To be or not to be... a TD

• Charade8930

  26 Jan 17, 07:54

  Hi to all, hope all of you are in good health. I am a newbie in this industry and still learning more on this trade. Prior being relief about 2 mths ago, it took me awhile to go thorugh all the forums about taxi industry before I made the decisions to be a TD relief. One of the advices, which i took from here is to drive part time and see if the market is good for me to plunge in as a full time. However, having driven taxi for a couple of months now, I decided to make this as a part time relief job instead ($30 nett) credit to bowah and endure my full time job due to its CPF, welfare and benefits. I really appreaciate every discussions and advises being shared by everyone here. Therefore, I would like to state that being a TD full time is a good contigency solution as a last resort.

• Jasonlkl

  26 Jan 17, 08:26

  Good to hear your experience though it is quite discouraging to me.

  Can share more of your driving experience as a newbie?

• Charade8930

  26 Jan 17, 10:32

  Hi Jason, not sure if I am able to share the experience here as we all know 10 TD, 10 asshxxx. The best is newbie should go for a hands on experience. First of all be mentally prepared to get scolding, unnecessay remarks, give discounts for mistakes done, stay alert and drive safe, learn routes as much as you can. Best person to guide you on road knowledge apart from map and gps areactually the coorperative passengers. I might missed out a few points but so far thats all i can share, veterans here can enlighten me.

• bowah

  26 Jan 17, 11:26

  Again, I re- emphasize, if you are still new to Taxi driving or even Phv, and there is a job or a current jobs that pay average with all the benefits as stipulated within the employment act, go for the job or stay with the job, forget about driving. This statement was what I said to many 15 to 10 years ago, when they started as newbies, but many because of wanting freedom, cold hard cash and not bound by discipline, did not heel my advices. 15 years later, most regretted, some get slaughtered, some end up with lots of health and of course, money problem. Their ex colleagues and friend would had promoted to managers, supervisors or head of dept earning 5 to 10k, wearing nice nice to office, point here point there only. 30 years ago, when I start driving taxi is different, it is the taxi drivers' market, that time taxi is King, many still cannot afford to buy car, and I can still afford to buy a Daihatsu Charade, later improved to Honda accord just by driving taxis, got a wife and 2 bak bak mistresses, 2 houses, no problem. No need to drive like a mad dog, morning suka suka 3 to 4 hrs, night another 3 hrs will do. Most taxi driver end up buying private property, worst to worst also a condo or a terrace house, unless you like to gamble, then sorry. Today drive taxis and phv can end up in hospital C class bedroom one hor or chao ah long one hor, both legal and illegal ah longs. So, think twice before you want to drive, be if relief or be hirer, dun waste your time if you think you can go for other higher and safer jobs that pay better with better benefits and better structured saving, not to mention pay increases and promotion. Today is paxs' market, and going forward in the years to come, their market will become stronger and stronger with all kinds of promotion and options, it is not taxi companies and taxi drivers market anymore, and in fact, going forward, taxi will get worst. So, why join a futureless trade??
• bowah

  26 Jan 17, 11:42

  Most companies increase their employees pay by average 2 to 3% this year, 1 to 2 months bonuses..due to market not that good, even I, as a casket relief driver, also got a month bonus and pay went up 10%, formerly per job was $150, now $165. In good time, would be 5 to 6 or even 10%, average 5 months bonuses including AWS. Taxi driving earning is down 20 to 30%, see the logic??? and things outside are increasing, so your earning decrease, cost of living increases, it is a double whammy..no wonder I see most drivers always wear the same clothing.
• Jasonlkl

  26 Jan 17, 15:55

  Originally posted by Charade8930:

  Hi Jason, not sure if I am able to share the experience here as we all know 10 TD, 10 asshxxx. The best is newbie should go for a hands on experience. First of all be mentally prepared to get scolding, unnecessay remarks, give discounts for mistakes done, stay alert and drive safe, learn routes as much as you can. Best person to guide you on road knowledge apart from map and gps areactually the coorperative passengers. I might missed out a few points but so far thats all i can share, veterans here can enlighten me.

