Complaint Review: SuperShuttle

I found this website today and read the report that I'm posting about. I too, was a so called "franchisee" of SuperShuttle in Los Angeles, CA.  I was an elected member and Secretary of the SuperShuttle Franchisee Committee. Thus I worked closely with their management.

I reported a public health matter to SuperShuttle management. They essentially did nothing to remedy the problem. So, I decided to produce and host a video that I then posted on YouTube.com. See the video at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=821PIsTKvDY.

I was subsequently fired by SuperShuttle because I "blew the whistle" regarding a public health issue. and other exploitative work conditions created by them.

Therefore, what I've read on this report or post is very true. "Concerned Citizen" should be commended for reporting the exploitation by SuperShuttle of their "franchisees."

You included "airprt fees" as a SS overhead expense. As the person who filed this report mentioned, "owner operators" PAY FOR EVERYTHING! Remember? Including airport fees $$ It is a joke to be called "owners." We work under THEIR terms. We dont have ANY say in anything. The ONLY thing we own is our vans! Sure we can set our own hours, but reality is you must work 12 to 16 hrs a week to be able to take anything home.. (if you're lucky). So practically you are busting your butt just to make sure you pay "the man". Or else, they will "lock you out" and you will no longer be dispatched any fares $$ untill you have settled your debt. Why do we work so many hours? It would be nice to say every minute of those hrs we are picking fares but another harsh reality is that for most of the day we sit and wait for as long as 5 hours!

Wait, it gets worse. After waiting up to FIVE hours your money is not guaranteed! You can go into the airport at a slow time and only go out with a single fair for less than a quarter of what a taxi would cost. Keep in mind it is a shuttle service, the object of the game is to put as many passengers/fares in your vas as possible.All the while SS is still getting 25% of that. It's a very unpredictable business, but not for SS, they are going to get theirs $$ regardless. Rain or shine, busy or slow.. Perhaps this is why they came up with the "Owner Operator" idea.. ? Brilliant! Have employees and call them "owner ops." That way you don't have to give them rights, medical benefits, or even a paycheck! They even work twice as hard :-(

So just because its "legal," it doesn't mean it's right. Something does have to be done about this. It is unAmerican. Or is it? I am American as well by the way. Born and raised.

Although there may be drivers who are successfull, they are very far in between and they are only living just above the poverty level. You are NOT going to get rich doing this! And for those drivers who are fortunate enough to make it in this biz, they are either on the road 16 hours + a day, and or are bribing the dispatchers to give them fares.. There is simply just not enough business for eveybody. Only the strong will survive.

Dear "Concerned Citizen",

I'd like to believe your story and confirm what you said is true, but I have some serious questions about your statements. First of all, I am not in any way affiliated with Super Shuttle or it's affiliates. I did, however, drive as a company driver for SS in San Diego in the mid-1990's. It was before they packed up and left town, only to buy out Cloud 9 in a takeover in 2007.

Let me see, you have 14 years in the shuttle business working out of SFO? Maybe OAK? Maybe SJO or SMF? Doesn't matter, but Super Shuttle has been a leader in airport transportation out of all of these airports for many, many years. Is it for me to believe that after 14 years in the shuttle business at SFO, you only manage to make $2,000 per week? And you had a co-owner or driver, which means you had the ability to operate that van 24/7 at SFO? It took 14 years to figure out that you weren't very good at making money in the shuttle business? Wow!

I spent 7 years working for three companies at SAN in San Diego. As an employee, we did not have franchise fees or fuel to purchase, but we did get to keep 30% of gross revenue + tips. On a very conservative average, in a 10 hour shift, each shuttle averaged $225 -$250 dollars in gross revenue. On a 24 hour basis, the van averaged over $440 or over $3300. per week. In 1996, SAN did not have the shuttle laws in place as they do today. Also, SAN in considerably smaller than SFO and only gets half the traffic SFO might get.

So, my point is, just because you are unable to make a living at airport shuttle work, why do you have such distaste for SS? Did you ever consider that the fees you were paying help support the extensive marketing, advertising and airport fees, not to mention the costly litigation they must defend on a daily basis?

Like I said in the beginning of this response, I have NO affiliation whatsoever with SS, but I think they are getting the brunt of someones frustration at not being able to make a living in the business. With the slow economy, higher airfare, security concerns, etc., the shuttle business is about in the same boat as the airlines, just hanging on to stay in business.

Give SS a break, they have clean, safe vans and are pretty good at what they do!