Uber - How to Make Surge Work For You + Do's and Dont's - Surge Manipulation 

It's important to understand that surge is a rigged game. It is NOT a true reflection of the marketplace supply and demand. Many areas with no surge will have brisk demand, while some high surge areas will produce very few ride requests. That's because the real purpose of surge pricing is to maximize profits for Uber. And they do that by charging higher rates to those they believe WILL PAY IT. In other words, surge pricing targets price-insensitive riders. That is why you will always see it at bar closing time in certain neighborhoods, and during morning commute. Drivers all know about these times and places, the supply is ample, and yet prices still surge. That's because Uber does extensive tracking on the price elasticity of different types of users in different places and times. They know that someone that just arrived at a train station, for example, is not going to want to wait around for prices to go lower. They know that someone going to work needs to get there by a certain time. They know that drunks leaving a closing bar don't pay much attention to price. All this is to say that once you understand what surge really is and how it works, you can begin to think like Uber does. Then you can anticipate the times and places where surge is most likely to be. In other words, don't just look at where surge has been, understand WHY it happened there. Then position yourself where it is likely to happen next. Just always be thinking, where are the most price insensitive, needy, desperate riders likely to be in the next hour. Then just hang out there.

Thanks for making this video....I'm definitely going to start utilizing the rider app....

Whoa! Awesome tip about using the pax app for research purposes. I saw surging in specific areas, and too many cars with no surge in other areas. The busy places had cars disappearing quickly. Genius! I know nothing.

we wouldn't have to chase a surge if Uber wouldn't keep cutting out rates. my area use to pay $1.60 a mile. after 4 cuts we now are paid $.60 a mile. tell me how that is fair in the first place when cost to operate a car is $.57 a mile.

Your tips are awesome bro. Starting for uber this week gonna be using all your pro tips. I live in Atlanta so I'm pretty sure there's a regular surge here. Gonna start that research!

super helpful vid @uberman thank you!

I live in Orlando, FL. My area down town has a surge ever night almost. How do I find it using the rider app?

thanks for video on how to get most out of surge. I want to get more money for my time spent. thanks for all your videos. very great full for all you work and information you give.

Thanks man! Great information I really appreciate it! There is definitely an art to driving for Uber.

Question - so there's an NHL Game and I can hear on the radio its last few minutes of the third. I log off, drive 15 mins to the stadium and wait until I'm in the middle of the surge to log on. Is that manipulation? Otherwise, sure as sh*t I'm going to get a ping before I get into the surge and never see it. Happens a lot!

If I’m in the surge area, but a ping comes from 15 minutes away, do I still get surge pricing?

I have a Dui in 2014 and got caught driving on a suspended license in 2015. I recently finished my Dui class did the hard suspension on my license and got my restriction off. now that I have my license back can I drive for uber and do the xchange lease? I'm 23 years old. thank you

Do Uber drivers get any of the surge monies, when driving the passenger? Or does it all go directly to Uber?

You are the man Randy!!! Don't judge me but I study your videos!! Helps me out a lot

Many thanks for this insightful video ! I really appreciate your candour. God bless.

I'm a driver for uber and I'm enjoying working with uber cause I meat many people nd I saw many places im happy with uber actually each and every day I smile with my clients I open doors for them nd I ask them wat kind of radio must I play for even about the acon if it's sweetable for them thanks uber thanks again friends u can join uber u wil learn more THANKS A LOT UBER KEEP IT UP

very good video. i dont stress about surge tho the few time i waited a long time for surge to go up in an event i end up gettting a 2 mile trip...now days i make about $200 a day just taking regular uberx rides and every now and then i get lucky n get surge but i dont chase it or wait it out. imo the most important thing is finding what hours to drive to maximize your proffits

Great info thinking about starting driving since I recently lost my job. subbed thumbs up

you're amazing. love the video .I'm a new driver .I really don't understand how to make the most of the surge .now I know better .thanks know you

Thanks for the info I was thinking that there stuff going on with the surge. There a area in my city but on the outside of the city. Every night it is a surge

hello I hope you can help me with this question. I was in surge area yesterday during rush hr Friday evening in LA I saw request come through peaking over 2 I accepted but learned after I drop customer it was flat fare I was pissed. I know this has to be incorrect and I was stuck in traffic for 1:57 min as well taking customer to game across town. what happen or is their something missing that I am not aware of. i am 100% sure it was red and peaking over 2.0 when I accepted. I am concern going forward if this has happened before or does this just slip through cracks on occasion? I just want make sure that Uber is holding up their end of bargin. OBW customer had me wait when I arrived and then had to go pick up additional person that was riding along that wasn't put in that I remember.

how do you work the system to your advantage if most of your town is college student revenue?

i dont do surge unless im there... i just drive in my city.

