Taxi, limo and car service
Two-way radios for taxi, limo and car service fleets
A driver needs an answer now, and dispatch is already on another call. Zello gives your fleet the instant push-to-talk drivers remember from Nextel, over a multi-carrier SIM, with a live map of every vehicle.
Short answer
Is this like the old Nextel push-to-talk?
The problem
What gets in the way
Car service runs on timing, and most of the delays are in communication. Dispatchers spend the day on the phone, so a driver with a changed pickup waits on hold. Calling every driver about a job that needs covering takes longer than the job allows. Conventional radio stops at the edge of its coverage, and airport runs and out-of-town trips go past it quickly. When Nextel went away, many fleets lost the one tool that fit this work and moved to phones or apps that take a driver’s eyes off the road.
How we set it up
How the channels are set up
We put your fleet on channels that match how you dispatch: all drivers, airport runs, corporate accounts or shifts, with a dispatcher on a Zello Dispatch Hub seat at a PC or Mac.
Dispatch offers a job on the channel and the nearest driver answers, or calls one driver directly. The live map shows where every car is before a promise is made to a customer. Drivers press one button and keep their eyes on the road, on a vehicle unit with a palm microphone or a rugged phone on the dash. A multi-carrier SIM carries it across the metro area and beyond. On Managed Zello Plus, Google Maps traffic and breadcrumb history help dispatch plan, and Message Vault keeps a record when a customer disputes a pickup. Zello is not a meter or a booking platform, and it runs alongside whatever you use for those.
Example channels and calls
What each channel sounds like
Sample traffic, written to show how each channel gets used. Your channel names and groups are set up to match your crew.
All driversDispatch and every driver
“Pickup at the train station, one passenger going downtown. Who’s closest?”
Airport runsDispatch and airport drivers
“Flight’s delayed forty minutes. Car 9, wait in the staging lot instead of the curb.”
Corporate accountsDispatch and account drivers
“Car 14, your three o’clock account pickup moved to the side entrance.”
Night shiftDispatch and night drivers
“Night shift, we’re short two cars after midnight. Can anyone stay an hour?”
Typical use cases
Where it gets used day to day
Offering a job to the nearest driver
Changed pickups and flight delays
Airport staging and curb coordination
Calling a whole shift at once
Checking a driver’s position before quoting a customer
Corporate and VIP account runs
Vehicle problems and roadside calls
Shift handover
The radios
A typical fleet setup
Cars usually take the Inrico TM-7Plus or the compact Telox M3 with a palm microphone, and drivers who also need a phone carry the Samsung Galaxy XCover7 Pro. A Zello Dispatch Hub seat puts dispatch on a PC or Mac with a live map, and Managed Zello Core includes live location for every car.
If you still run a conventional system, radio interoperability can link it during a move. See business two-way radios for every vehicle and handheld option.
Vehicle and mobile
Inrico TM-7Plus
A cab-mounted radio with a touchscreen, a 20 W speaker and camera inputs.
$299.00
Vehicle and mobile
Telox M3
A compact dash or console radio with a 5 W speaker and wired network option.
$399.00
Special order · request a quote
Rugged Android smartphone
Samsung Galaxy XCover7 Pro
A full-screen Samsung smartphone, toughened up, with a programmable PTT key.
$599.00
Recommended solution
What we would recommend
Managed Zello Core with a Dispatch Hub seat is the usual fit. Fleets that want traffic, breadcrumb history and a message archive choose Plus, and drivers who also need a phone line can use the unlimited plans on a rugged phone.
Questions
Questions fleet owners ask us
What taxi, limo and car service operators want to know before moving dispatch off phones.
Can drivers use their own phones?
Yes. Zello Work runs on iOS and Android, so a driver can use a compatible phone. Many operators prefer a dedicated vehicle unit or rugged phone with a physical button, because it takes less attention while driving.
Does it replace our booking or meter system?
No. Zello handles the voice between dispatch and drivers. Your booking, meter and payment systems stay where they are.
Will it work out of town and at the airport?
It works anywhere there is cell service or Wi-Fi, and a multi-carrier SIM can use more than one network. We check coverage against your service area before you commit.
Can dispatch see where drivers are?
Yes. Every device shows on a live map in Zello Dispatch Hub and the Management Console. On Plus, breadcrumb history shows where a vehicle has been and Google Maps traffic shows what is ahead.
Can drivers use it hands-free?
They press one button, and vehicle units come with a palm microphone. Follow your local rules on using devices while driving, and consider a mounted unit or a Bluetooth accessory for drivers who need one.
Related
Related industries
Transportation and logistics
Drivers leave the yard and a conventional radio stops working. Zello on a multi-carrier SIM keeps dispatch connected to the whole fleet for the length of the route.
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Aviation and airport services
Ramp, gates, cabin cleaning and passenger services on separate Zello channels, across every terminal and every airport you work in.
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Courier and delivery
Dispatch reaches drivers in one press instead of a round of phone calls, with live location and photo messages on the same app.
Read more
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