Adam Potash was happy with his pay when he started driving for the ride-sharing company. He was making $200 a day, but he had to pay for gas and car maintenance.
Mr. Potash has barely been breaking even as gas prices have gone up. He tried to fill up at cheaper gas stations in the area around San Francisco where he works to compensate. He has reduced his driving time from 45 hours a week to 20.
It hurts. I don't have the money to operate at a loss, Mr. Potash said.
Gig workers who drive for ride-hailing and delivery companies such as DoorDash, have been hit hard by rising gas prices because their ability to earn money is tied directly to driving hundreds of miles each week. The companies don't reimburse the drivers for the cost of fueling up because they are contract workers.
The added cost of gas is making it difficult for some drivers to make ends meet. The national average price of a gallon of gas hit a record last week. In California, the average price of gas is $5.77 a gallon.
Harry Campbell, who writes a blog called the Rideshare Guy, said that high gas prices are the final nail in the coffin.
A survey done by Mr. Campbell found that 38 percent of drivers were driving less because of high gas prices.
It was difficult to say how many drivers participated in the boycott. The effort to raise awareness about driver safety was initially organized to raise awareness about high gas prices.
When gas prices went through the roof, many drivers said they needed to stand up and make the companies get involved.
Overall driver numbers are not down according to the companies. The company said it had more active drivers now than it did in January. Fees were added to the price of rides in most places for the next two months to help compensate drivers.
Liza Winship, the head of driver operations in the United States and Canada, said in a statement that drivers are feeling the sting of record-high prices at the pump. In a post on Monday, the company echoed that sentiment.
The gas rewards program was announced by DoorDash. DoorDash will give 10 percent cash back at gas stations for those who use a pre-paid card, and DoorDash will add bonus payments depending on miles driven. The driver pay would be increased.
When accounting for rising gas prices, the drivers of both companies say they have made more money than before. Both companies are promoting a partnership with an app called GetUpside that offers cash back rewards for getting gas.
Drivers' earnings have risen nationally in recent months, from an average of $308 per week in early January to $426 in early March, according to an app that helps drivers track their earnings. In the same period, gas costs for ride-Hailing drivers have gone up as well.
35 to 55 cents per trip is what the new gas fees will be for, with 55 cents going to the drivers. The action is inadequate according to some drivers. The price of gas has increased by 49 percent in the past year.
Philippe Jean said that that insulted every driver, and that was their first communication since gas prices were going up.
In Las Vegas, where gas costs $5 per gallon, the gas fee doesn't even make a difference in the cost of fuel, which has been at least $30 for Montgomery.
Ms. Montgomery said she had begun looking for other work that did not require her to drive. She has cut her six-hour, daily shifts in half because it's not a profit anymore.
She said that she doesn't want to deliver anymore because she has bills to pay.
During the winter and spring, Mr. Jean mostly works as a handyman, but he also works as a taxi driver. He said he made $300 to $400 a week, with about $60 of that going to fill his tank.
Mr. Jean has had to reduce his car insurance coverage to make up for the double gas price he has been paying.
He said that if he gets in an accident, he will lose his car.
People with cars that get poor gas mileage have told Mr. Jean that they have stopped driving because of the gas price issues. He thought he would be able to make some money with his hybrid car. Mr. Jean said he would most likely give up the ride sharing service later in the spring because of high gas prices.
He wondered if he or other drivers were even making money from the ride-sharing business after all of the costs.
Mr. Jean thinks it would be break-even if he did the numbers. I would definitely stop doing it if I admitted it to myself.
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