About Arkwood Transportation
One Driver, One Vehicle, and 12,000 Rides Across Southern California
Arkwood Transportation is owner-operated by Chris Lee — born and raised in San Gabriel, driving professionally across Southern California for nine years.
Meet Chris Lee
Chris Lee — owner and driver
I'm Chris Lee. I was born and raised in San Gabriel, and I've been driving professionally across Southern California for nine years.
In that time I've completed over 12,000 rides — more than four thousand of them airport runs. Every one of them was me behind the wheel. Arkwood has no dispatch pool, no rotating roster, and no second vehicle.
When you book a ride, you know exactly who is showing up. Regular clients don't re-explain the gate code, which door they come out of, or that their mother prefers the front seat. After a few trips, none of that needs saying.
I grew up speaking Mandarin at home, so booking, directions, and the conversation on the way can happen in whichever language is easier for your household.
professionally
completed
runs
every trip
How I Got Here
I spent years working in IT before any of this. It was steady and I was good at it, but at some point I stopped wanting to do it — and I left without a clear idea of what came next.
Rideshare was meant to be temporary. Something to do while I worked it out. It turned out I liked it, and not for the reasons I expected. I liked being on the road rather than at a desk. I liked covering ground across Southern California instead of the same commute twice a day. And I liked that every shift put me in a conversation with someone I'd never otherwise have met.
I'd also wanted to run something of my own for a long time. Finding work I genuinely enjoyed at the same time made it a perfect storm.
So I built Arkwood around the parts of the job I liked, and removed the parts I didn't.
What went was the unpredictability — the surge pricing, the rotating drivers, the not knowing who's about to pull up. What stayed was the driving and the people.
The IT years turned out more useful than I expected. That work was about systems that either run properly or don't, and the same applies here: flights get tracked, pickups get confirmed, schedules get held. Most of what goes wrong with ground transportation is a coordination problem, not a driving problem.
Being born and raised in San Gabriel is the part I can't manufacture. I'm not reading these routes off an app — I know which surface streets beat the freeway at 5 AM, and which ones don't despite what the map says. And if you have family visiting who want to see something while they're here, I'm happy to point them at places worth going. That comes free.
What That Means for Your Ride
Four things follow from being one person with one vehicle rather than a company with a fleet.
You get the same driver
Not "a professional chauffeur" — me. That means the routine carries over between trips, and it means I'm accountable for how every one of them goes. There's nobody else to blame and nobody else to hide behind.
The price doesn't move
Quoted before you book, fixed once confirmed. No surge multiplier at 5 AM, no premium on holidays, and nothing added to the total afterward — including gratuity.
One booking at a time
One vehicle means your slot is genuinely held rather than provisionally assigned. It also means I book up — weekend evenings and holiday travel go first, and I'll tell you honestly when I can't take something.
Small things stay possible
Storing a car seat in my garage for a week. Collecting it from your house the night before a return flight. Confirming with you that your mother got home safely. None of that scales to a fleet, which is why fleets don't do it.
Nine years and twelve thousand rides sorts itself into a few patterns. These are the people who book most often.
Families heading to the airport
Usually with more luggage than a sedan holds and at least one person who'd rather not drive at 4 AM. Seven seats means nobody splits into two cars.
Adult children booking for a parent
Often the person paying isn't the person riding. Medical appointments, standing errands, a trip across town — arranged by someone who wants to know it went smoothly.
Mandarin-speaking households
Where the person booking and the person riding may not share a language with the driver. That stops being an issue when the driver speaks both.
Small offices and recurring bookings
A real estate office, a medical practice, a family business hosting partners from overseas. One driver who knows the routine and one invoice at month end.
Visitors seeing Southern California
Family in from out of town, or clients with a free afternoon between meetings. This is the one where being born here actually pays off — I know what's worth the drive and what only looks good in photos, and I'm happy to say which is which.
The Vehicle
Kia Carnival
It isn't a black sedan, and that's deliberate. Most of what I drive is families with luggage, groups travelling together, and passengers who need an easy way in and out of the car — none of which a sedan does well.
Up to 7 passengers
One vehicle instead of two separate rides
Real luggage room
Full-size cases without bags on laps
Sliding doors
No door swing in tight driveways
Car seat friendly
Room to install, plus free storage
On capacity: all seven seats fill comfortably when everyone has a carry-on. With full-size checked bags it's fewer — tell me your headcount and bag count when you book and I'll confirm the fit in advance rather than in the driveway on the morning of your flight.
On car seats: I don't supply them, but you're welcome to bring your own and I'll store it free while you travel. I've also collected a family's car seat from their house the evening before a return flight so it was installed and waiting when they landed.
Where I Drive
Based in San Gabriel, working across the San Gabriel Valley, Los Angeles County, and Southern California.
What I'm booked for
Airport and cruise port transfers run on published flat rates. Everything else is hourly, at one rate with no weekend or late-night premium.
Ready When You Are
If you've read this far, you know who's driving. Send me your trip details and you'll get a fixed quote back — usually within minutes.
Serving San Gabriel, Pasadena, Alhambra, and the surrounding San Gabriel Valley, with airport transfers, cruise port transfers, hourly service, and long-distance trips across Southern California.
Call or text (626) 625-2799 Available 7 days a week