I have been considered for long time, I would like to set up as owner courier van and doing running around the UK and Europe but is that worth or not? I know it may not make lots of money but I would like to get decent simple pay and doing enjoying as driving job. I have been researched - need to buy good brand van, get full courier insurance cover and became self - employed but I am 24 year old is that too young or not? who want me - I mean they - customers? also I am profoundly deaf so I able to communication with people no problem and use sms text messages or email via mobile phone during travelling. Is Van Couriers relaying on mobile phone - need lots of calls? or just do a job and leave you alone? I can check on couriers exchange by mobile phone - internet and email them or SMS to do job done.
I would like to hear anyone give me good advices before i join to owner courier van world. I really want to be van driver and driving around the Europe but it is hard to find a job like that, I am sick of my job - Warehouse Storeperson doing for 5 years - felt like a Robot! Stuck in same one place but sadly my work salary is quite good compare to other some lorry driver!
At moment I hope take C maybe C+E later this year but not sure if i take because heard lots of negatives to became lorry driver - money getting lower, British hauliers goes bust every weeks! also other EU members hauliers get better but not here! also no one want new lorry driver without experience!
Good luck with what ever route you choose. Dont get sucked in by the BS, if there really was big money to be earned by coureir work then a few thousand other truck drivers would now be chancing their arm at it!!
I’ve done courier work on a motorbike and it was mostly done by pda, so deafness not a prob.
I know most of the airport companies will use you if you do your level d, but I’ve no idea what the pay is but the drivers are always ■■■■■■■■ about it.
If you do domestic courier work, keep a nice bit of cash to 1 side for your fines - parking, speeding, red lights, seatbelts etc etc etc…
The airport work is mostly to companies which is easier, but, as I said, no idea on the rates.
I work for Circle Express and they have LOTS of self employed owner drivers in vans and the same faces been doing it for years and the same moans coming out of them all the time about rates, working for nowt etc, but the oldest van is an 07.
Mate, I know a few owner driver couriers. One works most of the day. I mean 22 hrs. ATM he’s making a living, nowt flash though. He works ■■■■■■■ hard but barely sees his family.
He has the contacts though and that’s what it’s all about.
In times of recession it is one of those things that everybody wants to ■■■■■ their redundancy money on, a bit like being a driving instructor. I looked at it and it was a story of 22-hour days and struggling to break even.
I could point you in the direction of a (possible) well-paying continental van driving job very near to you if you have a British passport (this is a condition of employment). I can’t promise you a job, just give you their name and number.
Dont bother mate not worth it . I tried it a few years ago, same as other bloke i worked 22 hrs a day doing courier work in the day then delivering newspapers to the shops 7 nites a week even doin that it only left me with about 275 in me pocket after id paid everything.
I did it about 3 years ago, and would never do it again.
Example of a typical day I encountered:
4 local drops around West Yorkshire, starting at 8am, then at 1pm a job to Canterbury. Got home at 11pm absolutely knackered, and nothing on the back of the Canterbury back to Yorkshire as it was too late in the day once I was allocated the job to start ringing around my contacts to see if I could get a backload as they would have already allocated them earlier on.
OK so I could also do 15 hours in an artic, but at least I don’t have the overheads.
As others have said, yes you can make a living off it but it’s a very hard one and no social life. Very early starts and late finishes and jobs get cancelled/changed at last minute all over the place with no compensation.
Can do it with low overheads though if you try, vans are cheap, insurance can be a common killer though.
As suggested, your best bet is to try this forum; http://www.codforum.org.uk/, and ask there. I used to be a courier and at the moment I would say it’s difficult to earn a living with it. The fact is that that anyone with a car license can buy a van and go out and work. So a lot do. X amount of demand meets Y+ amount of supply; and down go the rates.
If you do decide to go for it, then the same rules apply as for becoming a truck OD; add up EVERY expense you’re likely to incur. Every oil change, every phone bill, every sarnie you have to buy. Don’t forget to include depreciation for your van, a wage for you and… I could go on, but I won’t. Then total it all up. Then add AT LEAST 20% to that figure because you’ve probably overlooked stuff, and unexpected (expensive) things will happen. Work out your likely PAID miles, but then subtract at least 20% from that because there will be down times and quiet times that you haven’t foreseen. OK, now divide the first figure by the second figure. The result is the MINIMUM you can charge per mile, the absolute rock bottom. Anything less and you go bust. Simples.
With that in mind, I’d sort out customers (nothing wrong with subbing, but it has to be the right rate) before going anywhere near a van.
