City sprint

Can anyone give me advice about City sprint. They have offered me regular work, but I am a little dubious as I got an email from them last week telling be that my application had been declined. This week they want me to go in and be trained up. Seems a little fishy to me. Any thoughts?

Be careful what you post on here. They monitor this site. I sub for them and put up a not very nice comment and got caught out. The money isn't very good but it's there two weeks after doing the work. As long as you get return loads it's not too bad.

The rates on offer are not good, but they do have volume so chances are you'll have more than one delivery onboard. That in itself can cause problems cos you'll no doubt be chasing your tail for whichever customer is last on your route without them knowing it. High turnover of drivers, but perhaps a good place to find out what being a courier involves before moving on to greener grass

Absolute mistake. If you're working for them, you can't do anything else to find other work. The pay is rock bottom (or less!) and you'll struggle to make anything even approaching a living.

The only reason you would have more than one delivery on board is because they have managed to get two going the same way at more or less the same time. But can you bet your mortgage that they'll pay you double/treble/however-many-loads the money for the run?

Seems all doom and gloom with city sprint, I think I will give it a miss because emailing to say I had been declined one week and then ringing me to ask when I want to be trained the next week makes me smell a rat. If all else fails I can do some HGV agency work at weekends to make ends meet.

City Sprint is a big company, all about big business and making lots of money. If it was cheaper for them to pay minimum wage, and run their own vans, then they would do it. Just Saying.

I also though about contacting them just for a bit extra work to fill in the gaps. However like Dennis says along with many other people on here and other forums, just do go there.

Jimmy from JE Couriers used to work for citysprint. Yes you can earn some sort of living, but only if you want around like a monkey from early in the morning until late at night, 7 days a week. Don't leave much room for family time does it really. I'm suggesting you don't do it.

East-Lancs Sameday Couriers Ltd said:

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Jimmy from JE Couriers used to work for citysprint. Yes you can earn some sort of living, but only if you want around like a monkey from early in the morning until late at night, 7 days a week. Don't leave much room for family time does it really. I'm suggesting you don't do it.

With places like city sprint, DHL, city link, DPD etc, the best way is to use them as a back load source.

Get your main delivery from your usual clients, then when you are finished delivering it, call round all the large operators you are registered with to see if they have anything going back to your home location.

Of course, if they don't which normally they won't it's not a big problem as you've already charged your main customer enough to make it profitable without a back load!

Haven't you?

You haven't! Oh!

:-)

Stay away from City Sprint if you want more advice I will send you a message outlining there payments and the way they work.

Just my input. You can make fair wage from citysprint.. If you put in ALOT of time.. but they are massive and you are, and will be treated like, a very expendable ANT in their organisation. They have alot of offices, but you will only be registered with one, who will be your controller although you can contact other offices for work when local to them... BEWARE other offices... Especially Bristol (who I would avoid.. deal with Cardiff or Swindon)... other offices will try pay you far less than is available to you (I think they get some type of commission paid out to the office staff as a monthly bonus and they will skim you every opportunity (with Bristol being the most aggressive at it))... always query the pay offered.. don't be afraid to haggle... double check... if you are promised X amount make sure you are actually getting paid X If you do work for them, and get a long journey.. Call every office along the route and let them know you are coming.

Check you wages.. Double check... THEY WILL UNDER PAY YOU..

But as I said at the start, you can make a fair wage out of them... Don't listen to the crap about how they charge you for the equipment and uniform.. They do and they tell you they do.. They could have simply hid the cost by paying slightly less... in the end it's the driver that pays who ever it is you are working for.

And also, as has been stated, if you work for them you will be pretty much exclusive to them.

And yes I know citysprint well... My advice... Stay away unless you desperately need the work...

Hi, i currently have a tender with them and to be honest I am struggling! Trouble is I am fairly new to the courier business so don't really have my foot in the door, and don't really know what my options are. Ive looked around at lots of things but advice seems to be pretty negative wherever i look! One particular keeps cropping up 'don't bother no money in it, its not like it used to be' etc....... Any advice on how to earn a reasonable amount and the best way to make a go of it. I actually really enjoy the work but just not getting paid enough for it. Im a good honest worker and am prepared to work hard for a decent return but I am cheesed off with working for peanuts!

Cheers

Steve

Hi Steve, CS are a waste of time, as you seem to be finding out! I started by writing to all the local courier firms with my details (attach copies of your insurance - very important!!) I didn't get replies straight away, but slowly gained customers after proving I was reliable. Also, try local trading estate with flyers and going to talk to the people there. Personal contact is often better than posting flyers. You probably won't get any response straight away, but they will remember you if they need a courier. This is always a matter of luck really. I've been doing this job for 15 years now, and it seems to be working ok. I wouldn't waste your money on Courier Exchange as it's expensive to join and the drivers on there are undercutting each other to extent that earnings are really low. Try Shed 5, it's a good site, and cheap. (£25 joining fee, for life), and you're more likely to get some good contacts, especially if you are looking for backloads. Hope this helps. Good luck!

Thanks for the advice RGM, I live right by a trading estate! What sort of companys do you think are best to aim for! Also wheres the best place to find a rough idea of a pricing structure. As I said this is all pretty new to me but really want to make it work as apart from the poor pay at the moment i actually enjoy the job!

Thanks again

Steve

Hi Steve, probably best companies to aim for are 'non-seasonal' eg. Hospitals, medical suppliers, banks, building societies, engineering companies, etc. where they need deliveries all the year round. Seasonal ones, like schools, universities, public services, councils, etc, where they have holidays are ok, but there are times in the year when they don't need stuff delivering. As for pricing structures, there are forums on here that cover that, BUT, generally, don't under-sell yourself, ie, establish a mileage rate that will give you a living, and stick to it! Hope this helps, Bob.

OH, and airports and dockyards! Is Eastleigh airport near you? (I used to go to the Ford plant next door to the airport on business years ago, and watch the planes taking off about 50 feet over the office block!) I do quite a bit of AOG's (aircraft on ground) deliveries and delivering parts for ships.

Thanks, yeh not far from eastleigh airport. Or bournemouth for that matter. We have the southampton docks and all so marinas and boatyards galore. I actually had two boat propellors in the back of my van a couple of weeks ago!

Thanks again Bob

Advice is very much appreciated.

In answer to the OP - it's 5 years on and they never change - don't!