Taxi Driver, Chauffeur, Ride-Share Drivers
Taxi drivers, chauffeurs, and ride-share drivers are key players in the transportation industry, offering alternatives to public transport like buses and subways. They provide personalized, convenient travel options for individuals seeking mobility without owning a car, which may include sightseeing trips or luggage delivery. These drivers typically operate in urban settings, servicing locations such as airports, hotels, and private residences, with taxi drivers often working on a flexible basis while chauffeurs usually handle prearranged assignments for specific clients.
Essential skills for these occupations include excellent driving ability, knowledge of local geography, punctuality, and a sense of responsibility. While the roles can be perceived as glamorous, the realities often involve challenges, including the risk of robbery for taxi drivers and navigating difficult customer interactions. Work environments can vary greatly, with drivers confined to their vehicles for extended periods, facing both physical and environmental stressors. Education requirements may not be stringent, but useful skills include communication, basic math, and familiarity with vehicle mechanics. Advancement opportunities exist but are generally limited, often leading experienced drivers toward better routes, higher salaries, or entrepreneurial pursuits.
Taxi Driver, Chauffeur, Ride-Share Drivers
Snapshot
Career Cluster(s): Hospitality & Tourism, Transportation, Distribution & Logistics
Interests: Road Transportation, Urban Transportation, Hospitality
Earnings (Yearly Median): $32,440 per year $15.59 per hour
Employment & Outlook: 14% (Much faster than average)
Entry-Level Education:No formal education credential
Related Work Experience: None
On-the-job training: Short-term on-the-job training
Overview
Sphere of Work. Taxi drivers and chauffeurs are members of the transportation industry. They provide an alternative form of transportation to buses and subways that tends to be more private, comfortable, and convenient and offer another way of getting around without the need for a privately owned car. They may also take people sightseeing or on longer journeys. In addition, they sometimes pick up and deliver luggage or goods alone.
Work Environment. Taxi drivers and chauffeurs work in towns and cities worldwide, where they typically travel between airports, business districts, hotels, convention centers, restaurants, and private residences. A driver may rent their vehicle from a fleet company that serves a variety of customers. A chauffeur may work for a single individual or company for whom they carry out many different requests. Most chauffeur assignments are prearranged and door to door, whereas a taxi driver might pick up a new passenger in any location and with little to no notice. Chauffeurs and taxi drivers both work independently and without supervision, answering mostly to their customers rather than to bosses. If a driver drives for a ride-sharing service, they must use their own vehicle.
Occupation Interest. Taxi drivers and chauffeurs must be excellent drivers, able to navigate streets during rush hour or poor weather conditions, and should be intimately familiar with their cities. Punctuality, flexibility, and an overall sense of responsibility are other key qualifications. While these jobs tend to be portrayed as glamorous, some urban taxi drivers run a high risk of being robbed or assaulted. Drivers sometimes deal with unsavory situations, emergencies, and challenging personalities.
A Day in the Life—Duties and Responsibilities. The chauffeur or taxi driver who rents their vehicle begins the day by picking up the cab or limo at the fleet’s garage. The first stop is usually the fuel pump, where the driver makes sure the vehicle is in good working condition. The driver then proceeds to their first assignment. During the course of the shift, a chauffeur’s clients might include business travelers, performers, or a wedding party. The chauffeur continues from one assignment to another until the shift ends. A taxi driver may start the day with a preassigned fare, cruise through the business district looking for potential customers, or take a place in the designated taxi waiting area at an airport, train station, or other popular hub. A dispatcher can contact the driver at any time for a special pickup. Customer destinations vary widely, from shopping and restaurants to medical centers to businesses and tourist attractions. Once the taxi driver determines where each fare is going, the driver sets the meter and informs the dispatcher of the intended journey. Ride-share drivers begin their day by signing into an application on their smartphone or tablet and searching for potential customers.
Chauffeurs are commonly prepaid, while the taxi driver collects money from each fare based in part on set fees. Both chauffeurs and taxi drivers depend on tips to round out their earnings. Drivers earn tips in part by extending courtesies to the customers, such as lifting luggage, assisting a passenger with disabilities, or stopping at a coffee shop upon request. At the end of the shift, the driver fills out a log and prepares the car for the next day. Ride-share drivers get a percentage of a trip based on their employment with a specific application. They also rely heavily on customer tips.
Work Environment
Immediate Physical Environment. A taxi driver, chauffeur, or ride-share driver is confined to the car except when taking breaks. Air-conditioning or heat, seats with good support, and a vehicle that is comfortable to maneuver can make the experience mostly pleasant. Sitting for long periods can cause muscular discomfort related to lack of exercise. City traffic and heavy exhaust fumes can also be detrimental to one’s health, while breathing in the unpleasant odors of some customers, such as heavy perfume or the stench of alcohol, can be another negative aspect of the work.
Human Environment. For many drivers, contact with customers is the highlight of the job. Conversations may be initiated by either party and may evolve into in-depth discussions about current events, politics, or other subjects. Drivers must be patient, sympathetic, and willing to repeat information about local events or weather several times a day. Drivers must also be comfortable taking directions from the dispatcher, interacting and often competing with other taxi drivers, and exercising tact and patience with other drivers, customers, and pedestrians.
Technological Environment. Drivers must be familiar with the basic mechanics of their vehicles, the taximeter, and communications equipment, such as two-way radios or smartphones. GPS devices, computers, calculators, credit card readers, and other small gadgets may be used as well. Ride-share drives must be able to use the application to choose passengers and get paid.
Education, Training, and Advancement
High School/Secondary. A high school diploma is not always required, although it is desirable. Most employers in the United States expect good English language skills, while knowledge of a second language can also be very useful. Math skills are needed to keep records and make change. Classes in speech or communications can give one confidence in relating with the public, and courses in geography will help with map-reading skills. Driver training and auto mechanics courses are vital.
Postsecondary. College courses in business, social sciences, communications, or foreign languages can be advantageous for drivers, especially those interested in starting their own companies. Regardless of one’s educational level, most companies provide on-the-job training that lasts a week or two.
Advancement is limited in most places. An experienced driver may be rewarded with the best routes, command a higher salary as a private chauffeur, choose to become a dispatcher, or start their own company.
Related Occupations
Bibliography
"Taxi Drivers, Shuttle Drivers, and Chauffeurs." Occupational Outlook Handbook. Bureau of Labor Statistics, US Department of Labor, 6 Sept. 2023, www.bls.gov/ooh/transportation-and-material-moving/taxi-drivers-and-chauffeurs.htm. Accessed 28 Sept. 2023.