Oh yes, and don’t start just before a global economic melt-down…
My mate was an owner courier and as above he was doing 20hour days and earning the same as what you can get in tesco stacking shelves. I done a few of “short” days with him and we were starting at 0400 finishing around 2200-2300. Now is not the time to become an o/d. Go and work for someone else untill things pick up.
I was reading on a courier forum earlier as that is what I am that people are not getting jobs due to rates been too high. This you might expect is a common problem in fact it is.
BUT
The lemon who was moaning did not get a job from Swindon to Stuttgart and he quoted £600. Inc ferry.
Make of that what you will, there are better investments out there.
Good luck in what you decide to do and if I can help you out in anyway please do get in touch with me.
Biscuits:
As suggested, your best bet is to try this forum; http://www.codforum.org.uk/, and ask there. I used to be a courier and at the moment I would say it’s difficult to earn a living with it. The fact is that that anyone with a car license can buy a van and go out and work. So a lot do. X amount of demand meets Y+ amount of supply; and down go the rates.
If you do decide to go for it, then the same rules apply as for becoming a truck OD; add up EVERY expense you’re likely to incur. Every oil change, every phone bill, every sarnie you have to buy. Don’t forget to include depreciation for your van, a wage for you and… I could go on, but I won’t. Then total it all up. Then add AT LEAST 20% to that figure because you’ve probably overlooked stuff, and unexpected (expensive) things will happen. Work out your likely PAID miles, but then subtract at least 20% from that because there will be down times and quiet times that you haven’t foreseen. OK, now divide the first figure by the second figure. The result is the MINIMUM you can charge per mile, the absolute rock bottom. Anything less and you go bust. Simples.
With that in mind, I’d sort out customers (nothing wrong with subbing, but it has to be the right rate) before going anywhere near a van.
Oh yes, and don’t start just before a global economic melt-down…
Probably the most sensible post I have ever read on here, thank you.
Actually, in your case it might be! You’re not far from Thiefrow and there used to be some decent van work from there. It’s a proper days work though not 9-5 but you could earn decent money. I’m out of touch with all this now but I’d look in that direction, if you can’t make a decent wedge from there you can’t do it anywhere. Why don’t i do it? I used to but it’s an hours travelling minimum for me. On top of a long day, just too much!
I do Euro courier work. But am not self employed. We do loads of miles, sometimes stupid hours, bank holidays, weekends etc for no extra money. It’s better than driving over here though.
Money is not brilliant, thank god for nights out! But did 150 drops plus per day, as UPS driver for less money. OK. I was in my own bed every night. But the job was a killer.
I have done this and it can be very rewarding from a job point of view, if you do however go ahead with it, do not say you are a courier for insurance purposes tell them it’s light haulage, it works out a lot cheaper.
chap down the road from me does it after getting the boot from some computer place and blowing his redundancy on a van he’s never home . and doing the job for something daft like 55p a mile was moaning in the pub on sat night that the week before he did redruth, up to inverness, then back down to glasgow for a drop at heathrow over 2 days and reckoned on a good week hes taking home £300 after taking out his diesel,insurance ni /tax etc and thats for 100 hours
Andydisco:
chap down the road from me does it after getting the boot from some computer place and blowing his redundancy on a van he’s never home . and doing the job for something daft like 55p a mile was moaning in the pub on sat night that the week before he did redruth, up to inverness, then back down to glasgow for a drop at heathrow over 2 days and reckoned on a good week hes taking home £300 after taking out his diesel,insurance ni /tax etc and thats for 100 hours
When will people learn there’s no money in haulage. All the cream/niche jobs are covered and heavily protected leaving the scraps for everyone else. 55ppm on a van is about the equivalent of 100ppm on an artic once you factor everything in. Muppets/mugs (delete as appropriate).
Many thanks for your responses, that seem no good to became owner courier van - hard work, stressful and long hours with little money!
so I will stick with to get C+E Licence soon better than work in warehouse
At moment I am trying to looks for a van driver job - it is really hard to get it cos they are looking over 25 years old with 2 year experiences! and bad pay - 5.93 per hours!
Vans are less expensive to run but with customers demanding less than 3 year old vans you’re not going to get one for a couple of grand.
This means having no dead/unpaid miles at all, a 214 mile trip to Norwich at 65pplm would mean i get £139.10 but then take out the costs of £116.84 leaves me with a whopping £22.26 after spending 8 hours in the saddle.
