Wheelchair vans!

[Deserted]

One of Desert Hell's major medical transporters went belly-up a few weeks ago, and Big Green Cab Co received a huuuuuuuuge chunk of their former wheelchair biz. (Maybe their stretcher biz too, I dunno -- that's a different subsidiary of our parent co. But all the big players in town are profiting from this one company's demise. Fortune passes everywhere.)

So... I'm doing a class tomorrow to qualify for driving wheelchair vans. I'm not entirely sure why it requires an all-day class (8 hours!) but it does. Totally worth it.

The good parts:
*My income should double, roughly. Should.
*I will be able to continue taking normal cab calls, and will be driving a minivan, which will let me take more passengers at once (5 or 6, depending on model, vs 4 in a Prius).

The not-so-good part:
*My gas expenses (which are my problem, not the company's) will basically triple. Still worth it.

[wolfie]

Possible double income, but definite triple fuel bill? Sounds like you're at risk of having your take-home drop. I'd watch it VERY carefully, and prepare to go back to a "vanilla" driving job if things don't work out (as you did when training new drivers was a flop).

[Javarod]

Which one folded? Aside from AAA & American Pony Express, I can onlybthink of one other, and I'd be floored to find out they were still around.


Not sure a van is worth it, unless you charge by the head. If you were comparing with a regular car, it'd be worth it, there isn't a huge difference inthe mileage after all. Also if its a rear load van, you wont see any difference in the number of passengers.

[mathnerd]

You know, it just dawned on me: I think it may have been your company I used when my car overheated on I-10 smack in the middle of downtown during rush hour a few weeks back (the tow truck didn't have room for four people and two dogs). I've never hailed a taxi from the side of an interstate before. That was an interesting experience.

[Deserted]

Possible double income, but definite triple fuel bill? Sounds like you're at risk of having your take-home drop. I'd watch it VERY carefully, and prepare to go back to a "vanilla" driving job if things don't work out (as you did when training new drivers was a flop).

Let me clarify. Drivers for Big Green Cab Co average around $100/day. Wheelchair drivers average around $200. Prius gas expenses average around $20/day. Van gas expenses average around $60/day... but that $200 is after expenses.

But yes, if this somehow doesn't work out, I will indeed go back to my beloved Prius.

Which one folded?

DMTS. Another company bought their vans (and almost certainly the rights to the company name), which is why you still see them around.

Aside from AAA & American Pony Express, I can onlybthink of one other, and I'd be floored to find out they were still around.

Which company are you thinking of? Big Green Cab Co's parent corp owns a med transport company, too. (AAA is owned by Yellow, I believe, and Pony Express is owned by VIP.)

Not sure a van is worth it, unless you charge by the head. If you were comparing with a regular car, it'd be worth it, there isn't a huge difference inthe mileage after all. Also if its a rear load van, you wont see any difference in the number of passengers.

Can't charge by the head. Not allowed by company policy, and possibly not allowed by law, but I don't know that second part for sure.

Also, the number of passengers the van can take depends a LOT on its model. The one we used for training today could only take 4 passengers + the wheelchair, but on that I saw (and don't remember the model of, dang it) could do 4 + wheelchair OR 7 passengers, no wheelchair.

You know, it just dawned on me: I think it may have been your company I used when my car overheated on I-10 smack in the middle of downtown during rush hour a few weeks back (the tow truck didn't have room for four people and two dogs). I've never hailed a taxi from the side of an interstate before. That was an interesting experience.

Well... was it a big green Prius? Or a big green minivan? Or even (shudder) a big green Crown Victoria? If so, then yeah, probably Big Green Cab Co. Any other color, definitely not us. Any other model of car, probably not us (although there is at least one Nissan on the fleet, and a few other odds-n-ends).

[mathnerd]

It was a big green minivan. Super nice driver too. The tow truck that was coming for my car didn't have enough room for everybody, so we (me and the lady at AAA auto club) had called a different cab company, but they couldn't transport the dogs. Plus, they couldn't get there around when the tow truck was arriving. The tow truck guy was understanding, and was willing to wait with me until the cab arrived, but wasn't thrilled. After all, this was 5pm between feet from the western edge of the tunnel, right before the next exit. It was NOT a safe location. As the tow truck driver and I were discussing this, a green minivan was passing, and the tow truck driver flagged him down, asked if he was available and if he could take four people and two dogs, he said yes, pulled over and off we went.

[Javarod]

Let me clarify. Drivers for Big Green Cab Co average around $100/day. Wheelchair drivers average around $200. Prius gas expenses average around $20/day. Van gas expenses average around $60/day... but that $200 is after expenses.

But yes, if this somehow doesn't work out, I will indeed go back to my beloved Prius.



DMTS. Another company bought their vans (and almost certainly the rights to the company name), which is why you still see them around.



Which company are you thinking of? Big Green Cab Co's parent corp owns a med transport company, too. (AAA is owned by Yellow, I believe, and Pony Express is owned by VIP.)