But if you wait in a surge area you can only get one ride at peek. By the time you finish if you try to go back it's all over. So how you supposed to make all these good money?

hello Uber-man, i'm from San Diego ca. have a question for you, last Monday April 4 had a trip request from san ysidro boarder to riverside ca. it was a 112 miles ride and it was a 2.3 surge price, it was a 264 dlls fare for the rider but the trip is not showing on my trips, I've been told that the trip is on hold for security purposes do you know any thing about that?

I've come to rely on you for my information at this new Über driver lifestyle. I don't drive nights but have a vane that seats 7 (counting myself). Had no idea I could be paid more until I saw your RU-vid in the subject. They say to just write to them after the ride if there's a "pushback". Learning that everything I write needs at rip ID attached as well before its identified. Loaded in my vehicle twice as suggested. Thanks, man! Also, not getting paid when waiting for no shows that never cancelled. No shows listed on my trips since no ID's on cancelled trips. Finding "starting trip" and them "completing trip" at least gets it logged. Wish me luck.

great info. thanks!

Glad I stayed on to watch the "Up next" video, thanks for this.

thank you for your video I just sign for uber they send an email saying that I am ready to start driving but don't know how to start . thanks for the video it is helpful

Uber man who surge pays more Lyft or uber ? And does Lyft and uber has max fare?

Hello Uber Man, i dont see the other cars on my app like u explained. Is there something wrong with my app?

So what you are saying is that if you log in into the rider app it will first show if they have to pay a surge price but the driver app is still not showing that area in red? So if I am understanding correctly, I could be in an area where the surge area is about to begin, get a request and get paid the surge price before it displays on the driver app and I wold know that because on the rider app it was already displaying a surge price before. I am so confused!.. Please explain in detail this technical issue Thanks Uberman

WOW, thx, UM! This vlog has definitely prompted me to upgrade my phone so I can download the rider app. It had been suggested to me before but I didn't have enough "space" on my droid to download both partner AND rider app. hmmm...gonna have to "JUST-DO-IT"!

UM great video as always. I starred a new channel for just talking about Uber . NY Uber Diver Channel. With this topic I just posted a video about chasing or not chasing surge. This is because NYC is a different animal. I was the one who sent you pic on Facebook with to 2 drivers app not showing the same surge. Thank you for all you do for us with these videos.

Thanks! Awesome info, keep it up!

Great vid, but I have a lot of trouble tracking surges. Where I live it rarely surges, and the closest ones to me are 10-15 minutes away and are sparratic. I mainly drive the morning and evening rush. Any tips?

What if you live in a small town wanting to go to larger to make it worthwhile?

Do you ever come back out to do some work for Uber any more Randy ? Or is it all over in your city ? Rex.

Another good one ..thanks!

Passed everything with flying colors. I'm doing the Leasing Program option, being I don't want to wear out my car too much. Just have to get down there to the dealership now. I live near Disneyland (California)by the way. Would you say that's good?. Any tips? :) You rock Man!! Keep it up!

your absolutely right, chasing a surge is like dangling red meat in front of a hungry tiger. it will disappear way before you get to it and riders will wait until it is gone. All of ubers updates have shown me it has been about them trying hard to gain more money and pay out less to drivers.

My ninja with the clutch late night uploads

hey...any suggestions for nyc drivers?

Been driving in NJ and NYC with UberX for 2 years and want to upgrade. What is your recommendation for the type of vehicle to drive? Uber XL? Uber Black or go all the way with Uber SUV? Is the demand for Uber SUV really there to justify the cost of this vehicle? Can a Uber SUV take Uber Black, XL and X passengers as well and if so, how does that work on the app? What about a good way to get people to tip with Uber?

