Are you running a taxi or non-emergency medical transportation (NEMT) company? Ready to take the next step in leveling up your operations? 

It’s time to work with a software company that can accommodate the needs of:

Customers

Today’s transportation customer comes with expectations of convenience, quickness, quality, with digital options for paying and booking.

Drivers

Drivers are the backbone of your company and their experience matters. Driver satisfaction and loyalty can be built through ease of accepting rides, collecting payments and easy ride management and scheduling.

Dispatchers

Making the job easier for dispatchers can allow your workforce to operate with less manpower if the dispatch team is given tools like smart/automated ride dispatching and ride assignment tools.

Ownership

The right software can make all the difference. Keep all of the ride data and financials in one place, where trends can be easily monitored and decisions can be made based on hot spots in service areas and driver performance data.

See the extensive features that SmartMove provides that will allow you to

SmartMove Systems was made for growing taxi companies.

With SmartMove, you can add on features as you grow your business — making for a more cost-effective option for transportation/taxi startups. 

Innovating since 1986. Supporting the taxi industry since 2002

Taxi Startups: Schedule a Demo Today!

Are you ready to learn all the ways SmartMove Systems can take your transportation business into the fast lane?

Schedule a meeting with our team, contact us online or give us a call to get an in-depth demonstration of how SmartMove works with your business.

Book a Demo  Contact Us ]]> https://smartmovesystems.com/blog/2023/04/28/best-taxi-dispatch-booking-system-software-transportation-nemt-limo-startups-app/feed/ 0 https://smartmovesystems.com/blog/2023/04/11/3-small-fleet-taxi-transportation-ride-service-business-management-software-scalable-solutions-united-states-us-best-dispatch-app-online-booker/ https://smartmovesystems.com/blog/2023/04/11/3-small-fleet-taxi-transportation-ride-service-business-management-software-scalable-solutions-united-states-us-best-dispatch-app-online-booker/#respond Mon, 10 Apr 2023 18:54:37 +0000 https://smartmovesystems.com/?p=1314 A Guide on Taxi Fleet Management for Small US Fleets

The transportation industry has changed dramatically over the last decade and continues to adapt to the ever changing demands of customers. 

1. Go for corporate contracts

Creates a steady stream of income. When drivers are depending on you to give them rides, you need ways to maximize consistency to not only grow your business, but to also keep your driver onboard. 

Target your marketing and sales towards businesses that have a high volume of regular ride needs for their customers, guests, patients, and employees. This could include: hotels, event coordinators, business travelers, retirement homes/skilled nursing facilities, and medical establishments in your service area.

Non-emergency medical transportation (NEMT) is a growing sector of the transportation industry. It would be very wise to target medical businesses and establishments that accommodate the growing geriatric population (baby boomers) that will be needing transportation assistance as they become older and in need of more specialized care. 

2. Create a company culture

Form a team of drivers that are motivated towards the same goal: success of the company. Show them they are valued and play a highly important role in business growth. Genuinely show interest in creating a positive work environment, check in on any feedback they might have and celebrate their wins. When your team of drivers feels a personal connection with the company they work for, they’ll have more motivation to perform their best and represent the business in a good light with every interaction.

3. Invest in optimal customer and driver experience

• Are you allocating your budget in the right places? In order for your company to scale, you need to invest in your main driving force — your drivers and your customers.

• Make it easy

• • How happy are your drivers? Invest in tools that make it easy for them to do their job. 

• • How happy are your customers? Invest in making booking for customers easy.

Invest in software that makes it easy for your customers to book/manage rides, and easy for your drivers to accept/manage rides.

SmartMove Systems is an all-in-one tool for running your transportation business. It’s a cost-effective option that carries all the features for customer booking (online booking and mobile app with your branding, call center services, more), dispatching (smart/auto dispatching, LIVE map of driver locations and status, more), and driver tools (driver app for accepting rides, view reservations, manage financials, more).

Learn more about SmartMove Systems and why so many taxi and transportation companies run their operations with us.

Our track record and growing

Don’t just survive, thrive in the transportation industry

Are you taking the right steps to build up your customer base and fleet? If you focus on the three professional business tips mentioned earlier, you’re headed in the right direction. Gather your major decision makers, and go through these points to make sound decisions every quarter. Your goals should always be growth, and executing regular changes to adapt to the everchanging transportation industry is a smart choice.

