A carpool is a group of 2 or more commuters who share a car ride to and from work and share in the driving and riding roles.  
For example, if there are two people in a carpool one commuter can drive one week and use their personal vehicle and cover all costs, including fuel and the next week the other carpool member does the same with their vehicle. Another type of arrangement involves just one person as the driver, but the passenger agrees to pay half of the vehicle operating costs, which should include all maintenance and insurance, not just fuel expenses.

Here are some great tips to help make your carpool more enjoyable and fun for everyone:

1.  Establish a routine: pick a route, schedule, pick-up point(s) and meeting place for the return trip.

2.  Plan a schedule to determine when members will alternate driving responsibilities.

3.  Agree on how members will share costs if everyone does not drive equally and be fair and take into consideration the rising and falling gas prices.

4.  Both the driver and the other members should be punctual.  Decide on a length of time the driver should wait on a tardy member and do not worry about kicking a constantly late carpool member to the curb. In order for the carpool to last, everyone must realize the benefits and not have to worry about being late. 

5.  Agree on the environment: smoking, music and food preferences are important to establish, once established be sure to stick to the rules.

6.  Do not allow members to sidetrack the carpool service from its main purpose, the carpool should only be used for trips to and from work, the carpool is not an errand taxi.

7.  Set up a phone chain to be able to find a replacement driver in case a member is unable to go to work one day.

8.  Drive carefully when it is your turn to drive because you have others' lives in your hands.

9.  Keep the care clean and in good repair for maximum comforts for all carpool members.

10.  Be respectful of each other and each others' wishes.

11. Don't feel that you need to fill your entire car up to be a carpool, your pool does not need to be olympic size.

12. Make sure the carpool members live nearby, driving out of your way actually wastes gas and increases the driving time.