THE ART OF CHAUFFEURING
by Brandon Braddock, President, Celebrity Limousine Worldwide, Inc.

INTRODUCTION

Celebrity Chauffeur was originally created as a private online course for the chauffeurs of Celebrity Limousine only. Today, Celebrity Chauffeur is open to the public. The Art of Chauffeuring is our online course that does not teach students how to safely operate or drive a commercial vehicle.  It teaches students about the true art of chauffeuring which by definition means “to serve”.

Anyone can study this course for FREE. No charge. To get certified though, each student must pass this test with a perfect score of 100.  If you do a certification will be sent to you for $99.00 We believe there is no room for error when it comes to chauffeuring special events and we want the industry leaders in the transportation field to know that anyone who passes this course knows exactly what is expected out of a professional chauffeur.

The most valuable players in the Limousine Industry are the men and women in the black suits, on the front lines, the Chauffeurs. That is why it is mandatory to pass this online course for every chauffeur that is hired at all Celebrity Limousine Authorized Limousine Services. Our network is very large, we have many affiliates, we have a large sales team and we are franchising.  We have many reasons for our success.  No matter what they are, the foundation of it all started right here, with our Chauffeurs.

MISSION STATEMENT

Our mission here at Celebrity Chauffeur is to teach and educate every student the true art of chauffeuring, which by definition means.... to serve.

DEFINITION OF A CHAUFFEUR

A chauffeur (pronounced "show-fur") as defined by "The Chauffeur's Blue Book 1906", is: "A man who understands the mechanism, care, and driving of a motor car; a man who is paid to carry out the wishes and protect the interests of the owner in connection with it; a man who receives wages for his services, and is thus a servant."

Originally Chauffeurs were hired servants who lived inside the homes of very rich and prominent people. They not only chauffeured the owner in his personal car, but they cooked for the owner and also carried themselves as a butler and a personal assistant. They were hired servants.

Today, there are still Chauffeurs that are real servants of the rich and famous who serve them in their own personal home and who also driver their cars, but in 2011, due to the popularity of this position and the need for drivers in the Limousine Chauffeured Transportation Field across the US, private chauffeurs are now in demand and hired in all 50 states. Today, chauffeurs do not drive around vehicle owners, instead, they drive around the public in limousines for hire.  Instead of being governed by just the vehicle owner, they are now also governed by the USDOT, the FMCSA and their local State Department of Public Utilities.   

The duty of a chauffeur is till the same as it has always been, “To Serve”. Remember it, because it will be the attitude you will need to pass this course.

Welcome to Celebrity Chauffeur.

GETTING STARTED

To get started, you will need to read the section below and make sure that you are qualified to drive a commercial vehicle. Most people think a commercial vehicle is a vehicle equivalent to a large truck like an 18 wheeler. That is not true. The next section will explain the definition of a commercial vehicle and the different types of Commercial Vehicles.

COMMERCIAL VEHICLES

There are actually many sizes and shapes of commercial vehicle each type with its own rules and regulations that are regulated by the USDOT and the FMCSA.

According to Wikipedia, a commercial vehicle is a type of motor vehicle that may be used for transporting goods or passengers.

In the United States a vehicle is designated “commercial” when it is titled or registered to a company. This is a broad definition, as commercial vehicles may be fleet vehicles, company cars, or other vehicles used for business.

According to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, a commercial vehicle means a motor vehicle or combination of motor vehicles used in commerce to transport passengers or property if the motor vehicle:

(1) Has a gross combination weight rating or gross combination weight of 26,001 pounds or more, inclusive of a towed unit(s) with a gross vehicle weight rating or gross vehicle weight of more than10,000 pounds.

(2) Has a gross vehicle weight rating or gross vehicle weight of 11,794 or more kilograms (26,001 pounds or more), whichever is greater.

(3) Is designed to transport 16 or more passengers, including the driver.

(4) Is of any size and is used in the transportation of hazardous materials as defined in this section.

SMALL PASSENGER-CARRYING VEHICLES Read

Motor carriers operating 9 to 15 passenger-carrying commercial motor vehicles for direct compensation, regardless of the distance traveled, are subject to the safety standards in part 385 and parts 390 through 396 of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations.  These carriers are required to file a motor carrier identification report (section 390.19) and mark their commercial motor vehicles with the USDOT identification number and the legal name or single trade name of the operator (section 390.21).  Among other requirements, these carriers are also subject to safety fitness procedures and new entrant safety assurance procedures (part 385); accident register recordkeeping (section 390.15); driver qualification and medical examination requirements (part 391); required to maintain and update driver qualification files (section 391.51); required to comply with maximum driving time standards (either section 395.1(e)(1) or section 395.5); required to maintain records of duty status (section 395.8) or time records (for drivers covered by the short-haul exemption in section 395.1(e)(1)); and recordkeeping for inspection, repair, and maintenance (part 396).  Motor carriers are subject to these same regulations when their vehicle has a gross vehicle weight or gross vehicle weight rating of 10,001 or more pounds and is used on a highway in interstate commerce to transport passengers, even if the vehicle is designed and used to transport 8 or less passengers.  Information about all of the safety standards, requirements, and recordkeeping can be found at: http://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/safety-security/eta/index.htm. The actual Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations can be found at: http://www.fmcsa.dot.gov//rules-regulations/administration/fmcsr/fmcsrguide.aspx?section_type=A. For online motor carrier identification report filing and registration for a USDOT identification number, go to: http://safer.fmcsa.dot.gov.

DRIVER QUALIFICATIONS

According to the FMCSR (Part 385 & 390-396) a Commercial Driver of vehicles that carry more than 8 passengers, must meet the following requirements:

1. Be in good health and physically able to perform all duties of a driver.
2. Be at least 21 years of age.
3. Speak and read English well enough to convers with the general public, understand highway traffic and signals, respond to official questions, and be able to make legible entries on reports and records.
4. Be able to drive the vehcile safely.
5. (CDL Licensed Drivers) Must have only one valid commercial vehicle operator's license.
6. Provide an employing motor carrier with a list of all motor vehicle violations or a signed statement that driver has not been convicted of any motor vehicle violations during the past 12 months.
7. Pass a drivers road test or equivalent.
8. Complete an application for employment.
9. Possess a valid medical certificate.

*Please do not use this guide as a substitute for the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations (FMCSRs). The FMCSA's Regulations continue to change as regulations are published, updated, etc. You should consult the FMCSRs, which are updated quarterly online.

ONLINE COURSE

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

TAKE THE TEST

If you have studied the above categories and would like to take the test, download an ANSWER FORM and click the button (below) to take the test. One you have finished the test, send it in to us and we will grade you.

Their is no charge to take the test. If you would like to recieve a certificate showing that you have passsed the course of The Art of Chauffeuring then you will have to pass with a perfect score of 100. The cost to be certified is $99.00

If you are trying to get certified and you do not pass the test with a perfect score of 100 their is no charge. However, you will have to take the test again. We only charge the $99 if you pass and you are issued a Certificate from Celebrity Chauffeur's The Art of chauffeuring.