Becoming a self employed courier

Quadrivium

I'm planning to buy a Transit L3 H2, 2016
I'm gonna get into the courier game as a self employed van driver but have never worked in this sector before.

Has anyone any experience in this, I'm guessing it takes a while to become efficient with route planning and knowing the routes but is it a steep learning curve?

Also, I have no idea what the going rates are per pick up/drop off so would appreciate any opinions on this, the worse rates versus the best rates and the worse and best firms to work for.

Any advice or input is much appreciated.

Cheers 👍

AnRothar

Go into this with your eyes wide open and a large dose of cynicism.

There are several threads where people complain courier x/y/z either

rang the doorbell and then left
Left the parcel in the bin/under the mat
Left it with the neighbor.
"forged" the recipients signature.

it takes a while to become efficient with route planning

Domestic customers want you to deliver their parcel at a time that's convenient to them not you.


You may need to plan on a significant number not been present when you attempt to deliver their parcel.

Atlantic Dawn

Insurance will be a major cost if you can even get cover.

Quadrivium

AnRothar wrote: »

Go into this with your eyes wide open and a large dose of cynicism.

There are several threads where people complain courier x/y/z either

rang the doorbell and then left
Left the parcel in the bin/under the mat
Left it with the neighbor.
"forged" the recipients signature.





Domestic customers want you to deliver their parcel at a time that's convenient to them not you.


You may need to plan on a significant number not been present when you attempt to deliver their parcel.

Thanks for those tips. I have experience working with the public and know they can be very difficult and demanding. I can only do what I can do, if they're not at home when I call I'll have to return.

Quadrivium

Atlantic Dawn wrote: »

Insurance will be a major cost if you can even get cover.

Yeah I'm guessing insurance will be steep, I'm budgeting around the 5k mark, give or take.

Have you any idea of the rates being offered per drop?

Ollie321

Atlantic Dawn wrote: »

Insurance will be a major cost if you can even get cover.

Couldn't agree more with this, van driver I know this week got a quote of €2700, although he's not a courier its a similar delivery driver job

Jim2007

Quadrivium wrote: »

I'm planning to buy a Transit L3 H2, 2016
I'm gonna get into the courier game as a self employed van driver but have never worked in this sector before.

Has anyone any experience in this, I'm guessing it takes a while to become efficient with route planning and knowing the routes but is it a steep learning curve?

Also, I have no idea what the going rates are per pick up/drop off so would appreciate any opinions on this, the worse rates versus the best rates and the worse and best firms to work for.

Any advice or input is much appreciated.

Cheers 👍

Quadrivium wrote: »

Yeah I'm guessing insurance will be steep, I'm budgeting around the 5k mark, give or take.

Have you any idea of the rates being offered per drop?

Eight or nine out of every ten businesses fail and an excellent way of ensuring you are in those eight or nine is to keep guessing...

Before you commit yourself to this you need come up with an actual play of how to do this.

- Who are you going to get customers
- What rates can you charge
- How many customers can you expect to land
- What does it cost to run a van over say five years
- How much time will you need to put into it
- What is the likely income you'll make and will it be enough to live on

the_syco

Quadrivium wrote: »

Any advice or input is much appreciated.

For you; personal insurance if you ever injure yourself.
If you fcuk up; legal expenses insurance.
If you something your transporting breaks; carriers liability insurance.

What will your plan be if you can't transport something if your van breaks down, you get sick, or if you injure yourself?

If you're self employed, you probably won't be eligible for social welfare should you not get any jobs for a few weeks.

fryup

OP read my thread

anewme

We had a lad deliver into us in work who had bought a van to do couriering as a franchise. . He delivered to our area and then the parcels went to the hub and then so on.

We had a very poor experience where a parcel went missing and the follow up from the company. As a result, we terminated the contract and that poor lad lost out on the contract through no fault of his own.

anewme

We had a lad deliver into us in work who had bought a van to do couriering as a franchise. . He delivered to our area and then the parcels went to the hub and then so on.

We had a very poor experience where a parcel went missing and the follow up from the company. As a result, we terminated the contract and that poor lad lost out on the contract through no fault of his own.

Quadrivium

Jim2007 wrote: »

Eight or nine out of every ten businesses fail and an excellent way of ensuring you are in those eight or nine is to keep guessing...

Before you commit yourself to this you need come up with an actual play of how to do this.

- Who are you going to get customers
- What rates can you charge
- How many customers can you expect to land
- What does it cost to run a van over say five years
- How much time will you need to put into it
- What is the likely income you'll make and will it be enough to live on

Yeah you're right, I'm trying to figure all of the above out at the moment.
There are several courier companies in Dublin looking for self employed drivers so the demand for drivers is there, I'm just unsure of the going rates.

I've worked self employed as a Bricklayer in the past so I know how tough it can be if work dries up or I'm out of work.

I'm willing to do 50 hours per week at least.

Quadrivium

anewme wrote: »

We had a lad deliver into us in work who had bought a van to do couriering as a franchise. . He delivered to our area and then the parcels went to the hub and then so on.

