Getting started carpooling may feel a little strange if you've never done it before. After years of driving to work alone, it's odd to have others sharing the ride, and getting started carpooling can be daunting - how do you find other commuters to share the ride? What do you look for in carpooling partners?

RideSearch.com, a free nationwide service that connects people who want to share rides, is a great place to start. Simply register at www.ridesearch.com - then a click of the mouse will put you in contact with other drivers who share your schedule and want to share the drive.

Once you've joined RideSearch, you need to assess your carpool needs. Do you want to carpool every work day, Monday through Friday, or just share a few rides a month? Can you drive your own car some days, or do you want to split gas costs with someone else who has a vehicle? Once you know your own carpool needs, you can easily find a match at RideSearch - and unlike creating a carpool at your place of work, you can find others from your own neighborhood to share your drive, rather than trying to work something out with co-workers who in different parts of the city.

With RideSearch.com, you can get to know potential carpoolers before you commit. Whether through e-mail or face-to-face meetings, you can communicate your needs and find out of you'll be a good carpool fit. Maybe you're fussy about people eating in your car - if so, you won't want to carpool with someone who gulps down breakfast every morning during their drive. Working out the details - radio preferences, work schedules, what to do if one of you is sick - is the key to a successful carpool. If you and your RideSearch partner iron out any potential problems before you start carpooling, you'll save a lot of frustration down the line.

Don't be afraid of suggesting a trial period to make sure your new carpool with work. Not every carpool partnership is successful - personalities may clash, one partner may habitually run late, who knows? As long as both of you agree that your first few rides are "get to know you" carpools, it'll be less stressful if one of you discovers that it's just not working out. And with RideSearch.com, you can simply log in and look for other drivers with similar schedules.