TD Wannabe II ( On The Road Version )
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Originally posted by StriveOn:
My shortest trip so far is from Boon Keng MRT Taxi Stand on Serangoon Road to Whampoa West. Fare : $3.40
Something u learnt today , just to add a bit .Every MRT taxi stand , has got almost the same type of "feeder-service" customers .
U just have to understand why are they taking a cab , and their habits .
Then u'll know when to pick there and when not to .
Just an example , morning peak , Jurong East MRT station t/s, i would say put of 10 , 6 are going to IBP .
U can ask those AM shift seniors .
Then i observe , IBP got bus service mah , why still pay so much for taxis or walk ?
Then i found those answers .
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Originally posted by StriveOn:
Yes, totally agree with you about drinking water. My lips start to crack a little, and my skin a little dry. Could it be the car air-con?
The Air-con brings down the humidity, so I am in an environment that is very dry, for long periods of time.
I have a 0.8 litre bottle besides me, and a 2 litre bottle of water in the boot.
yes its the dryness of the aircon plus the 2 aircon duct blower right in front of the driver.....dun know wch idiot at toyota design it this way....i still prefer the older version of wish of 2004/2005 -
i like it:I also saw a nuclear reaction, followed by an explosion (the limo fiasco) But I sincerely hope that all of us even though in different niche business, are still united as Transporters.
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FAQ Format for StriveOn
Seniors, please pardon me, because these may bore you.
But if you happen to read through, do give some comments, thanks.
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How long does it take from the time I intend to become a taxi driver until I drive a taxi?
Send in the form to LTA. They say one month but usually about 2 weks +
After receive approval letter, immediately go for X-Ray and Medical check-up, should cost you around $13, and $20.
Then use the medical documents, together with your ‘O’ Level cert (to show you can speak simple English), go apply for the TVDL Course.
TVDL Course, got express 3 weeks or Normal 6 weeks. Then you must factor in the waiting for the course to start, say 3 weeks.
After pass, wait 3 weeks to 1 month for LTA to process your TVDL.
Once you receive your licence, choose the Taxi Company to take up a Taxi. Can be immediate (Transcab Wish) to 2 weeks wait (SMRT Crown) or 3 months wait (Comfort Sonata) but these data are accurate only during my time.
So, all in all, about 2 weeks + 2 days + 3 weeks + 3 weeks + 4 weeks. => 12+ weeks
I conceived my idea on the 23 Dec 2011, and I sign out my Taxi (Transcab Wish) in mid-March 2012.
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Is Taxi Driving suitable for me?
Actually, this question is more important than the first one. But people always want to ask the first one only. These are my experiences as a newbie.
Do you have the physical stamina? There is no auto-pilot in taxi driving. Any small mistake you make will end up as an accident. Either you off your engine and rest your eyes and brain (no income), or you focus full-time on the road (got dangerous income). And you do it for at least 8 hours (because it takes you 6 to 8 hours to break even).
Do you have the emotional stamina ? Can you take it when get scolding or bad remarks, even from people who should be respecting you ? (in age).
Do you have the mental stamina? There will be days when after 2 or 3 hours, and you cannot even hit your 1 hour target. If this happens for an extended period, then how? Start to have second thoughts why you join Taxi Driving.
Do you have the competitive stamina? It’s dog eat dog out there. Everytime you see a pax, someone else took it. One left turn and you get your pax, but another taxi from the left make a U-turn and took YOUR Pax. Because the stoopid traffic light in front of you is Red. Somebody overtook you, and 2 seconds later, you see him on the left picking up a Pax. If it happens many times, how? Start to have second thoughts why you join Taxi Driving.
Many things to consider, consider it carefully.
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If you have a job, or can get a full time job, my advice is :
Don’t join full time Taxi Driving.
The simple reason is that you have an option, and when you have an option, it is a matter of time before you start to wonder why you join Taxi Driving.
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Be a Hirer or a Relief?
Hirer is responsible to the taxi company for almost everything, but the relief is responsible to the hirer to keep his taxi in proper condition, and paying him.
Almost every senior TD will tell you to be a relief first. Because you don’t have to be burdened with being responsible to the Taxi Company. Relief throw key is easy, only ethics involved. Hirer throw key more complicated, legal implications.
When you first drive, you may not make your expected target. You have to ‘settle’ into your driving habbit. Then you can decide whether you want to continue as a Relief or switch to a Hirer.
It is very stressful if you cannot make enough, as a Hirer, to cover the Rental and Fuel.
Unless you like me, pay $97 to park the Taxi, and don’t let it affect your brain.
