How can I become a taxi cab driver in Chicago, its suburbs, and how the work is like?

[movingsomewhere]

Originally Posted by emathias

I've never seen anything claiming that cab drivers in Chicago earn $1,000/week. The union claims many drivers don't earn much more than $1,000/month.

Salary.com says Chicago cab drivers earn about $34k/year. A recent University of Chicago study reported that cab drivers were working 13 hour days and only pocketing the equivalent of $4.38/hour for their efforts. While I think most taxi drivers earn more than the $16,000/year that would work out to, I also think if it was actually common to earn $50/k year, you'd have a lot more American drivers.

If you want to be a driver, I think livery drivers (limo drivers, hired cars, etc) probably make more money. At the very least, their job is safer - driving a taxi is very dangerous.

hmmm. $1000 a month. yet the companies asked you to pay upfront money (to rent the cab which includes insurance, maintenance, everything else, you only pay for gas and the cab rent!). upfront money like $350-$450 a week! You do the math. $1000 a month is ridicoulous. I've spoken with several taxi cab drivers, complete strangers they say you can make $1000-1500 a week. This is usually 12 hour work days I think. Depends how many people flags you for a ride. The work your own hours, be your own boss is the thing that appeals to me. If you can't make money in driving a cab, the taxi bureau would stop these companies from hiring when business is slow don't you think? Otherwise you'd be paying upfront money to rent the cab ($350-$450 weekly), which is a rip off. I asked around about a 50/50 split. No cab is doing it. It would be better that way so you don't pay upfront money, just half of what you take in. But then again who's to know how much a cab driver takes in when you can't monitor these things, unless all your driving is via a dispatched call, not driving around the city to pick people up.

[movingsomewhere]

Originally Posted by Jesse69

You'll barely get by when gas prices become expensive again. I'd rather be a top notch bike messenger which can pull $1000 weeks but it sucks biking in all weather including a full day in rain at 38F - freezes you up!

You'd rather be? WHich means you never really did this job? Which means you didn't really take $1000 a week riding a bike? I can't imagine making that much with a bike unless you're dealing crack. LOL. I have a car, don't you think a car messenger would make more since driving a car would mean you can deliver things quicker? You can't deliver hundreds/thousands of newspapers in a bike in this weather. It is time consuming and energy consuming. Newspaper delivery early in the morning from 2-6 a.m. could only get you $250 weekly. And this is with a car.

[movingsomewhere]

Originally Posted by emathias

I've never seen anything claiming that cab drivers in Chicago earn $1,000/week. The union claims many drivers don't earn much more than $1,000/month.

Salary.com says Chicago cab drivers earn about $34k/year. A recent University of Chicago study reported that cab drivers were working 13 hour days and only pocketing the equivalent of $4.38/hour for their efforts. While I think most taxi drivers earn more than the $16,000/year that would work out to, I also think if it was actually common to earn $50/k year, you'd have a lot more American drivers.

If you want to be a driver, I think livery drivers (limo drivers, hired cars, etc) probably make more money. At the very least, their job is safer - driving a taxi is very dangerous.

Yeah a laid back job that could get you 50K a year would be more appealing to Americans than any hard-working Habibs.

Limo/hired car driving might pay more. I don't think you will be working your own hours, not many limos drive around after midnight, mostly cabs. I've never been in a limo, I've catch cabs several times, which means people take cabs more often than limos dont you think? You also have a boss to deal with and customers to be on time with driving a limo rather than just drive around independently, pick whoever flags you for a ride, etc. Use common sense when it comes to safety, etc.

[M60608]

Originally Posted by movingsomewhere

[SIZE=2]Ok so I've seen that some cab companies are asking between $350 to $450 a week fee to rent out their cab (that comes with everything: insurance, repair, maintenance, everything). The cab driver is basically renting out the cab. There are reports that cab drivers can take in $1000-1500 a week, not sure about that in this economy. So let's say I take in $1000 a week, pay almost half of that for the cab rent. This seems like a bad deal since who is to know how much you can work and make in a day or week to even make ends meet and pay for the cab rent? Are there taxi cabs out there that just take a percentage and or 50% out of what you make instead of taking upfront money ($350-450 a week?) that is not even guaranteed you can make (look at the economy).

Being a cab driver is flexible, work your own hours, be your own boss, from what I know so far. Any other info. I should know?
[/SIZE]

I know a guy that dispatches for a cab company.

First thing is you have to go to Harold Washington Library and pay like $270.00 for two weeks of schooling , its like 8 hours a day 5 days a week for 2 weeks to get your hard card.

He also told me alot of cab drivers make good money , most all say they make nothing to deter others from thinking about driving a cab.He said the only thing to worry about is your safety driving a cab.

So I guess if you are out there hustling and not just parked in your cab taking a snooze you can make money.