One of the sought-after professions in the modern world is a courier driver. It is worth noting that such a job can be obtained as an ordinary student, as additional income, or as an established specialist on an ongoing basis. Like any profession, this area has its advantages and disadvantages. Therefore, before getting a job like this, you should find out about all its nuances and details. It is important to immediately understand what you are going to, so that later there will be no problems with the new position.
Key Features
This profession attracts many because of the freedom from the constant supervision of management over the actions of employees. The employee himself decides which route to take, when to take a lunch break, and in some cases even what kind of goods he will need to deliver.
Naturally, he has bosses, but there is no total control, like office employees. Therefore, the work of a courier driver seems very tempting to many. In addition, the position involves constant communication with new interesting people. And while there are no special skills at work, it is very simple and affordable for almost anyone who drives a car well. The main thing is that the employee is attentive, responsible and punctual.
Other features
In most cases, the employee works part-time. You can find a job in large services delivering correspondence, and other companies offering courier delivery services. This is ideal as extra income. In some firms, couriers are needed full time. Most often these are restaurants and other establishments that offer customers home delivery meals. But while there are no orders, the employee is resting and can do anything in his spare time.
Many companies, posting job advertisements, declare that they need a courier driver with a personal car. In this situation, the employee is paid for gasoline that he spends on travel related to work. More rarely, companies provide a personal vehicle, under the responsibility of the employee. Driving directions or routes are planned by the driver himself. Therefore, employers prefer to hire workers who are oriented in the city, so that in case of traffic jams or accidents on the road, they can quickly navigate and find a detour.
Functions
The main function of a courier driver in a passenger car is to deliver parcels to their destination on time. Punctuality is very important in this work. Among the delivered goods may be correspondence, ordinary parcels or food. And you should hurry with them, because the same pizza is tasty while it is still hot.
Responsibilities
An employee accepted for the position of a courier driver must accept the goods from the management and transfer it to the customer in the same form, preserving its integrity. He is obliged to carefully monitor the things entrusted to him, including the vehicle, if it is provided by the company. All items and papers handed to him must directly fall from the company into the hands of the customer, and they should not be seen or used by third parties.
The employee must be able to quickly make routes taking into account the situation on the road, and as you know, in the capital it is very difficult to travel by personal transport, taking into account traffic jams and other factors that can affect the speed of the trip. In addition , the courier driver on delivery must be able to communicate with customers, have a well-delivered speech, be polite and sociable. Depending on the needs of the bosses, at the end of the working day, the employee must submit a report on the work done and successfully completed tasks in oral or written form. He must also have a good memory, because he needs to remember the addresses and names of customers, call them to inform them of their arrival at their destination or to warn them if he is late.
Knowledge
When applying for this position, employers require the employee to have certain knowledge. The most basic thing is knowledge of the rules of the road, and it doesn’t matter if the employee uses his car or transport provided by the company. In addition, a category B courier driver (and not only) is required to have rights, a technical passport and insurance, without which he will not be able to fulfill his duties. Before applying for a job, the applicant for the position must undergo an internship, after which he passes the verification test.
In most cases, training during the internship includes explanations on how to keep records, how to store trusted parcels and deliver them correctly to the customer. The employee must be very well oriented on the site entrusted to him or be able to quickly and efficiently work with maps, use the navigator. No one needs an employee who spends a lot of time looking for the right office or home. In addition, he must know basic ethical rules. It means that the employee must understand that it is impossible to open the parcels, as well as give them to third parties. Also, do not throw packages, put glasses on them, put dirty things and other things.
Schedule and payment
The most basic feature of the profession of a courier driver is a free schedule. And this very tempting factor actually hides the main pitfall - the employee’s salary is not fixed, but directly depends on the number of completed orders. If you are lucky to get a large company, where you constantly need to deliver correspondence, you can count on a decent salary. But employees of small firms lose a lot on days when there are few orders. Basically, couriers receive the amount that customers pay for delivery, or the percentage of it if vehicles and gasoline are at the company's expense.
