XPaul:
Good evening everyone.

How was our day?

I am new here and I need your guidance.

I own a Honda Accord 2010 and I want to start doing Uber (only) on Saturdays majorly. I don’t know if I would be able to add Sunday. I have a 9-5 job.

Please share all the possible advice with me as I have mostly been a rider.


What documents would I need? Is there a thread on the registration steps?

Thank you for your help

don't bother you wont make any profit your car consumes fuel and the fares are cheap

Some monkiers never post here for their life

Never seen this much d!ck riding in my life...

Conner44:


Interstate transportation business is nice but you need to be prepared to do everything necessary to make your vehicle and passengers secure and safe at every point on each trip.

The vehicle you choose to use also depends on the distance you wish to cover. Some vehicles are better suited for short inter-city trips like from Lagos to benin or Ibadan (Toyota Previa, Mazda MPV etc) and others required for longer hauls (Sienna, Hiace etc). The basic mode of the business is very similar no matter the distances so far as it’s interstate travel.

First things first, your vehicle and its particulars/documentation has to be updated and complete no matter what. If you plan to have just one vehicle in the business which you will be managing yourself (and can be flexible enough to switch the use of the vehicle from business to personal at any time) you can settle for regular blue vehicle license plates but if you know you want to have one or more vehicles and use them strictly for business you’d best get the red commercial license plates. Both have their advantages or disadvantages on the highway.

Wether you’re using blue or red plates your vehicle licenses should always be updated, hackney permits intact, various state ‘park & garage’ emblems fully paid for and the driver must possess a valid license. As a highway driver your ‘legalized’ enemies on the roads are the FRSC officials, VIO inspectors and various state government agberos.

The road safety and Vio guys mostly look out for the same things to penalize you as a highway driver. Apart from checking all your vehicles documentation and their validity (they don’t care for emblems) they will also look out for your passenger/cargo manifest. If you are caught hauling human or cargo without a manifest it is a very bad situation. Try to print receipts and manifests for your passengers and cargos to be recorded and signed then a copy given to the driver to hold on him per trip. The other material things they check are your regular emergency apparatus, tyre condition and your rearward visibility (in case you’re hauling much cargo, never allow the height of the stacked goods reach that of your rear view mirror to block your view from seeing behind your vehicle) , it is also a nice offence they use in collecting money from a carefree/greedy driver. Don’t drive with a cracked windshield. If you are using a blue private plate number they can also ask you for some ‘Roja’ since you’re not supposed to be using your vehicle commercially, in this case just squeeze anything into their hands and continue your journey. It usually comes up after they have checked you and seen all your paperwork and vehicles condition is in order.

For the various individual state agberos (council men), those ones are a bit trickier to handle because they are not usually ‘gentlemanly’ in their own doings (in fact, the only state I know that their own council members ball is in cross river state. Those ones drive air conditioned flashy sedans on their rounds and dress very formally that you won’t even believe they are agberos ) theses guys can ‘cramp’ you at anywhere so far you have a red commercial plate number and are hauling on any journey. How to escape their own wahala is simply to have their states full emblems and these emblems are to be renewed annually. If you are caught picking up, dropping off passengers/cargo or even just sitting still and buying fuel at a filling station they can corner you and request you show them your emblems. If you don’t have it or it’s expired you can have your vehicle impounded and pay a hefty fine that would cost approximately what their emblem does. These guys are usually not in uniform so it’s hard to point them out on the roads. They can come out of nowhere and they could be looking like ‘hemp craving’ unkept looking youth or gentlemanly depending on the state you encounter them. Different states have different emblems both in design and prices (which can cost as low as N25k and as high as N40k in some states) The major states where they carry this their emblem matter on their heads well-well to generate revenue that I’m aware of down south are Lagos, Oyo, Edo, Delta, Anambra, Abia, Cross-River and Rivers states. If you’re serious in your highway business and don’t need problems you should purchase emblems for all these states depending on the routes you choose to ply. All states have their respective emblems but some don’t take their drive for it as seriously as others. Different states also have their own versions of LASTMA as we know them here in Lagos. If you park wrongly or commit blunders on their roads and you happen to have a red commercial number plate they will pursue you with all their might and catch you. Their own fees too can cut your heart out so be mindful of where you drop or pick passengers on your routes. If you have a red number plate you will be forced to pay tolls to pass some roads, like here in Lagos if you’re entering a big market like tradefair you must pay a gate fee wether you are hauling or empty so keep that in mind.

