weekend. The fulfillment that comes with meeting your financial goals, coupled with the experience of managing unpredictable circumstances, ultimately makes the hustle worthwhile. 

$30 an hour is not much, especially after subtracting 15% for fuel. Still, given that I love driving, and some money is better than no money, it usually seems worth it. At the end of the weekend, there’s nothing quite like reflecting on a job well done with earnings safely tucked in your pocket.

Bring on Monday! Be safe out there.

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