When to Run Gig Net Floor
Five specific moments where the real hourly tells you whether to keep driving.
Gig math should run after shifts, before offer acceptance, and at the end of every week.
Gig drivers check app earnings hourly and real hourly approximately never. The gap between those two numbers is where the car equity goes. Run the math at these five moments and the gap closes.
Quick answer
Gig math should run after shifts, before offer acceptance, and at the end of every week.
Key points
- ▸ End of every week: aggregate all shifts, divide total net by total hours. This is your true wage. Compare to alternatives honestly.
- ▸ Before accepting low-pay batches: a $7 order for 12 miles is $0.58/mi — below the $0.67 cost line. The app is paying you to wear out your car.
- ▸ After gas price spikes: the IRS $0.67 assumes ~$3.50/gal. At $4.50+, adjust mentally — real hourly is lower than the tool shows.
- ▸ Before a big maintenance bill: if your last 60 days averaged $11/hr real and you owe $1,800 for brakes, that is 160 hours of gig work. Decide knowingly.
- ▸ When comparing gig to a W-2 offer: W-2 $16/hr with benefits beats gig $18/hr real almost every time after depreciation catches up.
- ▸ When pipeline hits a dry stretch for freelancers: gig work is fallback income only if the real hourly exceeds the MVR — otherwise you are trading time at a loss.
Examples
- The weekly reviewWeek of 5 shifts, gross $820, 680 miles, 38 hours. Operating cost $455.60. Net $364.40. Real hourly $9.59. Below local min — either change strategy or change platforms.
- The $5 offer declinePlatform offers $5.50 for 11 miles. Operating cost $7.37. You lose $1.87 per accepted order. Declining is profit.
- The W-2 comparisonWarehouse job: $17/hr, insurance, 40hr/wk. Current gig real hourly: $11.50. Switching raises take-home by ~$220/wk and removes vehicle depreciation entirely.
When to use which tool
- Gig Net FloorWeekly aggregate plus post-shift spot checks. Don't trust in-app earnings screens.What DoorDash or Uber actually pays after IRS mileage depreciation — real hourly vs the minimum wage floor.
- Minimum Viable RateIf you mix gig work with freelance, compare gig real hourly against your freelance MVR.The absolute minimum hourly rate to match a corporate salary after self-employment tax, benefits, and non-billable time.
Related
- Gig Net FloorWhat DoorDash or Uber actually pays after IRS mileage depreciation — real hourly vs the minimum wage floor.
- Minimum Viable RateThe absolute minimum hourly rate to match a corporate salary after self-employment tax, benefits, and non-billable time.
- What Gig Net Floor CalculatesThe real hourly rate a gig app pays you after vehicle depreciation — not just gas.
- Five Gig Net Floor MistakesCommon errors that make gig work look more profitable than it actually is.
- When to Recalculate Your Minimum Viable RateFive moments that change your rate floor — and why most freelancers miss at least three of them.
Frequently asked questions
› Should I keep a spreadsheet? Trust & accuracy
Yes. Date, platform, gross, miles, hours — five columns. Most gig workers who raise their real hourly did it after the spreadsheet forced honesty.
› What about multi-app stacking?
Run each platform separately. Stacking on DoorDash + UberEats often means more dead miles, not more money — and the combined math only works if both platforms pay above $0.67/mi.
› How should I use a decision framework in real life? How-to
Use a decision framework to expose the tradeoff, not to outsource the decision. Write down the inputs, compare the output with your constraints, then ask what would change the answer. The strongest use is scenario testing: base case, conservative case, and failure case.
› Is this financial, legal, or tax advice? Trust & accuracy
No, this is not legal, financial, tax, medical, or professional advice unless the page explicitly says that use case is supported. It organizes assumptions so you can inspect them. Verify high-stakes choices with qualified people who can review facts, contracts, regulations, and downside risk.
› What assumption matters most in a decision model? Edge case
The most important assumption is usually the one you are least certain about and most emotionally attached to. Change that input first. If the recommendation flips after a small change, the decision is fragile and needs more evidence before you treat the model as useful.