Uber drivers in the US are commuting hours away from their home to more lucrative cities and sleeping in public spaces in an effort to maximise their earnings, a new report from Bloomberg says.

One driver commutes 90 miles from Sacramento every Monday morning at 4 am and sleeps in a supermarket car park so that he can drive for Uber in San Francisco, Bloomberg's report says.

A former Uber X driver in San Francisco told Business Insider: "Drivers get very creative, some make six-hour trips to San Francisco because they make more money, it's more densely populated and the minimum fare is higher."

"They sleep on the beach during the day [rates are sometimes higher through the night] and shower in a gym. There's a 24-hour Starbucks and at 4 am I can see drivers sleeping with a blanket on the back seat."

Uber's own estimates of driver earnings show that earnings per hour are second-highest in San Francisco, behind New York.

Uber was not immediately available for comment but in an emailed statement to Bloomberg, it said: “With Uber, people make their own decisions about when, where and how long to drive. We're focused on making sure that driving with Uber is a rewarding experience, however you choose to work.”

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