Uber has been all over the news the past couple years now and its initially reported driver earnings sparked many car owners to ditch their jobs or work part time for the company. While the ride-sharing service has undergone several changes, including pay cuts, many drivers are still curious about what it’s really like to work for Uber. If you’ve ever considered driving for Uber in the Phoenix area, here are a few need-to-know details shared by some of the company’s drivers.

You Might Make Extra Cash, but Consider Car Care & Gas Costs
If you pay attention to the news, you probably know that Uber drivers don’t make as much as they used to. As more and more drivers join the program and Uber continues aiming to beat taxi company prices (while taking what some might call uncompetitive commissions), pay has decreased substantially. In a PBS interview on “Making Sense,” one driver identified by his first name only, Bob, even said that sometimes drivers lose money giving rides. He also pointed out the extra wear and tear that vehicles incur when driven for a chauffeur service.

To get around this, many Uber drivers have minimized the number of hours they work to cut back on mileage (and paying for gas), and work only during peak hours when more people are looking for rides. Uber offers the benefit of flexibility, so you can work when you want, but some days and times offer better profit. And keep in mind that today it’s more difficult to make driving for Uber a full-time gig.

Ratings System Is Pretty Strict, Puts a Lot of Power in Passengers’ Hands
Getting a 4.0 rating as an Uber driver might sound good, but it’s grounds to be terminated. Drivers who fall below a 4.6 average rating receive a warning and are often swiftly deactivated following that warning if their score doesn’t improve. Riders control your ratings and Uber doesn’t promote the driver-review system to passengers, so many don’t know that giving a 4.0 rating can actually negatively impact the driver. However, experienced Uber chauffeurs say that the more often you drive the easier it is to get your average up.

Meeting New People & Tax Write-offs
Many Uber chauffeurs not only enjoy getting to drive more often, especially if they’re self-proclaimed driving enthusiasts, but also have fun getting to meet new people from all walks of life. Additionally, as an Uber driver you can write off your vehicle mileage, phone use and other associated costs.

There’s a Commercial License & Car Insurance Gray Area
However, leading up to the Super Bowl, Governor Doug Ducey put a halt on citing Uber drivers for not having commercial licenses and also told reporters, “We always want to see safety first, and that’s why I said we’re going to put the onus on the insurance industry to provide a product that I think can really fill the need of what’s necessary.”

So for now these things are being overlooked, at least in the state of Arizona. This means that until further notice prospective Uber drivers in the Phoenix area don’t have to worry about getting ticketed for illegally operating a taxi service.