Connect with our transportation experts at SmartMove Systems to discuss the many ways we can help you optimize your customer and driver experience through online booking tools, dispatching software, and other customized features that make managing rides easy. 

Learn more about how SmartMove Systems works: Today’s Taxi Customer & Driver Experience Standards.

As the new year progresses, it’s the perfect time for transportation companies to optimize their operations. The customer experience and the driver experience should always be top-of-mind when it comes to reflecting on the strengths and weaknesses of how your company operates. Of course, efficiency and cost-effectiveness of day-to-day operations should also be considered. 

Significance of Taxi Booking & Software in Today’s Age

With the emergence of mobile apps and ride sharing, today’s society is accustomed to easy options when it comes to reserving a ride with a transportation company. When you don’t have a booking software or dispatching system, the inconvenience the customer experiences may be the major factor as to whether or not they decide to come back and use your service.

Let’s take a look at the Top 5 Taxi Dispatch Software Features 2023

1. Customer Booking Options

Customers are what keep your business running. You need software that allows customers various options when it comes to booking a ride. Not only should they be able to call, they should also be able to conveniently book online and through a mobile app.

SmartMove provides passenger booking technology, through the custom branded online booking tool and the SmartHail app. The generic version is available for embedding in your fleets’ website, or the app can be easily branded to your fleet.  

SmartMove apps are easy to use and robust. 

2. Driver Interface

It’s important to provide your drivers with an easy to use platform that allows them to do their jobs as efficiently and stress-free as possible

What should a driver app include?

• • Receive job offers, and interact with customers.
  • Send and receive messages
  • Navigate to the next job using the phone’s GPS
  • View an ‘End of Shift’ report
  • Fill in the logbook
  • View flight Information
  • View future booking information

SmartMove’s SmartDriver App

With SmartMove, your drivers have access to SmartDriver, a state of the art app which allows them to handle bookings away from their vehicles. At the touch of a button SmartDriver will also respond to messages, access shift reports, and fill in the logbook. Your drivers will have all of the features mentioned above, and more!

3. Easy Access to Reporting & Financials

Taxi Dispatch Software should provide capabilities to easily access all ride information, driver jobs, financials, and more for accounting and performance auditing.

SmartMove reporting includes:

• Access your own data anywhere, any time
• Eliminate paper-based record keeping, and support your drivers with intuitive digital data entry and prompts
• Easily generate and send account invoices efficiently to customers
• Equip drivers and owners to easily retrieve their own end of shift reports or invoices
• Create and save custom reports for front line staff or Management use

SmartMove’s reporting and tracking tools offer a cohesive approach to taxi fleet management, providing insights to improve operational efficiency and fleet performance, identify cost saving areas, improve rosters, and much more.

4. GPS Vehicle Tracking

Dispatchers should be able to use the taxi software to manage rides with ease, in real-time with vehicle mapping and data to track and manage vehicles. 

SmartMove Taxi Dispatch Software & Booking Solutions:

• Live
• Shows all cars and their states (vacant/engaged)
• Can show booking details
• Authorized users will have access to a live map to show where the cars are and what state they are in.

SmartMove Systems: Sophisticated rule capability & customization, for managing complex booking scenarios. Built on a secure cloud-based platform.

5. Customization & Full Control

When you’re choosing a taxi/transportation software for your company, it’s important to consider the different options you need in order to make it work for your unique needs. 

SmartMove Systems has many customization options, and provides businesses with a tailor-made solution to fit their needs, within their budget. Some of these options include:

• Customize your reports and create new query reports specific to your requirements
• Customize your dispatch zones and site profiles.
• Customize your fleet rates and tariffs
• Fully customizable addresses — can be imported from a range of sources to eliminate double handling and user error.
• Customize multiple fleet profiles easily and create specific regulations for individual fleets
• Full control of your employee profiles and records.  Control employee access levels.
• Promo Codes & Vouchers
• Easy integration with call centers

Make the SmartMove

Whether your taxi or NEMT company is a small fleet or a growing, multi-state fleet, SmartMove Systems is the flexible, scalable solution that can be modified to fit the needs of your specific business.

Booking & Dispatching Software + Customer Support Services

If you are looking to advance your taxi or transportation company, SmartMove is the answer.

• Small fleet? No Problem. SmartMove Systems provides transportation companies of all sizes (from 1 to 200+ vehicles) with everything they need to succeed. Large fleets scale to new territories and acquisitions with SmartMove seamlessly.

• Manage Business Through Android Devices. SmartMove makes it easy to dispatch rides to drivers via Android App. Gone are the days of bulky and difficult-to-set-up hardware.

• Call Center Services Bundle. Ready to grow but don’t know where to begin when you want to start outsourcing your calls? SmartMove Systems offers support agents you can trust that can take your calls, chats, emails, and more. Choose from the pricing structure that fits your budget & needs.

There are several strategic moves you can make as a taxi owner/operator to improve your operations and bottom line. A powerful tool that pushes you towards success and growth is the right booking and dispatching system. 

Are you taking the right steps to optimize your transportation business?

Get in touch with our team to go over your options.

As a small fleet owner, finding ways to increase profitability is likely at the top of your list of priorities. One way to do this is by implementing the right taxi dispatch software.

Here’s how the right taxi dispatch software can help your small fleet become more profitable:

Improved Efficiency

With taxi dispatch software, you can streamline your dispatch processes, which can help reduce downtime and increase the number of rides you can make in a day. This can lead to increased profits as you are able to take on more work.

Better Route Optimization

Taxi dispatching software can help you plan the most efficient routes for your drivers, which can save time and fuel costs. This can also help you avoid traffic and other delays, leading to more timely deliveries and increased customer satisfaction.

Related: Taxi Company Operations: Taxi Booking Software & Dispatching with GPS Tracking

Enhanced Communication

Taxi software can help improve communication between your drivers, dispatchers, and customers. This can help reduce confusion and misunderstandings, leading to a more efficient and seamless delivery process.

Greater Visibility

With vehicle dispatch software, you can track your fleet in real-time and see exactly where your drivers are and what they are doing. This can help you respond to any issues that may arise, such as a breakdown or delay, and allow you to make adjustments as needed to keep your deliveries on schedule.

Improved Customer Service

By providing your customers with real-time updates on the status of their delivery, you can improve the overall customer experience. This can lead to increased customer loyalty and more repeat business.

Related: Cost-Effective Online Ride Booking Software with Call Center Add-ons

Reduced Paperwork

Taxi booking and dispatching software can help you digitize your dispatch process, reducing the need for physical paperwork and saving time and resources.

Increased Safety

The best taxi dispatch software can help you monitor your drivers’ behavior on the road, such as speeding or hard braking, and provide them with real-time feedback to help improve safety. This can reduce the risk of accidents and keep your drivers and the public safe.

Enhanced Reporting

Automated taxi dispatch software can provide you with a wealth of data and insights, such as delivery times, fuel usage, and driver performance. This can help you identify areas for improvement and make data-driven decisions to increase profitability.

Related: Preparing Your Taxi Company for 2023: Upgrading Online Ride Booking Software

The Right Taxi Dispatch Software is The SmartMove

Overall, the right taxi dispatch software can make a significant impact on the profitability of your small fleet. By improving efficiency, optimizing routes, enhancing communication, and providing visibility, taxi dispatch software can help you drive passengers on time and keep your customers satisfied.

Additionally, the reduced paperwork, increased safety, and enhanced reporting capabilities of SmartMove Systems’ taxi dispatch software can help you streamline your operations and make more informed decisions to drive profitability. Contact us and book a demo today!

Online ride booking software, how do you upgrade it for 2023? Keeping up with the latest in technology and trends is a necessity. One trend to watch out for is high inflation. In 2022, inflation hit record high at 9.1% and closed at 7.1%. Have a game plan to take it on by considering these dimensions in the taxi business.

GPS Integration

One of the things worth revisiting in your online ride booking software is how it integrates GPS. It’s one thing to have GPS but it’s another to use it effectively.

Online ride booking software that uses GPS to not only book rides but also gather important stats. Utilizing GPS best means using it for multiple objectives. See our write up here on the specifics. But in a nutshell GPS and its data should not just be for one purpose. It needs to serve every aspect of the business.

