Newbie reporting and need advice

anewlife SG

Hi all, sin jiao reporting.

Greeting to all seniors and newbies: Huat Huat Huat ah!!!

I’ve passed my TDVL a week ago and will have my licence in couple of weeks’ time.

I’m currently holding a full time 5-days week job and have an initial plan of going for weekend part-time relief driving if I come across any opportunity.

However, few days ago, happened to take the same lift with this neighbour (a nice person) who is driving a CDG sonata on OMO basis. His driving time is 5-6am to early afternoon (back home due family commitment), continues from late afternoon to evening around 9pm.

Told him about my plan on weekend driving, he then asked if I’m interested to drive night (for weekdays and weekends too). If I do, he is willing to let me drive his cab as relief after 9pm for a token fee of $20 per night. And I can drive for as long as I want to, so long the cab is there for him to take over the next morning. He explained that this is one of the better way for me as a newbie to gain experiences.

I told him that even if I do, at most I will only drive about 4hrs on weekdays as I still need to work on the following days. (I do not want to over-burnt myself but will definitely drive longer hrs during weekend).

Questions time:-

1) If I were to drive 4hrs from (9-1am) on weekdays, on average will I be able to cover the operating cost plus earn a bit like about $20 a night? (take into consideration I’m a newbie)

2) Is the offer a fair one? (to me, this neighbour is trying to help me coz before he knew that I’m having a taxi licence soon, he did mentioned that he is not planning to look for any relief all this while as he’s not comfortable in doing so).

3) Does CDG MDT provide enough call jobs at night especially from East area?

4) If I decided to take the offer, what are the things/terms I need to straighten up with him before I start?

Wow…I so long winded….sori sori. Any advices and comments are most welcome. Thanks in advance.

bowah SG

9pm after peak period, hirer very clever hor. Ask him to give it to you at 6pm lah, then drive until 12, like this more wu wah mah. But if you really take the 9pm until morning for $20, also quite wu wah leh, aiya, first 2 hours can make back yr $20 rental and diesel fee liao, the rest is your profits. If you drive for 4 hrs from 9pm, need to go city, pubs and those nite dweller places to pick up pax, by 10 or 11pm, housing estate all very quiet liao. I think a decent net profit of $40+++ for 4 hrs from 9pm should not be a problem. Best is that you and your hirer lives on the same block, save you lots of time, no harm trying, if bo wah, return key back to him lor. I think he also OMO until cannot tarhan liao.

anewlife SG

Thanks bowah for your valuable advise.

bowah SG

You are most welcome, if hirer ask for washing, unless he provide a washed taxi for you, you do not have to wash for him hor. He drives nearly 12 hrs and expect you to wash for driving 4hrs, very bo wah. Neighbour is neighbour, friend is friend but business is business, need to make sure everything is clear and understood before driving, if not later say this and that, very hard to swallow.

Anyway, I also relief for a few month only, hope those more experience TD masters like Mr Pool, ALN, etc etc can help you and give your extra good advises.

anewlife SG

can't agree more especially for new bird like me.

that's why it's important to know what terms to talk about before agree.

Thanks once again.

Poolman SG

4 hours driving ?

Drive like ALN , charity driver for the hirer .

Hahahahahah

anewlife SG

Uncle poolman, don't keep me guessing leh ... tell me what you actually means pls...

anyway weekdays for experience and then earn more on Fri & Sat nights coz can drive longer hrs.

Is this workable?

Sandisct SG

I would not recommend it. I would rather drive 1 weekday (wed or thu) night 6pm-1am and 1 sat or sun($70 rental) wholeday. Becos u need some rest days to recuperate.

I've been driving for the past 8 Sundays liao and so far has been consistent with my earnings. Driving from 830am to latest 3am with 2-3 hrs break in between for meals. For Sunday I always takes abt 5 hours to cover my rental and whole day diesel. So starting from 830am to abt 2pm is to cover rental n diesel whatever after that is pure profit. Sorry cannot say how much if not I'll kena from TCL again... hahahah...

Reliefdriver4u SG

Hi anewlife

You did not state whether weekends he let you drive whole day or 9pm to 6am, from your post i assume all days is 9pm to 6am

Let me remind you we are humans not machine, i suggest you just do weekends only, whole day drive instead of from 9pm onwards, rental for whole day is 75 ~ 85 depending on your negotiation with hirer

as you are newbie, if you start from 9pm onwards, can’t gain much experience, cos due to insufficient exposure and probably won’t earn much

Markee SG

Driving from 9pm to 5am for $20 rental is a steal !!! (Great Deal)....

But if you basically drive from 9pm to 1am (dued to your Full Time job commitments on weekdays)... then, I really reckoned that you (will be better off) stay at home and spend more quality time with your family !!

4 hours of LIMITED driving gives you unwanted pressure...as when your meter is idling, your projected income will depreciates.

Most times, if you gets a trip to the North (ie, Yishun or Woodlands etc), you will likely go back EMPTY to town (this will eventually eats up your 4hrs of Limited driving).

1 hr of meter runs should clock around $25 (on average)...

Less your diesel cost, your potential income will not be that attractive any more....

Dun waste your sleeping time... patrolling the street like a poli car....

Not everyday is a Sunday....

anewlife SG

Thanks to bro San, Reliefdriver4u and Markee for your input. I really got to put a serious thought on this offer liao....

At first thought this offer is good for people like me who is having a full time job but yet $$$ slightly not enough, and also can gain some experience from the so call on the job training (since the rental is not high thus hit wall also not as pain lol) and then decide if taxi driving is suitable for me or not. Currently my full time job also quite shaky cuz it's business have not recover from 09 financial tusnami even though most company already in the boom liao. So who's know in near future, i might be in TD full time liao.

Anyway, I guess i might just have to drop this offer and stick back to my initial plan of driving weekend part time.

Bro RD4U, to answer your question, Yes it is also 9-6am for friday & Saturday at $20/night