Some Uber drivers have been sleeping in their cars because they can't afford to live in the cities they work in
Uber drivers in the US are commuting hours away from their home to more lucrative cities and sleeping in public spaces in an effort to maximise their earnings, a new report from Bloomberg says.
One driver commutes 90 miles from Sacramento every Monday morning at 4 am and sleeps in a supermarket car park so that he can drive for Uber in San Francisco, Bloomberg's report says.
A former Uber X driver in San Francisco told Business Insider: "Drivers get very creative, some make six-hour trips to San Francisco because they make more money, it's more densely populated and the minimum fare is higher."
"They sleep on the beach during the day [rates are sometimes higher through the night] and shower in a gym. There's a 24-hour Starbucks and at 4 am I can see drivers sleeping with a blanket on the back seat."
Uber's own estimates of driver earnings show that earnings per hour are second-highest in San Francisco, behind New York.
Uber was not immediately available for comment but in an emailed statement to Bloomberg, it said: "With Uber, people make their own decisions about when, where and how long to drive. We're focused on making sure that driving with Uber is a rewarding experience, however you choose to work."