Hello, darlings!
For today's post, I hope you don't mind if I go into 'advice mode' again. I know I come across as a boring old bag telling you things you already know, but I can't help it, dears – it's in my nature! So bear with me a little longer, would you?
At any rate, I think today's topic for advice is a little less obvious and general than the last – this time, I'll be talking specifically about courier work for owner drivers, where to find it and how to go about making sure you get it. Those of you who aren't owner drivers may not find much to chew on here, but who knows? You may decide to take these tips and apply them to your own profession or line of work! It's never a bad thing to expand your horizons...
'But Gertie', I hear you wail, 'why are you all of a sudden focusing on courier work for owner drivers? You used to be fun and talk about other types of couriers; now we're feeling left out!' Well, first of all, if you think that, you're being very silly; I would never leave my readers out of one of my posts. You are what makes my blog! As for where the idea came from, well, if you read my interview with Tim last week (if you didn't, go read it now!), he talked about how and where to look for courier work for owner drivers, so I decided to expand on the subject a little bit. So I took to the Internet, threw in a little old fashioned common sense, and came up with what you are about to read.
So...what is Gertie's main tip for finding courier work for owner drivers? Quite simply, as Tim said last week, it's to advertise yourself. This is one of those general and painfully obvious statements, but really, if nobody knows you exist, you can't expect work to come your way, can you? As for how to advertise - well, there are a number of ways. Search engines and service boards like Gumtree are quite popular for man-and-van operators, for instance. At a more local level, most small towns have a cafe or shop with a board where you can pin up your ad – mine has one, and it's always chock-full of flyers! Additionally, there's the old tried-and-true method of sticking a sheet of paper to a lamppost and hope people read it. I would also advise posting on online boards and forums where people might be looking for what you have to offer – and believe me, they do exist (EVERYTHING exists on the Internet!). Or, you can just write on the side of your van in big bold letters...
Whichever method you choose, once you have made people aware of your services the next step is, of course, to build a reputation. I did an article a while ago about what I don't like to see in couriers, but you don't have to be that specific – just look and act professional, and you'll be fine. Make people trust you as a reliable service provider and word of mouth will spread; if you behave like an unprofessional wally, the same thing will happen, but the effect will be the exact opposite. Again, common sense you would think, but it's surprising how many people can't seem to be able to act in a professional manner!
Again, I am sorry if I didn't tread any new ground, but I maintain that a refresher or a reminder is always a good thing – whether the subject is courier work for owner drivers or anything else!
Until next time, my dears!
Gertie
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