Uber drivers are entrepreneurs like the fry-station cook at mcdonalds is a small business owner.
Except McDonalds can't make you pay for your own fry station. Or lease it from McDonalds at high rates:
For examples, Experian estimates the average weekly payment for a new car
lease is $96, while a 2013 vehicle through Xchange costs $130 a week.
[...]
After reviewing the terms of one lease, experts estimate that a driver would
pay $25,210 plus $5,000 for the residual value for a 2015 Honda Civic, far
more than the Kelley Blue Book fair purchase prive of $18,142.