At Lalamove, driver-partners are fully empowered to be their own boss, and that means having complete control over their earnings, working hours, and jobs taken through our platform.
Read on to find out from driver-partner Sam how he makes use of this to be a better husband and father to his children.
By Cham Yew Sam
I consider myself a fortunate man. I live with my beloved wife and three children in a home that I own, and we have a family vehicle that I use for both work and family time. However, things weren't always this good.
I was born in Malaysia and moved to Singapore at the age of seven to start primary school. Moving to a foreign country at such a young age without my parents was both intimidating and lonely. I stayed with a guardian, and it definitely wasn't the same as having my parents around.
During school hours, my classmates were often dropped off or walked to school by their parents. At parent-teacher conferences and school events, I watched my friends with their parents while mine were in another country. I can't deny that I felt envious. I often wondered why their parents could always be there for them, while mine couldn't.
As I entered adulthood, I found myself working as a taxi driver. Although I earned a monthly income, I wasn't financially savvy and developed no saving habits. Instead, I lived paycheck to paycheck, always feeling like I was just scraping by.
Sometime down the road, I had the good fortune of meeting my then-girlfriend, who is now my wife and the mother of our three children. When we got married, I had no money in my bank account. My wife paid for everything - our wedding dinner, honeymoon, and wedding rings. This experience was a wake-up call. teaching me the importance of financial responsibility and motivating me to turn my life around.
After a while, the physical and mental stress of being a taxi driver caught up to me, and I decided to make a change and earn my living teaching children how to swim.
In 2023, I came across a Facebook advertisement for Lalamove and decided to give being a driver-partner a shot. This worked well alongside my swim coach job, as I had the flexibility to choose my working hours while planning my deliveries around prior commitments. This allowed me to have total control over my working hours, allowing me to set aside time to be there for my wife and children.
Growing up without my parents around as role models, the prospect of being a father was quite daunting. To be honest, I didn't know how to be one. But with the guidance of my wife and understanding of my children, I learnt from my experiences. Of course, this journey involved saying 'sorry' many times when I made mistakes, but we all learnt together as we went along.
I strive to be a good husband and father, not only by providing for my family but also by being physically and mentally present during both good times and bad. I didn't really have the chance to experience love from my parents while growing up, and I'm determined not to let my children go through the same experience.
I'm grateful to say that things are better now. I feel content, and my family and I live happily together. At the end of the day, that's what truly matters to me.
So what are you waiting for? Take total control over your working hours and be your own boss with Lalamove today!
