The Guide to Courier Driver Jobs
If you are interested in working as a courier driver, there are some things you need to know about beginning a new business as an owner/operator and how to find work in this field.
Owner/operator courier drivers have many advantages over employees. As an independent contractor, you can set your own hours, only work as many hours as you want and decide for yourself which customers you want and which you will decline.
However, you also will have your own responsibilities regarding taking days off and making up for the financial loss of not working on a particular day or holiday, paying your own taxes and building up your clientele. You will also be responsible for keeping your own bookkeeping records, including business expenses, income and receipts for business purchases and tracking of deliveries. You will be responsible for maintaining your own vehicle and for maintaining insurance and your driving record.
In the beginning, you will be responsible for finding your own customers and hustling to find even more. The larger you can build up your customer base and the more quickly you can accomplish this, the more money you will make and be able to have some idea of what your regular income will be in the future.
For owner/operators who have never been in business for themselves the idea of marketing their services to build up a business can be daunting. If you have a good number of contacts in an industry that uses courier services, however, then you may already have a running start. Business that use courier services extensively include the financial and banking industry, real estate, attorneys, medical laboratories and medical services, and government offices.
But if you do not have contacts in those industries, never fear, you can still market yourself and your new business without spending a great deal of money. You can print up flyers and business cards inexpensively – you can get business card templates from office supply companies and even make your own cards – and pin them to local bulletin boards or at internet cafes. If you have an outgoing personality, you can even start passing out your cards at places where a lot of people in the industry that you are interested in hang out or congregate (pubs that cater to attorney crowds, etc).
Keep in mind that as an owner/operator, you will constantly need to put out the word that you are available for courier services. One way to build up your customer base, particularly in the beginning, is to hand out cards and flyers both when you make a pick-up and when you make a delivery. In order to build up income and a good reputation, you should strive to make both legs of your delivery income generating. If you accomplish this, you will pick-up a delivery, make the delivery to its destination, and then pick-up another delivery from that customer.
Self employed courier or delivery drivers are often considered independent contractors and as such, have both the freedoms and limitations that come with being an independent contractor. If you are considering becoming a self employed courier or delivery driver, you should have some knowledge about the different kinds of courier services and what being an independent contractor entails.
There are many different kinds of courier services, but the most common couriers are same day delivery couriers, next day delivery services, and general couriers that provide services within a few days.
Same Day Couriers – The most common form of same day couriers are those located in large cities or that cover a particular geographic area and guarantee delivery of a package or document within a matter of hours. Very often, couriers are riding motorcycles or bicycles in larger cities such as New York, Los Angeles or London. Couriers who are providing this kind of service need to have extremely good riding skills and knowledge of the geographical area they are servicing. In some cases, couriers drive delivery trucks or cars for courier services, and in some relatively rare instances, couriers are sent via commercial air to deliver packages.
Next Day Delivery – Many courier companies offer next day delivery for packages. In many instances, next day delivery is guaranteed by a certain time of day (i.e., 10 a.m., 3 p.m., etc). Large companies that offer next day delivery often have their own fleet of vehicles and transportation to ship packages across the country and even internationally to make sure that packages arrive with enough time to deploy drivers who will then hand-deliver the package to the customer’s desired destination. In some cases, remote areas are not eligible for next day delivery guarantees due to accessibility issues.
General Courier Delivery – Most courier services offer delivery of packages within a certain number of days. In some cases the particular date of delivery may be within a range of days, but very often delivery companies can provide an estimated date of delivery based upon past delivery schedules to the destination city or area. Most often, this is the least expensive type of courier delivery service.
If you decide to be an owner driver and an independent contractor, you will have certain responsibilities beyond simply being a driver..
Financially, as an owner driver and independent contractor, you are responsible for paying your own state and federal taxes. Very often, you can file and pay for your taxes quarterly, but this is something you should consult an accountant about, since they can provide the most accurate information about filing taxes in a timely manner that will prevent any possible payment penalties from the IRS. Also, using the services of an accountant can make it easier for you to keep track of your entire income and filing your tax returns at the end of the year.
In addition to being responsible for your own taxes, you will also be required to carry your own insurance on your vehicle, including a rider for using your vehicle for business purposes. Most courier companies will require a copy of your insurance and proof of current registration for your vehicle.