Self employed couriers - advice please!
Discussion
Hi all,
I lost my job at the beginning of the month and i am looking at becoming a courier for a subby of Amazon.
Pay 120 per day but van is 400 per fortnight to include insurance etc so it works out at 80 ish per day.
Anyway, the first 2 weeks work the pay is used as a bond for the excess for the van (£1000) so I don't get paid in effect.
So I've been looking at hire/leasing my own van.
What should I be looking for? I need it to be flexible really as I'm studying for a degree so I may get another job in the mid term.
Or... do I just suck up the grand?
Thanks in advance
I lost my job at the beginning of the month and i am looking at becoming a courier for a subby of Amazon.
Pay 120 per day but van is 400 per fortnight to include insurance etc so it works out at 80 ish per day.
Anyway, the first 2 weeks work the pay is used as a bond for the excess for the van (£1000) so I don't get paid in effect.
So I've been looking at hire/leasing my own van.
What should I be looking for? I need it to be flexible really as I'm studying for a degree so I may get another job in the mid term.
Or... do I just suck up the grand?
Thanks in advance
normalbloke said:
Don’t do it.
This. If you have absolutely any other option, do that. They are outlining exactly how they are going to treat you like s
t before you're even in the door. I can already hear the list of reasons why they'll refuse to give you that grand back when you leave. You can bet that you'll work 15 hours for that £80 a day too.I have considered it but I need something to start asap really.
Weekly pay and immediate start was tempting.
The two weeks without pay definitely put a downer on it, it's a self employed gig with JMHC if anyone knows about them.
Training starts on Monday but I have called a couple.of other jobs and have been asked in for interviews... also on Monday.
Indeed and Glassdoor reviews basically say what you guys have said. Low wages, randomly charging you for van, etc.
Weekly pay and immediate start was tempting.
The two weeks without pay definitely put a downer on it, it's a self employed gig with JMHC if anyone knows about them.
Training starts on Monday but I have called a couple.of other jobs and have been asked in for interviews... also on Monday.
Indeed and Glassdoor reviews basically say what you guys have said. Low wages, randomly charging you for van, etc.
£865 a month to supply a insured and maintained van seems excessive
First google hit gives me 3 month lease at £360 a month with a 2000 mile a month limit not ideal but it gives you an idea
Questions you need to ask
How many miles a day are you likely to cover
Would buying a van be better? Transits and vws always hold their money
First google hit gives me 3 month lease at £360 a month with a 2000 mile a month limit not ideal but it gives you an idea
Questions you need to ask
How many miles a day are you likely to cover
Would buying a van be better? Transits and vws always hold their money
daydotz said:
Considered supermarket delivery driving ?
Mate of mine is winding his business down, and took a job with Tesco part time doing the customer deliveries. Only part time, but decent pay and a guaranteed wage every month. Don't need to pay out for your own van or insurance or maintenance. Some days he'll only have as little as four deliveries to do. Something I'd seriously consider if I was in the OPs position. A lot less stress than multi drop deliveries that's for sure.
Like said expect to work 15 hours a day.
They cap the wages to around £100 a day, so ends up that you're working for around £8.50 an hour, minus tax, n.i, van hire and fuel costs? Probably £5 an hour in the end.
My work means I get to know the courier drivers quite well.
After the stories I'd rather work for Hermes than amazon but all these self employed courier jobs seem like a lot of effort just to get buy.
Amazon will dock wages if you return with like 5% of your load
Just hope if you do go for you don't live near any congestion zones or tolls.
You will be expect to go back to addresses where no one answered the first time.
They cap the wages to around £100 a day, so ends up that you're working for around £8.50 an hour, minus tax, n.i, van hire and fuel costs? Probably £5 an hour in the end.
My work means I get to know the courier drivers quite well.
After the stories I'd rather work for Hermes than amazon but all these self employed courier jobs seem like a lot of effort just to get buy.
Amazon will dock wages if you return with like 5% of your load
Just hope if you do go for you don't live near any congestion zones or tolls.
You will be expect to go back to addresses where no one answered the first time.
I did a few months at Tesco as a second job, delivery driving.
It was quite nice actually to have a job that you don't take home with you. It's quite physical lifting heavy trays up flights of stairs to flats , but I looked it at as exercise.
The vans are all automatic which makes it a breeze, and they treat you reasonably well.
Pros:
-Easy, my routes started half an hour away most days = hour of nothing per route
-Overtime available at single rate
Cons:
-Wage pretty low, does raise slightly at 3 months
-They never got my wages right had to be really on top of it.
The reason I commented was that loads of their drivers were ex Amazon and all of them absolutely hated it. Overworked, underpaid, treated like dirt.
It was quite nice actually to have a job that you don't take home with you. It's quite physical lifting heavy trays up flights of stairs to flats , but I looked it at as exercise.
The vans are all automatic which makes it a breeze, and they treat you reasonably well.
Pros:
-Easy, my routes started half an hour away most days = hour of nothing per route
-Overtime available at single rate
Cons:
-Wage pretty low, does raise slightly at 3 months
-They never got my wages right had to be really on top of it.
The reason I commented was that loads of their drivers were ex Amazon and all of them absolutely hated it. Overworked, underpaid, treated like dirt.
The reviews online all say they have been treated like st as well as many deposits being taken for the vans, etc.
I will see about supermarkets as I was ideally looking for something more informal. However, of it has suited other people then I would live to do it.
I have more 'interviews' tomorrow booked so I will go to them and see what I can find.
t as well as many deposits being taken for the vans, etc.I will see about supermarkets as I was ideally looking for something more informal. However, of it has suited other people then I would live to do it.
I have more 'interviews' tomorrow booked so I will go to them and see what I can find.
Don’t do it. They don’t treat their drivers well, rushed with very little pay and no time for breaks whilst being monitored from the office constantly. I’m in the courier industry and know a lot of drivers who have tried it and given up as they’ve ended up out of pocket. If you hire your own van it will possibly be cheaper but most don’t cover hire and reward insurance which will cost you a few k a year most likely for a new starter.
Warcloud36 said:
Like said expect to work 15 hours a day.
They cap the wages to around £100 a day, so ends up that you're working for around £8.50 an hour, minus tax, n.i, van hire and fuel costs? Probably £5 an hour in the end.
My work means I get to know the courier drivers quite well.
After the stories I'd rather work for Hermes than amazon but all these self employed courier jobs seem like a lot of effort just to get buy.
Amazon will dock wages if you return with like 5% of your load
Just hope if you do go for you don't live near any congestion zones or tolls.
You will be expect to go back to addresses where no one answered the first time.
Likewise, one of the Yodel drivers on my route a few years ago said once he took all the deductions off he was essentially earning less than £4 an hour. He was Bulgarian and said although it was poor money he needed to keep earning. Even DPD run this system now although their earnings a bit higher than the likes of AmazonThey cap the wages to around £100 a day, so ends up that you're working for around £8.50 an hour, minus tax, n.i, van hire and fuel costs? Probably £5 an hour in the end.
My work means I get to know the courier drivers quite well.
After the stories I'd rather work for Hermes than amazon but all these self employed courier jobs seem like a lot of effort just to get buy.
Amazon will dock wages if you return with like 5% of your load
Just hope if you do go for you don't live near any congestion zones or tolls.
You will be expect to go back to addresses where no one answered the first time.
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