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| This was posted on the window at United Cab today |
The reality is my expenses to run my little business are reaching the breaking point. Now that United Cab of Tampa is raising the lease they charge their independent contractors to run the taxis, now that gas may go to five dollars a gallon by summer, and now that our call count is at a historical low level for this time of year, the situation is becoming unmanageable. Like Carley Sheen says "you have to accept what you can't control."
It should be the good time of year to make money - it is not. I guess I am just an independent contractor with no control. Did you notice the 24 hour driver lease of $102 is PAYABLE BY 8 AM. Talk about hard ball.
I hope in the long run this makes me a better cab driver. This guy Rob Searcy is one tough guy. I do respect him. He told me that this new computer system should raise my production by over 30%. If that is true in the long run, I love this guy. None of this will mean anything because I will be making money. He will run this business and make money for the owners and drivers in the long term....I really hope. In that capacity, he is an awesome manager. I just wish he and Ft., Lauderdale would read the newspapers more often...Perhaps in six months I will be doing well and not care about any of this. Stay tuned.
6 comments:
Yo Tim, as long as you have been in this business you had to know that someone had to pay for the new system. United Cab sure wasn't going to pay for it. They did the same damn thing years ago when I was driving, when the lease went up it was at a slow part of the year----summer. The bottom line is that said owner/management don't give a rats ass. Pay up or find anothe line of work. When I could work I just lived with it. I liked driving, I would still be driving if I could. I notice that the weekly lease only went up $10.00, for anyone not grandfathered in. I was paying $490.00 before I got sick, which was in Febuary,2007. I hope your business picks up. Larry UC157
lease: 102.00 + gas: 12mpg/200 miles at $3 per gallon: 60.00 + food: 20.00 + whatever: 10.00 = 192.00
take home 100.00
12 hour total day's labor: $292
7 day week total: $2044
expenses: $1344
profit: $700
per hour min:
12 hours/292.00 = $24 per hour
10 hours/292.00 = $29 per hour
8 hours/292.00 = $37 per hour
Big picture in a perfect world: 50 weeks: you got to make $67,200 to gain a year end profit of $35,000. Now minus income tax (you say you're an honest man: you do file, correct?): total yearly take home then: around $29,000 (however: slip in slow summers--May through October--6 months: I figure you're bringing home 12 to 15 grand.
The future: 50 weeks: $5 per gallon: $29,000. Now your taking home less than 10 grand. At 12 hours per day, driving 7 days a week, 50 weeks, that is a profit of $2.38 per hour.
To Anonymous: Ha I have to disagree with the $292.00 a shift. Me thinks that is your dreams. Not that that amount can't be booked. But to average that amount for 50 weeks. Give me a break. Is your real name DAVID? I knew a David who once drove, he claimed to book $800 and never left the county. Losta luck UCLarry 157
Well, if at the end of a 12 hour shift, a driver is paying a lease of $102 and gas is %60.00, plus food and drinks, that alone comes close to $200.00, and then add whatever you want to take home as profit, add that to the $200.00. You're seeing the $292.00 as pure take home--not so. The $292.00 is total: the lease, the gas, the food and drinks, and I am adding 100.00 as take home to that. However, my point is the slow summers. Driving for 50 weeks, with two weeks off, the average per hour profit is barely $3.00. Add no benifits to that. No, my name is not David.
Not David: There are numerous ways to save money so that the profit is much higher. Pay by the week, 500 divided by 7=$71.43, not $102.00, saving $30.00. Bring your own coffee or drinks. Bring your own lunch ( that you made at home ). All of this is part of a system that will allow you to make a profit without having to bust your ass for 12 hours. Another way not to get so wore out is to set a goal, X amount of money. When that goal is reached go home. Regardless how many hours you have worked. If it attained in 6 hours go home, if in 10 go home. Tim can vouch for me as to my system. Be careful out there. UCLarry157
The taxi system company is always pushing the taxi drivers these years.I understand that the petrol price increase force them to do so.However,the key victims are taxi drivers.
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