I'm a firefighter who turned to Uber as a temporary gig. It's been a tough way to make money

Matthew Guerrero drives for Uber in Southern California.

Matthew Guerrero Matthew Guerrero says gas costs eat up much of his pay as an Uber driver in Southern California.

He prioritizes giving rides to weekend barhoppers who tend to tip well, he said.

Uber says that one driver's experience isn't representative of the broader platform.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Matthew Guerrero, a 41-year-old Uber driver in Southern California.

It has been edited for length and clarity.

I worked as a firefighter for about four years before I got injured on the job.

I've been seeking a workers' comp settlement that should be settled soon.

In the meantime, my lawyer said that I could start working again.

I needed a job really quickly, especially with three kids, so I started driving with Uber.

I've been driving with Uber for about five weeks.

So far, it hasn't been very successful.

For example, one week, I made $600 working 30 hours.

To make that, I spent about $300 in gas driving my SUV.