jono300

iTrader: (8)

Having been made redundant last year and still looking for a full time job am now thinking off trying for a job as a private hire taxi driver, phoned one off the semi local companies and spoke to the boss who advised me that they are indeed looking for drivers just now for there ever increasing contract work ie. schools, hospitals etc. advised me that I would require a hackney licence for this private hire work and to phone him back once I had it. filled the relevant paperwork in and just waitting on getting it back ( advised 6-8 weeks )

so anyone here doing this sort off work able to offer any advice on what sort off wage I should be earning for a 40 hour week with contract work ?? the other thing I am slightly worried about is the learning off all the streets etc ??!! is there an suggested ways to learn the streets off your local towns or do taxi drivers rely on sat navs until there knowlege builds up ??

any other info would be great, as I say been out off work for a while now and just feel it would be a way back into work, meeting new people and full time driving sounds as if it could be a great job actually !!

billythekid

Cant help you but IIRC most places hire you one of their cars which can take quite a lot from your fares.

alcazar

iTrader: (2)

I did it for about eight years when my kids were little. Going back 20 years now. Most of the taxis in this town are Asian owned now. Then, there were none.

Don't be fooled by him saying they are looking for drivers: they ALWAYS are, there is a huge turnover.

Most companies will allow you to work for them in one of their cars. I only worked nights and only up to about 1-2am except weekends as I had another job.

When I was working, you got 30% of the takings for any particular day's work you did, and paid tax on it, or you got 25% and arranged to pay your own tax. That was easier for me as I was employed elsewhere.

Tips, if any, were extra to wages.

The least I ever took was £7.80 in a 6-hour night, the owner gave me the lot, but still.......

The most we used to take was around £120 for 6pm-around 4am, weekends. £30 for ten hours' work Plus tips, which could just about double it if you did REALLY well..

Most of the time it's boring, repetitive and mind-numbing, driving p*ssed up people about. It could be funny at times and also dangerous at times. One of our lads was mugged for his takings on a local estate, they kicked the driver's window into his face, three days in hospital getting glass out of his eyes. That finished him for nights. Police never got anyone, surprise.

And you can't make a living wage without cutting corners, so expect some points. The police seem to hate taxi-drivers worse than the average motorist. At least Dumberside Police do. You NEVER get a break, they will do you for EVERYTHING.....

I once worked what our boss called a "double shift": went to work at 6am, finished around 5am next morning.
I got half an hour for my lunch and 45 minutes for my tea. Which had to be when THEY said.

I did take over £220, so earned £55 for 23 hours' work.......told you it's not easy.

And yes, we had contracts, educational and the GHumber Pilots. The educational ones were awful: naughty kids with an escort. She should have been armed.
the Pilots were fun, you could pick up near Gainsborough and take the guy to Hull, easy run, no time limit and a decent wage, plus the guys were interesting.

THEN you got sent to pick up a German sailor for deportation the next day, he'd apparently been holding the shuip's captain at bay with a 9" flick-knife. Cops confiscated the knife, captain refused to have him on board, he got deported. I had to take him from the wharf to a local B&B.

jono300

iTrader: (8)

Okay thanks for that even if some if it sounds as if I would be better staying on the dole !!!!

chocolate_o_brian

iTrader: (22)

According to a recent thread on here, there are lots of jobs about... obviously as this is NSR and everything is true, you're not trying hard enough. Oh, wait, you're north of the M25

I genuinely hope you get a break fella, I've just got myself qualified as a Mechancial Fitter as a mature apprentice after a 3 year apprenticeship (finish in Sept). I know what it's like trying to pay a mortgage on £493 a month take home

Luminous

iTrader: (3)

I hope the money Alcazar is quoting is from 20 years ago, as if that is the current level of pay people will stay on the dole instead of having to work those hours for that little cash.

steve ex vauxhall

iTrader: (5)

Send a pm to steve75 on here, proper nice fella and he does taxi work for a living now, could give you an up to date idea on what's what

DARB

My brother did it for a while, he had to work weekends to make any money, which wasn't much, hours were crap, wages were crap but once he picked two fit birds up and they told him every detail of their sex lives in graphic detail so wasn't all bad

jono300

iTrader: (8)

Finally at last one postive side off the job !! yep speaking to a guy in the pub last week who has been a t/driver for a good few years now he did say it was amazing some off the things you here them talk about after a nite out on the drink only to see them the following day doing there weekly shop with wife / husband all innocent again !!!!

alcazar

iTrader: (2)

Around the time I did it, minimum wage was £3.60 ph.
I worked MANY MANY nights for less.

Jamescsti

I wish the police would hit taxi drivers harder where I live, they just stop in the middle of roads, jump lights, making illegal turns, I could go on.

I'm not saying that you were one of these drivers but some are just taking the pi$$, and it does seem to be a higher proportion than non taxi drivers.

Also as with anything if you need to cut corners then you can't complain if you get caught, I'm not saying I'm whiter than white, I speed from time to time, if I get caught I will deal with it.

Luan Pra bang

A pal of mine owns a cab firm and I know a few cab drivers. They pay radio rent for a PDA and that's it and they keep all the fare or they can hire a car off the company. Some work on 20% commission on jobs for airport runs etc. Earnings vary massively and the key to money is working out who you can overcharge and who you can't. Hackney carriage rates are obviously higher than mini-cab rates but work is harder to find. All cab firms are desperate for drivers ad that's how they earn and the controllers favourite drivers get the best jobs. Local work is time filling money is in Airport runs etc.
Round here a busy fri or sat within the first two weeks after pay-day is £200-250 but gets much worse after, Get ready for drunken ***** and occasional vomit.