【Female Hostel 3】

Driving for Uber isn't always the most rewarding experience. Strangers puke in your car. Riders tip poorly. You might not break even if you're leasing a car. A recent driver survey from ride-sharing guide Ridester showed the average hourly wage is Female Hostel 3not even $15.

So Uber has devised a reward program called Uber Pro to motivate and recognize hard-working and committed drivers -- and it's not just about cramming the most rides into a day. Uber wants to reward drivers who offer a high-quality experience and are dedicated to their driving duties.

On Thursday, Uber Pro debuted its pilot program in Seattle, Chicago, New Orleans, Orlando, Tampa, Phoenix, Denver, and New Jersey. Based on how it goes, Uber hopes to expand across the country and eventually internationally.

SEE ALSO: Uber's new logo is just the word 'Uber'

Drivers unlock rewards if they have at least a 4.85-star rating and a low cancellation rate under 4 percent. Every three months, drivers earn points per trip. The points earned during that period unlock status levels and rewards for the next three months.

There are four status levels: partner, gold, platinum, and diamond. The higher the status, the better the rewards. But all are focused on improving driver earnings, maximizing drivers' time, and helping with driver goals on and off the road.

Mashable Light Speed Want more out-of-this world tech, space and science stories? Sign up for Mashable's weekly Light Speed newsletter. By clicking Sign Me Up, you confirm you are 16+ and agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Thanks for signing up!

This isn't supposed to play into the so-called "gamification" of ride-share driving, but with levels given labels like "diamond" and "platinum" it veers into that territory. Some of the rewards are extra earnings for time and distance driven, cash back at gas stations, 25 percent off car maintenance, and for diamond status, free dent repair. Other rewards include recognition that you're a Pro driver in the app, priority support, faster airport pickups, and 24/7 roadside assistance.

Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable

The other part of Uber's driver recognition program is free tuition at Arizona State University Online for platinum and diamond drivers. The company sees this as a big perk for its most committed drivers, many who tell Uber they want to eventually open their own business, finish their higher education, or work on their English language skills. The free tuition credit can be transferred to a spouse, domestic partner, child, sibling, parent, legal guardian or dependent.

"These are the drivers who have invested so much in Uber," Ali Wiezbowski, Uber driver product lead, said in a phone call this week.

In an op-ed for the Arizona RepublicThursday, Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi and ASU president Michael Crow wrote about the free tuition.

"We hope to provide a model of how business and academia can leverage knowledge, technology, and scale to help more people gain the skills they need to advance in their lives, serve their families and communities, and contribute to the betterment of society," they wrote.

To kick off the pilot, drivers who are qualified for Pro based on ratings and ride history from the past three months will be brought into the rewards program.

---

Featured Video For You

---

A self-driving car could soon deliver your groceries

---

Topics Uber

• Science
• Digital Culture
• Shopping
• Social Good
• Tech
• Entertainment
• Games
• Life

• Enemy of the People
• Own an iPhone? New study says you're probably rich.
• Snapchat is making it easier to find lenses created by other users
• Activists create hidden Pride flag in Russia to protest anti
• Media for the Apocalypse
• Rafael Nadal practices for Wimbledon beside 'some guys'
• SEC comments about a proposed bitcoin ETF are as dumb as you’d expect
• Josh Brolin recreates 'Avengers: Infinity War' ending for pending largest Reddit ban ever
• Dealbreaker
• 'Top Gear' season opener fails to fire on all cylinders

• Facebook's next product frontier is reportedly newsletters
• Robinhood now says you can buy one GameStop share, as a treat
• Mark Zuckerberg pens a Yom Kippur message asking Facebook for 2016 election forgiveness
• 'We're the Millers' was the sleeper hit that could've been even better
• Facebook and Apple's PR war seriously heats up
• Trump to Puerto Rico: Show us the money
• No, this NFL player didn't burn a U.S. flag in the locker room
• 'A Glitch in the Matrix' digs into simulation theory: Movie review
• Mayor of San Juan responds to Trump: "We have one goal, it is to save lives"
• Twitter thinks it knows why Jeff Bezos stepped down as Amazon CEO

• Poison Ivies
• Facebook is testing augmented reality ads in the News Feed
• WhatsApp will label forwarded messages to fight fake news
• Someone gave Captain America Billy Eichner's voice and Chris Evans loves it
• Comrades at Arms
• Vivo NEX S review: Big and bold, but far from perfect
• Ellen's '96 'Take This' album is the only relief I have from Trump
• This bighorn sheep got a photoshop battle that will haunt your dreams
• Unfree Agents
• Donald Trump escalates media trash talk

• This Is Not a Blip
• Justin Trudeau raises Pride flag at Canadian parliament for the first time
• Ed Sheeran's doppelgänger admits the resemblance is ruining his love life
• This is a mother's incredible reaction when she realises her baby is a boy, not a girl
• A Farewell to the Impossible Kyrie Irving
• Umtiti's sassy post
• Microsoft Surface Go hands on: The iPad killer might be here
• Brits plan cheeky 'American Idiot' protest for Trump visit
• Projections of Melania
• Twitter will remove millions of accounts from users' follower numbers