Do you love driving? Maybe you enjoy talking to people about the best places to grab a burrito, or which hotel is closest to the airport? How about assisting a high-powered individual as they go about their high-powered day? If you answered "uh, sure" to the above questions, allow us to introduce you to the wild world of professional luxury transportation drivers, a.k.a. chauffeurs.

Hang on a minute, you say. Aren't those old dudes who wear white gloves and drive old cars for old people? Well, sure, some drivers probably fit that description. But real chauffeurs come from many different walks of life. The position attracts the kind of people who aren't famous themselves but enjoy being around the lifestyle. You get to interact with movers, shakers, and big-decision makers without having to make any of those decisions yourself.

Nowadays, it means "I'm totally stoked to drive you dude!" (Source)

The word "chauffeur" comes from the French word for stoker, which actually isn't as random as it sounds. When cars were first invented, most people who owned them were two things: rich, and not drivers. 

Operating a motor vehicle wasn't as simple as the power steering and turn-key ignition we take for granted today. Many personal vehicles were coal-powered back then, and the person who drove the car had to "stoke" the engine, hence the term. Automobiles may have come a long way since then, but the well-off still enjoy being driven around.

Unlike the lifestyles of the rich and famous in your backseat, a chauffeur's lifestyle is much more modest. Instead of Benjamins, you're more likely to be rolling in Jeffersons, which will be the face you'll be tipped with most often. Starting out, you'll be scraping by on your hourly rate of around $10 per hour plus tips—not much more than minimum wage (source). But a few years in and you should be in a much more comfortable position. By the middle of your career, a steady $35,000-plus a year is doable, as long as you put in the work for it.

There are a few options within the chauffeur biz, should you decide you'd like to branch out. Since driving businesses (often called livery services) are incredibly common, you shouldn't have too much trouble finding one no matter where you live. Many livery services offer both on-call and as-directed services. 

On call is your typical door-to-door job where you pick a stranger up and drop them off like some glorified taxi service. As-directed is a much more personal position; you are responsible for driving your client from the moment they pile into your backseat until you leave them loaded with a day's worth of antique shopping on their front porch.

Going into business for yourself can have its own benefits. If you like the as-directed style, you can make a career doing that for one client all the time. You can make more money and create yourself a somewhat more stable schedule by driving for one client and one client only. Their life becomes your life, so this is definitely for those who enjoy a personal relationship with their employer.

The more entrepreneurial individual might choose to take out loans and secure financing for their own company and its fleet of vehicles. Or, if you're looking at this as more of a part-time or casual gig, ride-share companies may be a better option—so long as you have a vehicle of your own and can pass a (controversially easy) criminal background check. This might work better for those who loathe any kind of personal relationships whatsoever.

Sometimes they'll inexplicably be dressed as Santas. (Source)

Of course, the life of a chauffeur isn't for everybody. First and foremost, if you take this position, you have to be okay with people treating you like the help (or maybe a ghost of some sort). 

A thick skin is pretty necessary in this career. That, and the great daily frustration of drivers around the world: parking. If you start banging at the steering wheel one minute into looking for a spot, imagine trying to park a vehicle big enough to hold twelve sweaty, moderately inebriated frat guys.

You must also remember that people who employ your services are depending on you to get them where they need to go when they need to get there. It seems like a no-brainer, but punctuality and safety are the most important qualities a chauffeur can have. If you are consistently late and your clients arrive at their destination feeling like milkshakes, you'll quickly find yourself driving to interviews for a new job.

The bottom line is this: If you can drive safely, get there on time, be knowledgeable, and give an all-around pleasant transportation experience, you could build a long and fulfilling career as a professional chauffeur.

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