We get plenty of questions when talking to clients about using courier services. We often wonder if people really understand what a courier does. It might seem like a strange job to some. Yes, couriers pick up and deliver packages around town. But, that’s not the full extent of what it’s like to be a courier. What does a courier do? Here’s a little insight.
Local couriers aren’t quite the same as a mail service or a long-distance package delivery service. Couriers primarily serve a city and the surrounding areas for same-day transport of items from one place to another. However, that’s only part of a courier’s job!
The Day Starts Early
To handle the volume of packages to deliver every day, a courier starts early each day. Delivering the packages can’t happen before a courier completes some critical tasks first.
Vehicle inspection
Whether a courier uses the same vehicle every day, or they choose an available fleet vehicle when they arrive to work, couriers inspect their truck or van before loading any packages.
Throughout the day, a courier is responsible for their vehicle. They note the condition of their ride at the start of the day. While they might not have to handle any maintenance, a courier needs to be familiar with how their fleet vehicle performs.
This helps keep your packages on time while keeping drivers and citizens safe while on the road.
Check Paperwork and Packages
Before they can hit the road, a courier has to review paperwork and check packages for their route of the day. Couriers are responsible for the safety of clients’ packages from pickup to arrival.
A courier loads their van with any overnight deliveries, then begins their day on the road.
They Live In Traffic
Couriers don’t have the benefit of avoiding rush hour or other times of day with severe traffic. They must pick up and deliver packages on time throughout the day.
A courier’s typical day can involve sitting in a lot of traffic or choosing different routes to avoid delays. Clients pay for deliveries to arrive at specific times—from immediate to rush to overnight timeframes. A courier must know their route well enough to find alternative ways to stay on schedule.
They Lift and Squat Every Day
Couriers must be physically fit enough to handle daily lifting and squatting to get packages on and off of the truck.
You might think couriers spend a sedentary life riding in a van all day. However, if you’re wondering about how to become a courier, start with your level of fitness.
From jumping in and out of the truck throughout the day to lifting and carrying packages of varying weights, the daily grind of being a courier requires the stamina to keep up a steady pace.
They’re Organized and Thorough
Some package deliveries require collecting payment or signatures. Couriers must be able to track a package from pick-up, through riding in the vehicle, to delivery at the final destination.
Every package delivery is different, depending on the client’s needs. When collecting payments and signatures, couriers have to make sure a transaction succeeds for the correct package at the right location.
Being a courier is more than moving packages around town. The job requires attention to detail, too.
They Don’t Have to Worry About What to Wear
When you hire a courier service, you expect to see the driver arrive in a branded uniform. Reputable courier services make sure all drivers wear a company uniform and drive a branded vehicle.
While a courier doesn’t have to choose their outfit for work each day, they do have to make sure their uniform meets company policy for cleanliness and appearance each day. Washing and ironing are often part of the job!
They Have to Drive (Really) Well
You trust couriers to deliver your package in the same condition as when they picked it up from you. Couriers must have a clean driving record and certification to drive the company’s fleet vehicles.
Safe driving is critical! Causing accidents or reckless driving can cost time and money.
Couriers also deal with challenging parking situations throughout the day. People don’t enjoy a courier van blocking access to walkways or parking spots. Courier drivers must understand the best places to park with a minimal interruption when dropping off or picking up a package.
They Must Stay in Touch
Being a courier doesn’t mean free access to a van to drive around town for the day. Couriers must stay in touch with “home base” throughout the day. While driving a courier vehicle can be a solitary job, couriers are never truly “alone” during the day.
Many couriers enjoy being away from an office with the freedom to see the city every day, but they are also on a schedule. Couriers must check-in frequently and understand the protocol for reporting their location or any delays in delivery.
Couriers are accountable to the clients for the safe delivery of a package. They’re also responsible to supervisors to stay on task and in close communication throughout the day. By staying available on the two-way radio, couriers can quickly respond to a new pickup that comes in while they’re on their route.
What Does a Courier Do? Provide Excellent Customer Service!
What does a courier do? One of the most important things they do is provide excellent customer service. From picking up a package to making the final delivery, couriers must be friendly, efficient, and reliable. One bad courier can damage the reputation of a courier company.
Excellent couriers enjoy working for a company that makes sure their hard work comes with excellent pay and protection for their well-being. Our drivers are one of our priorities! It’s one of the ways we serve our clients well.
Choose a courier service that provides bonded, uniformed, and reliable drivers. For local courier delivery or long distance courier jobs, contact us to take care of your package from pick-up to delivery!