Had Enough

UK PROFESSIONAL DRIVERS FORUMS THE UK PROFESSIONAL DRIVERS FORUM (INTERACTIVE)
1

Well have taken up a friends suggestion and passed my Hackney locality test and get out of this ■■■■ poor job, not to say that i wont have to work the hours but at least i will get minimum wage for it if i do.
Cant do this anymore ■■■■■ wages long hours sleeping in a tin box for next to nothing and expected to break every law thats going i am not saying this represents every firm but its a true reflection where i work they are a bunch of ■■■■■■■■■ to say the least.
I think the industry is in freefall with no bottom and the more you do for these cowboys to help the more they expect you to do well its time to hang up my class1 and do a job which i get a decent wage for and people appreciate what you do for them

Rant Over

2

You’ll be back.
Driving a cab will last only as long as the novelty. You’ll soon get fed up with the drunks, the druggies, the cyclists, the whinging passengers complaining about trivialities, the little ■■■■ council officials.
Your pay depends on the punters you find, not the hours you work. With summer here, many will be happy to stand in the sun at bus stops, many will prefer to walk.

You’ll make far more in an ice cream van this time of year, if you can find one to rent that is.

3

I can shadow enit on that, when I tried it it was unsocialble hours that made the money. We did private hire work with hackneys and sat on the ranks the rest of the time.

You get no end of wierdo’s, druggies doing return drug runs, drunks etc.

Not to mention how much money you need to make in an hour just to make it profitable.

Good luck though cos I know a few cab drivers who are on to a goopd screw, mon - fri days etc, little school runs for good money etc.

4

You’re lucky if you can make £50 a day doing it round here, I’ve done it myself. You sit around for an hour, then take a £5 fare out of which you have to run the car, diesel etc, then you sit around for another hour…

5

if i made £5 an hour where i work i am doing well thats a good week going to sort school contract as said there will be 1 coming up as driver is retiring and another jumps back and forth to spain so he is giving his up where i am working from.
Your right the drunks and druggies but you dont have to carry them i also have arranged a parcel delivery inter airport for an air freight company sorted aswell as of coming back may do a bit agency work in the leen times but hopefully wont need to.
Also my mate owns an office and he said he would look after me as i serviced his cars when he first started out so hopefully i have an escape route thanks for all your replies and yes you are all right in what you say it wont be easy but i need to get out to save my sanity

6

My top tip for the taxis get decent waterproof seat covers and a tin of febreeze. Friday and saturday night plenty of wonga but it has its drawbacks cleaning up sick :cry:

My dad has a contract with the evening times , he delivers it during the day to shops when the taxi work is dead. No much profit but it keeps the taxi from being idle.

7

tilerman:
if i made £5 an hour where i work i am doing well thats a good week going to sort school contract as said there will be 1 coming up as driver is retiring and another jumps back and forth to spain so he is giving his up where i am working from.
Your right the drunks and druggies but you dont have to carry them i also have arranged a parcel delivery inter airport for an air freight company sorted aswell as of coming back may do a bit agency work in the leen times but hopefully wont need to.
Also my mate owns an office and he said he would look after me as i serviced his cars when he first started out so hopefully i have an escape route thanks for all your replies and yes you are all right in what you say it wont be easy but i need to get out to save my sanity

Well done Tilerman. I wish you well, it seems as though you’re on the right track. A few contracts should give you basic “bread and butter” money then everything else on top makes it worthwhile. Plus, you will be working for yourself so maybe it will make you more motivated.
Good luck and keep us informed how you’re getting on.

8

I wish you well, but you will be back. Taxis are not worth a light. Tried it and was working 100 hrs + to make ends meet. Plus side is, you pay next to no tax!

9

I was a taxi operator for about 5 years. I did my class2 to get out and away from all the hassle petty council officials 2 mots per year certificate of fitness .Where did I go wrong.?

10

Good luck Tilerman, its not easy. I did a bit a few christmas’s a go when clubs use to finish about 1am which ment home in bed by 2am, but now the club stay open till very late, so it more like doing a full night shift. Look after the old people and drive steady, listen to their crap and they will always ask for you by name. This use to ■■■■ the full time guys off when I would be booked most early evenings take old folks out to bingo etc and collecting them about 10 pm whilst the others had quiet moments until pubs cleared out.

11

Good luck why don’t you come down to Plymouth and work you could be unique,I have used 5 cabs this last month not one English driver,who knows you might be able to charge more cause you speak the language.Last weeks guy was Rumanian and he did speak a bit of English,hilarious,slagged off all the immigrants…you couldn’t make it up.

12

The other side is luckily i have no mortgage i dont have any hp i had a business which made me a few quid and although not enough to retire so i dont need a fortune to pay bills just a few quid to keep the wolves away, i like the job i do although i never expected people to work for peanuts even the poles leave our place :smiley:.

Re: Had Enough
by bowserman » Sun May 23, 2010 8:32 pm

I wish you well, but you will be back. Taxis are not worth a light. Tried it and was working 100 hrs + to make ends meet. Plus side is, you pay next to no tax!

I wont as i am looking further into the future a couple of shifts a week in the end will be more than enough not putting 13-18 hours a day when i am 55

Re: Had Enough
by miketdt » Sun May 23, 2010 10:11 pm

Good luck Tilerman, its not easy. I did a bit a few christmas’s a go when clubs use to finish about 1am which ment home in bed by 2am, but now the club stay open till very late, so it more like doing a full night shift. Look after the old people and drive steady, listen to their crap and they will always ask for you by name. This use to ■■■■ the full time guys off when I would be booked most early evenings take old folks out to bingo etc and collecting them about 10 pm whilst the others had quiet moments until pubs cleared out.

This is exactly what i am looking for not your 3am runs with ya young ■■■■ pots which i am prepared for initially but it wont take long to find a few old dears to pop to the bingo and the club and tesco thursday morning.

Re: Had Enough
by Armagedon » Sun May 23, 2010 10:19 pm

Good luck why don’t you come down to Plymouth and work you could be unique,I have used 5 cabs this last month not one English driver,who knows you might be able to charge more cause you speak the language.Last weeks guy was Rumanian and he did speak a bit of English,hilarious,slagged off all the immigrants…you couldn’t make it up.

:laughing: :laughing: :laughing: :laughing: All the pakistanys are buying up the hack plates up here they dont do this sort of thing if they arent going to make money 40k plus for a plate a lot of money to pay to make nothing they used to be on street corners now they own the street :laughing: