Any advice on motorcycle courier job ?

Raywinstone67 wrote: »

Anyone Any advice on starting with well known motorcycle courier company I realise the job wasnt worth it a few years ago but I've been advised I could earn a flat rate of 550 a week up 8 or 900 and things have picked up seems to be plenty of jobs advertised .I like drivin bikes and currently in my job for 7 years and looking for a change but only if it's better money .do they still expect too much from drivers is there mad pressure everyday. Any advice from someone in the position or recently worked as one would be great thanks .

Can't offer too much advice only that if you like riding bikes - doing the job for 40-50+ hours a week may soon change that. Will you want to spend an hour or so on the bike at the weekend having spent the full week on it in all sorts of weather and dealing with assh0les on phones etc?
Think wisely on it before jumping into it.

XMG wrote: »

I did it in London years ago, the money was mental but it was dangerous, stressful and unhealthy sitting in traffic. You would need to know your way around a bike and wear the proper gear. It also takes the joy out of riding. Stress was a big part of it I realized later on, you have to be on your game 100% of the time for 10 / 12 / 16 hours a day or the chances of an accident rise. Its mentally and physically draining. I don’t know how many times I came close...

26 per annum is mental?...

Raywinstone67 wrote: »

Anyone Any advice on starting with well known motorcycle courier company I realise the job wasnt worth it a few years ago but I've been advised I could earn a flat rate of 550 a week up 8 or 900 and things have picked up seems to be plenty of jobs advertised .I like drivin bikes and currently in my job for 7 years and looking for a change but only if it's better money .do they still expect too much from drivers is there mad pressure everyday. Any advice from someone in the position or recently worked as one would be great thanks .

I think it would kill your love of biking tbh.

But, if you want to drive and do drops etc, then consider going as a van driver.

Raywinstone67 wrote: »

Anyone Any advice on starting with well known motorcycle courier company I realise the job wasnt worth it a few years ago but I've been advised I could earn a flat rate of 550 a week up 8 or 900 and things have picked up seems to be plenty of jobs advertised .I like drivin bikes and currently in my job for 7 years and looking for a change but only if it's better money .do they still expect too much from drivers is there mad pressure everyday. Any advice from someone in the position or recently worked as one would be great thanks .

If you've nothing to lose by trying it then go for it. It's an underpaid dirty dangerous job and the only people doing it are people that have no better way to make money.

I cycle couriered with a company that had motorbike couriers for a short while in the 90's when 2 wheel couriering was at it's peak.

The motorbike lads got a lot of hassle from the Gardai (much much more so than the cycle couriers, and much more so that regular motorcycle riders) and they felt in order to make money they had to "skip corners" in every way. It was a lot more expensive for them compared to us cyclists with tax, fuel, safety gear, insurance and maintenance.

The motorbike couriers got the worst runs too.

The job seemed fairly unhealthy too, most of then smoked and ate crap due that couldn't be burned off like the cycle couriers (eating handy junk food from the saddle) Injuries were common enough for all of us and that meant no pay.

Broken cycle bikes are a lot cheaper to fix than the motorbikes and we'd no regulations on tyres.

Without meaning to offend, some of them were rough as f towards the end of the peak. Echoing Newmember's post it seemed to me to be one of those jobs that people unfortunate enough not to find work in other areas took to.

Either way... best of luck with whatever you do.

Max Headroom wrote: »

Know both..its not bollox, its a job and they like it.....they make decent money, maybe its the lazy bollox's who are the complainers...
I did both...bike anyday, but the van is nice in winter, but more stressful because of the amount of packages and the size of the van...

In a van with a good urban route you might make some money and have an enjoyable job, but to get that you need seniority. Just starting you get the crap runs after splashing out for the shiny new van all the companies insist you have.

The OP is going to be the bottom of the pile doing bike couriering and there's not as much money in it as there was back in the boom days. Even An Post is struggling with letters, they are trying to get the package business off the van couriers!, so who's going to spend several Euro to get a document delivered when the internet is quicker?

macplaxton wrote: »

You can't email/fax a dress.

When I was working in central London c.1999, I got dragged from WC2 to SW8 to pick a dress up to go back to a production company - contact Joanna.

Ring the bell and Joanna Lumley answers the door! Asks me if I mind waiting and would I like a cup of tea? ...Go on, twist me arm. So I have a tea and biscuits and a smoke in her kitchen.

Lovely lady.

(The rest of it is underpaid crap though.)

Pfft That’s nothing, I delivered to Christy Moore, beat that!