How can I become a taxi cab driver in Chicago, its suburbs, and how the work is like? (Washington: leases, hotels)
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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.
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.
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.
[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?
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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.
I realize it's an older thread, but just chiming in to get feedback perhaps from Chicago cabbies...
I've driven a taxi in Boston since 1990. Believe me, it's not high paying.
I drive the night shift, 12 hours nightly, 5p-5a six nights per week. Mon-Wed I expect a profit of $50-$75 including tips...that's after rent , gas, fares, tips (sometimes no tips).
Some Mon-Wed. evenings I can make $100-$150 (but I don't count on that).
On a good Thurs, Friday or Saturday night, my profit may be $150-$200+. Those nites during slow evenings may see a profit of as low as $85-$100 in 12 hours.
Tonight is Sunday, usually one of my better nights. It's summer, so it can be slow. Hope to make $120-$160 in 12 hours. But I could struggle to make $90-$110. It's mostly a function of luck, not skill or experience.
I could make much more if I cheated passengers by taking long routes, charging for extra passengers or extra stops (illegal), illegally refusing short rides or certain races, etc. Taking a certain tunnel from the airport will cost the rider $6-$7 extra on certain routes...but I refuse to do that.
I have no benes, vacation, sick day, holidays or retirement. But I usually love my job, and don't hate going to work. Sure I'd like to work only 60 hours or less weekly, but my pay is too low to afford that.
So I work 72 hours weekly to make $600-$950 weekly. I spend $15-$45 nightly on food. So, bring a sandwich and fruit, and I could work one less night per week. Yes, pathetic and shameful to earn so little per hour...but I'd miss not driving. Plus, I have lots of downtime during my shift to read or rest as I wait in long lines at times at the airport or cab stands.
I met someone the other night whom I dropped off in a housing project who claims a "buddy"drives a cab but won't quit...he's making $300-$500 per shift...right! Lots of fibbing on earnings; after all, who'll admit they made as low as $10 or even $50-$75 in 12 hours of work!?
Little wonder you don't find many American-born drivers in urban areas.
Each short fare is around $12. Each far away fare is apx $35. All you need is a good location and conection with bussy hotel center! 10 whichever fares a day and you should be set. I would not expect you to work more then 8 hours a day. Minus all fees, you still should be in good shape.
I met someone the other night whom I dropped off in a housing project who claims a "buddy"drives a cab but won't quit...he's making $300-$500 per shift...right! Lots of fibbing on earnings; after all, who'll admit they made as low as $10 or even $50-$75 in 12 hours of work!?
Well, at least your doing something you enjoy for a living. How many people can say that? I've seen too many well paid people blow all their money on useless junk just to artificially make them happy. It's pathetic, and many end up going bankrupt, morally and financially, in the process.
It's an all thread but apparently there is still some interest in it.
You asked for it people, I am Chicago cab driver with about 3 years of experience. I'm a lone wolf, I don't hang out with other cab drivers much so I'm writing from my personal experience and experience of those few cab drivers I hang out with. A friend of mine was a cab driver and he recommended this job to me.
The fact is, this job is not for everybody. it can be hard to stay motivated if you're not self disciplined. It can be hard to leave the house sometimes because you don't feel like working and there is nobody to make you go to work.
Most cab drivers complain about their income. I hear it from other passengers, I hear it from other cab drivers while at cab stands. It may be so, but that's certainly not because there is no money to be made in cab business, it's more likely because those drivers spend their days waiting in front of hotels, hoping to get an airport fare and then sit at the airport another few hours.
here is the truth. I tried different jobs and couldn't find anything that will bring me income like driving a cab. maybe serving or bartending in a good restaurant or bar, but I certainly make more than servers in so-so restaurants. I know because I tried it.
The most important thing when driving a cab (besides knowing your way around) is choosing the right shift for yourself. I tried working 12 hour night shift for over a year but money was not really good. I never tried day shift because I imagine money is even worse. I'll explain later. let's crunch some numbers. 12 hour shift lease is $350. gas will cost around $50 if you drive full 12 hours. I always tried to work 5 days and that was the reason why I wasn't making much. my shift would start at 5pm, most cab drivers live on the north side so that's where pick up/drop off location usually is. this sucks because that means I would lose rush hour business because by the time I get downtown it would be already 5:45 - 6 o'clock. sometimes I'd get lucky and pick up someone going from the north side downtown.
anyways, I never stayed til' 5am because there is nothing happening late at night on weekdays. I'd stay til' midnight if there is some business and I generally tried to pay for my lease in 3 days (usually wed-thu and sun). that means 350 for the lease plus 100-ish bucks for the gas. that's about $150 a day, doable in 6-8 hours (2-3 fares an hour on average would equal to 20-30 bucks an hour). $20-30/hour (average) is what i usually get. Of course, sometimes I drive empty for an hour, then I make 40 or 60 in the next hour so my average comes to 20-30.
then comes the weekend. that's when I make money for myself. fri-sat I average 30/hour and I usually work 10-12 hours. I can make $300-400 on friday and about the same on saturday. that's 600-800 - 100 for the gas. on average week I will net $500-700. that's usually in 5-6 days (i work 6 sometimes 7 days on slow weeks). Just to be honest, I had slow weeks when I'd make barely $300 but I also managed to net $1000 during 7 day night shift when I wanted to buy dslr camera.
