Courier Work

CraigyT

Hi guys,

First post on here so be gentle!

I need a second, casual job to suplement my wage. Why? Cos I'm bloody skint!!!

I've looked online and it seems courier jobs are a decent way of making some extra cash. They allow you to work when you want (in my case it would be after my main job, probably 3 times a week).

Has anyone had any experience of this and would you recommend it?

Thanks in advance, Craig

Hoody

Used to work as a full time courier, and it's no where near as good as cracked up to be. especially once you deduct you fuel, insurance, goods in transit insurance... you would earn more by cutting your neighbours lawns/hedges for them..

ARM10

What about motorcycle courier, any good ? :think:

Hoody

When i was doing couriering, they had less work than the vans tbh.

w211

Hi (also first post here), I used to be courier, both on a bike and van, did same-day stuff (pick up a package and take it direct anywhere in the country, or Europe at little/no notice) and multidrop/overnights (fill your van up at the depot, drop loads of packages at multiple addresses in a a given area).

If you're self-employed, then strictly speaking, yes you can work when you want. Not sure what jobs you've been looking, you may be given a van, in which case may be easier, you could still be self-employed though, and you'd probably be renting one. If you're PAYE then you'd probably be given a van, fuel etc...but told when to work.

Doing it part-time, while self-employed will probably not pay, as Hoody rightly says, fixed costs such as insurance (expect to pay about £2000 for hire and reward insurance for a van), good in transit, maybe public liability needed as well, will only pay for itself if you're doing it full time. Fuel, maintenance - tyres, brakes, servicing...

You also need to like driving in all weathers, road conditions, may need to work unsociable hours to make it worthwhile?

Rise in the internet, also means motorcycle couriers are becoming less common.

Hoody

I finished doing courier work in 2003, at that time a years van insurance was around £2k and this was when i was 30 years old. then you had goods in transit and other cost's on top. At times i was servicing my van every weekend due to doing up to 7miles or so a day when things were going well. (did my own servicing to save money) And whilst being self employed should give you some freedom over your work hours this isn't always the case. On more than one occasion after giving several weeks notice that i needed time off i was denied this time off at the very last minute, and told i would be given the sack if i didn't work... And in fact i left one company for this reason. Also your hours could be long as well. I was averaging something like 16 hour days. And on several occasions i did 21 hour days.

w211

Yes, been there, done that!

Strictly speaking, yes you are self-employed with the freedom to choose your own hours and choose jobs, but most of the time you generally take work from one company, and they expect you to be on call for them throughout, with set working hours, so you can't (or is very difficult) to do your own private work, and/or work for more than one firm. You can't get the sack when you're self-employed, but I know exactly what you mean! They will just stop giving you work, and you have to look for another company to work for.

Yep, I remember when it was 5.45pm, in Slough (where the office was based) expecting to go home (as my shift finished at 6pm), when they called to pick up a package in Portsmouth - fair enough, I was expecting to take it back to Slough to the office - nope I had to take it to West Kilbride in Scotland!