I am not rich, just that my situation not same as yours. I used to drive a Honda Stream, and I support my wife’s errands because she have a few foreign students staying with us. I also have tuition with a few students. Even though the tuition is not lucrative, at least I spend part of my working time away from the road, which is good. I cut cost on the Honda Stream (Sold already, no more monthly payments, cannot tahan) so if I drive a minimum of 6 hours, I would cover the cost of the Car for the day. That’s why I am the MIN (Most Idle Newbie)
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What is my biggest challenge when I join TD?
I am educated beyond a Diploma (very shy) so the tests are not a problem to me. My biggest challenge is in knowing the routes. My first 10 days, I am completely blurr, completely dependent on my GPS. Don’t know where I am going, forgot where I came from.
I really admire the TDs more than a decade ago, how did they manage to go through this stage?
Then I got flu, had to rest at home. Paid Transcab $97 to park the taxi at home. During this resting, I start to think. And I made some simple changes to the way I do things.
I change my GPS to North Up instead of 3D view. 3D view is like looking through 2 empty carton, cannot have an idea of your surroundings, whereas North-up, you can still see where you are in relation to your surroundings. Also tells me whether I am going North, South, East or West.
Instead of studying routes that I want to know, I now ‘review’ the routes I have taken during the day. The memory is still fresh, and the brain can make the connection because I went that way earlier in the day.
I also practiced on my GPS, to get a location within 30 secs. The correct spelling, the correct sequence, using which part of your finger tip to get a response from the GPS.
There are improvements, but at this point, after 2+ weeks, I am still blurr on many locations, which exits to take, how to get to the expressways from inside an estate. Still Blurr, but improving bit by bit.
Must keep on improving, they call that Conitnuous Improvements.
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Will I give up Taxi Driving?
Very Unlikely.
When I embark on something, I try to use ‘Burn the Boats’ concept.
There was a King, who had hundreds of boats to ferry his soldiers to a land far away. After the soldiers have landed, he ordered all the boats to be burnt.
So what is inside the head of this King? Simple. No turning back.
I enjoy meeting people and being of ‘service’ to them. My biggest fear, is not knowing the routes. Even if Pax says will guide me, they give scanty instructions, expecting you to know the rest.
I also know that the thing you fear the most, you must keep doing it. That’s why I kept driving, not knowing where I go, where I came from. And after 10 days, I got enough experiences to work on an improvement plan.
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Will you give up the Wish?
There are 2 reasons why I choose Wish. Comfort, and low cost.
The only variable (means it can be change by some body or organization) is cost.
If Rental or CNG Price goes up, then most likely I have to switch to another vehicle.
Fuel Usage for my Wish CNG at Toh Tuck (13.2 cents/km), Shell Discount Petrol (17.3 cents/km)
Diesel Taxis are running at about 11 cents/km
CNG at Serangoon and Mandai is almost on par with discounted Petrol. I dunno why they are still selling CNG. They should be Pork Kai by now.
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Is there anything you can share with Someone who just got his Taxi?
Many advise from Seniors. Consider all of them. Just drive around, keep driving and test out the ideas. After a while, you will find that certain timings and certain places suit you.
For me. I dislike the 11am to 12 nn, and 1.30pm to about 4pm. And after 11pm.These are very dry periods for me.
I love the Peak Periods, 6.30am to 9.30am and 5.30pm to 11 pm. (These are not exactly Peak Periods timing, but timings that I like)
When Pax goes to ulu estates such as Puggol, or Woodlands in the late evening, I am dead. No connections.
When I drive around the city in the late evenings, I see a lot of Taxi activities, but I still don’t know how to get a good deal. Maybe you will know.
Plan a regular exercise program, at least once a week. I go for a swim at the nearby public swimming pool, once a week. If you want it simple, then go for jogging.
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One of the Happy moments when I took up Taxi Driving is when the mechanic check through the Vehicle that I have chosen and gave it the approval for Hiring out.
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To All Newbies,
Wish you success, and able to find your place in the industry.
Keep Striving. Strive On.
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Originally posted by Poolman:
to succeed in getting food on the table , setting of daily minimum target , for me no doubt about that . canot be compromise , prime objective . Hit target . Got hit it or not , lets discuss those options later , first few hours if u dun make it , u are just making it very difficult for yourself for the last few hours .
yah gotta hav the dun give up nber say die mentality~~~~~
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Originally posted by Poolman:
Nasty paxes ? This is those people . the best , to train our endurance skills . hahahahahah
yah learn how to deal n tekan these nasty pax back without
gettin complained is another skill u muz learn........
