TLPA

MEET TLPA’s NEW PRESIDENT: BRIAN McBRIDE

BY HAL MORGAN
TLPA DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION

On Saturday, November 12, 2005 at TLPA's 87th Annual Convention & Trade Show in Boston, Massachusetts, 2005 President Jamie Campolongo turned over the TLPA presidency to Brian A. McBride, president of Yellow Cab Company of Cleveland, Ohio.

Yellow Cab Company of Cleveland is a full service cab company  operating vehicles that range from sedans, mini-vans, vans, and wheelchair accessible vehicles. They operate a full repair shop including a body shop and paint booth, an automated car wash and have a fueling operation on the premises. Brian McBride says that since the company carries a high self insured retention, they operate an in-house Claims Department. Brian has led the charge in placing a vehicle age limitation on taxicabs in Cleveland and the company enforces strict driver's standards, including language and geography knowledge requirements. Brian believes that it is only with well oriented drivers, who can speak the English language and know where they are going, can quality service be provided.

First Generation - Mickey McBride

Brian is a third generation taxicab operator. His family has been in the taxi business since 1933. His grandfather, Arthur B. McBride was the first McBride to enter the taxicab business.

Arthur McBride was born on the Southside of Chicago and grew up in a tough neighborhood called the Patch. His nickname was Mickey, not from his Irish heritage, but from a friendly Jewish tailor who couldn't pronounce his name and called him "MIKEEBRIDE." Brian's grandfather's formal education ended in the third grade.

Mickey got his start in Chicago in the newspaper business as a young newsboy selling newspapers. He bought newspapers wholesale for 1/2 penny each and resold them for a penny, a 100% profit. Brian notes that his grandfather always had a shrewd eye for side profits. Among these was trading a newspaper for a usable street car transfer, which, in those days, was worth a nickel. A newspaper sold for a penny. Mickey would re-sell the transfer for three cents and triple his profit.

The Chicago Transit Authority didn't like what Mickey was up to and decided to prosecute the little newsboy. It was the poor little newsboy versus the mighty Chicago Transit Authority. Little Mickey came into court prepared for battle. He even had a lawyer, a fellow who played cards in a saloon near the corner and who had traded streetcar transfers for newspapers. That lawyer's name was Clarence Darrow, the defender of John Scopes in the famous Monkey Trial. Mickey won his case going away and they became close friends for life.

Mickey McBride worked his way through the newspaper ranks. At age 23 he became the circulation director of the Chicago American. In 1913,  the Cleveland News hired him as their circulation director and paid him $10,000 a year which was not bad for a 26 year old with a third grade education. In 1931, he left the newspaper and ventured into the taxicab business  acquiring a one-half interest in the Zone Cab Company for sweat equity. He was a veteran of the brutal newspaper wars which was good training for the start of the taxicab wars in Cleveland with the Yellow Cab Company. Mickey knew how to fight and when it was all over he bought the Yellow Cab Company for $1.

In 1946, Mickey McBride started the Cleveland Browns, buying the Cleveland Franchise in the All American Conference for $50,000. His original choice for coach was Frank Leahey from the University of Notre Dame, but he backed off after pressure from the University. His second choice was Paul Brown  who he hired for $25,000 a year, a phenomenal amount in those days. Mickey’s philosophy was to hire the best people he could find, pay them well, and let them do their jobs. He gave Paul Brown absolute control of all decisions affecting the football team.

During his tenure as owner, Mickey had an unheard of won-loss record of 92-15 and 4, for a .860 winning percentage. No other NFL owner will ever come close to this record. The Browns played in the Championship game every year that Mickey McBride owned the football team.

During the All American Football Conference years the Browns won the championship every year, and were absorbed into the National Football League in 1950 along with San Francisco and Baltimore. At that time, NFL Commissioner Bert Bell referred to the Browns as Champions of that "Humpty Dumpty League." In their first NFL game of 1950, the Browns were pitted against two time defending NFL Champs, the Philadelphia Eagles. The Browns won 35-10 and went on to become the 1950 NFL Champions.

Mickey was an innovator. The term "Taxi Squad" was coined under his ownership. In those days, the Yellow Cab Company used to buy 1,000 season tickets a year from the Browns, so the Browns could make their payroll. When Paul Brown wanted to keep players, but did not have room on the roster, Arthur would put them on the payroll of the Yellow Cab Company.

The players didn't actually drive taxicabs; they worked out with the team everyday, ready to step-up if somebody was injured.

Mickey also was a pioneer in breaking the race barrier in professional sports. In fact, he had no race barriers in his other businesses. The Cleveland Browns were the first professional football team in the post WWII era to include African American players on their roster. The original Browns 1946 roster included two Hall of Famers, Marion Motley and Bill Willis, almost a year before Jackie Robinson joined the Brooklyn Dodgers and several years before Larry Dobie became a member of the Cleveland Indians. When other owners objected, Arthur threatened to pull the Browns out of the League.

