The economic situation in China is extremely dire, with people struggling to make ends meet turning to ride-hailing services across the country. Some have chosen to drive for ride-hailing platforms in major cities like Beijing, becoming part of the “New Beijing Drift” phenomenon. However, in many areas, the capacity for ride-hailing services has already reached saturation point. Even working non-stop for an entire month without deducting expenses such as vehicle maintenance costs, the monthly income remains meager for many drivers. One “New Beijing Drift” driver lamented that despite expecting to earn more during the National Day holiday, they only made less than 2,000 yuan in three days of work.
This year, various regions in China have issued risk warnings for the ride-hailing industry, cautioning that the capacity has exceeded actual demand. Despite shrinking incomes, the profession of ride-hailing drivers continues to attract people from small and medium-sized cities facing economic hardships, especially those seeking opportunities in larger cities like Beijing.
One driver, AJun, who relocated from another city to drive for ride-hailing services in Beijing, documents his daily earnings through videos. On October 6, he expressed frustration, stating that even after a full day of driving, he barely made any money. AJun also shared his earnings from October 5, where he only made a gross profit of 430 yuan after being online for 8 hours.
He recounted his activities for the day, including driving passengers from Lugou Bridge to Mentougou, then to Tongzhou. After refueling his vehicle in Tongzhou, he spent money on lunch, only to find stiff competition at Beijing South Station.
On October 4, he had hoped to earn more during the National Day holiday. However, from October 1 to 3, working for three days, he only earned a gross profit of 1,900 yuan from picking up passengers.
Reflecting on his 184th day of driving in Beijing, AJun shared that despite working from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., with breaks only for meals, he earned a meager 400 yuan after more than 10 hours of driving passengers.
He expressed that the ride-hailing industry incurs significant costs, making it difficult for “drifters” in Beijing to make any meaningful income after factoring in expenses like rent, food, vehicle rental, fines, and fuel costs.
According to a report on the job status of Chinese workers, almost half of ride-hailing drivers, whether renting or owning their vehicles, earn between 5,000 to 9,000 yuan per month. Less than ten percent of drivers are able to make earnings exceeding ten thousand yuan.
One driver named Mu, who recently arrived in Beijing from Northeast China, shared his reasons for joining the ride-hailing industry. He mentioned that due to losses in his business back home and the lack of prospects, he decided to relocate to Beijing with fellow villagers in search of new opportunities.
When asked about his experience adjusting to Beijing’s environment and his income over the past few days, Mu expressed frustration, saying, “I can’t make any money. After covering expenses for fuel and vehicle rental, there’s hardly any profit left.”
Another driver, Zhao, from Hebei’s Langfang city, a father with one child in primary school and another preparing for college entrance exams, shared his daily routine of driving 14 to 15 hours to increase his chances of receiving more orders on the platform. Despite earning around 600 yuan on a good day, expenses for rent, food, car charging, and other necessities leave him with just over ten thousand yuan in monthly income. Reflecting on his physically demanding work in Beijing, after only one month of driving, he expressed how his arms and waist are already feeling the strain.