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Limo companies get creative ahead of Republican National Convention

Some are hiring hearse and bus drivers
Posted at 7:01 PM, Jul 15, 2016
and last updated 2016-07-15 19:01:59-04
They normally sit behind the wheel of hearses and school buses, but right now, some Clevelanders are getting ready to hit the road in a different ride during the RNC.
 
Local transportation companies are hiring the drivers in an effort to meet the huge demand for limousines during the convention.
 
It's an option the folks over at Cleveland-based Company Car looked at.
 
But, unlike their competition, they decided to stick with professional chauffeurs to meet the needs of their business clientele.
 
"A bus driver can't do that," said Qua.
 
So, that meant calling in drivers from across the Midwest.
 
Right now, it looks like 75 to 100 extra chauffeurs are headed for Cleveland with their vehicles to help Company Car get tens of thousands of visitors around town.
 
"We're bringing cars now from Detroit, Ann Arbor, Pittsburgh and Cincy and Louisville," said Stephen Qua, Company Car president.
 
Extra work will be needed to make sure these out-of-town drivers know how to get around in not only a strange city, but one that is full of road closures, detours and security zones.
 
"We're just going to have to communicate well, often and face-to-face before they leave here" said Qua.
 
The extra cars and drivers available from those other cities mentioned are officially tapped dry -- there are no more chauffeurs or vehicles. 
 
As for the ones coming in, they'll work 12-hour shifts for a single customer.
 
The cost on average to have one of Company Car's vehicles for the day will set them back about $1,000.