  Thanks for sharing! Must learn not to lose my cool for first few months. Fortunately is a one time short business for every pax.

• Charade8930

  26 Jan 17, 18:03

  Jason you might want to consider this and try.

  Taxi drivers can rent cabs from SMRT by the hour under new sharing scheme http://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/transport/taxi-drivers-can-rent-cabs-from-smrt-by-the-hour-under-new-sharing-scheme?utm_campaign=Echobox&utm_medium=Social&utm_source=Facebook&xtor=CS1-10#link_time=1485405088&utm_source=whatsapp&utm_medium=social-media&utm_campaign=addtoany

   

• Jasonlkl

  26 Jan 17, 18:18

  Originally posted by Charade8930:

  Jason you might want to consider this and try.

  Taxi drivers can rent cabs from SMRT by the hour under new sharing scheme http://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/transport/taxi-drivers-can-rent-cabs-from-smrt-by-the-hour-under-new-sharing-scheme?utm_campaign=Echobox&utm_medium=Social&utm_source=Facebook&xtor=CS1-10#link_time=1485405088&utm_source=whatsapp&utm_medium=social-media&utm_campaign=addtoany

   

  Thanks again for sharing! Quite good becos less commitment. Just need to find out more abt car collection and return locations.

   

• Jasonlkl

  26 Jan 17, 18:23

  Now taxi companies alot of new schemes. Not only td wannabe like me blur, i think maybe veterans also don't fully understand their schemes.

• Pandanchen

  27 Jan 17, 02:02

  Things that you may wish to consider before becoming a TD:

   

  a. accident: when your taxi is involved in an accident and send to work shop, you continue to pay rent. you can recover the rent later. if you are the party at fault, you pay $2000 to the taxi company

  b. witnessing a crime inside the taxi. when you are called to be a witness in court, you are there at your own time and money

  c. when you are sick and have no relief, you continue to pay rent daily

• Jasonlkl

  27 Jan 17, 06:34

  Originally posted by Pandanchen:

  Things that you may wish to consider before becoming a TD:

   

  a. accident: when your taxi is involved in an accident and send to work shop, you continue to pay rent. you can recover the rent later. if you are the party at fault, you pay $2000 to the taxi company

  b. witnessing a crime inside the taxi. when you are called to be a witness in court, you are there at your own time and money

  c. when you are sick and have no relief, you continue to pay rent daily

  B is very rare. Accidents and falling sick are not common too but bound to happen. Must be mentally and financially prepare for these difficult times. Traffic fines and car broke down are also things that tds dread for

• Pandanchen

  27 Jan 17, 08:28

  crime

  the case of shankar aiyah. taxi driver became prosecution star witness

   

  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vidya_Shankar_Aiyar

• bowah

  27 Jan 17, 09:40

  Everyone of us will get old, and today, the youngs are finding it difficult to survive by themselves, dun expect them to take care of you when you are old, especially those TD and PHV who have no CPF, better save..otherwise...old, eyesight poor, cannot drive..can end up picking cardboard as exericise one hor. So, before you want to become a full time phv and TD, think wisely.
• Jasonlkl

  1 Feb 17, 07:58

  Besides income, are there any other stress that tds may face?

• Taxilim88

  1 Feb 17, 08:34

  Originally posted by Jasonlkl:

  Besides income, are there any other stress that tds may face?

  Traffic stress esp encountering those kuku, idiotic high ego drivers on the road.

  Pax who complain or mumble throughout.

  Pax who are late and ask you to hurry.  Although I won't speed or rush, still hope to get him/her to destination on time and hope dun take wrong turn.

  On Call and hope the pax dun fly aeroplane.

  Traffic jam on e'way with pax and need to go toilet urgently.

  Drunk pax.

  etc..etc...

