Self Employed Courier FAQs

FAQ answers to becoming a self employed courier and obtaining courier work

How quickly do I get paid?

Very quickly, all invoices are paid in 30 days. We pride ourselves in our unique fast payment promise. Simply submit a scanned copy of your invoice and signed proof of delivery note and we will pay you by bank transfer.

Do I need to have a van?

No, we have plenty of sameday courier work for cars. However a van will increase your earning potential, especially for return journeys. Our advice is to start with the vehicle you already have, make some money from doing a few deliveries and then start looking at upgrading to a van once you have seen the potential for yourself.

What van do you recommend?

Again, there is plenty of work for cars. However, if you want to maximise your opportunities, especially for return jobs, we recommend a ‘Midi Van’, such as a Peugeot Expert / Citroen Dispatch. The reason is that it runs economically enough to do car/small van jobs, yet it also carries 2 pallets, therefore you can also compete successfully for ‘Transit Van’ work as well.

Is it really as simple as you say to set up as a self employed courier?

Yes, it really is. You need to be able to drive, of course, and have a vehicle. But other than that, we can show you the rest. And yes, it’s simple once you know how.

Are you like a Courier Exchange?

Yes, but we also post our own work into the network.

Can I get work directly from Courier Expert?

As a national courier company, COURIER EXPERT has courier work of it’s own. When you join you can register to receive sub-contract work directly from us, simply send us your insurance documents and a photo of your vehicle. We will then set you up with access to our online job board and instant email / SMS alerts. We also offer trade work, where you would bid for this and receive 100% of the price you quote. View Our Live Work Alerts

Does my pay rate increase in the future?

Yes, for those who progress from Reserve Courier to Premium or VIP Couriers. Reserve Couriers get paid 50% of the job price. Premium couriers start on 55% & VIP’s get 60%.

What about insurance?

Choose from 3 options:

  • Reserve Couriers – This options allows you to carry our customers goods up to the value of £500, under our own transit cover. Jobs are offered on a reserve basis, which means when our Premium or VIP couriers are unavailable.
  • Premium Couriers – This options allows you to carry our customers goods up to the value of £500, under our own transit cover. Premium members get first and preferential access to these jobs over Reserve’s.
  • VIP Couriers – This allows you access to all our deliveries and have exlcusive access to higher value cargo, which is not available to Premium & Reserve’s. You would need to have your own Goods in Transit insurance to the value of £10,000 plus appropriate ‘Hire & Reward’ insurance.

As a self employed courier, it is your own responsibility to insure yourself for the purpose of using your own vehicle as a courier. Please call 0117 3633 006 or click here for a quote.

How much is ongoing membership?

Please view our ‘Join’ page Here

What if I want to be a self employed courier on my own, without your membership?

Simple, just buy the courier guide and there will be no membership fees to pay. The courier guide will tell you everything you need to know, to do this 100% by yourself and get your own courier work. We will also give you as much email/phone support, for as long as you need it.

How much can a courier make on average per week?

You get paid a percentage of the price the customer pays, so it depends how far your drive and how many return loads you can secure (this is where we will help increase your profits). We’re not going to make any claims about making millions and working very little. Trust us, a courier works. Yes, it’s very pleasant work, but it’s work. And the money you will make is good money – whether you want to just stay small is up to you, but you can also grow your business and employ several couriers if you wish.

I am thinking of giving up my job and need to know how much i will earn?

Don’t give up your job yet – join us first and try it out (we don’t charge much in the grand scheme of things) – see how many jobs come through that you ‘could do’ and also read all the advice in the free courier guide download regarding starting up as a self employed courier – then make an informed decision before leaving any current employment. Remember – most self employed couriers get work from 2 or 3 different sources (which we can help with) – this is all explained, in our courier guide.

How do I get return journeys?

Simple, once you have completed your delivery, park up and get a coffee/lunch for a while and keep an eye on our instant work alerts or search the board for relevant economy jobs. We will also register your availability within our trade network – effectively making your return journey available to other courier companies (Premium & VIP Members Only)

How many jobs will be in my area:

Take to look at our Twitter page, where you will see a live feed of our courier work.

How many miles will I drive?

Depends on the delivery, look at our Twitter page to see the our deliveries.

How many drivers do you currently have in my area?

We do not have statistics of drivers per postcode – however we currently have 100’s of active couriers (with insurance) nationally – however this is spread out over the UK and many of our couriers are not always available at the exact time a job is booked – thus we need more couriers to deliver the service we promise to our customers.

Why do you need more drivers?

Over a quarter of our work is currently subcontracted out to independent couriers – because we do not have enough of our own courier network members.

Why do I need the Courier Expert Guide and Courier Membership?

Well, technically, you don’t need them. If you want to start as a self employed courier on your own, find out all of the information you need on your own, market yourself with no help, find your own work, make your own marketing materials, and learn everything by trial and error, that’s fine. You can do that.

Or, you can join us and avoid all of that.

Most “work for yourself” websites have one page (with lots of hype), and no phone numbers or such. Are you willing to list your phone number?

Of course. Our official company name is CRV Solutions Ltd T/A COURIER EXPERT

  • Our company registration number is 5900449. Our trading name is simply COURIER EXPERT
  • Our head office is located at: Eventus Business Centre, Sunderland Road, Northfields Industrial Estate, Market Deeping, Peterborough. PE6 8FD.
  • Our business phone is 033 33 585 007

We’re up-front about everything, and we are a real business interested in helping grow the courier industry by assisting others to become self-employed couriers.

How does having more couriers grow the courier industry? Aren’t you worried about competition?

No, we are not. At this point, the industry is actually limited because there aren’t enough good, reliable couriers. This is why it’s not just a good business for you to get into – it’s a GREAT one. Right now we need more couriers for our own national courier company, we will pay you to do our work!

Are you really going to show me everything I need to know?

Yes, we are. If you are serious about owning your own business, we can help you become a courier in no time at all.

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Who is Andy Stephens?

Andy Stephens is the owner of COURIER EXPERT, he owns a REAL courier company (which he started from the ground up), and shares his knowledge here at Courier Expert.

Ok, I want to join – how do I start? JOIN HERE

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