Could you expand a little more how you study the rider app for more info. I am familiar with either using a 2 phone system or toggling between the rider app and driver app, but you said in this video you learned tons by studying the rider app, but I didn't catch exactly what was learned. Thanks for any additional info you can provide.

How do you see surges in the uber app?

This video was great. I just had my most successful Friday and Saturday night. I worked the $18/hr guarantee and hit all requirements except one and that was a long ride which ate up the hour but I collected more than the guarantee would have paid. I must add that I drive a Passat so I get 30 to 32mph on the open rode. We are also at the $1.00 level and most hours the guarantee is $12/Hr. I must drive because I can't sit and do nothing so I need to satisfy the guarantee with only one ride per hour. I noticed that we are getting many more surges all day probably because we have less drivers working because of the new fares. It is easy to get sucked in to the negativity. I know I have just rambled on with no purpose but I thank Randy for giving me more understanding how the surges work.

Can you put the code on my reply the arrow is blocking it and how do I get a vehicle with uber help?

I love your videos Uber Man !! Ive be slowly earning more and more since I have been watching , however I have a question about surges . If a rider request a ride from a surge zone , and I get pinged , do I get the surge price when I accept the ride or when I pick them up ?

Good job!!!

Hey Uber Man, great video. I just started driving today, and am located up in NW OKC. Have you had any luck with the Edmond area? I really try to avoid downtown, but sounds like thats the money maker down there.

What do you mean by "you'll see cars popping up and disappear"?

Can u explain in more detail watching the cars in the Uber rider app?

geez. in DC we never get more than 4x surge.

HI Uberman. Have you heard of the Surge Chase App? Another driver told me about it and I'm just not sure about signing in on it due to it wants my Uber sign in. What are your thoughts?

Hello Uber Man, I just started driving 3 days / nights ago but I was not referred by anyone. How do I enter the PROMO CODE if I have already started driving? I have so many questions to ask you man. Do I just need to get to the Playstore and download the Rider App?

Does the partner app show surge zones still? I just see a google map with no zones. (Android app)

If I'm on my way to pick up a passenger without a surge, and I notice on the passenger app that there is a surge in the area, and thus cancel the trip to accept a trip with surge, is that surge manipulation?

I have been at this for a month in upstate NY. We have 3 to 4 surge areas and a lot of country/rural coverage. It is impossible to time this perfectly and even if I do. I get a 4 to 5 times surge and take the customer a few miles for a 20.00 fair. Then the surge is over. For me it is far better to just go with the flow and when I land in a surge so be it.

I drive in okc. Wow! That surge and $1 a mile, things have changed!

I am an early riser. Would there be enough Uber requests in Greater Baltimore to start Uber driving at 5 a.m.? How would one know?

to make it a bit more clear, waiting for a good time to work is not manipulating anything; but hooking up with drivers and prolonging log-off state as a group to raise surge IS

do you need 2 phones, one for rider app? and one for driver? very good tips,appretiated it.

Hello 😊 do you still Uber and does your referral code still work?

Thank you Randy. I am grateful for your guidance. Question: Just logging in for those few minutes may produce one ride at the high rate yet it is just one ride then surge is over. How does one maximize income overall? Doing it at all rush hours this way? The other times are not when the bars are open. Of course, this is only my second weekend out and I will certainly do my homework by continuing to watch your videos and driving, and learning the Passenger App as you recommended.

Not really sure, but wouldn't you be able to use the Uber website to check surges? That way say, if your on your computer on netflix or something, you can split screen it?

Hi, I've never seen any cars, where do you see them at??

is there anyway to add a promo code after you have already signed so you can get your 30 ride bonus?

also, why can't you just stay logged in and have Uber track your whereabouts, so they'll know who's in what area and whose closest to the fare for the fastest pick up? Does Uber have a dispatcher who can send the fare to your Uber/personal cell phone?

So I'm Charlotte, and I'm watching both the partner and the rider app. Am I suppose to stay up all night to see exactly when the surge starts and ends? And on average, how many hours did you spend researching the rider app until you got it down when to be in the surge zones?

