New Taxi Driver

last SG · 2009-04-08T23:53:32+00:00

Just to share with you guys my omo driving- Mon -Fri Start 5am pick up regular to T3 then queue at airportBy 10am normally will cover rental & diesel ($1...

Chaosraider1992 SG

Hi,

I'm new to this forum, sorry if i make any mistakes. My Father just changed his job to a Taxi Drvier, he is new to it, so everyday he from morning 7am start driving till midnight... i can see that he is very tired... so i wish to lighten his stress... Can anyone please guide me how my father should work? I plan to ask him drive on peak hours... but it seems abit hard to earn till S$130... plus his rent and diesel... and monthly earn... guess should earn roughly S$180? i find it hard to earn tat much daily... Can anyone please guide me? thanks alot!

jay_rocks SG

how bout hiring someone to work for night shift, ur dad morning shift

ALN SG

ya, first qn i wd ask is how many hours can the particular cabby drives on a consistent basis?....

if the answer is 10 hours, then get a relief for remaining 12 hours is optimal

if more than 15hours, then go ahead and do a one-man-operation….

your dad driving pattern now (omo) is more suited for young driver…. very hard to sustain for long term…. let alone for older driver…

anyway if i owe big money, i will drive 5am to 2pm full, then 4 to 11pm full…. sunday rest full day…. not much social life left….

Rednano SG

get a relief driver. he will pay half the daily rental charge, and diesel cost to ur dad.
just register at the taxi company HQ to leave ur address, day/ timing details, hp no for relief drivers to search at the HQ office.

always take bookings/ on calls on the touchscreen system...

start at 6am, end at 9 or 10pm is enough... with breaks in the day to stretch leg muscles and relax tension... driving needs focus reflex and attention...

dragg SG

ask poolman.

i think he is a very good taxi driver.

MaNyZeR SG

I once had a conversation with a taxi driver... He told me something like how he work. Firstly your dad needs to know where is the best place to pick up customers. When you know this.. Keep it to himself and do not share with others.

Secondly, during night time, especially those early and late mornings.. Ask ya father no point joining the taxi queue in order to pick up the people that just finish chiong... Especially at the liang court that side where you can see a whole stretch of taxi queuing up for customers. This is because sometimes you queue for maybe up to 1 hour... and then ya customers say tiong bahru.. From liang court to tiong bahru how much can ya earn?? Nothing much.

Dont spent too much time to chit chat with other drivers is also a good way to earn more money. just driving during peak hours is not enough, your dad needs to know where to pick up the most customers. If he goes town, he can pick up customers from town easily, but if he goes to neighbourhood during the day then he might have difficulty picking up customers then..

dukedracula SG

getting a relief driver is difficult as there are more cabs available for hire now…....most hirer tend to get a relief to do half the day…i came across one cabbie with a great system, he drives alternate days while the relief covers the other alternate days…this way he gets to work as much as he wants without having to disrupt during changing shifts and gets to rest one full day….

Chaosraider1992 SG

Wow thanks ur the guidance, but my dad seems to always have the habit like earn till tat amount... meaning if he never reach tat target he tends to keep on drive drive drive till he reached tat target... and may i know if get relief... wad are the possible shifts? so i can help my dad work out his timetable? lol my friend (father also taxi driver) says tat taxi driver must have their own clock... know when to drive when to relax and stuff like tat... and is it true tat taxi driving is hard at first... den when later when u got the hang of it... everything will be ok roughly earning 2k per month?

QX179R SG

nowdays there's so many cabs from different companies on the roads..

plz remind your dad to take breaks, don't keep on driving till meet target cause by doing so he might get tired/sleepy for example & it puts other road users at risk..

Rednano SG

after minus off the car expenses like taxi rental, diesel, parking coupons, road tax...etc., minimum net income of $2,000 is within reach.

shift can plan... just as u like it .e.g

1) 12hrs shifts, day and night.
2) alternate days, odd and even.
3) weekends off, meaning just let relief driver take both saturday and sunday.

Poolman SG

One man show ? wow ..... morning drive until midnight ? Wow wow wow ... your dad ? How old ? If he think he want to die faster , then go on !!

Me when 36 , OMO ... almost died ! Fatigue took its toll . Seriously .... no joke .

Rednano SG

those suburban shopping centres in the heartlands...

Poolman SG

First ... must see how much ur family need to have enuf cover ...

For me , daily $120 , as in my requirement of $3000 a month , so what i did ?

So i add up my rental of $95 , plus diesel about $30 , overhead per day = $125 .

Overheads + salary = $245 .

So must work like target $245 per shift collection ...

If your dad is like slow mover , $20 per hour , fundamentally he must be on the road for 12.25 hours daily !

Me fast mover , about $25 per hour relax one .... so me on the road like 10 hours only .

10 hours is like 6am to 4pm like that lor .....

if he dun like 6am shift , then 8am to 6pm also can ...

All depends on how much he wanted daily ....

P/S : I off on Sunday , i let go , cos my body need to recharge for long term run .

Poolman SG

If ur dad only need $2000 , tell him , he's a lousy driver !

Why ?

Morning until midnight only $2000 ? What he doing ? Coffee shop sit and relax ? Or massage parlour ?

Cannot be morning drive til midnight only get $2000 .

Poolman SG

My best routine , in terms of money and rest ...

7am work til 11.45am , go home sleep for 4 hours or so .

Then 4.30pm , work til 10.30pm ....

7am til 11.45am , anytime can fetch $120 ... or a bit lower between $100 to $120 .

Then 4.30pm to 10.30pm , another $120 easily .

So i achieve my daily minimum .

My body is good , enuf rest , my dollar and cents also quite steady ...

Except , no lifestyle ! 365 days never really see my family , except on Sunday .

Poolman SG

Tell your father to get a night relief .... that's the best as far as senior is concern .

Senior citizen tends to ignore health for money ...

Then they end up getting heart problems , liver problems , kidney problems , this is all accumulative one .... if he goes on OMO .

Health vs money ?

Have a thought .

I saw many came , and many went ...

That's why i quit taxi .... have a break after so long .

Poolman SG

Lobang is secondary ... first ur dad must have a routine . A standard working duration .

If he settled down with a standard working routine , automatically , he'll know when , where , what , why , which to get customers !!!

Poolman SG

I enjoy most was the Monday to Friday's pace , exciting and interesting ...

I quit OMO becos i hated Saturday and Sunday ... damn low demand for taxis except only those rush 2 hours ( 10am to 12am ) period .

And Saturday and Sunday , most customers i took , largely to Orchard and Bugis area , town . Always massive jam inside or near Orchard area that time .

Chaosraider1992 SG

Wow thanks for the Guidance from all of you, especially poolman, u seem to be very experience.

Actually i just wan to ask is 2k too high a target to reach, looks like its not haha.

But most if my friends say tat starting its best to drive full shift, till u are familiar den go for relief... they say the rent will cut half... which is good. Am i right? so now i just ask my father to go around SG and look out for good place to go, so next time when he familiar with it, he can have relief, and earn roughlky 2k per month right?

ZONC SG

Hi, I had been driving almost 9 month, need advice for you guy :

1) Mon to Fri : Start driving at 7.20am till 12.30pm, then 12.30 till 3pm fetch kid, went home lunch . start again 3pm till 8pm earning $100 average after deduct rental and petrol.

2) Sat start at 8.30 till 12pm then 12pm-2pm lunch with family, start 2.30pm till 8pm.

3) Sun morning till 3pm spending time with family and start at 3pm till 7pm closed

So what you guy think, OMO workable ?