What It Takes to Be a Sought After Courier Driver

Apr 22
09:36

2015

Lisa Jeeves

Lisa Jeeves

  • Share this article on Facebook
  • Share this article on Twitter
  • Share this article on Linkedin

A top courier driver will enjoy better business deals than others. Here’s what makes them tick.

mediaimage

A successful courier driver will be the embodiment of the industry’s best practices without displaying the negatives of impulse or bad work habits. Naturally,What It Takes to Be a Sought After Courier Driver Articles the best, most conscientious drivers are renowned for their reliability and trustworthiness and, therefore, get a lot of repeat business from satisfied customers.

There’s really no big secret in becoming highly sought-after and successful in the delivery industry - start with these three tips and you’re good to go!

Love What You Do

A top courier driver spends most of their waking hours on the road doing one thing: driving. That’s because they get so much business that their schedules are usually filled to the brim. So the most important tip is that you really have to love what you do. If you do your job with contempt, or you’d rather be doing something else, it will ultimately show in various ways: how you deal with customers, your unwillingness to walk (or drive) the extra mile, or your visible lack of enthusiasm. As a service-oriented industry, working in the delivery industry means providing great customer service so customers will want to do business with you again.

Patience is a Virtue

An experienced courier driver knows that there are a lot of things going against them when they’re on the road, especially when they spend a major chunk of the day navigating traffic. You’ll encounter all sorts of troubles: from unruly or undisciplined motorists, to inclement weather, vehicle breakdown, or heavy traffic. Those working in the industry labour under deeply conflicting circumstances: on one hand, you have to move fast and efficiently when traversing the roads; on the other hand, you have to be able to not blow your top when you face a challenge. Patience, in this context, will help you save yourself from further aggravating the situation. Heavy traffic on the highway? Patience can help you maintain clarity in thinking and, possibly, to come up with a good alternative route.

Maintain a Huge Respect for Deadlines

This is pretty self-explanatory, of course, but still worth mentioning. No courier driver would be able to maintain a viable source of income if they did not respect deadlines. As Tom Hanks’ character in the film Castaway repeatedly pointed out: "We live by the clock and die by the clock." Furthermore, to be clear, punctuality is not only about knowing when the deadline is and arriving on time (if possible, even earlier); it is also about knowing what to do and managing your schedule ahead of time to ensure that you will meet the deadline, no matter what happens. This means establishing contingencies to protect the day’s schedule from any unexpected development that might stop you from doing your job. It's all in the planning.