Just my 2 cents worth. I was a driver in the 90s and now again
for the past 2 years.
My first advice to you: Don't be fooled by the sales pitch made
the various training schools or road-shows. All taxi companies earn
their bulk from renting out their taxis.
Their primary aim to get ppl to lease them, that's why they
'offer carrots' especially to newbies, who don't know much about or
anything about their structure and system and also have this new
zeal to drive, so they are always targetted first.
Ask yourself why are the companies so keen to offer carrots of
up to 2k a year? Why not offer them to their existing hirers? Ask
yourself, is 2k really that big amount? Can you recoup that 2k (in
a year) if you don't take up their offer? The answer is invariably
yes.
2nd advice therefore is learn to walk before running. OMO gives
you freedom and the keys, but it's a burden around your neck. What
happens if you fall sick? What happens if something came up and you
can drive for a few days or more? You'll find that in the end the
companies main goal is collect rent, if you are arrears, vehicle
will be repossessed and for companies like CDG, there will be a
blackmark and you can never be a hirer again.
You have up to 6 months maybe a year where the carrots are
offered, so why the rush? A better solution is find someone in your
class or a friend/relative and then hire a taxi. 1 of you take the
carrots and share between both. Both can drive, both can share
benefits, yet neither will be burdened as much as an OMO.
Lastly, TD is far from what you've experienced in working life.
I thought no problem, I was cop, drive patrol car 8-10 hours all
shifts, how different can TDriving be?
First be prepared for some back pain, sitting long hours and
driving is no joke, even today after many years, my back sometimes
hurts and I feel lethargic despit more than enough sleep.
But you're young I suppose and can overcome this, but still
there will be enormous pressure, to concentrate on the road, find
pax etc etc. It won't be easy but not impossible either.
I forget to add, ditch the crown and go for an automatic. I
drove in both eras, auto and manual, but 8 hrs or more of manual is
no joke, especialy for people with little experience of driving
them. Pay a little more and go for auto, why wear your knees out as
well? How many ppl on the road own manual cars these days? Why do
you want to be in the minority? There must be something alluring to
drive auto than manual right?
To end, you don't have to follow all the advise given here,
choose the ones you think suit you best. Don't be discouraged and
yet don't take it as a challenge that you must prove some of us
wrong in our advise. Advise is just that, advise. Not an order, so
be yourself, yet consider what advise suits you or what that can
suit you with some changes to suit your style, or marry some advise
given into something you prefer.
Good luck
