STATE COLLEGE — Dominic Aiello, of State College, is like many young professionals fresh out of college. He’s busy working a full-time job, selling health and dental insurance and other employee benefits. Unfortunately, as a startup insurance salesperson, Aiello has not established a lengthy client list to bring in his needed income. So, he has to supplement.
He turned to the online application known as Uber — a web-based ride service in which customers employ regular people to transport them places in the driver’s personal vehicle. The entire transaction, including the exchange of money, is handled directly through the application.
‘Right now, I’m working pretty much for commission,’ said Aiello of his insurance job. ‘I do have a small wage I earn, but that goes to my basic necessities. I needed to find something to supplement my income. That’s when I turned to Uber.’
Aiello started driving for Uber in April. He said he had previously worked for a life insurance company, and a woman there was an Uber driver. He said she encouraged him to give it a try.
Aiello said he looked into the specifics of becoming an Uber driver and determined it was not too hard to qualify. He said he had to produce a valid driver’s license, background information, state vehicle registration and proof of insurance.
‘It really wasn’t hard at all to become a driver then,’ said Aiello. ‘Now, they’ve changed things up a little where a different type of commercial insurance is needed on your vehicle, so that now makes things a little harder for people to become a driver, but it’s still rather easy to do if you are willing to take the time and money to get things set up.
‘It’s a hassle, sure, but it is rather easy to do.’
Aiello said he normally works weekends and during high-volume events, such as football games, basketball games and other happenings at Penn State University. He said since April, he has logged about 500 Uber trips.
‘I’ve taken people all over the State College area,’ said Aiello. ‘And, some trips are very, very short. I’ve spent a lot of time transporting people from East Halls to the different fraternities. There are a lot of people who just want to go a block or two. I think that’s crazy, but some people don’t want to walk in the cold. There were several times I picked people up and dropped them off literally two minutes later.’
He said there is a minimum of a $5 charge for all Uber rides, regardless of distance.
According to Aiello, a typical working night first involves him turning on his Uber app and waiting for his ‘ping.’
‘When I hear the ping go off, I check my phone and see where the customer wants to be picked up and where they want to go,’ he said. ‘After that initial ping, I’ll have 10 seconds to decide if I want to take the call. If so, I click accept and get ready and go make the transport.’
He said when the customer is picked up, he pushes a ‘start’ tab on the application, letting Uber know. Then, through GPS, Uber is able to determine how far and how long it took that customer to travel. The company will then charge the customer’s credit card.
‘I receive 75 percent of all fares,’ said Aiello. Aiello said when he first starting using Uber, he could make up to $20 an hour and as much as $500 to $600 on the weekends. He said because there are more Uber drivers now, competition has increased and he is taking home an average of $14 to $15 per hour.
‘It’s definitely not as good as when I first started, but it’s still helping me out financially,’ he said.
He said overall, driving for Uber has been a rewarding experience.
‘I’ve really enjoyed it,’ he said. ‘I’ve heard horror stories about some Uber drivers and their trips, but thankfully, I haven’t had any problems.
‘It’s helping me make those extra dollars I need at an important time in my life. I’m grateful for the opportunity Uber has granted me.’