Online Marketing

The next dimension to prepare for is online marketing. There will be more competition in 2023. It will take a lot of effort to bring your business above the din. This is especially true if you’re utilizing an app to gain more bookings.

Your online ride booking software in 2023 must acclimate to different business models. That includes settings for corporate accounts, government transit services, school transport services, and on-demand bookings.

Call Center Support

Call answering and customer service roles are best outsourced. With the Great Resignation making it harder to find workers for jobs, outsourcing increasingly makes sense with lower costs and a wider talent pool.

Data Collection

Last but not the least is the means of making data driven decisions. Your online ride booking software should seamlessly integrate and collect data and report the data according to the needs of managers and fleet operators.

All-In-One Solution

The SmartMove that makes sense is to have online ride booking software that integrates functions that serve customers, aids drivers, and gives better control to fleet management. 

SmartMove Systems has the comprehensive expertise and decades of experience to make every choice the smart choice. Book a demo today!

• Booking & Dispatching
• Call Center Integration
• Reporting
• Costs & Scalability

Booking Capabilities & Dispatching Capabilities

The transportation software you choose should have an easy-to-use interface for customers and corporate clients. 

SmartMove provides passenger booking technology which is modern and easy to use. 

The SmartHail passenger booking app is easy to use and robust. The generic version is available for all fleets or the app can be easily branded to your fleet. The SmartHail app provides passengers with the ability to track the route taken in real-time giving peace of mind to parents or friends.

SMS with tracking

After making a booking through SmartHail, the passenger will receive confirmation by SMS with a tracking link which can be forwarded to family or friend so they can track the taxi ride on a live map.

SmartHail also allows your passenger to quickly and easily order food or packages for collection and delivery.  Tracking your incoming meal or package is now easier than ever.

With SmartHail, you can be in your passenger’s pocket all the time and know every step of their journey.

• No login after initial set up
• Easy to use
• Fare estimates
• ETA and car tracking
• Pay using the app
• Deliveries – order food and goods for collection and delivery through your app
• Promo codes and vouchers
• Upfront payment authentication
• Choice of vehicle
• Select prefilled pick up or destinations based on the travel history
• Book for immediate pickup or pre-book
• Accurate etas
• Track the driver
• Rate and review the driver
• Digital receipts
• Safe ride tracking – send a link to a friend to track your arrival

Corporate Account Portal

The SmartMove Account Portal provides features which benefit the Taxi Service Providers (TSPs) using the SmartMove Dispatch Systems to –

• Manage and control their client or account customer budgets using the customizable portal
• Easily create multiple bookings for each client and manage them
• Set up travel budgets for each client and enable automatic deduction of fare after each trip
• Receiving a warning when the set threshold as per budget has been reached
• Limit pick up or destination options for particular clients
• Limit booking times to only allow travel at certain times

The SmartMove Account Portal also provides features which benefit the passengers/Account Customers allowing them to –

• Customize their portal to make and manage their own bookings
• Create multiple bookings at a time
• View scheduled bookings and booking history
• Manage (edit/cancel) bookings without any Call Center intervention from the portal

Call Center Integration

Another challenge with growing transportation operations is the capability of answering inbound customer calls and chats. You need a system that has the ability to easily integrate with booking phone systems.

Luckily, SmartMove Systems provides the resources to make it easy for your day-to-day inbound call operations.

SmartMove provides you with simple cost saving options for the daily management of your call center. Using our SmartVoix phone system you can automate common tasks and you can easily eliminate data entry errors with the IVR (Interactive Voice Response) automatic booking systems.

See our SmartVoix video here for more detailed information on this feature.

You can choose to use our specialized transportation call center on a full time or part time basis to give you flexibility when you need it, at the best rates.

Reporting

It’s important to keep detailed information and records regarding your financials. As your business grows, it’s vital that you track performance of each driver, payouts, and more information necessary to protect your business in case of an audit or other situation where proof of financials is required.

SmartMove’s reporting and tracking tools offer a cohesive approach to taxi fleet management, providing insights to improve operational efficiency and fleet performance, identify cost saving areas, improve rosters, and much more.

