What is a Personal Driver?

The primary function of a Personal Driver is to provide transportation for passengers from one location to another. It is essential that they drive their passengers in a safe, comfortable and professional manner while simultaneously keeping track of navigation, traffic and timing.

Personal Drivers can work for an agency, a corporation or an individual. They will use either their own vehicle or one supplied by their employer, and they must answer to the wants and needs of both their passengers and their employer. According to findings published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the overall demand for Taxi Drivers and Chauffeurs, which includes Personal Drivers, is rising by an impressive 13 percent. This is expected to result in the opening of 30,600 new positions through 2024 and can be at least partially attributed to the growing popularity of ride-hailing smartphone apps.

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Personal Driver Duties and Responsibilities

In order to ensure the satisfaction of their passengers, Personal Drivers need to drive safely, provide a comfortable in-car environment and make their way from place to place as efficiently as possible. We analyzed a number of online job postings to identify these core Personal Driver duties and responsibilities.

Navigate

An essential component of a Personal Driver’s job is making it to their destination while minimizing wrong turns, missed turns or poor traffic conditions. To ensure this, Personal Drivers must always be planning routes, taking note of possible detours and monitoring traffic severity. While a number of modern technologies can help with this, a Personal Driver still needs to put in thought, effort and research to ensure that the ride is as smooth and swift as possible.

Provide Customer Service

A Personal Driver’s demeanor can either make or break his or her reputation with passengers. This means that even on stressful days when you’ve been working long hours or dealing with bad weather you’ll need to interact politely and pleasantly with passengers. Depending on the passenger, they may prefer not to engage in conversation at all, but even then it is important to maintain self-composure.

Maintain Vehicle

Regardless of whether they’re using their own car or a car provided by their employer, Personal Drivers are responsible for making sure that both the inside and outside of the car are always clean and aesthetically appealing. This can involve polishing the exterior, wiping down the interior surfaces or regularly spritzing air freshener in between trips. Furthermore, maintenance of the vehicle’s machinery and components is equally important, if not more so. Consistently checking fuel and engine gauges, taking the vehicle for routine maintenance and promptly addressing any problems that arise are all critical tasks for a Personal Driver. The Personal Driver’s employer will usually use a third-party mechanic for such issues, however it often is still up to the Personal Driver to arrange for the mechanic’s services.

Process Paperwork

Depending on their employer, Personal Drivers may be reimbursed for gas, meals or other on-the-job expenses. In order to receive those reimbursements, Personal Drivers must be able to properly and carefully fill out expense forms. Other documents a Personal Driver may need to handle include company credit card bills, receipts and travel logs.

Personal Driver Skills

Above all else, Personal Drivers must have excellent driving skills. Successful Personal Drivers also have a calm and pleasant demeanor, a great degree of patience and the ability to engage in light conversation with people from all walks of life. In addition to these general skills and personality traits, employers are looking for Personal Drivers with the following skills.

Core skills Based on our analysis of online job postings, employers are seeking Personal Drivers with these core skills. If you’d like to start a career as a Personal Driver, focus on the following.

Extensive knowledge of local neighborhoods, restaurants and airports
Extensive knowledge of local highways, exits and back roads
Tidy appearance
Great interpersonal skills
Expert navigation skills
Attention to detail
Able to maintain confidentiality

Advanced skills While most employers do not strictly require these skills, they are often listed as preferred. If you’d like to broaden your career opportunities, hone in on the following.

General knowledge of car mechanics
Current chauffeur’s license or commercial driver’s license
Previous experience as a Personal Driver

Tools of the trade Personal Drivers use a wide variety of tools to accomplish their daily tasks. If you’re pursuing a career as a Personal Driver, make sure you’re comfortable with the following.

Smartphones
Electronic navigation systems
Telecommunications systems

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Personal Driver Salary

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median annual wage for Taxi Drivers and Chauffeurs, which includes Personal Drivers, is $23,510. Personal Drivers in the 10th percentile earn $17,830 per year, while those in the 90th percentile earn $37,970 per year. Personal Drivers in the District of Columbia, Nevada and Connecticut make the highest median annual wage in the United States, earning a yearly salary of $30,700, $28,500 and $28,000, respectively.

Personal Driver Resources

We compiled this list of resources to help you keep exploring your career as a Personal Driver. From blogs to books, you’re sure to find something valuable below.

On the Web

NSC Defensive Driving Courses

The National Safety Council offers multiple online courses on defensive driving. Taking one or more of these courses can improve the safety of both you and your passengers.

MyAutoRepairAdvice.com

Contains howto guides for basic repairs, troubleshooting, deciphering manuals, performing maintenance and more.