Protocol, on time, every time.

Who we drive.

Our diplomatic clients include heads of mission and their families, consuls general and consular officers, trade and cultural attachés, and the ministers, parliamentarians and officials who visit them. We also move delegations attending summits, the United Nations General Assembly in New York, multilateral meetings in Washington, D.C., and international conferences in Toronto, Montreal and other host cities.

The work ranges from a single airport arrival to a standing monthly arrangement for a residence. In each case the brief is the same: arrive exactly when the programme says, follow the protocol the mission sets, and attract no attention to the passenger.

Protocol and the chauffeur.

Chauffeurs assigned to diplomatic work are briefed on the mission’s protocol before the first movement: seating order, which door the principal uses, whether a flag is flown, how the vehicle approaches a venue, and who may ride. They are trained to work alongside protocol officers and close-protection teams, to hold position at a motorcade marshalling point, and to communicate through the officer in charge rather than directly with the principal when that is the rule.

For official events we coordinate in advance with venue security and, where it is required, with the host authority. In the United States the U.S. Department of State sets the framework for foreign missions, and the United Nations publishes the schedule for General Assembly high-level weeks, which are the busiest days of the year for diplomatic ground transport in New York.

Vehicles for official use.

Most missions choose a First-Class Sedan, a Mercedes-Benz S-Class, BMW 7 Series or Genesis G90, for the head of mission, and an SUV Business or SUV First for protection staff and luggage. Every vehicle is no more than four model years old, commercially insured and professionally detailed. Vehicles are unbranded. Where flag mounts or specific equipment are needed we discuss them during setup. For delegations, an Executive Sprinter seats fourteen and a minicoach or motorcoach moves larger groups between hotels and venues.

If the threat assessment calls for it, armored SUVs and sedans can be arranged with drivers trained in protective driving; see our armored car service.

Pricing for missions.

Diplomatic transportation is billed at the same published rates as every other BlackRyde programme: $155 an hour for a Business Sedan, $185 for an SUV Business, $235 for an SUV First and $285 for a First-Class Sedan, in US dollars with taxes and a 20% gratuity included. Each day includes 93 miles, with additional miles at $3, $4 or $8. Tolls, parking and Wi-Fi are passed on at actual cost.

For a residence or a consular post, a monthly block of 40 to 220 hours keeps the budget fixed, and a yearly contract locks it for the financial year. Delegation programmes with Sprinters or coaches are quoted in writing. Tax-exemption arrangements and invoicing requirements specific to your mission are handled in the written agreement.

Every figure includes taxes and a 20% gratuity. 93 miles a day are included with company vehicles. Out of town adds 50% to the hourly rate, plus the chauffeur’s hotel and a flat $100 travel allowance, with your car or ours. Tolls, parking and onboard Wi-Fi are passed on at actual cost. Overtime is simply billed at the same hourly rate.

Summits, visits and high-level weeks.

Large diplomatic events concentrate demand into a few days, and the vehicles worth having are reserved early. For a summit or UNGA week we build a movement plan with your protocol office: arrivals at JFK, Newark, Dulles or Pearson, transfers to the hotel, the daily programme of meetings and receptions, and the departures. One coordinator owns the plan and is reachable throughout. Changes are inevitable and are absorbed without a new booking for each one.

For security awareness when travelling, the State Department’s Overseas Security Advisory Council publishes country and event reports that many missions already use.

Day-to-day service for a post.

Outside summit weeks, diplomatic work is mostly routine and that routine matters. A consul general needs a car to the office each morning, to calls on city officials and business leaders during the day, and to national-day receptions and dinners in the evening. Visiting delegations need airport arrivals, hotel transfers and a full programme of meetings, often with the schedule changing hourly. Families of heads of mission need school runs and appointments handled by someone the household trusts. A monthly block covers all of it under one budget line, with a statement that lists every movement for the post’s own records.

We keep a short profile for each principal covering forms of address, languages spoken, dietary and religious considerations for long days, preferred seating and anything the protocol office asks us to observe. Chauffeurs are briefed from that profile, so a new driver covering a holiday still gets it right.

Cities and airports.

Diplomatic programmes run most often in New York, Washington, D.C., Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal, Chicago, Los Angeles and Miami, and through partner operators in other capitals on our countries page. We meet official arrivals at JFK, Newark, Dulles, Reagan National, Pearson and Ottawa, including private and government aircraft at FBOs, and coordinate with airport protocol services where the host country provides them. See the airports we cover for the full list.

When delegations move between cities, the same coordinator can plan the onward legs, whether by road with one chauffeur for the whole journey or by air with a car waiting at the other end.

Missions that host a steady flow of visitors often keep two cars on a monthly block, a First-Class Sedan for the principal and an SUV for staff and luggage, so a second movement never has to wait for the first to finish.

Working with protocol and security offices.

We assign one coordinator to each mission so the protocol office has a single person to call. Before a visit, the coordinator receives the programme, confirms vehicles and chauffeurs against it, and sends back the plan with names, vehicle details and contact numbers where the mission requires them for accreditation or venue access. During the visit, changes come to the coordinator and are passed to the chauffeurs immediately. After the visit, the mission receives a movement log matched to the invoice. Where the visiting principal has a government protection team, our chauffeurs take their instructions from that team and follow its procedures for vehicle staging, door control and departures.

Starting an account.

Tell us the post, the city, the number of principals and staff who travel, the vehicle classes you need and any protocol or security requirements. We reply with a proposed setup and a written agreement, which is where all contract terms are fixed. You can also call (877) 403-1177 and ask for the diplomatic desk, or use the quote buttons below for Sprinter and coach requirements.