• Drivers have immediate access to their own End-Of-Shift reports
• Bailment reports can be generated without having to manually add up figures
• SmartMove Go can interface with most external meters to automatically record fares at the end of a job or alternatively you can use the inbuilt soft meter. This ensures that you know exactly how much your cars are taking.

Regulatory Compliance

Any recorded date can be monitored for adherence with regulatory compliances. You can also specify a warning period and an action eg. Prevent login if the vehicle registration has run out.

• Drivers license
• Car Insurance
• Driver Insurance and police checks
• Driver performance statistics
• Vehicle registration and plate expiry
• Vehicle attributes

Unlimited Reporting Capabilities including

• Total no. of bookings
• Booking completion %
• Booking automation
• Number of active drivers / passengers / accounts
• Average hourly booking
• Booking status % (cancellation and no-show reports)
• Source of bookings (IVR, App etc.)
• Booking detail reports are available for every job including hails and walk-ups
• No show reports
• Excessive waiting time report
• No show report and pick-up location report
• Various reports and exports for the Government:.

Costs & Scalability

When making such a great commitment in implementing a transportation operations system like SmartMove Systems, it must make sense financially. 

SmartMove takes pride in being able to offer dynamic pricing to cater to transportation companies’ differing needs and budgets. Our system can be modified as you grow, where small fleets can keep up with technological expectations from customers as well as drivers.

Schedule a demonstration with our team today, and learn how we’ve helped taxi companies thrive.

What makes Taxi Booking Software important in today’s market?

According to Transparency Market Research: “Taxi booking software helps users to build a mobile-based taxi booking solution to manage the taxi business online. Taxi booking software controls all the operations or functions from a centralized system. The software provides significant business insights in terms of reports and helps users to track & monitor the progress of the business.”

Power Up Productivity: Taxi Booking Software System in Review

There are a lot of Software Solutions out there that promise features for every cab in the fleet, but fleet operations aren’t just about how many features there are, but how well they work together to deliver solid productivity with the booking experience of passengers or customers.

Breaking into a mature market like passenger transport needs a company with the experience and all-in-one-solution that works with startups or companies trying to break into better market share.

1. The Complete Passenger Taxi Booking Experience

The feature that impacts your bottom line first, above all, is the experience provided to your passengers and customers as the passenger experience impacts the momentum of your growth and the cost of acquiring new customers.

So how does this work with SmartMove? The passenger booking software is focused on ease of use for a smoother transaction and positive effect.

SmartMove’s software solution, the SmartHail passenger booking app, comes available as part of the package. Its generic form has the same functionality, but can be whitelisted. In other words, the User Interface and how it’s presented such as colors, accents, etc., can be customized for your brand and fleet to better distinguish yourself in the market.

SmartHail can be used for food or packages or for personal rides especially with regard to tracking orders, deliveries, and rides. In other words, one app can help your fleet be monetized in different income streams. Take advantage of the mammoth growth of food delivery as well as maintaining fleet operations.

 But whichever version of SmartHail you avail, the best features that they come with are:

• No login after initial set up
• Fare estimates
• ETA and car tracking
• Pay using the app
• Deliveries – order food and goods for collection and delivery through your app
• Promo codes and vouchers
• Upfront payment authentication
• Choice of vehicle
• Select prefilled pick up or destinations based on the travel history
• Book for immediate pickup or pre-book
• Accurate ETAs
• Driver Tracking
• Rate and review the driver
• Digital receipts
• Safe ride tracking – send a link to a friend to track your arrival
  

Individually, these are great features to have, but together, they accomplish broadly three goals that taxi companies would have a hard time without taxi booking & dispatch software: facilitating payments, simplifying the booking process, and driver & passenger monitoring.

The first two reduces friction and increases revenue, and the third helps with information gathering for better fleet management.

2. Driver & Passenger Anonymity & Safety

Now, a more specific feature that enhances the customer experience and saves fleets time and money is ride tracking. This feature allows the passenger and driver to communicate anonymously and gives both the safety and peace of mind needed when other services have heightened rates of crime committed against passengers and drivers. 

SmartHail’s tracking feature also allows for a tracking link that can be forwarded to family or friends, so they can track the taxi ride on a live map.

