Taxi Driver Jobs | Private Chauffeur Career | Limo Driver Jobs
Taxi Driver Jobs - What is the Job of a Chauffeur Driver? What does a Limo Driver Job Involve?
Taxi drivers, private chauffeurs, and limousine drivers are responsible for transporting passengers to and from entertainment events, homes, work, and business activities. Taxi cab drivers will also help out of town persons become familiar in their city, and some cabdrivers may offer sightseeing services.
Taxi drivers will first report to a taxicab service, at which point they are assigned a car, most frequently modified for commercial transport. After recording their name and the cab that they are taking, a taxi driver will then refuel the vehicle and make sure that it is in proper operating order. A taxi driver will also adjust the cars mirrors and the seat, and they will then cruise around a city looking for persons who need transport.
City goers will often flag a taxi, and then the cabdriver will pick them up, with the client giving them a location of where to take them. Alternatively, a client may call up a taxi cab company and request a taxi pickup, which is then relayed to a cabdriver by radio or cell phone. Places where taxi cab drivers may pick up passengers can include train stations, hotels, airports, business locations, and other places with major foot traffic.
A good taxicab driver is intimately familiar with the locality in which they work, and taxi jobs involve knowing shortcuts in order to reach destinations faster, as well as traffic patterns during various times of the day. After reaching a destination, a taxicab drivers job will involve collecting the fare from the client, which is ascertained using a taxi meter. The taxi cab fare usually covers labor, gas, and any additional surcharges from the trip.
Taxi cab passengers may also ad to the drivers fare, depending on the quality and the safety of the ride. Some taxicab drivers will specialize in transporting a specific class of individuals, such as the disabled or the elderly. These individuals are called paratransit drivers, and paratransit cab drivers will operate special vehicles equipped with wheelchair ramps and other handicapped accessible features.
Private chauffeurs will operate limousines, vans, and cars for limousine corporations, businesses, governments, or rich private individuals. Chauffeur jobs are usually prearrange by an employer, and limousine drivers often have their schedules written at least a few days in advance.
Like a taxicab driver, a chauffeurs job will see to the proper maintenance of a automobile or limousine, inspecting it for cleanliness and cleaning it as necessary. Chauffeurs are responsible for providing professional levels of customer service and paying attention to detail, and a limo driver may also perform errands on behalf of their employers such as delivering parcels and picking up business contacts.
It is increasingly common for chauffeurs to act as drivers and secretaries, multitasking as personal assistants for their employers.
Working Conditions for Private Chauffeur Jobs - How is the Working Environment for Cab Driver Jobs?
Taxicab drivers and limousine drivers may have to be strong in order to lift heavy luggage, and driving for extended periods of time can be boring. There also exists the risk of being robbed, due to accepting cash as payment.
Most taxi cabs are now equipped with GPS Technology and fare meters, which make a taxi job less stressful, and automated dispatch systems will help taxicab drivers find customers easier than in times past.
The working schedule for taxi driver jobs and limousine driver jobs will vary and can include part time or fulltime employment, with taxi drivers sometimes having to report on short notice, and chauffeurs may be on call frequently.
Most fulltime taxi drivers will work in eight hour to 12 hour shift, mostly occurring during the daytime and early evening hours, although cab drivers may have to work late night shifts during the weekends in order to accommodate those clients who are too drunk to drive.
Taxi Driver Education - How to Become a Private Chauffeur - How to Receive Your Chauffeur Services Training
Taxi driver training requires little education other than a high school diploma and a driver’s license. Some limousine companies and taxi companies will provide on the job training for drivers, offering such instruction as customer service and driver safety training. Special needs taxi workers will need additional training in order to learn how to deal with the elderly and disabled individuals.
Chauffeur Training Requirements - How to Become a Taxi Driver - How to Obtain a Chauffeur License
Private chauffeurs and taxicab drivers may require a taxi driver license, which may be known as a hack license, and the Federal government requires a commercial drivers license for those drivers who are carrying more than 16 passengers.
Some jurisdictions and localities like New York City require additional licensing in order to become a taxi driver in a metropolitan city.
Other skills that a taxi driver or chauffeur job requires include being good with people and having a lot of patience in order to deal with heavy traffic and impatient customers. Cab drivers should also be prompt and be able to stick to a schedule in order to not disappoint their clients.
Advancement potential for taxicab drivers and limousine drivers are slim, but some individuals decide to become independent taxi cab owners, although this can be difficult as many taxicab drivers do not understand all the costs that are associated with running a professional chauffeur business. Private chauffeurs will have the easiest time starting up their own company as they are usually dealing with one client as opposed to many.
Executive Chauffeur Employment - What is a Taxi Driving Job?
Over the next decade, chauffeur services and taxi driver jobs should grow by about 13%, keeping pace with the growth of the American population. Demand for paratransit services will increase due to an aging population, and the opportunities overall for taxicab drivers and limousine drivers should be strong, as turnover in the field is high.
Chauffeur Services Pay Scale - How Much Do Taxi Driver Jobs Earn?
In 2006, chauffeur and taxicab driver jobs had hourly earnings of $9.78, with those working in limousine service jobs earning the highest median rate of pay at $10.62, and those drivers working for automobile dealerships having the lowest median rate of pay at $8.86 an hour.
Taxicab drivers must also pay a lease to the taxicab company in order to rent a vehicle, and the cab fee itself usually includes vehicle maintenance, insurance, and a vehicle deposit.