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there is no one suitable job for a person,it's whether u liked to carry on or quits!in any thing u do perseverence is the tonic,nothng else,u fall down but u get up again to fight!u will need a strategy when drvng
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As long as you do what you like, and is more or less what you wanted, enjoy it.
Everyone must admit that how they wish they are in some nice beaches with nice ladies and cocktails, enjoying the life and laze all days long. But the reality is that work is part of all animals need, even animal hv to work for their foods, and many billionaires are still working just to stay alive.
It is not that given a full time job, you cannot give it up to drive taxis, you still can do it, provided that the full time job is giving you all the negative impact in health or politics matters including $$ and bad bosses, I guess that most TD held full time job before, and most of us know very well, why we end up driving taxis.
For exercise regime, once per week is not enough, at least thrice per week will be good to keep you in good shape and alert. Given the luxury to drive a car (taxis), try to exercise near places where the nature thrive, like diary farm, BT reserves. It will gives you good air after many hours in a cubicle
The one thing I see in us, Singaporean in their mid ages,is the endurance and preserverance. Since NS, we are somehow make and able to endure and tolerate, any patterns also can take it, and this can also be our disadvantages, because so much so we want to make it, and if we failed, we feel very miserable. Therefore, I believe in Taxi driving, just go on with it, it is better to learn to love and enjoy it than to endure it, because you do not know how long you can endure it, maybe just take one farking pax to blown it.
Given that kind of working attitude of never say die, our govt still believe in Foreign, WTF
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Originally posted by StriveOn:
FAQ Format for StriveOn
Seniors, please pardon me, because these may bore you.
But if you happen to read through, do give some comments, thanks.
this one very good for new Td wanna be!
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cheem... like reading GP essay...
but since TS says can give comments... so khoon also kay-poh abit with twon cents worth...
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How long does it take from the time I intend to become a taxi driver until I drive a taxi?
2010
khoon think want to drive cab in January...
came across tis forum March...
submit forms to LTA April...
start course fult time 3 weeks with SMRT in Jun...
TVDL tests early July...
Received TVDL mid July...
Start as Relief on wish end July...
Become Hirer epica November...
based on responses and feedbacks from different TDs... SMRT seems to run a more organised and professional course... also there is a slight advantage... PM khoon if u want to know...
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Originally posted by StriveOn:
Is Taxi Driving suitable for me?
Actually, this question is more important than the first one. But people always want to ask the first one only. These are my experiences as a newbie.
Do you have the physical stamina? There is no auto-pilot in taxi driving. Any small mistake you make will end up as an accident. Either you off your engine and rest your eyes and brain (no income), or you focus full-time on the road (got dangerous income). And you do it for at least 8 hours (because it takes you 6 to 8 hours to break even).
Do you have the emotional stamina ? Can you take it when get scolding or bad remarks, even from people who should be respecting you ? (in age).
Do you have the mental stamina? There will be days when after 2 or 3 hours, and you cannot even hit your 1 hour target. If this happens for an extended period, then how? Start to have second thoughts why you join Taxi Driving.
Do you have the competitive stamina? It’s dog eat dog out there. Everytime you see a pax, someone else took it. One left turn and you get your pax, but another taxi from the left make a U-turn and took YOUR Pax. Because the stoopid traffic light in front of you is Red. Somebody overtook you, and 2 seconds later, you see him on the left picking up a Pax. If it happens many times, how? Start to have second thoughts why you join Taxi Driving.
Many things to consider, consider it carefully.
fully agreed!
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Be a Hirer or a Relief?
start as relief first lah...
when "zai" n "a sai" liao... den consider hirer... omo...
but most when reach tat stage... will still do half shift either as hirer or relief...
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Originally posted by Khoon2580:
How long does it take from the time I intend to become a taxi driver until I drive a taxi?
2010
khoon think want to drive cab in January...
came across tis forum March...
submit forms to LTA April...
start course fult time 3 weeks with SMRT in Jun...
TVDL tests early July...
Received TVDL mid July...
Start as Relief on wish end July...
Become Hirer epica November...
based on responses and feedbacks from different TDs... SMRT seems to run a more organised and professional course... also there is a slight advantage... PM khoon if u want to know...
Khoon, send you a PM.
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Originally posted by Khoon2580:
remember to disinfect the interior often...
if u wash at petrol kiosk... add a dollar ask the staff to "dettol" the inside...
if washing yourself... pm jackpotlok on how he do it...
tis will minimize you being infected by virus from paxs...
yah man best to disinfect urself daily using dettol or call the
wash car ppl to do it keeps the car clean n germ free~~~~