Are you thinking about making deliveries part of your professional life?
Establishing your own courier business may be quite fulfilling, not to mention profitable, particularly if, over the course of time, you earn a reputation for providing exceptional service to your customers.
Being a delivery driver puts you in regular touch with a large number of people, making it an extremely social occupation.
In addition to this, there is a certain sense of fulfillment that comes from successfully delivering a package to a happy client in a timely and secure manner.
According to the website of the National Careers Service, the starting wage for delivery van drivers is 14,000 pounds, while the average income for these individuals is 27,000 pounds after many years of experience.
The typical work week consists of around 44 to 46 hours, and employees are often required to put in extra time on weekday nights, weekends, and holidays.
Naturally, all of this may change if you choose to launch your own business, which gives you the opportunity to make more money and provides you with better freedom regarding aspects such as the timing of your workday.
Before you can go out on the road and begin delivering things, you are going to need to give some thought to getting delivery driver insurance if you are serious about pursuing a career as a delivery driver.
The Insurance Factory has a wealth of expertise in establishing insurance plans for couriers and is able to design coverage to meet the requirements of each individual client.
What skills do delivery drivers need?
To be a great delivery driver, you will need specific talents, just as you would need them for any other profession.
There is a good chance that some of these talents are innate, while others are teachable and may be improved upon with practice. Here are four critical talents any delivery driver needs.
1. Excellent driving abilities
It really should go without saying, but if you want to have a successful career as a delivery driver, you need to be skilled behind the wheel.
Above all else, though, you need to be a person who takes pleasure in driving since you'll be spending the most of your working week behind the wheel.
It is not enough to be able to read traffic signals and perform maneuvers in the proper manner in order to be considered a good driver; you must also have other talents.
On the road, having patience and consideration for other drivers is essential, a trait that is put to the test in high-pressure scenarios such as the twice-daily rush hour journey.
If you are certain that you are the kind of person who can "stay cool and carry on" under these kinds of circumstances, then there is no question that you would be a great delivery driver.
2. Concentration
Because being a delivery driver requires spending extensive amounts of time away from home, maintaining a high level of attention during one's shift is essential.
Driving may quickly get boring, particularly if you plan to spend a lot of time on the interstate or travel the same routes often. This is especially true if you don't change your route very often. You may achieve maximum focus via a variety of means, including the following:
It is best, if at all possible, to steer clear of stimulants like coffee and other beverages since they may make it more difficult to focus on driving. They could also raise the possibility that you would drive in an illogical or hostile way as a result of their influence.
Ensuring that you get the necessary amount of sleep each night, which is eight hours. This will ensure that you feel refreshed before your shift and reduce the likelihood that you will feel tired behind the wheel or need to depend on stimulants.
When you are behind the wheel, it is important to steer clear of meals that are high in fat and unhealthy, since they might cause you to feel sluggish as well as unpleasant.
Stowing your electronic devices (like your smartphone) somewhere out of sight and out of reach so that you won't be tempted to examine them while you're behind the wheel (something which will land you penalty points and a fine, and could even jeopardise your career as a delivery driver).
3. People skills
Because you will be interacting directly with a large number of customers on a daily basis and because you want to leave a positive first impression, having strong social and communication skills is very necessary.
Even if you have done all in your power to provide an outstanding level of service, it is nearly certain that you will run across a difficult client at some point in time.
You need to make sure that you can maintain a level head in these kinds of circumstances, empathizing with the client even if you don't really agree with them, and patiently describing how you will fix the issue that they are having with your product or service.
4. Organisation
There's no getting around the fact that those who drive delivery trucks need to be organized in every sense of the term.
First, while you are out making deliveries, you need to be organized. This includes putting the packages that customers have ordered in the correct order, organizing the routes, and include alternative routes in your plans just in case.
You also need to be organized with your van, which includes doing routine checkups on it to ensure that everything is in excellent working condition and to avoid your vehicle from failing you when you need it the most.
Of course, it is impossible to completely avoid unfortunate events (such as vehicle breakdowns), which is why it is essential to have a solid courier insurance coverage in place.
If you plan on starting your own courier company, you will be responsible for a large number of administrative activities, many of which will need you to fill out a significant amount of paperwork. If you want to avoid this duty, you can consider outsourcing it.
In situations like these, having excellent organizational abilities, as well as being careful and attentive to the smallest of details, may be really helpful.