Second Generation - Arthur McBride

Brian's father, Arthur B. McBride, Jr. followed his father into the taxicab business in 1947 after graduating from the University of Notre Dame. While attending the University of Notre Dame  Arthur enlisted in the Army, unbeknownst to his father who had tried to have his military service deferred until he finished college. Brian's father served four years in WWII, in both the European and Pacific theatres. After being discharged from the service he returned to Notre Dame and upon graduation entered the taxicab business.

Arthur ran the taxi business in Cleveland and remained semi-active in the business until shortly before his demise in June of 2002. Brian states that while his dad never was active in the TLPA, ITLA, or ITA he created an atmosphere that allowed his top people to attend the conventions over the years. Yellow Cab's General Manager, Roy Kiely, was a Director of the ITA for many years.

Third Generation - Brian McBride

Brian’s first job in the taxi business started at age 10 sweeping up taxicab stands. He then went on to washing cabs at the garage where he was paid a half of a dollar per cab, inside and out. He also drove a cab, answered telephones, dispatched, cashiered and worked in the Claims Dept. He even had a brief disastrous turn at being a mechanic.

Brian states that he is passionate about the taxi business, but he is also passionate about the game of baseball, especially when his teams are winning. He just retired from coaching the Bay Village Rockets Travel Team for the past seven years. The team's overall record with Coach Brian was 228-68.

Brian has an accounting and a law degree from Santa Clara University in California. Before joining the family business  he worked at the big eight accounting firm of Arthur Young and at the law firms of Ferrari, Alvarez, Olsen and Ottoboni in San Jose, California and Sogi, Shinmyo, Tsuchiya, Shimoyamado, and Osanai in Tokyo, Japan.

Brian’s family is in a number of other businesses including real estate development and television and radio broadcasting, owning the CBS affiliate in Fort Myers, Florida, and a group of nine radio stations. Brian says that he learned from his grandfather, in that, in each of these businesses there is a very talented management group who are also equity stockholders. He said, "You know, it's nice when you surround yourself with great people, who know how to do their jobs and make you look good."

The theme Brian has chosen for his year as President is "Quality Standards and Service." He says that his family always believed in quality standards and service in every business they are in.

TLPA Strategic Plan

Brian pledges that he is going to continue implementing the TLPA Strategic Plan as begun by his predecessors Gene Hauck, Judy Swystun, and Jamie Campolongo. In the next year he plans on accomplishing the following strategic goals:

Goal 1 - Create a favorable operating environment in the for-hire ground transportation industry for TLPA members.

This year various government departments will conduct rulemakings implementing the tenants of the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU) that President Bush signed into law on August 10.

1. U.S. Dept. of Labor to implement labor reforms.
   
2. U.S. Dept of Transportation to implement the private operator participation requirements, particularly in planning.
   
3. DOT negotiated rulemaking on charter services.

TLPA will monitor and participate in these rulemakings. TLPA will also:

1. Monitor how DOT implements SAFETEA-LU. It is important that DOT give private operators their full rights. Already, TLPA has pointed out incorrect guidance the DOT issued regarding the New Freedom Program. That guidance is now being rescinded, corrected and reissued.
   
2. Maintain the victories obtained in SAFETEA-LU. The House Transportation Committee Chairman has announced there will be a technical corrections bill to SAFETEA-LU in 2006, so there is opportunity for favorable and unfavorable consequences.
   
3. Have Congress exempt 9 to 15 passenger vehicles that are not vans or trucks from being covered by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations (FMCSR).

Goal 2 - Expand business and market knowledge for TLPA members.

TLPA has applied for a grant from the Federal Transit Administration to enable TLPA to provide technical assistance to private operators seeking to participate in the new transit planning process or in making service proposals to transit authorities.

TLPA is in the process of reaching out to other organizations where a mutually beneficial relationship may be established. IATR and Project ACTION are examples of this outreach effort. In 2006, TLPA hopes to expand our efforts with these two groups and expand our outreach to additional organizations.

Goal 3 - Identify new market opportunities for TLPA members.

TLPA will work with the DOT to identify funding streams, partners, and competitors

Goal 4 - Elevate the industry image of TLPA members.

TLPA’s objective to establish taxicab driver standards has just been achieved, and now the implementation plan for the driver standards must be worked out. Brian intends to promote the driver standards and to work to establish company standards to compliment the driver standards.

If the driver training program for assistance to passengers with disabilities that TLPA and Project ACTION want to implement receives funding, then we will work diligently to create that program for our industry in 2006.

Brian states that he is committed to furthering the "Strategic Plan" as it is the compass, or the G.P.S., by which TLPA can navigate its way. Brian begins his year as President by stating, "Remember, this is your association . Participate. And finally, it’s all about Quality Standards and Service."

 

 

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