Cooke offers taxi service

Portland has a taxi service again. 

But Triple Taxi Service doesn’t just offer rides — owner Donnie Cooke will also deliver food and shop for groceries.

Cooke said he saw a need in the area for taxis. He also needed a less taxing job and wanted to spend more time with his family. So he took the plunge this fall to start his own business.

Since then, Cooke has made a contract with FCC (Indiana) to drive its employees to and from airports in Indianapolis and Fort Wayne three or four times a week. He also drives occasionally for the Coca-Cola bottling plant and has a few standing appointments each week, including driving two Portland teens to school in Muncie each weekday. 

“The community itself has opened up a lot quicker than I expected,” Cooke said. “I know there’s been numerous little taxi companies kind of come and go in this town.”

According to information from Jay County Historical Society, Portland has not had a taxi service since the 1980s. 

One-way rides in Portland cost a flat rate of $5. For trips with multiple stops, Cooke charges $5 for every 15 minutes. And for one-way trips outside of Portland, the cost is $5 plus $1.50 per mile. He also offers rates for driving to the Indianapolis and Fort Wayne airports. Cooke takes calls 24/7, but those with scheduled rides have precedence over other requests. 

While taxiing makes up the bulk of his business, Cooke also offers carry-out food delivery for $5 in Portland, as well as grocery shopping for $5 per 15 minutes spent. 

Cooke worked as a manager for Arby’s prior to starting his business and previously served for 10 years in the military. His work was taking a toll on his health and family life, and Cooke’s doctor urged him to find a less stressful job. 

“I worked about 80 hours a week and I (never) got to see my kids and I was constantly at work,” Cooke said. “Finally I decided I really needed to move towards something else because I have four kids (at home), two of them are autistic.” 

His wife Trinda suggested he start driving for Uber, and he began working on the weekends near Ball State University in Muncie. Cooke also offered rides in Portland, but eventually the app stopped working in the area because he was out of his assigned zone. 

That pushed him to start his own business. Using money he had saved from driving for Uber, Cooke launched Triple Taxi Service at the end of September. Now he gives about 25 rides a week. 

“I haven’t had to tell anybody ‘no’ yet, but it’s gotten close a couple times,” Cooke said. “I don’t like the idea of that ever becoming a thing.”

If business keeps increasing, Cooke said he will have to hire another driver very soon. Right now, his dad, Donald Cooke Sr., fills in for him when there’s a double booking. Cooke Sr. is also the owner of Lock Busters. 

For now, Cooke is grateful for the extra time he can spend with his family. Trinda stays home full time with their children, and Cooke said he’s glad to be at home more often and help out around the house. 

“Luckily this took off much better than I thought so it’s not been as much of a strain as we were afraid it might be,” Cooke said. “But it’s definitely nice to … get to do more things with them and not have to worry about me being at work 12 hours a day and getting home and they’re in bed and going to work before they’re even up.” 

Starting on Jan. 1, Cooke will begin to donate 5 percent of the business’ revenue to Riley Hospital for Children’s Autism Treatment Center in honor of his children. He is also planning to find a way to incorporate Autism awareness into his logo and decals for his car.