As providers of courier insurance we know being a courier can be hard work. You’re asked to deliver goods safely and efficiently, day or night, and in all weathers. But it’s not all doom and gloom. Every day is different and you may even finish early, sometimes.
Here, we share the best and worst of being a courier that you won’t understand until you are one.
It’s a lonely ride
If you like driving and having time to yourself then a courier’s job is for you. Put on the radio and take in the scenery as you drive to the next stop. Obviously sitting in traffic jams can be less fun especially when you can only get signal for one radio station or you’ve listened to the same songs for the last 2 hours.
The Hours
@Independent Someone should tell the courier industry that working 60+ hours p/w after 3 wks is counter productive. Yard dogs, the lot.
— efcgareth (@garethefc) November 3, 2015
Once your deliveries are done, you are free to go home. Take the rest of the day for yourself, sit back and relax. Or if you fancy earning a little extra ask if there are any more deliveries to be done. Of course it’s not always that simple – some days see you working from dawn till dusk.
The Delays
I’ve come to realize that being a courier is the absolute worst job for someone with road rage such as myself.
— Cianna Palomino (@cianna_015) August 5, 2015
This is not a good job for people with road rage. But it’s not your fault that the weather took a turn for the worst or that something unexpected happened on the motorway, which no one seems to know anything about! But your customers do not know all of this and now you’re two minutes late and they’re out.
No one’s home
What to do, what to do? There’s no note and you can’t come back tomorrow so you have to leave the parcel somewhere, but where? No matter where you leave it there will be an issue. You think the best thing to do is leave it with a neighbour and write a note, but there never seems to be a good place.
Job done
As a courier you know when you’ve done a job right, you’re on time, the parcels are in one piece and the customer greeted you with a smile. The job is done. No taking your work home with you or worrying you’ve done something wrong unless you know you have.
Christmas
The busiest time of year. Fixed hours are out of the window. It’s time to deliver triple the amount of parcels than usual and still make it home in time for tea. This is a crazy time of year for most businesses but for couriers it is manic!
Are you a courier? What do you love and what could you do without?
As passionate providers of courier insurance, we would love you to share your thoughts with us on Facebook and Twitter.