(Sorry about the crappy clipping, for some reason the quote button isn't playing nice today).
Been gone from the area for a while, DMTS was the one i was trying to think of. Discount's brand is MediTrans or something generic like that, and back then they were definitely an also ran. I think Discount took a bigger chunk of the market when they lost the airport (rigged bidding if you believe the New Times, and i do). I know some companies would charge per person over the number you could fit in a sedan, never quite figured how they made that work though.

[Deserted]

Been gone from the area for a while, DMTS was the one i was trying to think of. Discount's brand is MediTrans or something generic like that, and back then they were definitely an also ran.

RideSource. (MediTrans sounds familiar... it's probably yet another company.) I don't really know anything about that side of the biz... but I believe you're right about it being an "also ran". Not sure who's on top in that biz now.

I think Discount took a bigger chunk of the market when they lost the airport (rigged bidding if you believe the New Times, and i do). I know some companies would charge per person over the number you could fit in a sedan, never quite figured how they made that work though.

The airport is an odd bit. It turns out that Suicidal Self-Resurrecting Burning Bird City charged Big Green Cab Co an outrageous amount of money to be the designated airport cab. This was before my time, but I was told (by the former leasing office manager) that it was something like $18,000 per airport cab per year. 100 airport cabs = $1.8m annually. On the driver side of things, it cost more to lease an airport cab than a normal cab. Totally not worth it.

When the contract came up for renewal, our parent corp made almost no effort to keep it. Every cab that can now pick up at the airport, regardless of the displayed company name (and there are several), is owned by Yellow. (They own more cabs than Big Green Cab Co, but they're spread out over numerous company names, so we are actually the largest same-name fleet in the state.)

I certainly wouldn't want to be an airport cabbie; there's a HUGE parking lot where they have to sit and wait for their turn at the airport, often for well over an hour.

As an interesting side note, Yellow now offers $15 to the airport, first 10 miles, $1.50/mile over 10. I wonder what it says about them that, despite that being a smoking deal, people still call us...?

[EricKei]

Just curious -- Aren't you allowed to claim the fuel expenses on your taxes in the form of Mileage?

[Deserted]

UPDATE!

I went in today to work my very first wheelchair shift!

But! (There's always a "but".) It turns out that all wheelchair vans currently on the fleet are assigned to other drivers. This means that they're only available when those other drivers aren't using them. There were two vans in the yard when I got there, and both were only available for the night shift... and absolutely had to be back at the yard in the morning. This is definitely not what I wanted.

I ended up speaking to the west valley ops manager. (Great guy, I might add. He's gotten me out of jams more than once.) He told me that there are vans currently being made into wheelchair vans, but he's not in the loop as to when they'll be made available to drive. He pointed me at another person who's in charge of the "I wanna drive a wheelchair van" list... and that guy only works mornings. Sigh.

The good news there is, ops mgr knows me and knows that I'm not a once-a-week (or once-a-month) driver, and he also knows quite a bit about me personally (including the whole "best trainer we have right now" thing), and he's willing to put me at the top of the list. That's good.

In the meantime, I'm sticking with my Prius. (I am specifically not interested in driving a nights-only shift. When I get a cab, I expect it to go home with me.)

Just curious -- Aren't you allowed to claim the fuel expenses on your taxes in the form of Mileage?

Yes, and car washes, but for Prii (that's the official plural of Prius...) it's better to claim miles rather than money spent on gas -- we get far more money back. I don't remember what the amount is, but let's lowball it at 25¢/mile. In 24 hours, I typically drive about 250 miles and spend about $20 on gas, but at 25¢/mile I can claim $62.50... and I believe that the actual amount is 34¢/mile, which would be $85 claimed. (I'm not a tax pro, this is not tax advice, etc.)

[Javarod]

The airport is an odd bit. It turns out that Suicidal Self-Resurrecting Burning Bird City charged Big Green Cab Co an outrageous amount of money to be the designated airport cab. This was before my time, but I was told (by the former leasing office manager) that it was something like $18,000 per airport cab per year. 100 airport cabs = $1.8m annually. On the driver side of things, it cost more to lease an airport cab than a normal cab. Totally not worth it.

When the contract came up for renewal, our parent corp made almost no effort to keep it. Every cab that can now pick up at the airport, regardless of the displayed company name (and there are several), is owned by Yellow. (They own more cabs than Big Green Cab Co, but they're spread out over numerous company names, so we are actually the largest same-name fleet in the state.)

I certainly wouldn't want to be an airport cabbie; there's a HUGE parking lot where they have to sit and wait for their turn at the airport, often for well over an hour.

As an interesting side note, Yellow now offers $15 to the airport, first 10 miles, $1.50/mile over 10. I wonder what it says about them that, despite that being a smoking deal, people still call us...?

Yeah, the parking lot thing is fairly common, they have that here in STL too.

As to Sky Harbor, its even crazier than you think. I wasn't sure about the numbers, but i'll run with yours. Sky Harbor has 300 cabs, and they have to be no more than five years old. Bidders have to supply at least 20 cabs. Now the fun part, if a company can't supply a full third, the remaining companies get to pick up the slack.

