Taxi driver making the switch

Thanks for the responses.

I'm in Bryn Mawr PA

Suburban Philadelphia in the area known as the "Main Line"

I spend my time waiting for dispatch sitting in the loading circle at the train station, days like today its all sit and little work. And it was at one point 3 degrees on my car thermometer.....3 degrees today sitting in an old beat up crown vic with 245k miles on it.

It picks up some when all of the many colleges in the area (Villanova, Rosemont, Bryn Mawr, Haverford, Eastern, Cabrini, Harcum) get back into session in late january, but come May....crickets again all summer.......done this way too long.

It's funny someone mentioned CR England, I went to the library across the street from our dispatch circle today, to do some research, and I filled out an application for what I thought was a truck driving school here in PA called AAA in philadelphia, and since i clicked that i was interested in "sponsored" training, CR England got my info and called like 2 minutes later....I didnt even let the girl finish her pitch before I told her no thanks.

I talked to Stevens and Central Refrigerated today, I'm liking those companies for the most part, particularly stevens so we will see what happens, Both said they should have an answer pretty quickly for me, but since I'm considered by the IRS as self employed, I had scan and email a bunch of ledgers and tax returns to prove my employment.

Oh and CRST flat out told me no, apparently they do not hire taxi drivers, or was it they dont hire self employed people....i forget, its late, but they sent me a generic email saying I don't meet their "standards" and the reason had to do with past employment, and since they only asked for 3 years, the taxi job was all I listed, that had to be it.

Tired, going to bed, I will check in tomorrow hopefully with some good news

 

Those aren't "new" camrys, they all probably have over 100k miles on them and are probably 2011's or maybe 12's

Buying the cab could be an option, and I've been to the different auctions to check out that possibility. But here is the deal. You buy the car, say a 2010 Crown Vic Police Interceptor spend about 4-5k on it. Then you have to outfit it with the taxi equipment thats about 2 K. then you have to paint it to a color agreeable to your cab companies liking, my company is all white cabs no other options. Cheap paint job 300 bucks.

And since it was a police car, you will probably have some "work" you are gonna have to do to it.

Yes you could buy any car and make it a cab, but most are crown vics for one simple reason.....parts. There are huge taxi mechanic shops all around our area, if you have a crown vic or a dodge caravan minivan, these places have everything to rebuild the car or van. Any other vehicle, and you might be left waiting for parts, but with the crown vic or caravan, you pull up, tell em whats wrong, and pretty darn quick it gets fixed. The put a new radiator in my jalopy in about an hour a few weeks back.

Now the fun begins. You have to sign a contract with the company, and this is what makes it not worth owning the cab....and still pay the company a weekly fee.

For instance, My company you lease your cab weekly for 500. That 500 covers maintenance, insurance, radio, dispatch, and acess to corporate accounts. all you have to do is pay for gas, and show up to work.

If you won the cab, You then have to pay 300 a week, all that gets you is the company name slapped onto your car, radio, dispatch, and you can "Bid" for corporate work. Maintenance is on you, insurance is on you, gas the works all on you.

Its not just my cab company, they are all like that for guys who want to but their own cars....at least around here.....that discount of 200 weekly is not enough to encourage anyone buying their own cars, so everyone leases their car and the owners pocket the 500 or so a week form everyone.

 

i dont think I'm in the mood to lease anything for a good long while....long long long while

 

Talking to Omar at Central or Swift or CentralSwift whatever it is now.....And Seth at Prime, those are my 2 options it seems as Stevens didnt like my taxi job records and as much as I would love to go to Roehl, just cant afford the up front fees right now.

SO I have no preference between the 2, both seem solid, I guess I kinda like the way the Prime Training is structured, but I am not going to say no to Central if they come through first...now we wait

 

Just talked to Omar at Central, Got accepted into their training program starting the on Jan. 20th!

Apparently I am going to Kansas City for a week, and then to Salt Lake City after that. Why only a week in Kansas City?

Anyone else been to the Kansas City Location and can give me some what of a picture to expect?