The police and army checkpoints are always on the roads. As for the police they are not usually an issue except you’re hauling contraband. Are you carrying bales of used clothes? Foreign rice? Etc . . . You will part with at least N500 per item that they ‘see’ in your boot during their stop and search operations. Apart from hauling contraband and having your vehicle’s particulars in order they will beg for ‘roja’ and decide to waste you and your passengers time if you deny them or play wise. They can tell your passengers to disembark and open their luggage one by one to waste your time and rile you all up. Sometimes they find unlabeled medication and interesting gadgets in passengers bags that can turn a stand-off into something else so it’s better you ‘roja’ on time if necessary. The army on the other hand don’t have any problems. If you know you’re hauling cargo and passing through their checkpoints just hold their N200 as your gate fee or their boys will cause issues for you and if you shine eyes for them too much they will call their oga aowa sitting in the shade to come and discipline you properly. So hauling cargo? Passing army checkpoints? Pay them their N200 jejely and go your way. The police and army will actually give you change if you don’t have small cash unlike road safety and vio guys. Those ones charge the highest as their ‘Bleep-up’ fee on the highways and you won’t be able to leverage well because they can actually impound your vehicle.

Then when it comes to your vehicle itself, highway driving is usually easier on your vehicles mechanical systems. Your main worry should be its cosmetic appearance both in and out. Before any trip guage your fluids and tyres. It is normal to change your engine oil after every 5th trip (go and come is calculated as a trip) and your gearbox/axle fluids should be replaced when due. The main wear and tear item on highway maintenance is your tyres. They degrade rapidly and a leave you stranded if you don’t keep a keep eye on their condition everyday. A useful rule is to always strive to buy commercial grade tyres and never use tubes no matter what (you can keep one in your boot just incase) and also stay away from winter graded tyres as they wear out faster while being much noisier on the roads. Regular replacement parts are your shocks, tie rods and bushings so try to buy oem replacements whenever you can for longevity. Your oxygen sensors and engine thermostat should be in order even if your fans are running directly from battery to help conserve fuel. Using air conditioning on highway journeys don’t use much extra fuel, if you do a journey of 500 kilometers with N35k fuel then with steady aircon you will do the same journey with N36k highest so don’t be hesitant to use it for yourself or your passengers comfort.

When it comes to loading and offloading, it is a generally good idea to have a sound vehicle and then register it with a company having a well known network of parks/pits (Tracas, Christian Praise, Ben flo etc) because you would just need to locate their parks at any city you get to and then take your turn to wait for your turn to ‘pit’ and load. Sometimes it can take days or even weeks depending on the season. In these type of companies you pay a registration fee for yourself and vehicle then you pay a small fraction of your seat ticketing fee to them every time you load. You would be mandated to brand your vehicle to reflect their company and also adhere to their own policies. Their advantage is that they are more networked and spread in many states so no matter where you decide to travel to you will always find an office where you will be welcomed to park and load.

On the other hand, if you’re using your own vehicle for highway haulage and you don’t wish to join with any company you can make acquaintances with some independent pit management in parks. They will give you a space/turn to pit your vehicle and load passengers from their space. You will usually not need to register formally with them. All they will require mostly is the complete ticket money for one seat (a standard fee for using their pit) , pay for the boys that shadow passengers for you (usually N500 per head) and you will pay the union/park loading fee before you leave on the trip. Remember these payments can vary depending on familiarity, location and negotiation. If you didn’t have a fully loaded vehicle and still want to proceed with your trip you will still have to pay the full price, some people decide to offload their passengers and reschedule their trip if they see another driver willing to awitch places on the que. The only people that like to embark on trips with few passengers are guys driving company vehicles (GUO, Young shall grow etc) because they can pick passengers along the way and pocket the extra cash for themselves. Private/independent divers don’t have that luxury because you pay in full for any trip you decide to embark on even if it’s just only 3 passengers you see.

