Career Profile: Taxi Dispatcher	Home	Español
		Informal perspective of what an occupation might be like.

What I Do: When you ride in a taxi and hear someone talk on the radio to the cabbie, that’s me! I’m the taxi dispatcher, and I’m responsible for letting taxi drivers know where they’re supposed to go. Customers contact me, and I find the closest cab driver. I let the driver know about traffic problems, bad weather, construction, and emergency situations. I also have to make sure that all of the drivers get plenty of work. We can’t have the same cabbie pick up everyone!

Best and Hardest Parts of My Job: There’s always a lot happening, so I have to make sure I can keep up with all of the clients and all of the drivers. It gets confusing sometimes, especially when someone calls who speaks a language I don’t understand. I’ve been trying to learn common phrases from other languages, so that I’m prepared to respond. However, I really enjoy being in charge and organizing all the drivers and where they go—it’s like a giant puzzle!

How I Got Started: After I finished high school, I became a taxi driver. I enjoyed showing the sights of the city to my clients as we went, but I wanted more responsibility in the company. I applied for the taxi dispatcher position. I didn’t need to be a cab driver to apply. They wanted someone who can handle stress, has knowledge of the city, and who understands how to use the radios, computers, and other communication equipment, so I got the job!