NEWBIE

[Living The Dream Limo]

Ok so I am driving a H2 limo for my best friend. It had started out as private use...for his parents and there clients for there medical company...long story short his parents seperated and now he has a limo to start a biz... its brand new not even 3k miles on it...We have tcp #'s....business insurence...1.5 million coverage.....a name "Living the Dream Limousine" we are working on the "PUC #" We were told we need a CHP inspection. my question is what other numbers do you need? I am a class B with the P endorsement driver. And this company will be ran out of so cal. We do want to do vegas trips. i was reading about that in another section but i had me way to confused. I also read something about need a special license to do airport runs, is that license good for all airports. Or do you need one for every airport you plan on going to? We also plan on doing wine tour in the Temecula wine country. I know limos have a bad reputation in that department as a former employee of a winery I know what they don't want coming in, and plan on using that to my advantage....Thanks in advance I have been looking on this site all day trying to dig up info.

[Blue Diamond]

Welcome to the forum!! Please complete your profile so we know more about where your from.


I'll let those CA guys handle this.

[Living The Dream Limo]

im on it thanks http://limos.infopop.cc/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_smile.gif

[Steve W.]

On the airports in socal. you do not need a special licenence perse. rather each airport has it's one little process you have to jump through.

LAX and Long beach you have to get a city business licience then register with the airport

Ontario just register with the airport

JOhn wayne, not sure I think they just read the transponders in the cars and bill you accordingly for every lap you take aroud the airport. May have to register with them.

But a better question would be with just a Hummer do you really want to do airport runs? I mean where you going to put the luggage anyway? Unless you forsee mucho airport business I would leave it alone until you can justify the extra costs involved in setting up the airport clearances.

ANd just a little warning for you here: Wha is your business relationship with your friend? You just an employee? Partner? Any contract involved here? We all see this to many times and someone always gets the short end of the stick eventually, Just trying to cut that off at the pass.

Good Luck! and welcome to the forum!

And you mentioned business insurance, do you have commercial automotive liability insurance? or is it still under the personal policy of the parents? Or just a general policy of the medical company?

[Living The Dream Limo]

well this is a temporary thing i am just helping him out driving till things get rolling. I am returning the favor since he helped me so much in the past. Anyways, there is a escalade and dts we will be using mainly for the airports. The insurance is a commercial insurance. And WOW i had no clue the airports charged you to do drop offs. I will have to research that tomorrow and figure out were to go. thanks.

[Blue Diamond]

Sounds like you and your friend need to spend some time researching the industry. Its' a lot more than drunk girls!

May be helpful to talk to the CA DOT. Find out what is required. And any cities you will operate. I have found some that require separate permits to operate in their cities.

There's a bunch of red tape. Now you understand why limos charge what they do...We have to!

[Steve W.]

i had no clue the airports charged you to do drop offs.

There are fees associated with the application process of getting legal at these airports. Yearly and monthly fees (some flat some based on revenue made at the airport) and per trip fees (usually picking up passenger fees) drop off's are for the most part free at the time of doing it.

Ok so you are helping out a friend, that is great. Tell me this what happens if you get in an accident and are injured? Do you have medical insurance? Does he have workman's comp insurance? Since it sounds like maybe you are not getting paid (maybe only getting tips in cash) then you are actually not on the workman's comp policy without any income showing on the books. The passenger liability coverage will not cover you because the insurance company will say "well the driver is an employee, have him file workman's comp". And while this may be a very good friend, good friends seem to start penny pinching when you start to hit them up for tens of thousands of dollars in medical bills when you were injured doing them a "favor". Hope this will never be the case but these are the types of things I have heard of with this type of situation. My advise have your friend pay you at least minimum wage on the books and contribute to workman's comp based on that and you will be covered. IF you still want to do him favor and drive for free, fine just cash your check and give him the money. this business can be pretty risky for the owners and the employees. It's not like running a flower shop where the biggest injury can be a poke in the finger, when things go wrong in our business people lives are effected permanently and sometimes irreparably.

Just a word of warning is all.

[Living The Dream Limo]

Thank you for your advice. He does have workman's comp Insurance and i do have medical. I am getting paid. He is trying to do things as Legally as possible. That is why i am here asking questions. I will be in touch with the DOT getting more info. Thanks again.

[Salicete]

Originally posted by Blue Diamond:
Its' a lot more than drunk girls!


Possibly one of the best characterizations of the limo business that I have ever heard, and I will be stealing it for my own use, most likely before the day is out. http://limos.com/graemlins/smilielol.gif http://limos.com/graemlins/rofl.gif http://limos.com/graemlins/thumbsup.gif

[Living The Dream Limo]

So we got a call today from a couple who wants a basic Lincoln stretch 6 passenger limo. We dont have them. Do people in the limo biz sub out limos. Like I call a local business and tell them what I need and tell them I am with LTD, and i pay them and the customer pays me. I come from a business that did that. So i was wondering if that is common practice??? With this case i just refer d them to a another company.....please dont think i am on crazy pills lol

[Steve W.]

Do people in the limo biz sub out limos. Like I call a local business and tell them what I need and tell them I am with LTD, and i pay them and the customer pays me.

Yup LTD that is what we typically call Farming an order out. Here is a little discussion we had on it:
Farming Out Work (http://limos.infopop.cc/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/8786063332/m/1311006924?r=1881085034#1881085034)

[Dave M]

LTD, to add to what Steve mentioned:

Airports:

LAX-Registration+transponder+sticker+$2.50 per p/U
ONT-Registration+$10.00 per p/u
LGB-Registration
SNA-Registration

CHP inspection:

As a class B driver, you should be keeping log books. The CHP will ask for them.

California PUC:

This is the agency that oversees limousine operations in California. In addition to your TCPs, you also need a blue charter party permit. Vehicles with state issued livery plates dont' need these stickers.

Vegas:

Vegas falls under the category of interstate commerce. For this, you are required to have a federal DOT number. The California DOT doesn't have anything to do with commercial ground transportation.

By the way, why Vegas? Riverside has more than enough business to keep your Hummer rolling on the weekends. Vegas will put a lot of unnecessary miles on your vehicle and you can't legally transport clients after you've dropped. If you want to do the casino thing, consider Pechanga or Morongo.

Drug Testing:

If you're driving, you should have already had one. It's mandatory.


Good Luck ... I'm sure you'll get it all sorted out.


Dave

[Living The Dream Limo]

thank you for the help....I have had alot of people ask to go to vegas....till they get the price...i am keeping log books...i did take a drug test. THanks for the info on the airports.

[Blue Diamond]

Salicete- Your welcome to use it. Here's another... It's not just a job- it's babysitting in a tux! Detox on wheels. If you've had fun with us tonite, say Blaaaaahhhh!

Originally posted by Salicete:
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Blue Diamond:
Its' a lot more than drunk girls!


Possibly one of the best characterizations of the limo business that I have ever heard, and I will be stealing it for my own use, most likely before the day is out. http://limos.com/graemlins/smilielol.gif http://limos.com/graemlins/rofl.gif http://limos.com/graemlins/thumbsup.gif </div></BLOCKQUOTE>