Courier: What is the cost of hiring?

What is a Courier?

Couriers collect packages and deliver them to another location. They typically work faster than traditional mail or shipping services, so they help ensure items reach recipients sooner. Some Couriers focus on short-distance deliveries within a city, while others offer long-distance services.

Why hire a Courier?

Couriers typically provide faster deliveries and higher reliability than standard shipping services. Because they offer personalized package-carrying services, they can be useful for high-value, rare or fragile items.

Contributions of a great Courier:

• Fast, reliable delivery services
• Customized transport for a variety of products
• Reduced risk of damage or loss

Defining your hiring needs for a Courier

The first step to hiring a Courier is defining your company’s needs. Based on the role’s expected duties, workload, and budget, you can hire a freelance, part-time or full-time Courier.

Consider listing the role’s duties and scope of work to determine if hiring a Courier is your best option. Depending on your needs, you might also benefit from a similar role, such as a Delivery Driver or a Route Driver.

What are the types of Couriers?

Some Couriers specialize in transporting specific items, such as healthcare equipment, while others offer services in a defined region. Types of Couriers include:

• Medical Couriers: These Couriers specialize in carrying medical products, including medical samples and delicate devices. They may also transport records or other sensitive items.
• Document Couriers: A Courier specializing in document transportation may provide secure and fast delivery for important legal papers, such as contracts.
• Freight Couriers: Freight Couriers have the capacity and equipment to handle larger, heavier or bulkier items than standard Couriers. They’re often useful for transporting expensive goods, such as fine art, custom furniture or specialized equipment.
• International Couriers: If you need to transport items to another country, an International Courier can help protect packages and streamline their passage through customs.

As you write a Courier job description, you can include words and phrases to potentially reach more candidates. According to Indeed data, these search terms most frequently result in clicks on Courier jobs: 

• Medical Courier
• FedEx
• Delivery Driver
• Courier
• Driver
• Courier independent contractor
• Medical Courier Driver
• Courier Driver
• FedEx ground

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Where to find Couriers

Couriers can be found through general job boards, driver recruitment platforms, local staffing agencies and community job centers. Partnering with vocational schools, promoting your job through gig work networks or attending hiring events can help expand your reach.

To find the right Courier for your business, consider trying out a few different recruiting strategies:

• Social media: Post your Courier job opening on your company’s social media pages and highlight the perks of the position.
• Promote from within: Post the job internally before releasing it to the public. Promoting from within is one way to find candidates familiar with your business and company culture.
• Employee referrals: Encourage your employees to refer job seekers to the Courier open position. If you hire one of their referrals, consider offering a referral bonus to the employee who made the connection.
• Post your job online: Try posting your Courier job on Indeed to find and attract candidates.

Skills to look for in a Courier

A successful Courier candidate will typically have the following skills and competencies, which may be gained through a variety of experiences, training or education:

• Strong time management skills to help meet tight delivery deadlines
• Ability to navigate routes to travel from sender to recipient within the necessary time frame
• Attention to detail to meet all requirements regarding signatures, recipient identification and delivery deadlines
• Required licensing or certification for driving or traveling internationally or the ability to obtain it if necessary
• Understanding of safety practices when transporting packages
• Ability to maintain confidentiality for sensitive packages
• Well-developed communication skills to collaborate with senders and recipients

Writing a Courier job description

Now that you know the key skills, salary expectations, popular job seeker search terms and hiring insights for a Courier, you’re ready to write a job description.

A Courier job description typically includes a compelling summary of the role, a detailed list of duties and responsibilities and the required and preferred skills for the position. You may also want to include information about your company culture, benefits and perks to attract candidates to your open role.

Ready to get started? Check out our full guide for writing Courier job descriptions.

Interviewing Courier candidates

Strong candidates for Courier positions will be confident answering questions about:

• Navigating safely and finding efficient routes
• Ensuring packages stay safe in transit
• Following delivery instructions and confidentiality procedures
• Using the required modes of transportation
• Understanding industry-specific procedures or handling practices

Need help coming up with interview questions? Our Delivery Driver interview questions are a helpful starting point for hiring a Courier.