Is a ride-hailing car your own vehicle or the company's?
3 Answers
Ride-hailing cars can be either your own vehicle or the company's. If you use your own car, you don't need to pay vehicle rental fees to the platform; you only need to give the platform a 30% commission for each order. If you can't afford to buy a car, then you can only rent a vehicle from the platform. Therefore, both options are viable, and you can choose the one that suits your situation. Here is some additional information: The process of applying to join the platform: To apply for the Didi platform, you need to provide personal information, including your ID card, driver's license, vehicle license plate number, and other details. Only after approval from the Didi platform can you start operating Didi services.
I'm a self-employed ride-hailing driver who has been using my private car for operations for several years. This car is my own, and I'm quite comfortable driving it, but I have to handle all the maintenance and repairs myself, like oil changes and tire replacements, which cost money from time to time. The platform rules change frequently, sometimes requiring the car to be no older than five years, so I worry about my older car being phased out. The advantage is that I don’t have to pay rent, and the money saved can help cover living expenses, but there are also downsides—monthly expenses like fuel and insurance add up, and during slow seasons, the financial pressure is intense. Legally, the city requires registered vehicles to be under personal ownership to avoid unlicensed operations, which I comply with. Occasionally, passengers ask about it, and I explain that it’s my own car, which builds trust. Overall, while it offers freedom, I always have to be ready to handle unexpected issues.
I haven't been doing ride-hailing for long and chose to use the platform-provided company cars. The vehicles are uniformly managed, so I don't have to pay for a new car—just pay the monthly rent, which lowers the startup cost. If the car breaks down, the company handles repairs, so I have less to worry about. However, the downside is that part of my income is shared, and driving feels less personalized, almost like driving a company car. Talking to veteran drivers, they say buying your own car is more cost-effective in the long run, saving on rent. But for a beginner like me, starting this way is steadier and involves less risk. Policy-wise, our local regulations require cars to be clean and relatively new, so company cars easily meet the standards, and passengers feel more at ease. Later on, I plan to save up and switch to my own car.