Now, as to the winners, Phoenix New Times argument hinged on the fact they were all Iraqi owned companies. Whether that means something or not, i go back to a few years before the bidding, and can point out other irregularities. Of the three winning companies, one i'd never heard of, one had maybe a half dozen second and third hand taxis, and the last was AAA. The first two were only able to offer the minimum number of units. Also this was the same time that the Yellow Cab airport ban was going away. The first company abandoned its claim, but the fun part is that whoever bid on it was bidding on a 20 unit slot (the winner was Mayflower, a new cab company running an all Malibu fleet). Remember what i said about the total number of cabs? Yeah, AAA got to supply a 260 unit Yellow Cab fleet, all HHRs... Well, all but a couple minivans. Nothing hinky in there at all, is there?

I think these days Discount is very interested in the transportation business, its a good solid business to be in, lots of money in it, and if they work mostly in a broker position rather than trying to run a dedicated fleet, which i think they're quite capable of pulling off, they could do well with it.

[Onlooker]

Well, that was interesting to find out. We always kind of wonder how the drivers get paid when we order cabs for our clients. Of course, Big Green isn't one of the companies we're allowed to use. (I wish they were. Everyone I know loves them!) We have a love/hate relationship with the ones we can use.

Oh, and Deserted, I'm totally with you on Bike Week not being fun (per a different post). I live in downtown Mesa and the noise was unbelievable. And that was mostly the groups heading north to the main events.

[Deserted]

Nothing hinky in there at all, is there?

It seems that you know far more about it than I do. Shrug. I don't really know much about the airport, except the nice big ~$600 ticket I'd get for picking someone up from there. (Had to turn another one down today. Sigh.)

I think these days Discount is very interested in the transportation business, its a good solid business to be in, lots of money in it, and if they work mostly in a broker position rather than trying to run a dedicated fleet, which i think they're quite capable of pulling off, they could do well with it.

The parent corp does a lot of things beyond basic cab ops. ValueTrans is the city bus subsidiary, for example, and there are subcontracts out in other states that are ultimately the parent corp's responsibility. About the only things they don't do, to my knowledge, are limos and cargo... and I could be wrong about those.

Well, that was interesting to find out. We always kind of wonder how the drivers get paid when we order cabs for our clients.

Speaking strictly for how things work at Big Green Cab Co, on a voucher call (meaning someone besides the passenger pays for the ride -- Medicaid, mental health provider, city contract, whatever), I get paid by the company immediately (as a bookkeeping entry applied to my account; I won't see that money until the next time I go to the yard), and the company turns around and bills whoever is paying for it -- but I don't know if each ride is billed immediately, or if there's a single bill sent on a regular basis. (That's something the accountants would know, not me.)

Of course, Big Green isn't one of the companies we're allowed to use. (I wish they were. Everyone I know loves them!) We have a love/hate relationship with the ones we can use.

I hear that sort of thing from so many people it's mind-boggling. Of course, I hear the exact opposite from other people, too.

Big Green Cab Co has a huuuuuuuuge emphasis on customer service. Also, another huuuuuuuuge emphasis on not being a movie cab driver. ("Get in, shut up, hold on, that'll be $20.") And a huuuuuuuuge emphasis on clean cabs. So (in theory) it should be a much more pleasant ride than some scummy cab operated by Bigfoot who can't be bothered to spend $3 on a car wash and 10 minutes cleaning it out. (I carry Clorox wipes, Fabreeze, Lysol, and a lint brush, all day, every day, and I inspect the back seat after EVERY. SINGLE. TRIP.)

Oh, and Deserted, I'm totally with you on Bike Week not being fun (per a different post). I live in downtown Mesa and the noise was unbelievable. And that was mostly the groups heading north to the main events.

I wasn't specifically saying I don't like Bike Week; what I don't like is any big event. Too much competition, too much crazy traffic (even for Desert Hell), not nearly enough $$$ to make it worth the headache. The only big events I work are New Year's Eve and the Fiesta Bowl (whatever they're calling it this week) -- and the Fiesta Bowl, I only deliver to the game, not return trips.

[EricKei]

...but for Prii (that's the official plural of Prius...) it's better to claim miles rather than money spent on gas -- we get far more money back. I don't remember what the amount is, but let's lowball it at 25¢/mile.

My apologies. I should have clarified my terminology "Mileage" is the term that the IRS uses to refer to BOTH "tracking fuel costs by miles driven" and "tracking fuel costs by actual money spent on gas." Either way, it is critically important to document it (receipts for the latter, and pics with a datestamp on them for the former, tho a written log may be enough), in case you get audited *knocks on wood*.

As for how much...? Possibly more than double that, as a deduction, not a credit. See here.

Unsure if the 56c/mi rate applies to you, however. Something to confirm with the bosses or just call/email the IRS after April/tax season is over, as they give out free basic tax prep advice.

[Deserted]

Another update!

I talked with the guy in charge of the wheelchair van list on Thursday. Friday, he let me know that starting Monday, I've got my van!

[deep breath]

And so now I'm "the new guy" again. Should be interesting.