Starting Out

Hi All

I am looking at starting out in the courier sector but I also want to hold on to my car for family reasons. I have been looking at the Peugeot Partner Connect seeing that you can drop down the back seats to allow for plenty of storage space. As I said in my first sentence, I am starting out but is this a good idea just for me to test the water with. I am a postman at present and I am looking to get out of this employment as I am a little disillusioned by there methods of work and the way the company (The Royal Mail ) are heading. I have had 8 years there and enjoy the delivery and customer contact side and would love to go out on my own to give it a good go.

Hi All

CORRECTION !!

I am looking at starting out in the courier sector but I also want to hold on to my car for family reasons. I have been looking at the Peugeot Partner Combi seeing that you can drop down the back seats to allow for plenty of storage space. As I said in my first sentence, I am starting out but is this a good idea just for me to test the water with. I am a postman at present and I am looking to get out of this employment as I am a little disillusioned by there methods of work and the way the company (The Royal Mail ) are heading. I have had 8 years there and enjoy the delivery and customer contact side and would love to go out on my own to give it a good go.

Hello Wayne, plenty of advice on here and codforum about starting up, and what to be wary of... Just do a search on here, or look up the various threads on codforum. We don't all bite, and there are a lot of people ready to answer any questions... No matter how daft they appear to be. You have to start somewhere and you must do your homework before jumping in head first.

Speed Couriers Nationwide said:

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Hello Wayne, plenty of advice on here and codforum about starting up, and what to be wary of... Just do a search on here, or look up the various threads on codforum. We don't all bite, and there are a lot of people ready to answer any questions... No matter how daft they appear to be. You have to start somewhere and you must do your homework before jumping in head first.

Thanks for that. I am trying to do my homework to find out the whats and wheres of everything. I do believe you when you say you don't bite but have also found on other forums that a lot of people seem to try to put you off. So what would you suggest RE : my first question. I don't want to be running two vehicles if I can avoid it, rather one that covers both areas.

Hello mate, I've been thinking a similar thing myself but can't help much because I haven't looked into it properly.

In principle it could work as I can't imagine anybody would mind using a small van with side windows. It'still a van. You just need to make sure there's at least enough space to fit a pallet (1200 x 1000mm). Not sure on the height either, how does it compare to a Transit Connect high-top? You don't want to find you're missing out on work because it's a little on the small side.

Hello Wayne, I appreciate your position as I was the same when I started back in the mists of time. Having done the research at the time I ended up with a two year old Citroen van. This was because a lot of the delivery points I could see me delivering to had a no car policy in the drop zone and you are excluding most pallet work (assuming the Partner has a top hinged tailgate) because you cannot get a forklift anywhere near

nI think there are some that don't like newbies, as a lot come into this industry without doing any research, and just don't have a clue, and some tar everyone with the same brush. There does seem to be a few that think getting a satnav and using their car makes them a courier and it doesn't. Thats why a there seems to be a lot of negativity directed at people starting out. Those that do their homework ask relevat and pertinent questions will, most of the time, get postive answers. We all want to raise the standards of couriers AND courier companies, so don't be put off from some of the stuff you may have read.

Dash, that's a good point about the back door. It looks like the Puegeot Partner Combi does indeed have a top-hinged upward opening back door so no good for pallets. I'd give it a miss.

I wonder if any of these crossover/combi vehicles do have side-hinged outward opening back doors?

Even if you had a side door the pallets would rip up the carpets on the way in

You can get a vauxhall combo crew van still looks like a van but has rear seats plus it has barn doors that swings wide Open.

Have a look at the pic on my profile.. Mines a crew van.. Open the side doors and you have access to rear seating.. The only downside for your passengers is they cant see out the window.. But then they also not going to bore you with what they have just seen!

Can you still get a 120 pallet in with the seats folded forward?

If thats a europallet.. yes

247 uk courier said:

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You can get a vauxhall combo crew van still looks like a van but has rear seats plus it has barn doors that swings wide Open.

I have one too (no rear windows)

Dash Despatch said:

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Can you still get a 120 pallet in with the seats folded forward?

In fact I may have a combo seat conversion for sale ;-) (they are hard to find)

Lots of combo crew vans on eBay, quite a few are ex royal mail tho, so they are red and have side windows.

Mr G... A 120 pallet is a standard "bluey" at least I think that's what Lloyd is referring to.

gwh courier said:

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Lots of combo crew vans on eBay, quite a few are ex royal mail tho, so they are red and have side windows.

I was talking about white crew vans

Sorry, didn't make myself clear - can you get a standard pallet (120x100x100high) in a Combo crew cab with the rear seats folded up?

You mean rear seats folded down.. Yes