4 Ways to Excel As a Courier Driver in the Inner City

It is no accident that the inner city is often likened to a jungle. The narrow passageways, clogged lanes, and interwoven streets with dark corners and sudden well-lit bursts actually do bear a resemblance to the leafy chaos of the Amazon. Even the most well-organised cities can be tough to navigate.

Those workers who make their living delivering goods can feel this difficulty on a chronic scale, which is why they need to prepare themselves. Here are some ways a courier driver can do just that.

Correct route management

Firstly, anyone who works in a delivery business must know their routes, as the very range of options that occur in the inner city can be an impediment. When you are taking a package from one end of the central business district to the other it may seem like a simple task, as the distance is not really intimidating. But issues such as one-way streets, traffic free boulevards, peak-time changes, parking restrictions, and of course the perennial bugbear of traffic can complicate things. So it's imperative to map out routes and alternatives and adjust them using up-to-date GPS software.

Employ effective vehicles

The great advantage to being a courier driver in the inner-city is that you can take on a large amount of business within a relatively small geographic space - there are simply so many business and personal deliveries that need to be made at any given time. But to deal with the amount of the work and concomitant traffic on the busy streets you should give careful consideration to your vehicles. The choice between a car, bicycle, motorbike, or van, employed at the right time and place, can make a huge difference in the long run.

Use technological innovation

Cities have always been an emblem of technological innovation. Being a courier driver in the inner city can seem fairly straightforward in relation to technology. You merely need to hop into your vehicle and drive to your destination, right? Yet utilising up-to-date technology can make this process even easier. From new GPS, tracking, and payment technologies to smarter ways of communicating with clients and workers, the better delivery companies in the inner city streamline their work with effective innovations.

Manage reputation

Even once you have the process of picking up orders and getting them delivered down pat with maximum efficiency and reliability, as a courier driver you need to get enough work to survive in the long term. This means standing out above your competition. It can be difficult, especially as an independent worker or a small business, since competition is tight in the industry. But targeted social media and online marketing campaigns, as well as the use of online exchanges, can do wonders for building your reputation to give you a long-term flow of work.

Norman Dulwich is a correspondent for Courier Exchange, the world's largest neutral trading hub for same day courier driver jobs in the express freight exchange industry. Over 2,500 transport exchange businesses are networked together through their website, trading courier jobs and capacity in a safe 'wholesale' environment.

Writer and Online Marketing Manager in London.