Ride tracking is a useful feature in itself since it can help the driver find the passenger or vice-versa. SMS tracking allows the driver to verify if the passenger will still continue with the ride in cases of pre-booking or sudden cancellations.

All in all, this feature alone saves on dead miles and reduces wait times which increases revenue capacity and productivity.

3. Account Portal

On their own, taxis working blindly without software get less passengers because they may be unaware of better areas for pickup and shorter routes for customers. They may also waste time waiting in locations with little to no passengers. 

Dispatching and Booking software solves opportunity costs and inefficiencies, and helps gather data for better mapping of lucrative times, areas, and services.

Enter the SmartMove Account Portal. As part of the SmartMove Passenger App, the account portal allows passengers to book in ways that on-demand and traditional methods cannot, which in other words, are more opportunities to generate revenue and save on waste. In particular, customers can:

• Customize their portal to make and manage their own bookings
• Create multiple bookings at a time
• View scheduled bookings and booking history
• Manage (edit/cancel) bookings without any Call Center intervention from the portal

The Account Portal is also a feature accessible to Taxi Service Providers using SmartMove’s Dispatch Systems. This allows providers to:

• Manage and control their client or account customer budgets using the customizable portal
• Easily create multiple bookings for each client and manage them
• Set up travel budgets for each client and enable automatic deduction of fare after each trip
• Receive a warning when the set threshold as per budget has been reached
• Limit pickup or destination options for particular clients
• Limit booking times to only allow travel at certain times

These features for providers are a great way to manage corporate clients or public sector clients and their passengers. This has the added benefit of managing expectations on the kind of revenue generated.

When your current system has none of these features and benefits, it’s a good idea to consider an upgrade.

4. Seamless Payment Functions

Providing the service well, and making it easily accessible to customers, is one part of the equation. But equally important if not more so is ensuring that customers pay easily so that potential income is realized.

SmartMove enables a variety of payment options as well as provides a digital receipt that is also reflected with a driver’s copy, allowing for better revenue tracking.

SmartMove’s payment process is intuitive and painless which includes:

• Credit card
• Cash
• App payment – SmartHail
• Vouchers
• Accounts
• Subsidy – for public sector passengers

This ensures that the maximum possible customers are available for the company.

For a different look and different review perspective on dispatching: Taxi Cab Technology: Dispatch Software Review

5. Tight Integration

The last feature is the comprehensive integrated nature of SmartMove’s Software. Booking and Dispatch aren’t separate but designed to work seamlessly together to be as efficient as possible while hitting two birds with one stone.

A great example of this is the payment system generating a digital invoice and receipt which is a feature appreciated by passengers. While at the same time, the system records this information and creates a driver version that breaks down their share of the income earned. And this is further integrated with how the same information is processed in a comprehensive record for the Accounting Department that takes into account regulations and legal requirements.

Lastly, SmartMove’s system can generate customized reports that front-line staff or management can use for their reports or presentations.

All from one transaction, the system makes the smart move.

Learn more about Taxi Booking Software and book a demo of how it works.

There are a lot of things to consider when you start to manage an on-demand fleet. Certain factors like dispatching algorithms, keeping up with a high demand, and developing a reliable system for fleet operations are among the common challenges startup cab companies face.

Customer Convenience

Traditional systems most cab companies initially adopt can be very limiting.

On some occasions, customers simply fill out a form that allows them to book a ride, without the assurance of actually securing what they need. Once the forms are submitted, it automatically goes to the pile of requests lining up for a confirmed booking.

In addition to the uncertainty, there is a higher chance of losing customers and other potential clients due to delayed responses.

SmartMove’s solutions speed up the process with its advanced dispatching algorithm that assigns available cars to passengers as well as integrating a variety of payment options to cover the ease of transaction.

Whether it’s whitelisting for your brand, ride tracking, privacy features, and smart payment options, SmartMove has got the passenger solutions.

The Need for a Taxi Scheduling and Dispatching Software

To address the issues of customer convenience and keeping up with high demand and a potentially growing customer base, successful cab companies opt to develop a reliable system for taxi scheduling and dispatching.

