If you’re a lover of providing great customer service, and if you like to drive, then taxi driving could be the perfect profession for you. There are a host of personal benefits to taking this route with your career: it’s good pay, you can be your own boss, and you need not go through extensive amounts of training.
Does all of this sound perfect to you? If so, become a taxi driver! Before you set off on this path, though, just be sure that you know everything you need to regarding this profession. You can find information on that very matter listed below.
Get Licensed
The first thing you need to do in your quest to become a taxi driver is to get yourself licensed in the trade. If you don’t and you then begin picking up passengers without proper certification, you could face fines reaching upward of $2500. This is referred to as an illegal taxicab operation, and being caught performing it will see you ruin any chance you once stood of becoming a full-fledged taxi driver.
When it comes to getting licensed and certified, you should check to make sure that you meet the typical requirements.
- You must have a clean driver’s license
- You must have no felony convictions on your record
- You must not be serving parole
- You must be able to pass the health examination
- You must have no outstanding tickets or warrants
- You must be of legal age in your state (some states require you to be 18, whereas others require you to be 21).
Part of the licensing procedure also requires you to take a test. Generally, the topics covered in a taxiing test will include:
- Routes
- Boundaries
- Non-discrimination
- Customer service
Get a vehicle
Now for the fun part — getting your taxi. As you are going to be using it extensively day in, day out, and in all manner of conditions to boot, the vehicle that you choose must be trustworthy. This doesn’t necessarily mean that you need a splash out on a brand new vehicle, it just means that you shouldn’t pick any old rust bucket. You should only look into investing in vehicles that have been well looked after, have a full-service history, and don’t, yet, seem to have been impacted too much by issues of wear and tear.
Once you get your vehicle, it’s important that you remember to insure it. No matter what type of vehicle it is, even if it’s a minibus, there are companies out there who will provide you with all the cover you need. To find minibus insurance specifically, make sure to check out Acorn Insurance. Their cover will protect you against the specific dangers that larger vehicles like minibusses pose to their drivers.
If you’re tired of your job and think that the taxiing profession is the one for you, then why not give it a go? Going down that road with your career will see you meet countless amounts of people every day, meaning you’ll be sure to hear some cracking stories!
