Become a pedicabber
A fantastic career in pedicabbing awaits you with Easy Rider Pedicabs! Become a part of the excitement that is downtown Austin at night. Enjoy the camaraderie of an elite group of service industry professionals. Get paid to exercise!
Pick up a lucrative part-time job with flexible hours and a personable boss.
Easy Rider Pedicabs wants you to enjoy all the benefits that pedicabbing has to offer. We currently have openings for new pedicabbers, with cabs available to lease by the month or by the night.
Note: A Texas driver’s license is no longer a requirement. The city of Austin will now issue temporary 3-month permits to out of state driver’s licenses with the appropriate 3-year certified driving history.
To get the standard 2-year license, a Texas drivers license is still needed.
HOW TO GET STARTED
First things first, if you’d like to pedicab, we’d like to know who you are! This is a vibrant community with individuals from all walks of life and we’re positive you’ll be able to carve out a niche in our world. Every shop has its own flavor and there’s no better way to see if this is where you’ll hang your cap than to schedule an appointment to come by and meet with us. We can’t wait to hear from you!
Getting your Credentials
Before you can hit the streets on a fine three-wheeled machine with your very own City of Austin Chauffeur’s Permit, there are certain legal and administrative hurdles that must be leaped
Get a national criminal background check
The City of Austin likes to keep its streets safe. To that end they have a fair, but stringent set of requirements for the those who wish to act as a chauffeur. If you have any felony convictions in the last seven years, you might as well stop here and wait for the statute of limitations to pass by; the city controls this, not us. That’s not all, though. You can find a full list of disqualifications in the Austin City Code section 13-2-103
To prove that are qualified, you must submit to a criminal background check. You can follow these instructions to set an appointment with Identgo, a national provider of fingerprint background checks. They will fingerprint and photograph you, and in a 1 to 10 days they will transmit a copy of the record directly to the Austin Ground Transportation office. Remember that the IdentoGo Service Code for Austin is 11GYVN
If you live in Austin, you can also go directly to one of several IdentoGO screening locations which accept walk-ins, like the one at the DPS office at 108 Denson or in the same building as the ground transportation offices. Make sure you ask for a national-level fingerprint-based criminal-history check spanning at least 7 years.
The cost of these records is, at the time of this writing, $39(2/11/17)
PROTIP – For a faster criminal
background check:
Make an appointment for any location and time, then walk into the hw 71 location in the morning. Should be ready 3 business days after that.
This background check is valid for 10 years.
Get a copy of your certified 3A driving record
This one takes just a few minutes. Usually…
For Texas residents, you’re going to need a certified 3A Driving Record from the Texas Department of Public Safety. Make sure you choose type 3A.
If you have been a resident of another state in the last 3 years or if you currently are a non-Texan, you need a certified copy of your driver record from that state. Most states can do this over the internet, the same as Texas. You will likely need your driver’s license number from that state, if not your birth certificate, social security number, or another form of required ID. Additionally, some states require you do it through the postal service.
If you have any moving violations on your driving record(s) in the last 3 year, you must have a completed defensive driving certificate dated after the most recent infraction. Any Texas DD certification program will work, but I recommend Improv if you need to do this now. It’s an online traffic school that’s very convenient and available in every state (you need to complete the Texas course, regardless of where you had a moving violation). When you’re finished, don’t pay extra for expedited shipping. Log back in after the course and you may print out your certificate immediately.
The cost of Texas 3A records is, at the time of this writing, $12(2/11/17)
Any certified state driving record is considered valid by AGT for 30 days from its issuance.
Need defensive driving? If not skip the button below and move on to the next step.
PROTIP – If your violation occurred while riding a bike, you may take defensive cycling instead. It’s a small victory, but it counts. Thank you Bike Austin
PROTIP – AGT now offers free notary service! Just don’t sign that notary block in the application until you arrive to take your test.
also 108 denson location is permanently closed
Study!
You will have to take a written test to determine two things: if you know how to read a MAPSCO map and if are familiar with City code 13-2. The Austin chauffeur permit now covers all of the ground transportation services and so does the test. Don’t be surprised if they ask you a thing or two about horses. They will.
You can prepare for the chauffeur’s permit test by reading all of Austin city code 13-2.
Take the Test
Present your documentation and take your chauffeur’s permit test at the City of Austin Department of Ground Transportation at 1111 Rio Grande, on the southeast corner of 12th Street and Rio Grande. Feel free to contact the AGT office before you go if you have any questions.
As previously noted, your driving records and the notary signature on your application must not be more than 30 days old when you go in, or your paperwork will not be accepted and you will have to start the process over again. Your IdentoGO background check will be kept on file with AGT offices and is good for 10 years.
Applications are accepted, without appointment, Monday-Friday from 8:30 AM to 11:00 AM. After your test is graded you will get photographed and your pedicab license will be printed on the spot.
The cost of taking the test is, at the time of this writing, $20(2/11/17)
PROTIP – In the weeks before SXSW and ACL you may want to arrive well before 10:00 AM because of long lines.
Receive Your Training
Congratulations! You got your license and are ready to be trained the art of pedicab driving. It takes about 3 hours for our trainers to give you a full tour of the city and the experience. You’ll give a few rides, meet a few people, and turn your legs to jelly (later, into steel).
You can rent your cab daily, nightly, or monthly. Our equipment is fine-tuned and our mechanical service is fast and reliable. You won’t find better rental prices, either. No other pedicab company makes it as easy to have a profitable career as we do.
PROTIP – Don’t quit your day job. At least, not at first. Full-time pedicabbing is possible, but it requires a much higher competency level. Start slow and see where it takes you. Sorry, bro: magic isn’t real.
Sign Up for Square
When was the last time you actually had a bunch of cash in your pocket when you went to hang around downtown? Don’t miss out on potential revenues by keeping it old school. Get a smartphone and sign up to use the Square app to take and process credit cards! If you follow our link, your first $1,000 worth of transactions are fee free.
If you’re reading ahead, don’t forget that the first step in all of this, is to schedule an interview.