Picking passengers along the way is not usually profitable all the time except seasonally and it will depend squarely on what side of the trip you are taking off from. Like for example from the first week in December you can pick passengers from Lagos toll gate along ijebu-ode going to benin/delta/east for as much as N10-N13k per head and settle any loaders you see at the bus stops the price for a seat. But if you were returning from the east at that same moment you will pick passengers from Onitsha-asaba toll gates coming to the west for as little as N5k on some good days, some times you can even see grown people pricing you N3k to carry them from delta to Lagos with full morale so picking passengers along the road is something not very profitable depending on the season and divide you are on.

I think I have covered all your inquiries. Sorry for the long post guys, there’s no thread for trailer or highway drivers on nairaland yet so near with my Cho-Cho-Cho this evening

at this point bro na AI day write all this ur essay

Pearl1910:
I make 25 - 35k Net of fuel and commission a day. So any driver that comes to tell me horse dung should just be ready to drop the keys.
My rentals remains fixed fuel hike or not. If u no do again come drop key.

As for you saying "Ehailing is dead","u r just barely making your fuel money back" blablabla... I sympathize with u, my advise is drop the car and look for something else to do. No stress yourself, No stress your partner, No stress us for this thread.
They say if u no get evidence/proof, u go explain tire. So na only evidence I go dey post now to motivate people that really want to do the business.
Below is my activity for just 4 days. Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Not including offlines and few Indrive trips.
I used 15k fuel daily so subract 60k from the Net, and that leaves me with 145k in 4days.
Bolt is now 20%, I don't know if Bolt has hidden charges but all the money I made is accounted for, either in cash, money in bank or expended. Funny how nobody has said anything about this reduction, but if they increased it by a fraction of a percentage guys will notice it and announce that bolt is now charging 26.8%

If I was on d road today, I will still make minimum 30k profit. Nothing except God can stop that from happening.
If I can do it, u can do it too.

alright boss this is better than seating at home doing nothing

OkpaNsukkaisBae:
People like cheerfulgiver shld be appreciated. man dey motivate drivers 2 do better still dey drop tips on hw 2 maximize profit.

When he japa/leave d hustle all of us including una wey dey call am sadist/depressedgiver go begin miss am.


Snrman1 d picture 4 ur profile no bad.

if i were cashing out now that 90% of drivers are complaining i wont come here prove a point when this business was normal he was one of those that ginger me to do this business

Conner44:


It’s obvious you don’t know the ‘obvious’, let me try to enlighten you.

I have been on nairaland long enough to see bullsh1t and call it out. I come here, read different stuffs, make my own findings and separate the wheat from the chaff . . . and truly these days the chaff is many here bro

A lot of us are hard wired to follow popular opinion not minding if it’s wrong or right for us. Just because 90% of us are doing something in one way doesn’t mean there can’t be a better way to be found. Even in the Bible it was written that the road into hell is very wide but the one to salvation is narrow. This is how human beings behave and it’s a part of our nature anybody who stands out to swim against the wave tends to draw too much negativity because he/she is doing something out of the norm.

Look around you here. Most of the people here talking down on ehailing today are either trolls, migrants in diaspora, vehicle owners, salarymen who drive on the side or ‘oga’s’ who have given out their vehicles to drivers on hp or rentals. The real people who come here to learn daily are the interested investors and the drivers themselves but unfortunately the voices of the aforementioned group has penetrated the psyche of genuine drivers and drowned out the volume of information being disseminated here.

Look before you leap is not a sing along song, not every advice no matter how often it’s repeated is a good one and what works for Mr. A can’t always work for Mr. B. Use your tongue to count your teeth and know why you are here in the first place.

That I always support someone doesn’t mean when that person does wrong I won’t say it. I supported cheefulgiver because at the time he was doing something that this thread members desperately needed and the ‘powers that be’ wanted to shut him up for their selfish reasons. I saw the game and threw my cog into their wheel and ever since then I’ve become a target just like he is. Even when they unleashed the troll I told him that he will be the first to leave this thread before I do and that is what has finally happened today. Even people that didn’t have any voice started talking thrash my way just because I stood up for him. Today I have learned soo much from him than what I’ve learned from following this thread for years and I make bold to say that bar his penchant for foul language (which is usually justified) that guy knows what he is doing concerning ehailing and has an ability to transfer his knowledge easily. That is not a common characteristic in an average nairalander these days. 60% of us coming here do so to learn and we don’t care if that knowledge comes from an individual with a gutter for a mouth.