With the help of taxi dispatch software, it’s now possible to cater to the demands of every client, all at once! SmartMove’s integrated software does this seamlessly by automatically dispatching customers to the nearest available cab, and with multiple possible cars, the system’s algorithm accounts for fair ride distribution. The smooth integration shows when a ride is accepted, and an invoice is generated for both the driver’s daily report as well as for fleet operations or the accounting department.

Get that seamless ecosystem efficiency for drivers and fleet operations.

Achieve More with the Right Taxi Resources

Using SmartMove software allows you to maximize the potential of your company by providing you with the best fleet operation solutions. Now, you can get an automated taxi dispatch software that is tailored to the needs of your business and customers. 

With taxi scheduling software, your customers can easily find the nearest available driver for a fast and efficient ride assignment. The SmartMove taxi call center option is also available to help you make the most of customer care at a reduced cost as compared to hiring local employees that may compromise the quality of your service.

Get the best solution for booking & dispatching rides, taking customer calls, and more!

Make the SmartMove Now!

SmartMove Booking and Dispatch Solutions is one of the most trusted and most reliable online cab booking software in the United States, providing the best taxi scheduling and dispatch system that caters to your needs and the needs of your customers as well!

To properly strategize for start-ups or a small fleet, examining the fundamental needs of the business is in order. A staple in business schools and various strategists of all stripes has been Sun Tzu’s Art Of War.

And it had a gem worth living by: “If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory gained you will also suffer a defeat. If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will succumb in every battle.”

So in a nutshell, we need to know more to make better decisions, and we do that by identifying the present challenges facing start-ups and small fleets. That’s how a business strategy for taxi start-ups gets built.

If you’re starting out from scratch, here’s some food for thought:

Knowing Yourself

While there are a multitude of things to pay attention to in business, we’ll take a look at some challenges that a taxi start-up should consider when pursuing growth.

60 Second Summary Video of SmartMove Systems:

Profitability

The first and foremost consideration that makes all the others possible is profitability. There have been several ways to traditionally monetize aspects of a taxi business such as selling ad space to show on top of a vehicle or behind it and that’s still valid when feasible. There are also new business models that rely more on outside funding to sustain operations instead of organically being profitable like with ride-share companies.

The important thing when it comes to profitability is deciding how and when to be profitable. The ‘how’ means deciding the aspect of the business that makes money, and for taxi businesses, it can be finding out which areas are more profitable to have more cars in. The ‘when’ is typically related to your Return On Investment (ROI) which Investopedia states: “tells you how much money you’ve made (or lost) an investment or project after accounting for its cost.”

But more than that, a good rule of thumb to review your profitability is in the 2nd year and 5th year of operations as JP Morgan Chase notes in their research that a third of businesses quit in the second year and nearly half of all new businesses exit in their 5th year. 

When making business decisions with profitability in mind, see how these decisions can pay for themselves. For example, SmartMove’s lower cost, extensive features, and efficient & accurate reporting ticks all of the boxes including Sun Tzu’s advice about knowing yourself as a path to victory.

Staffing

The next important aspect in the taxi business is staffing — partly because, conceptually, you need to be able to trust those that work with you and for you, and partly because any enterprise that does not know its people might neglect those who deliver performance, and might keep dead wood.

The way to take care of your staff is to factor in pay, benefits, and working conditions for your drivers and management staff. Oftentimes, it’s more prudent to outsource customer service calls as they constitute a different kind of service that also requires a different set of pay, benefits, and accounting for working conditions which all require valuable time and resources that would be better spent on the core aspects of your start-up.

On that note, SmartMove provides a solution as call center operations are included and integrated in the service and can work with your own in-house call center should you wish to have your own in the future.

As noted in a book by the Transportation Research Board, compensation is the main detail that gets drivers, but it wasn’t just purely the numbers as compensation included earnings, benefits, and payment practices.

As for earnings, it might be a good idea to reference publicly available pay data as well as find out from competitors to get an edge in finding talent.

With respect to benefits, they come in two flavors: state mandated and employer provided. The former needs to be complied with so it’s important to get all above board, while juggling the conflicting needs of the staff, the state, the business, and the clients.