Do you recommend I get the Uber phone and use my personal phone for the rider app.

Uber Man, is there a way that drivers can receive a text message alert from Uber when there is a surge? (or from any other source)

Catching a ride in the surge then going offline to get back to surge, is that ok?

What I hate is when you're diving in a high surge area and then you get pinged to go 15 min out of your way to pick up a 0.00 surge passenger. I refuse to do that because A. thay tell you to drive in the area you want and B. i'm not going to waste my gas going across town to pick up in a non-surge area, I'm out to give people rides but I'm also out to make money. Uber HAS to understand that and if they don't! Fuck em i'll go work for someone else.

Pertinent question: I cannot find any icon that allows me to call a rider from outside a gated community until I've "arrived". Seems everyone else manages this but because I can't do this it's become a daily source of lost time & frustration etc. I've written to Über, asked on a blog and the inky answers I've received say "call the rider from your phone ". After arriving (inside the gate, at the exact address) I can then call. The rider, however, is able to call /text me whenever they want . Any ideas appreciated. You ARE the best! Thank you for my new life.

My surge map never tells me how much the surge is. For example it never says like "2x or 4x" It never says anything. I just have certain colors on the map in certain areas. Like one might be light orange, one might be yellow and one might be bright red, but none of them say anything. Is that possibly something that is just in my area? I'm sure the different colors mean different things, but I don't understand them. Thanks.

This isn't a hard concept to understand. I write codes and scripts all the time. They likely writing all the logs to a SQL based server which any analyst can run a query with the set parameters to find manipulators.

Thank you Uber man.

I'm not sure about going offline for a couple or so hours, when I can still pick up a bunch regular rides around town, to the airports, or who knows where; although I'm here in a major west coast metropolis, not Oklahoma City. I think you're ahead of your time in Oklahoma City, and probably would be in LA as well.

Uber man, is there a way to see when an area surged through out the day? I accepted a fare when I thought it was surging but they didn't add surge to the fare.

Hey guys today was my 1st day as a uber driver in 2hrs I did 44.39 great for 3 trips .... I also have another job from 4pm-11pm

now all we need is someone to create a program that can observe the rider app and track all the surge trends and create graphs with color coded maps output, so that we can just view the trends in increments of seconds, minutes, hours, days, weeks, months, years just like the stock market once the data has been accumulated!

Good info

I've never used Uber, know very little about it, thought I'd get some information on being a part time driver for Uber or Lyft. I guess this isn't a beginner's video.! Surges, promo codes, other words that I haven't found an explanation for. A lot more to it than safely getting passengers from point A to point b. I hope someone's made a video for new or would be new drivers for either company

ahhh your in okc! awesome!

What about driver minuplation?

You are awesome. So glad I found you on RU-vid

uber man I live in Oklahoma city i just started driving for uber I have been doing it for 2 Weekends and I guess I'm uber x because I drive a 2014 Honda Accord I drove for like 8 hrs and barley made $100 I guess it's like a regular job ..

Too many words. Always get to the point. Key to good teaching.

I have been driving for Uber for 3 days now and I almost gave up until I saw your video. I live in Norman, OK and have not made anything significant yet. Last night I chased the Surge by driving from Norman to Edmond and back to SW Oklahoma City and almost made nothing out of it. I would appreciate it if you could teach me how to understand the tricks to the trade. Thanks.

next ride isn't woking well half cancel rides I've seen it happen every night

Done & DONE!!! BAM!

If i log off 30m prior to surge and log on when it peaks, would that be considered as manipulation?

can you show us how it work

hello uber man, still the rider app good for finding hot spots, thanks for your tips.

oes surg work on xl/select/black?

can you set Uber only for your local area only?...

Couldn't a rider theoretically hire you to drive them just beyond the surge area perimeter, and then try to negotiate the remainder of his/her route with you at non-surge prices, as a second ride?

so ... was parked enjoying the night waiting for a ride when Surge hit, and I was right in the middle of it. 2.5 no less. BUT .. after 5+ minutes, no pings. Waited and Waited. . . . nothing. After about 8-10 minutes, the Surge vacated. Why No Rides .. What Did I Do Wrong.

well done.