What is the job of a courier?

Couriers are people around the globe who make sure that our packages reach us in the most efficient way possible. As customers, we usually take deliveries that are precise, on time and for a low price, for granted.

However, to make sure that courier services are working like a well-oiled machine, requires a team that knows what they are doing and gives maximum effort. To be a courier means being an active worker that knows his/her role and is willing to be part of a harmonious team.

In this article, we pay tribute to the hardworking men and women that make sure that our parcels are delivered in a way that satisfies clients. So, we will dive a bit deeper in what role a courier plays exactly.

If working at a desk job is not for you, you may even consider getting a courier’s job yourself if you like being active!

Reliable courier to send parcels to Germany →

What do couriers do?

To put it simply, a courier’s job is to provide clients with door-to-delivery, with most of them being locally in large urban areas of a city. 

Apart from personal deliveries, couriers also handle specialized same-day or next-day deliveries intended for institutions and businesses like law firms, hospitals, banks and so on.

The parcels that couriers deliver can range from anything like important documents, passports, products or even medical samples which require increased attention from courier firms. It all depends on the type of client they are working with.

To summarize the responsibilities of a courier, we can say this:

• He or she delivers the items to their final destination
• Verifies the information given on delivery. This includes phone numbers, addresses, names and so on.
• Makes sure the items are loaded onto delivery vehicles
• Collect payments and signatures from clients
• Use the most efficient routes for delivery
• Keep records of delivery including arrival time, delivery date and so on.

In terms of communication, nowadays, couriers talk with each other either using radios or cell phones. With the help of these tools they can smoothen the whole delivery process: from information collection, to route planning as well as delivery.

Keeping records is another essential role that couriers must play in the delivery process. This includes everything from signatures, to tracking the deliveries, receiving payments and so on.

Since couriers often have to interact with clients themselves, they must also follow a certain etiquette because they represent the firm's interests in the public eye. This means being polite and patient and being willing to answer any questions regarding payment of delivery that the clients could have.

The couriers also spend plenty of time operating in a certain area and making the deliveries. So, a huge plus for a qualified delivery person is to know the best routes to reach the destination addresses as efficiently as possible and to have a great sense of direction in general.

Describing the workplace of a courier

The workplace of a courier is quite an active one since there’s also a lot of communication going on daily, both with coworkers as well clients. Since there’s also the responsibility of delivery parcels on time and safely, some might say that it’s a bit of a stressful job as well.

Also, there’s the transportation side of things. Couriers usually spend most of their time on the move. Some work on bicycles which requires a person to be physically fit and be able to cope with various weather conditions like the rain, cold or extreme summer heat.

The same goes for those who drive cars or vans, since there are additional problems like traffic jams and tight parking spaces that couriers have to maneuver through.

In most firms, couriers work during regular hours, however, working during the evenings, weekends or holidays is also not uncommon.

To summarize

In this article we’ve described the role of a courier. In order to make sure that each delivery reaches its destination safely and on time, the men and women work very hard on a daily basis. We think that people should appreciate the efforts of these workers more