Yellow-Checker-Star Transportation, Nevada’s largest cab company, is composed of three corporations with a long history of service in the Las Vegas area. Yellow Cab acquired Checker in 1984 and Star in 1986. Although the three companies still function separately, they all operate under the Yellow-Checker-Star umbrella. The owners, Milton Swartz, Dave Willden, Pete Eliades, Harry Eliades, Martha Burton and Howard Dudley, also own Star Trans, a shuttle and charter bus service that was started in 1998. But making sure the day-to-day, more specifically, the hour-to-hour operation flows smoothly, falls on the capable shoulders of Jack Owens, general manager of the firm. He laughs and says, “No this company doesn’t operate like they did on the television show Taxi.”
Running a company that logs more than 50 million miles a year, however, is no laughing matter – it’s serious business. The public, resort and convention industries, the general Southern Nevada economy, 1500 plus company employees including drivers and other employees, count on having an efficient transportation service. How does Owens make all this work? “I think our success stems from providing good service, being well-managed and having the philosophy that we treat people the way we would like to be treated, including our drivers,” explains Owens. Because the firm owns the entire fleet of about 600 Ford vehicles, the company is able to maintain control of the entire operation, from training and monitoring of the drivers to the care and maintenance of the vehicles.
Owens implemented some innovations to ensure that local residents would not be left without cab service due to many drivers’ preference for sitting at hotel stands, the airport and the convention center to pick up fares. “We have an elite crew of 100 cab drivers per shift who volunteer to be in this select group that provides service to residential and more outlying areas,” Owens explains. These drivers have their own radios and communicate with each other, so if a call comes in, the driver who is available and closest to the address clicks on and advises he will pick up the fare. “Cabbies are a certain breed – they are independent and love to talk to people, but they need to make a living. They get 50 percent of what they book (the company gets the other 50 percent ) and they keep all their own tips,” he explains.
There is a certain choreography occurring 24 hours a day at Yellow-Checker-Star that contributes greatly to its success. “The yard looks like an Indianapolis race track pit stop at shift change when the cabs fuel up and move out,” says Owens. A sophisticated monitoring system located in his office enables him to supervise all areas of operation including the body shop, maintenance facility, drivers’ room, dispatch center, cashier area and fueling center. This is all part of overseeing the operation that needs to run smoothly and efficiently so a maximum amount of cabs can be out on the street during peak hours. But, Owens job doesn’t stop here – he also manages the company’s newest division, Star-Limousine and Star Trans. “We decided to enter the limousine transportation business following requests from our customers. Customers, including destination management companies, wanted other modes of transportation to meet their additional needs, and they were happy with other services we have provided,” says Owens. The company operates with 20 stretch limos and 10 Lincoln Town cars. Star Trans provides shuttle service to and from McCarran International Airport and is also available for charter service.
Owens says Yellow-Checker-Star is especially proud that it has been a forerunner in protecting the environment since 1979, when the company started using alternative fuel, propane, for its fleets. The use of alternative fuel has resulted in cleaner air for the environment and garnered the company national recognition and awards from the United States Department of Energy Clean Cities Program. “We know that by using alternative fuel, we are helping to make a difference. The more people we can encourage to convert, the healthier it will be for all of us,” states Owens. He estimates that his company using propane for its fleet saves the Las Vegas Valley 800 tons of carbon monoxide and 800 tons of particulate matter annually.
Yellow-Checker-Star Transportation is currently located on 13 acres of land at 3950 W. Tompkins Ave. in Las Vegas. Expansion plans include moving to a larger location at Decatur Boulevard and Sunset Road in the near future.