If you want to come here regularly to learn that’s for you to choose.

If you want to come here regularly to banter and foment trouble, that’s also for you to choose.

But do not come here and use your own ‘reggae’ to spoil the next man’s ’blues’

People like me won’t stand for it. Call me every name in the book I won’t change my attitude to these lines I penned above. I have nothing to lose but everything to gain.

Peace.

i have no issue with u cus u helped me a certain time on that honda thread all im saying is that u are sentiment to certain monikers here no wahala sha

Omoapena:


5k fuel

600/ltr or 195?

Quick observation whenever there is an argument here corner44 or whoever always takes sides like its so obvious but i dont know the obvious

Raw2:
This is my current day. Unless this car fücks up unexpectedly today, I'll gross 45k.

how much fuel did u use

Burna say if u no make am u go explain tire..most of una too explain

Una day make profit so? Cus all i see na theory

GeneralZodd:
It's well with Nigeria

boss u be odogwu na, me na 9L i carry from karshi abuja go keffi to and fro God bless honda civic. Na today i see wetin that man see for civic dont know his name from this thread but he was the 1 that made me buy civic God bless u

Heard that from next week fuel will b 700/L.saw it from that viking whatsapp forum and also on Twitter wahala day oo

Viking07:
Strike ended on Friday sir. You no dey any WhatsApp group?

no boss help my life

Abuja drivers we still day on strike?? Make e no b like say i b lazy driver

TheModerator:
This larry1960 guy surly needs help. That psychiatric hospital in Benin needs you, bro. From sleeping with prostitutes all over Lagos, even in public toilets to being a pedephile and gay. This guy is a complete societal nuisance.

mere reading his reply i knew what thread he was active it cus small confrontation na i go get money , generation this that...

stacyadams:
I know say una no know say drivers dey on strike

them say na lazy drivers them be....

YeyeGbami:
Don’t be fooled, this new fuel price na die. Even with 50k daily net na real struggle.

E just be lyke say my car dey chop fuel, no more AC while idling. Na under tree sure pass.

Another increase!!

we day suffer for abuja bro

Gentlelife50:

Go filling station and tell them to fill up and observe.

Anyways is should be around 22 or 23k

thanks bro as for me i don pack my car day for now i day abuja not lagos so u know the difference in pricing, make i just day observe weda this madness would continue

Honda civic people abeg we used to fill our tank old price for 9500 abeg how much will b full thank at 540 per liter abeg help who don fill e 50L tank of recent, want to know cus i have old stock of fuel and want to work with current reality

ReadaDream:
I have. It should make sense by the time they port fully to it starting June 4.

Nice interface.

i think so still zero commission, i did that tutorial and found a little difference if u skip a trip it it reduces ur rating we wait till june sha senior..

Who seen the new rida driver app?

YeyeGbami:
Abuja drivers, na una cashout season be this.

why u talk so boss

eswhy001:



I'm currently negotiating a Honda Civic 1.8 sedan Ex 2007 at 1.4m with small body work and legs. I'm yet to inspect the car with a professional though. If all goes well, is it a good deal?

baba enter jiji u go see honda civic plenty, i got mine from jiji for 1m no use all ur money buy Nigerian used car ooooo cus no matter what u must repair the least

Wait no b that man them way day post 100k weely abi daily for indriver, that man was my mentor so all na audio?

Rida drivers go day form porshe, me i no day on ac for any trip, i day use my rugged civic day pilot day go

650-800 for benz una day try oooo

Welz:
it's like some drivers here use water instead of petrol because i don't understand the kind of ridiculous bids I see on rida. App will suggest 4,500, rider will place 3,800 and one driver will bid 3,000. How? why?

they do so so that they can win the bid then renegotiate during phone calls..bro if they go lower u self lower, all of us day craze bro

lyreek:


You sure say no be misfiring cylinder dey cause the vibration?

no bro na engine sitting when i changed my shocks the mech identified it