What will you do?
You take into account how urgent and how fragile each shipment is and you deliver everything on time and safely. You plan your route according to the delivery requirements, load and unload your vehicle, register every delivery and take care of the first-line maintenance of your vehicle. Whether you work as a parcel deliverer, bike courier or delivery van driver, friendliness and punctuality make the difference at every door.
- Check the delivery documents
- Plan your route according to the delivery requirements
- Load and unload your vehicle
- Deliver parcels and documents on time and safely
- Register every delivery correctly
- Carry out first-line maintenance on your vehicle
Skills to develop
- Good sense of direction and smooth route planning
- Friendly customer contact at every delivery
- Punctual and reliable way of working
- Physically fit for loading and unloading
Your foundation for this occupation
Courier work combines route planning, delivery conditions and responsible driving. The vehicle determines the required driving licence. Learn the employer's scanning system and the instructions attached to each shipment: a time window, signature or delivery restriction can change how you complete a stop.
From preparation to your first day
Develop the practical skills
Practise preparing a complete round. Arrange parcels in stop order, check addresses and identify shipments needing special handling. Allow for loading spaces, apartment access and returns. Use navigation and scanners while safely stopped. Follow the agreed procedure when the recipient is unavailable rather than choosing your own drop-off point.
Check your work
Reconcile physical returns with recorded statuses after the round. A parcel still in the van must not appear as delivered. Record damage and exceptions accurately, protect recipients' personal information and report delays before later delivery windows become impossible.
How can you grow?
Experience can lead to regular business routes, training new couriers or dispatch work. Medical or temperature-controlled deliveries require additional instructions. For self-employed work, include vehicle costs, insurance, waiting time and unsuccessful deliveries when assessing earnings.
Frequently asked questions
What should I ask before accepting a courier job?
Ask about stop numbers, territory, parcel weights, loading time and failed-delivery procedures. Establish who supplies the vehicle and scanner. Payment per stop is difficult to assess without knowing how returns, waiting and additional mileage are handled.