Working as a courier is a great way to earn a living out on the roads, keep a fast-paced life, and
escape a 9-5 desk job. If you’ve never worked as a courier, though, then some of the things about it
may surprise you. Here are 5 things you may not be aware of when working as a courier.
1. Specialised Insurance is Required for Courier Work
When using a personal van or a motorbike to work as a courier, you’ll need insurance. Regular
insurance for a vehicle or bike won’t be enough. Courier insurance is a specialised type that ensures
the vehicle or motorbike is properly covered when working out on the road. You never know when
you might pick up a scratch or dent as a result of someone else. Get a quote for courier insurance to
see what the best insurers might be for your needs. Also, consider whether you might also need in-
transit or public liability insurance as well.
2. Not a 9-5 Job
As well as being away from a desk and an office environment, the hours won’t always be fixed
either. This is either a pro or a con depending on the point-of-view. As a courier, you can choose
what hours to put in on a given week to let the courier work fit around the lifestyle (and not the
other way around). There are some morning or afternoon hours required, but more often than not,
deliveries in the evening are now available too.
3. Other People Don’t Drive as Well as You Thought
While it’s true that motorcycle couriers do tend to weave in and out of traffic, this is an art and a skill
that they learn. Usually, this is to get to their destination sooner by not letting slow traffic stop
them, but often it’s to get out of the danger zone. When driving many hours of a day, it’s possible to
encounter driving that runs the gamut from excellent to abysmal!
Learning to avoid an accident by being hyper-aware comes as second nature to an experienced
courier who relies on their sixth sense to avoid hefty repair bills and downtime.
4. No Guaranteed Pay
The need for couriers depends mostly on businesses requiring a package to get quickly from point A
to point B. When there’s less business activity, couriers are left standing around.
The downside of greater flexibility with their hours is that there’s no holiday pay. A courier works
without any guarantees at all. This is why it’s often a job that young people get into who are less
concerned about guarantees – they just want the adventure.
5. Greater Ability to Balance Different Goals
If a courier is interested in starting a side hustle of their own, then they’re able to do so. They can
use a co-working space as their office for the days or hours that they’re not transporting packages
around town.
Using temporary, affordable office space allows them to make the best use of their spare hours.
They can develop small projects into profitable side hustles that have the potential to become
something even bigger. Most full-time office jobs are so tiring that they leave little time or energy to
try this.
Working as a courier provides great pay and the ultimate in flexible working. For an enterprising
person who enjoys a quick pace to life, it’s ideal.
Photo credits: coworkinglondon.com