Now, the two dominant types in payment practices are the ‘percentage per ride deduction’ and the flat per-day/per-week lease fee, and it’s been shown that drivers have preferred the former. So to attract drivers, a percentage basis is preferable but such a system requires some software integration in the cars and the fleet operations. So another strategy for taxi start-ups here would be to use dispatch software that can record and account for rides accurately.

Customer Acquisition

The lifeblood of the business is in the customers, and while it sounds like common sense, it will take data-driven decision making to truly understand the cost of acquiring a new customer and retaining an existing one.

There are many a business strategy for taxi start-ups to find when it comes to this, and customer acquisition costs can be broadly divided into two categories: marketing expenses (ads, discounts, vouchers, social media, SEO) and operational expenses (incentives for drivers to take more rides).

While it’s important to research what works in this aspect, it’s also important to use the data generated from the business itself. Market research can be pretty expensive, and data like that can be found almost free in unexpected places like customer complaints, data generated from the dispatch software, driver inputs, and more. Integrated software solutions with many features can tie in together the different data to expand the bigger picture.

Customer’s Standards & Expectations

Last but not least, another consideration to know about as a start-up is what customers want. It’s become clear that app-based transportation is now the norm, and a lot of software-based features are expected of any modern sophisticated cab.

Features like tracking their rides, multiple payment options, and more are available with SmartMove’s SmartHail passenger app that can be white labeled to cultivate your brand.

Making the SmartMove

In each and every strategy for taxi start-ups, a lot of the success hinges on making informed business decisions. And the way forward to that is adopting a comprehensive all-in-one software solution that integrates the features and functions together to work seamlessly, efficiently, and affordably.

Make the SmartMove and book a demo today to find out more about how these challenges can be solved.

So you’ve decided to get into the transportation business.

Congratulations, you’ve come to the point where you have made the leap. Being an entrepreneur is an admirable career path that puts your fate into your own hands. You’ve probably gained experience within the transportation industry by being a driver, administrator, or fulfilled other roles within a taxi cab, non-emergency medical transportation (NEMT), or other transportation company.

Running any business is about maximizing profits and driving growth.

Starting Small

The number of vehicles in your initial fleet depends on how much funding you have, and even modest fleets with 2-10 cars are able to bring in profits. It’s important to run your company efficiently, without breaking the bank — avoiding high-costs that cut into your profit margins.

Booking & Dispatching for Small Fleets

Whatever the size of your fleet, you’ll need to invest in technology that can manage operations of your taxi company. Merely having a phone number, just won’t cut it these days. 

At minimum, every legit taxi or NEMT company should have online booking and chat support on their website, in addition to phone answering service for those that call in their bookings. 

Fleet Operation Tips: Thriving in the Taxi & NEMT Industry

SmartMove Systems offer an affordable all-in-one solution for small fleets (and big ones too). With cost-effective website booking tools, apps, and dispatching that all integrate together, your transportation company runs smoothly, giving customers and drivers convenient experiences.

Want to see the SmartMove System in action?    Book a Demo

Taking Customer Booking Calls and Dispatching Rides at Low-Cost

Not only does SmartMove provide the software needed to keep your fleet moving, they also provide packages that include transportation specialized call centers that provide you with low-cost call and chat answering service, as well as full dispatching. This eliminates the costs of running and managing staff locally at high wages and high turnover rates. 

Contact support services for booking and dispatching are available to all fleets that utilize SmartMove Systems, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. 

What support is included?

• Customer Calls, Chat, Email, and More
• Driver training
• Staff training
• After-hours assistance
• Holiday/Weekend Coverage
• Troubleshooting and system improvements
• Assistance with specific reporting requirements
• Everyday assistance with keeping your fleet operational and at maximum efficiency

SmartMove works ‘hand in hand’ with your fleet, from fleet setup to driver and staff training.  We are available 24/7 to help you with troubleshooting and system repairs.

Low-cost operations, with all the features you need.

Working with SmartMove can make all the difference in how much it costs you to run your transportation business. It’s important to lower your costs as much as possible, without compromising the quality of your service.

Why SmartMove?

• Vehicle Mapping & Tracking

• In-Depth Reporting

• Branded App & Online Booking

• Easy Driver + Dispatching Process

• Booking + Dispatch + Call Center Integrations

• More!