realistically you can expect $500-800 doing this shift. of course you pay your own taxes so it will be less but since you're technically running your own business you can deduct many things.
now I pay for full time 24/7 cab because it's more convenient, flexible and I don't have to share it with anybody. the lease is $575/week. I work more but I can also make more. I still have the same system. I try to pay for my lease in first 3 days, then work 2-3 days for myself. I work 10 hours during week days (sometimes i start early, around 6 or 7 am, sometimes I start around noon, it all depends. I can get early rush hour business so I make more money when doing this. I make $200-250 per day which is enough to pay for my lease + gas (575+150 for gas = $725). all I need is to average $20-25/hour. that's not too hard most of the time because all I need is a few $7-8 fares where people usually leave $10.
then comes friday and saturday again. i start around noon and work until 2 or 4 am (14-16 hours). again, average $30 (when it gets really busy on weekends I can make up to $60 or 80/hour so that helps with my averages) comes up to $450-500 per night. I burn around $150 worth of gas in those 2 days but I can still easily get $800/week. if I work one extra day (6 days) that's pure profit and it could be another $100-200. if I work 7 days that adds another $100-200. having a cab 24/7 gives me a chance to make anywhere from $700/week on low end up to $1200 or more. I usually get worn out by the end of the week and that's why I don't make more. in theory you could work 20 hours a day, take naps at airports or cab stands (trust me, there are people out there doing it) and make even more, but the question is, is it worth your sanity?
it's not an easy job. it's hard to have social life when you have to work weekends. but weekends are a must in this line of work. driving gets you tired like nothing else. sitting all day in one position will leave a tool on your body, especially your back. driving around alone and picking up strangers can be dangerous even though I've never had any serious issues. only few times aggressive drunks which I easily managed to calm down just by being kind to them and sometimes overly touchy drunk girls.
overall, the job itself is hard but it's way better than working for $10/hour, having a boss and crappy schedule.
Of course, in order to make money as a cab driver you need to know your way around. it takes time and experience but people are generally understanding if you tell them that you're a new driver. The money you make also depends on your personality. there are so many rogue cab drivers out there and they give us all bad name. I follow few simple rules:
- absolutely no cell phone use when customer is in the cab! this is service industry!
- be polite and courteous even if the customer is rude (this one can be hard to swallow sometimes but it works)
- should I mention shower daily and keep your cab clean?
- be sure you know where you're going, if you're not ask!
- if you make a mistake apologize and offer resolution, a discount or even a free ride if you really messed it up
- don't bother people who don't want to be bothered. some people are just not in mood to talk.
many cab drivers just have no common sense. calling police because somebody cannot pay $10 ride is just plain stupid. not giving proper change back or giving yourself the tip can only get you in trouble and it amazes me how low will some people go for a buck or two. have some dignity! if you don't wanna tip me, fine it's not gonna hurt me much because there are still decent people out there.
and I forgot to mention, tips are my main source of income. without tips I'd probably be making minimum wage. that's the way meters are rigged. that also explains why some cabbies complain so much. good personality and positive attitude means bigger tips. good driving habits and safety are important too.
also, having a chauffeurs license is a great protection from unemployment. all you have to do is renew it every year and if you ever lose your job or you need extra money you can always get a cab!
sorry for the long post but I was unable to find any information about this when I just started so I just wanted to help. all the numbers are real but they are not absolute. it all depends on you. your experience, personality, company you drive for (some companies are better than the others), then there are other variables like holidays, conventions, etc. there are slow weeks and there are good weeks. I love being flexible. I love being able to run errands while working. I love being able to have vacation whenever I want and as long as I want. I do not love driving a cab but it will do until I find something better.
I'd also like to add that just like my colleague from boston, I don't cheat my passengers and people who know their way around appreciate that.
also I don't spend that much for food because I love cooking and I bring my food from home. sometimes I use thermal lunch boxes to keep my food from spoiling and i just purchased zojirushi lunch jar so I can bring hot food to work. it helps me eat healthier which is very important when driving a cab, otherwise it's easy to pack extra pounds. plus it saves me money.
I work about 60 hrs/week which is not bad. I do have some downtime while waiting at airports but I try not to waste my time and I don't wait at cab stands unless it's really slow. in the suburbs it's different because people usually call for cabs and it's hard to pick up people off the street.
I'd also like to add that just like my colleague from boston, I don't cheat my passengers and people who know their way around appreciate that.
also I don't spend that much for food because I love cooking and I bring my food from home. sometimes I use thermal lunch boxes to keep my food from spoiling and i just purchased zojirushi lunch jar so I can bring hot food to work. it helps me eat healthier which is very important when driving a cab, otherwise it's easy to pack extra pounds. plus it saves me money.
I work about 60 hrs/week which is not bad. I do have some downtime while waiting at airports but I try not to waste my time and I don't wait at cab stands unless it's really slow. in the suburbs it's different because people usually call for cabs and it's hard to pick up people off the street.
which company is the best to work with?
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which company is the best to work with?