• bowah

  1 Feb 17, 09:19

  There are stress in every trade lah, However, stress can be of many types, and some stress are good stress. Typically speaking, everyone of us got stress, taxi go drive to earn a living and support family will have stress, but this are normal stress in all working people, these at times are also good stress when you manage to get appreciated or huat in your work, it keeps a body and mind going. On the other hand, there is another stress that is bad, and that is mostly related to self inflicted stress, stress that you ask for it, like gambling, having affair, doing illegal stuff...and so on. It give a person, no matter how strong he is, a guilt in him + the time put in + the effort + pressure and frustration, it all add up to bad stresses. Therefore be wise, if today, you are driving, that is normal stress, dun go play around with other thing, a person must factually know his limitation and his position inorder to execute his way of living morally and correctly. Be Inspired
• Jasonlkl

  1 Feb 17, 09:21

  Noted thks! can i say that night pax usually less rushing for time compared to day pax?

  have u guys ever request to go toilet while pax waits inside the cab?

• bowah

  1 Feb 17, 09:24

  Go toilet, put busy lor, still take pax for what....but of course, got a few time while pax on board, I urgently need a toilet, so tarhan lor, but on the way fart alot..pong pun...!!!..let pax smell lor...then after dropping them, find a toilet and....Praaaaaa....all come out..shiok men..
• Jasonlkl

  1 Feb 17, 10:02

  Originally posted by bowah:

  There are stress in every trade lah,

  However, stress can be of many types, and some stress are good stress.

  Typically speaking, everyone of us got stress, taxi go drive to earn a living and support family will have stress, but this are normal stress in all working people, these at times are also good stress when you manage to get appreciated or huat in your work, it keeps a body and mind going.

  On the other hand, there is another stress that is bad, and that is mostly related to self inflicted stress, stress that you ask for it, like gambling, having affair, doing illegal stuff…and so on. It give a person, no matter how strong he is, a guilt in him + the time put in + the effort + pressure and frustration, it all add up to bad stresses.

  Therefore be wise, if today, you are driving, that is normal stress, dun go play around with other thing, a person must factually know his limitation and his position inorder to execute his way of living morally and correctly.

  Be Inspired

  Td has alot of freedom so may tends to drift away. Self disciplined is extremely important! Don't abuse the freedom.

• Pandanchen

  1 Feb 17, 10:30

  Originally posted by Jasonlkl:

  Td has alot of freedom so may tends to drift away. Self disciplined is extremely important! Don't abuse the freedom.

  go geylang eat chicken 

• Jasonlkl

  1 Feb 17, 10:49

  Originally posted by Pandanchen:

  go geylang eat chicken 

  Too much chicken very heaty.

• Jasonlkl

  2 Feb 17, 07:12

  Besides waze and google map, can anyone advise me what other apps that are useful for tds?

• Taxilim88

  2 Feb 17, 14:36

  Originally posted by Jasonlkl:

  Besides waze and google map, can anyone advise me what other apps that are useful for tds?

  I use one map.  But only to find the exact location of the block or house (e.g. 23 Upper Serangoon Road, Blk 512 Ang Mo Kio etc etc).  One map is not for navigation but to find exact location only.

  I seldom use google or wase to navigate although I have the apps. Cos I know my routes quite well.

• Jasonlkl

  2 Feb 17, 14:56

  Originally posted by Taxilim88:

  I use one map.  But only to find the exact location of the block or house (e.g. 23 Upper Serangoon Road, Blk 512 Ang Mo Kio etc etc).  One map is not for navigation but to find exact location only.

  I seldom use google or wase to navigate although I have the apps. Cos I know my routes quite well.

  Very useful app. Thanks alot for recommending!

• bowah

  2 Feb 17, 17:34

  Originally posted by Jasonlkl:

  Td has alot of freedom so may tends to drift away. Self disciplined is extremely important! Don't abuse the freedom.

  
  You must understand why people drives taxis or want to become taxi drivers, main reason is freedom of life, if you talk about money and working, taxi drivers are actually working much more than many other jobs and earn peanut, but the freedom of life, expression and engagement is one thing that attract many to join, especially men. Many do not like a boss on top of them.