The courier industry attracts a certain class of experienced drivers, with valuable skills and aptitude; but it certainly has requirements and barriers to entry that determine if you’re a good fit for the industry. Here are three of the most important things you should know before considering a career in this field.

Physical Fitness

Experienced drivers – whose skills have been derived from either professional or personal means – know that to be fully effective they must be physically fit. While driving a vehicle is mostly sedentary – and if you’re doing this for a living, you’ve probably clocked hundreds, if not thousands, of hours behind the wheel negotiating the urban arteries – but make no mistake, it is exhausting work. Operating a vehicle, especially if you’re engaged in the courier industry, is stressful, exhausting and, in the long run, poses certain cardiovascular health risks if you’re not vigilant. And if you’re thinking of joining a high-octane job as a courier, you must have the physical fortitude not only to endure the stress but also to actually thrive in such a taxing professional environment. The bottom line? Be physically fit and you’ll go places.

How Much You Stand to Earn

Many experienced drivers end up choosing a job as a courier because of the pay and the freedom and flexibility to earn more (depending on availability). As far as earnings are concerned, however, there are two major means: by working as an employee of a courier company, or freelancing as an owner driver. As a freelance courier, what you earn depends on how you do your job and how many hours per week you put into it. On average, the hourly rate for a courier is not going to make you rich, but if you take the plunge and actually work full time for a postal services company, for example, you can take home a very reasonable wage. There are distinct differences between working freelance and working as a full-time employee, and it’s up to you which arrangement will work well with your personality and lifestyle.

Getting Work

Those who don’t really know the workings behind the courier industry – how it operates and how it serves its own social purpose – may be tempted to dismiss it as one where work may be sporadic at best. But the truth is, the industry should be considered a very positively geared one, as it continues to soldier on and turn a profit even amid economic doldrums. Those with skills and qualifications, such as experienced drivers, can get work either as an employee or striking it out as a freelance owner driver. The more challenging of the two options is going freelance, as you are going to have to find jobs on your own; but fear not – there are many tools that a fledgling independent courier can use to get leads to potential customers. For instance, there’s the Internet to market yourself and online exchanges, which can help facilitate transactions between couriers and potential customers.