I just receive my Cab licence. Next year i am planning to start driving cab. Can any one give some tips so that i can be successfull in short time especially about how to avoid TICKETS?

What about the GPS can i use in the cab for at least first few weeks ??

Any help will be really appriciated.

Thanks

When it comes to tickets, it seems like cops have a radar for new drivers because they haven't mastered the road in a cab yet. Driving your personal car is nothing like driving a cab.

I would just suggest that you try to stay extra aware of all the posted signs until you start to memorize them. I would also suggest that you make your first day a Saturday or Sunday because there are less restrictions on these days, and you can see how it is to drive without dealing with the pressures of the business crowd.

Good Luck!!

Hi newdriver, welcome to the job,
You can avoid Tickets by simply respecting the Law, There are some bad points you should avoid where police are usually waiting for you to smash you on the face. You can find most of them in this previous post:

http://www.nycitycab.online/Forum/Replies.aspx?postid=40

What about the GPS can i use in the cab for at least first few weeks ??

This is very important; I think a GPS in Manhattan itself is not useful. Passengers will expect you to know the city and where you are going. They don’t have time for you to type in their address … and wait for GPS signal …. They would rather get of and take another taxi.
So how do you come over this if you are a beginner and you don’t know the way, or the best way?
I think you should solve this by communicating with your passenger; Questions like these should help you a lot:
- Which way you would like to go?
- Do you prefer going this way… Or this way…?
- Dou you want to take the Drive?

If you don’t know where you are going, tell your passenger that you are a new driver and you need to use your map. Most of them they will excuse you and help you reach your destination
I f you can have a detailed Manhattan map will be great , it should give you a lot of help; you can find them at Book stores like Barnes & Noble or Gas stations.
In addition, you should have the 5 borough map which is required by TLC.
Your GPS is very useful if you are going out of Manhattan, keep it as a support
Good Luck

Hello

Its good you got you license, I am a limo driver so would recommend to work with big limo companies, same infact more money, and very less, like no stress job,

NOW if you want to drive cab for rest of you life or say 3-4 years atleast, buy your own taxi, from ALL taxi or other garages, you will save atleast 1500 a month in lease,

and yes you can use GPS in your car, you wont be needing it in city, unless in beginning,

and about avoiding tickets, never ever ever ever ever ever ever block and intersection , with or without passenger on board, you will loose every thing you made that day, $ 115. never break any rules of traffic, never move in bus lane, even for an inch, just because customer is in rush, for 10 - 15 $ you dont want to loose you license, your bread and butter , at all and get points either, since your first year is probation, be carefull

never pick on right hand side of lexington ave, 5th ave or sixth ave, it is bus lane, from 57st until 34 street,

be very careful around pennstation, on either sides, (7 ave or 8 ave) dont try to block traffic or pedestrain crossing to get in line on 7 ave, penn station is really good spot in day time workers to pick up , but be carefull and dont block traffic or pedestrain crossing

all the best, you can contact me at musharafolo@yahoo.com

thank you

regards

Make time not money. Take tolls, even when the passenger refuses to pay for it- offer to pay for it yourself. During rush hour, take local roads instead of highways, since you can get stuck behind an accident. Keep it tuned to 1010 WINS, to hear of any accidents. When you go to Grand Central, Penn, or the Path trains offer to take them all the way, and cut them a deal- if it is not rush hour. The worst that they can say is no.

On the flip side, don't be headed downtown lower than 14th street between 4-6pm- that is a shitty Brooklyn run. Don't be headed uptown past 86st during that time either, that is a shitty Bronx run. If you are taken to a crosstown street during rush hour, drop, then get onto an avenue, any pickup then will get you stuck going acrosstown during crappy traffic. Late on a Fri, Sat night, if they take you uptown, drop, get on the highway, get back downtown. No use fighting against 15 other cabs for the one ride downtown. If you find yourself surrounded by 15 other empties, turn around, go the way the full are headed, to increase your chances of getting a ride. Learn the quick crosstown streets at night- 57 st goint east38 going east, 23st going west, and the sucky ones.

Find out what the passenger really wants- if they are going out to JFK without luggage, probably they are picking up a friend, and coming back into the city. Offer to wait a reasonable amount of time for free- its better than two hours in the lot. Likewise, if a guy picked up some chick and needs to get home to Jersey, point out how quick he will get back paying 30 rather than waiting 2 hours for a path train.

Make enough time, learn what the passenger really wants, and you will make tons of money.