Which drivers do the most trips?

For a decade, nearly every public study has found that the primary reason rideshare drivers choose to work on platforms like Uber is because of the unprecedented flexibility it offers. Drivers can start and stop working whenever they want. They set their own schedule and can change it as frequently as they want, without the permission of a manager. They can accept or refuse trips or deliveries entirely at their own discretion. And they can work on multiple competing platforms at the same time.

One result of this flexibility is that most drivers work part-time, sometimes only a few hours a week. In California, a typical driver is online [1] on Uber’s platform less than 20 hours a week and drives only 9 out of every 13 weeks in a quarter. Only 9% of drivers in California spend at least 40 hours online per week on Uber on a consistent basis.

Critics, however, say that this hides a crucial fact: these “full-time” drivers are the ones doing all the work. For instance, an op-ed in the the New York Times recently claimed that “a smaller group of full-time drivers account for the vast majority of rides and hours logged on the app.” This point has been used to support the idea that Proposition 22 in California, which would enable drivers to continue working as independent contractors while granting them new benefits, would actually do little to help full-time drivers, who allegedly prefer full-time employment over the flexibility of app work.

It turns out, however, that, when it comes to the state of California, this claim simply isn’t true.

In the fourth quarter of 2019 — the last full calendar quarter before the COVID-19 pandemic — the 9% of “full-time” California drivers who averaged at least 40 hours online on Uber completed just 25% of trips, far from a “vast majority.” In fact, the 74% of drivers who are online an average of 25 hours or less are responsible for a far higher amount of work using the app, doing 42% of trips.

It’s worth noting that this trend varies across the state: outside of major cities, fewer drivers work full-time. For example, less than 3% of Sacramento drivers average 40+ hours per week, and they complete just 11% of trips. However, nowhere in the state of California does a small group of full-time drivers account for the vast majority of trips. In San Francisco and Los Angeles, 11% of drivers average 40+ hours per week and complete 27% of trips.

It’s worth remembering that even drivers who spend more time on the road aren’t working like full-time employees and still deeply value the flexibility of app work. Among drivers who typically work the equivalent of full-time hours [2], 1 in 3 drivers takes off at least one week per quarter, and 1 in 4 takes off two or more weeks. How many jobs allow eight weeks off per year? Even those drivers who work every week typically increase or decrease their hours by around 25% from one week to the next.

This is why a majority of full-time drivers say they want to stay independent, along with the majority of all drivers. In a recent national independent bipartisan survey, 66% of full-time drivers said they preferred to be classified as an independent contractor rather than an employee.

It is simply untrue to suggest that a small number of full-time drivers in California account for the majority of the trips taken on Uber’s platform, or that full-time drivers don’t value their independence in the same way part-time drivers do. Of course, that’s not to say independent work is perfect. All drivers, whether full-time or part-time, deserve better. That’s why Prop 22 is on the ballot, and why 72% of California drivers support it.

[1] To ensure this analysis is as conservative as possible, we measure all online time, including when the driver is online, but before they have accepted a trip request.

[2] At least 40 hours online in the weeks they’re active on the platform.