Friday afternoons, out of hours, weekends...extra pay?

[Aygee]

Hi all, I'm looking to set up as a courier and wanting out of hours, weekend work, maybe Friday afternoons as I guess thats when a lot of the work comes about. Do courier companies pay extra for Friday afternoons? How much extra do you get for weekend, out of hours work? Do Sundays pay better than Saturdays?

I'm looking to work part time, maybe going full time depending on how things work out...sharing a van and only have to cover half the outgoings on insurance, depreciation etc. Is it realistic to pick up much work around the times I've mentioned?

Appreciation for any help

[Bob Johnson]

You can't play being in the game and doing it part time, how can you share a van with someone?

[brad eufc]

i used to share a van, i had a full time job and used to do either a run to Peterborough or South Wales at night and the "day driver" would do the same in the day, the van was a 52 plate 125 Transit & it was run mostly at 85mph + before speed cameras were on every street & fuel was well south of a pound a litre

[bob harrison]

Doubt it.

[brad eufc]

Doubt what ?

[Aygee]

You can't play being in the game and doing it part time, how can you share a van with someone?

The guy I share with uses it a lot less than I plan to be ...hes happy to share the cost.

[Rwill]

Sharing a van gives me a headache just thinking about the issues that will arise.

Running costs Fuel tyres repairs and servicing how shall we split them by mileage or by time or by argument - but I potter round town all day whilst you thrash up the motorway all night. Who was driving when he kerbed and ruined a tyre, who put that dent in the back door who checked the oil last.

Insurance how do we split it I have a better claims history than you but you are older than me. You had a bump who pays the excess and then the fee went up because of NCB and we had to hire a van whilst it was away.

I'm sorry I am late handing over the van stuck on the M25 cant be helped - shame you have lost an evenings work and/or even your customer. Ive gone quiet for January not earning cant pay my bit.

And on and on and on till one of you walks away leaving the lease to be paid. Doesn't matter if its your best mate or your brother you will fall out.

You want work Friday and weekends - there was a postcard in our Indian takeaway offering just what you need and it only needs a car or a nifty fifty

[brad eufc]

You can't play being in the game and doing it part time,

Most of "top my pension up / the mrs earns loads" brigade do !

[Aygee]

Sharing a van gives me a headache just thinking about the issues that will arise.

Running costs Fuel tyres repairs and servicing how shall we split them by mileage or by time or by argument - but I potter round town all day whilst you thrash up the motorway all night. Who was driving when he kerbed and ruined a tyre, who put that dent in the back door who checked the oil last.

Insurance how do we split it I have a better claims history than you but you are older than me. You had a bump who pays the excess and then the fee went up because of NCB and we had to hire a van whilst it was away.

I'm sorry I am late handing over the van stuck on the M25 cant be helped - shame you have lost an evenings work and/or even your customer. Ive gone quiet for January not earning cant pay my bit.

And on and on and on till one of you walks away leaving the lease to be paid. Doesn't matter if its your best mate or your brother you will fall out.

You want work Friday and weekends - there was a postcard in our Indian takeaway offering just what you need and it only needs a car or a nifty fifty

The guy I share a van with isn't a courier. We have an agreement no headaches.

[Bob Johnson]

You ask.

You don't like the answers.

You bury your head in the sand.

[Rwill]

If the guy you share a van with is not a courier and you are, would be interested to know how you split the insurance cost?

[bob harrison]

As I said I doubt it,get it now its not play time.

[EnsonExpress]

Do courier companies pay extra for Friday afternoons? How much extra do you get for weekend, out of hours work? Do Sundays pay better than Saturdays?

The big nationals pay extra for "out of hours". But they pay so little for "in hours" that the out of hours price is less than a decent rate anyway!

[Aygee]

You ask.

You don't like the answers.

You bury your head in the sand.

Sorry Bob Johnson, I don't understand how you've reached that conclusion, if it is a conclusion? Do you mind explaining?

[Aygee]

If the guy you share a van with is not a courier and you are, would be interested to know how you split the insurance cost?

Would you now?

[Aygee]

Do courier companies pay extra for Friday afternoons? How much extra do you get for weekend, out of hours work? Do Sundays pay better than Saturdays?

The big nationals pay extra for "out of hours". But they pay so little for "in hours" that the out of hours price is less than a decent rate anyway!

Thanks EnsonExpress, appreciate the heads up.

[GJC]

I really cant see how it can work van sharing, as pointed out the running cost, repairs and insurance how do you split that. Do you know how much courier insurance is?

Also don't think this trade work part time it's a all or nothing I am afraid. How do you plan to get the work? if you are luck to pick up contacts and they call you say on a Tuesday and you are not available you phone will stop ringing pretty soon. Also I don't find that is a lot of sameday work on weekends but you might get some multi drops but good luck anyway.

[Bob Johnson]

You ask.

You don't like the answers.

You bury your head in the sand.

Sorry Bob Johnson, I don't understand how you've reached that conclusion, if it is a conclusion? Do you mind explaining?

Because, you asked, the voices of experience say no, and you are going to do it anyway.

Also as Rwill correctly points out, it will be very unlikely you will get an insurer to cover the two uses of a van with one being delivery goods for reward.

[Stuart Farrington]

I don't know how it would work insurance wise if the van is being used for two totally uses but if you are both using it for courier use you could make it work but working in a partnership can be a minefield if things go wrong.

What I'm going to say next relates to a different business but demonstrates that it "could" work, but most likely it would only if you had regular work lined up. I understand that a lot of black cab drivers in London share a cab with one driving in the day whilst the other drives at night so that the vehicle is working constantly. I guess at around £30k for a new one it needs too be out on the road all the time to pay for itself. The thing is I imagine there's always demands for cabs in London 24/7, but I'm not sure the demand is there for out of hours/weekend work in the sameday courier market these days.

[Rwill]

I am Bob the builder I need a van for my work to carry my tools and my sandwiches and me, I work mainly locally to where I live. I earn a decent living so there is no need to work Fridays and certainly not weekends. Weekends we use the wife’s Mercedes SL or I get a taxi to the pub. I get a new van every three years by whatever means is best, loan, PCP, lease or cash. I have the van serviced once a year and it is covered by a three warranty and roadside assistance and at the end of three years at 30,000 miles I either return it for a new one or flog it for about half of what I paid. I have never had a new tyre in my life. My insurance is with direct line for SDP & P plus business is £200 a year.
My mate has suggested we share a van cos he can’t afford one himself. He reckons that the courier insurance thing (which also covers SDP and maybe my business use is gonna cost £1500 pa so either we pay £750 each or he pays £1300 for half the time of the van. To make a decent living he is to do space ship miles of around 100,000pa so that knocks out leasing and PCP and if we buy a van after three years it will be worth £500 if we are lucky. The warranty runs out after 100K miles so that’s a year and it would need servicing every couple of months. How long does a tyre last? He talks about forklifts and pallets and the occasional drum of chemicals. We have never argued about things all the time we have known each other like whose round is, he even supports Chelsea so I can’t see the problem. Yet there is something in the back of my mind that’s bothering me.

[EnsonExpress]

he even supports Chelsea so I can’t see the problem. Yet there is something in the back of my mind that’s bothering me.

I know what it is - with only weekends and friday afternoons, he'll need to drive 1,000 a day. But don't worry, it still seems OK - he can do that easy at 100mph. The thing at the back of my mind is how can he get to the Chelsea weekend home games?