We had a very poor experience where a parcel went missing and the follow up from the company. As a result, we terminated the contract and that poor lad lost out on the contract through no fault of his own.

I've heard those franchises are rough, I wouldn't have any interest in them particularly FastW

Quadrivium

fryup wrote: »

OP read my thread

To be honest Fryup, I'd take all of that on board but I wouldn't let it deter me.
For example, Taxi drivers do the same amount of moaning and the same type of complaints but having done that job myself I have to say the money is better than what most will tell you and it's not as bad as what many taxi drivers would have you believe.

Alkers

Quadrivium wrote:

I'm planning to buy a Transit L3 H2, 2016 I'm gonna get into the courier game as a self employed van driver but have never worked in this sector before.

Would you not buy an older van, especially seeing as you're not sure of the potential to earn a living?

Quadrivium

Simona1986 wrote: »

Would you not buy an older van, especially seeing as you're not sure of the potential to earn a living?

I don't want to buy mechanical problems so I think it's better to buy newer as there's less chance of mechanical problems which coukd be detrimental to any attempt to make a living.

Worst comes to worse I'll sell the van on.

Del2005

Quadrivium wrote: »

I can only do what I can do, if they're not at home when I call I'll have to return.

Then you will be working all the time for no money. How long do you think it will take to make a return call? Will you have another package to deliver close by to cover the 2 jobs this time and if the 2nd person isn't home you now have 2 non paying packages to deliver.

The companies are advertising for loads of drivers for a reason. They will give you a crap route and not much per drop, how many people are paying for delivery when they order online?

Simona1986

Simona1986 wrote: »

Would you not buy an older van, especially seeing as you're not sure of the potential to earn a living?

If you plan to partner with or get the route off an established courier, a lot of them will insist your van is no older than X year.


Presumably an image thing, but means a lot of cheaper/older vans are ruled out.

Jim2007

Quadrivium wrote: »

There are several courier companies in Dublin looking for self employed drivers so the demand for drivers is there, I'm just unsure of the going rates.

No, there is a demand for mugs, someone to carry the costs and issues while they make the profit. This kind of game is always a good indication that it is a lousy industry to make a living out of.

Quadrivium

Jim2007 wrote: »

No, there is a demand for mugs, someone to carry the costs and issues while they make the profit. This kind of game is always a good indication that it is a lousy industry to make a living out of.

Are you talking from experience? What rates were/are you getting per drop? Or are you an employee?

Jim2007

Quadrivium wrote: »

Are you talking from experience? What rates were/are you getting per drop? Or are you an employee?

No I'm not an employee...

You are taking all the risks:
- You are putting up the capital assets: The van
- You are assuming all the risk for the debt if it goes wrong
- You are the one covering all the labour costs
- You are the one putting in the unlimited time

And they are the ones deciding how much you make and how much they make. They are taking very little risk and the lion's share of the profits. It does not take much to work it - if it was such a great business, then they would not need you to take on the costs and risks.

somefeen

Just be aware that those courier companies that subcontract to 'self-employed' couriers only do it to save money.
-they need less pay roll staff
- they have no fleet costs ( purchase + maintenance) but still dictate the vehicle you use and can demand sing writing
- they have no insurance costs

You meanwhile cover all the above and are responsible for your own tax and prsi. You are self employed but totally dependent on one customer who dictates the rates paid.
I have a friend who did it, he was self employed only on paper. Its a con, they want the control of an employer-employee relationship without the responsibility.

My buddy ditched them as soon as it was apparent and instead put himself out there as a 'man with a van' which is tougher still but probably different now with job bidding sites

C3PO

OP you really need to think this through!
Who are going to be your customers? Are you VAT registered? Can you afford to survive with little or no income for 3-6 months until you start to get paid? What happens if you don't get paid? Why would a company take on a stranger to deliver their goods when there are loads of established courier companies with multiple vans who will do it at a reasonable rate?
You might consider working with one of the franchises for a few months to see whether it is really the business for you?

20Wheel

Did you go for it OP?

How did it turn out?

Been thinking about something kind of similar the last couple of weeks.

Quadrivium

20Wheel wrote: »

Did you go for it OP?

How did it turn out?

Been thinking about something kind of similar the last couple of weeks.

Yeah, I dipped my toes into it.
I done some work for a food distribution company promising potential earnings of €300 per day self employed, the truth is you'd do well to make €180 per day before costs doing that particular job.

There are other firms offering €500 per week for part time self employed van owners which could suit some people.
I recently seen ads offering €220 per day for owner drivers.

I have a construction trade and construction is booming so I jump from one to the other as it suits me. You won't become wealthy as an owner driver but you can make a living if you get with the right company and enjoy being on the road on your own...some firms will try to treat you like an employee, I try to remind them that I'm self employed and carrying all the costs so I won't be told what I can and can't do with my vehicle but you have to have a bit of give and take, if you play the game most of them are ok.

Dublin ACE

Quadrivium,
I am considering this as a part time role. Did you ever figure out the typical pick up / drop off rates?
With the cost of insurance and the van, does it work out worthwhile?