So, a courier driver from a sushi bar receives no more than 150 rubles for one completed task. You can, of course, also rely on tips if customers are happy with his work and are ready to pay extra money for the courier’s efforts, but this is not a stable phenomenon in our country. If the company is well-known, then bonuses and incentives may apply to employees who perform their duties well. Some companies offer free food, gasoline at the expense of the organization and other positive incentives that encourage good work.
Disadvantages of the profession
If you are a person who is looking for a prestigious job and who needs an assessment of society, then the work of a courier driver will not suit you, few people consider it promising and worthwhile, since it relates to service. It is also very difficult to sit behind the wheel all day, it exhausts many people both physically and mentally. Of course, if a person enjoys driving, then this is a completely different matter. Also a very significant drawback is the low salary, especially in small cities. That is, it’s real good to get this job, but then you need to either work very hard or find a job in a large and developed company.
Work difficulties
Each employee, performing his work, may encounter various kinds of difficulties. A courier driver with a personal car is very risky, because it is difficult to find a conscientious employer, and it is likely that payment for completed orders will be made in a timely manner. If an unforeseen situation occurs, the driver is stuck in a traffic jam or his vehicle breaks down and he is late, then fines are imposed on him, and the client may not open the door due to being late or refuse to pay for the order.
Intersection with different people is not always interesting and useful, there are clients who have a very negative impact on an employee both morally and ethically. Some people are annoying, grouchy and stuff like that, and the courier needs to be polite and friendly with everyone. The courier driver has a great responsibility not only for the safety of parcels and their timely delivery, but also for the money that he needs to bring to the company. It is very important to be able to work with documents, draw up acts of acceptance and transfer of goods, write checks, receive painting from clients, etc.
How to avoid work difficulties
The first and most important thing is to maintain a good mood while working. After all, there are people everywhere who are trying to spoil the mood of others, and it doesn’t matter how well you have done your job, they will certainly find something to blame you for. Do not take such complaints to heart and should not be fooled by provocation, be polite and professional. To avoid problems with payment, be sure to conclude an employment contract where your salary will be indicated.
If the employer does not want to officially hire you, insist on a temporary contract. The main thing is that your business relationship is documented. Then the employer will be less likely to cheat on you. And be sure to study them well when filling out documents, all the points, so that later you know exactly on what conditions you got a job. And most importantly, immediately discuss with the boss all the nuances of the work. It is worth clarifying whether there are penalties for being late, whether you can be fired because of this, and what could cause damage to the vehicle if it belongs to the company.
Work advantages
In most cases, the courier teacher decides on what terms he will work with the employer. Even payment for his work can be agreed in advance and paid at a time convenient for the employee. At this work, you can combine personal and corporate affairs. If you have time, then you can easily go for groceries or go to the hospital. The main thing is that this does not affect the work, and that you deliver all the packages on time. If a person does not like to sit in a confined space, then this profession is for him, because it involves constant movement and communication with people.
Conclusion
Having familiarized yourself with all the nuances, you can safely make a resume of a courier driver if you understand that this profession really suits you. This position assumes that a person will always be on the road. Naturally, in comparison with pedestrian deliveries, it is much more convenient to do this by car, faster and easier. But work will be time-consuming, lunch break and other benefits of office staff will be practically inaccessible. But at the same time there is no dress code, the need to be in a confined space and work in a team. Also very convenient if you are a courier driver for the weekend.
On weekdays, you can attend the main job, and after it to have extra income. In a word, work has its pros and cons, and depending on individual needs, it will seem paradise to some, but to others it will simply be unacceptable. And it is very important to decide whether you are ready to face all the difficulties of this profession before getting a job. And although at first the courier driver receives a little, there is always the possibility of career growth and the receipt of more serious instructions, which will be paid much higher. Unless, of course, the authorities will trust you.