My job: Solo driver in a high-tech team

Daniel Stokes enjoys finding the fastest route to his destination. Photo / Graeme Sedal

Name: Daniel Stokes
Age: 27
Role: Urgent Courier contractor.
Working hours: Approx 50 hours, 7.30am to 5.30pm.
Baseline salary: $40,000-$70,000, depending on geographical knowledge and how many hours you are prepared to work.

Describe what you do.

You could say that what I do is one big exploration of Auckland City, navigating my way around the madness of Auckland's traffic while listening to music and delivering parcels.

More specifically we offer a point-to-point service using leading-edge technology, including a hand-held HP PDA iPAQ device with inbuilt GPS so our dispatcher can see where we are at any time and designate jobs accordingly. It is like a fancy touch-screen mobile phone the Urgent Courier IT guys have customised.

By tapping the screen, we get all the information we need when a job comes up, including location, weight of parcel, phone number and so on.

All the jobs are time sensitive - we usually have an hour from pick up to delivery and the clock starts ticking from when we pick the job up. There are about 60 of us.

I've been doing the job about 2 years now and I reckon I'll never get lost in Auckland City again.

Why did you choose this line of work?

I'd been a stay-at-home father for three years and was looking for a new challenge. Most of my previous jobs had involved driving and interacting with people in some way.

Being a courier driver had always held a certain appeal but I wasn't interested in a courier franchise because it was too much of an outlay for me. When I saw the Urgent Couriers ad on Trade Me I was really keen because they're not a franchise. We're contractors, not franchisees. It involves lots client interaction, which I really like. We pride ourselves on personal interaction and excellent customer relations.

Do you supply your own vehicle?

We own or lease vehicles in our own name. I lease a 2007 Honda Jazz, which is bright orange and fuel-efficient. I have a full maintenance and service agreement so if the car spontaneously combusts I can get it replaced immediately.

Some of the other guys maintain their own cars, but I like the security of knowing I'll never be without a car.

What experience is important with this job?

Geographical knowledge is important, but you're not thrown in the deep end. You go out with a trainer to start with for few days. I thought I knew Auckland pretty well, but it is not until you drive for a living that you realise how vast and complicated it can be. I've found, though, it is easier to use a map book than a GPS system; GPS isn't that helpful for inner-city courier work.

Why?

By the time you've turned the GPS on, keyed in the street and number and waited for it to load up ... you may as well use a book. Also, a GPS tells you the shortest way, which isn't always the quickest. To get from one end of Queen St to the other in peak-hour traffic you don't head down Queen St, but that is what the GPS would direct you to do. The golden rule is to take the road less travelled.

What skills do you need?

A can-do attitude. The ability to multi-task and you must be able to deal with a bit of stress.

Business skills?

Yes. Urgent Courier has a course that skilled me up on managing the financials, like GST and tax returns. I have chosen to do my own accounts but Urgent Couriers also provides systems to manage GST and tax; I think it is good they do.

Best part of the job?

I really enjoy driving, the personal interaction and the fantastic team I work with. I'm so glad I'm not working between four walls.

Team? But you drive alone, don't you?

Yes, but we keep in contact with each other through the RT relaying dispatches and have conversations. So I am by myself but I feel "surrounded" by my work mates.

Challenges?

The general outlay of the city's network. Watching out to avoid accidents clogging up routes. Constantly juggling jobs, finding alternative routes and thinking one step ahead so you can be as efficient as possible. The more efficient you are, the more jobs you fit in and the more you get paid.

Exciting part?

Urgent jobs - the 15-minute jobs - are most fun. Your mind has to work overtime to think of the fastest way to get there. It's a challenge in itself; we all thrive on those.

Advice interested in courier driving?

If you have a can-do attitude and a couple of brain cells to rub together, you can't go wrong. You also need a passion for driving, a knowledge of Auckland streets and to want to be self-employed.