If you love to drive, then a courier job is for you. You can set yourself up as a courier without a big investment and you don’t even have to quit your job. There are over 1,000 courier companies across the UK, with some companies having multiple offices in the big cities across the country. Couriers are self employed, but they often hold contracts with courier companies. This means that it is easy to pick and choose when you work, so you can work it around your current job.
What You’ll Need
As a courier, you don’t need any formal qualifications other than a driving licence. Some companies prefer you to be over 25 for insurance purposes, but there may be some who don’t have an age limit. There are further development courses that you could take, such as NVQs in Level 2 Carry and Deliver Goods certificate and Customer Service.
The first step is getting a reliable vehicle. You’ll need the knowledge too, just in case your tyre is blown or you breakdown.
Think carefully about the size of the vehicle that you’ll use too. Obviously, the bigger the vehicle the more goods you’ll be able to deliver, but at the same time if you’re only doing it in your spare time, then it’s probably not worth it. The petrol or diesel that you use should be incorporated into your prices, so you’re not spending more money than you’re earning
You’ll also need a mobile phone, on which you’ll be making multiple calls. Have a dedicated business phone that’s separate from your personal one. This makes it easier to work out expenses and your tax claims.
A computer is also useful, to help you keep track of accounts and daily records.
Because you’re self employed, you’ll need specialist insurance to cover yourself, your vehicle and the goods that you’re carrying. Ask for courier insurance, not business. Public liability is good cover to have too, because it protects you from the people that you deliver to and vice versa.
How to Price Your Services
Pricing is usually charged per mile, but this will depend on where you live and what vehicle you’re using. You may want to set a price for individual customers, and a lower price for courier companies.
Getting Your First Job
Big courier companies like TNT rely on freelance couriers, so they should be your first port of call. When their in-house couriers can’t do all the jobs, they’ll outsource the work, and this happens all the time.