New bike messenger job opportunity

[LewSpeight]

So, a friend has taken on a job as a bike messenger, starts on saturday and apparently the company are crying out for riders/drivers.
They pay 46p a mile and I've been asked whether I wanna join the club.

I'm currently not enjoying where I am atm and it doesn't feel like the most reliable place for me to be atm.

But I'd be going from a contracted 40hr week to being 'self employed' but apparently can earn over £600 a weekend at some points.

Any tips, advice, words of wisdom?

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[Littlepeahead]

Questions I would ask myself:

If using your own bike then what are the costs to you e.g. petrol, wear and tear, upping insurance to business use?

In addition to the 46p per mile do they pay towards anything else, e.g. clothing

Do you get to choose your hours or could you end up working at times when they expect you to work that don't suit you, and at short notice?

£600 a week 'at some points' but what is the worst case scenario and can you afford to not earn a lot some weeks?

Will being on the bike all day every day kill your love of it as a leisure activity?

If you have an accident and can't work are you self employed and therefore no work no pay?

[LewSpeight]

Very good point, and thats the things that are playing on my mind.

Apparently if you do it 5 days a week you could come out with a bit of cash to play with...

I think the insurance side of things, and the fact that its not guaranteed money /month is whats putting me off massively

[LewSpeight]

Scrap it, sorry for wasting your time LPH!

(mods are welcome to delete/close this thread)

[LiquidFlux]

If you don't mind me asking, what made you reconsider ( if so )?

[LewSpeight]

Reconsider my job?

[LiquidFlux]

The job opportunity, 'Scrap it' suggests ( to me ) you stopped considering the position.

[Stuuk1]

It's a dangerous job IMO. You see those guys doing silly stunts in and around London trying to get from AtoB as quick as possible... That's probably for the £600!

[ophic]

46p a mile doesn't sound like a lot. I got 40p a mile for driving at work, and this was on top of normal pay, and was about 10 years ago when fuel was somewhat cheaper.

[Littlepeahead]

I get 40p a mile now when I take the camera to matches for either car or bike, they don't differentiate as I'm the only biker and frankly they don't know which I've used, but as above, that's on top of my salary.

[stuR]

Looks like youve reconsidered now, but doing that much biking would kill the interest i think for me.

[LewSpeight]

Aye. The insurance side of things put me off, aswell as the amount of wear and tear the bike would suffer.
Plus, I called them twice and each time, the staff I spoke to were complete and utter tw4ts! Really put me off the company all together, nevermind working for them.

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[Sid Squid]

It's a dangerous job IMO. You see those guys doing silly stunts in and around London trying to get from AtoB as quick as possible... That's probably for the £600!
But you don't notice the, great majority, who do it for a living and do it professionally - it's just another bloke/blokette on a bike, not doing anything daft and getting on with it, which is how it's made profitable and a viable living, knowing what you're doing is how the job is done well and where the timely deliveries come from, not screaming around ****ing people off. I wouldn't do it nowadays, the industry is all but gone, the big wages don't exist any more and the competition is fierce, but that's just economics - not any desire not to ride a bike for a living.

It isn't any more 'dangerous' than you make it, anyone who is riding like a tit is unlikely to last in the job, simply 'cos you can't sustain that for long, I still know several riders who have despatched for twenty or more years, it didn't kill their interest in bikes, or end up with them dead or paralysed or jailed, and they're ALL much, much better and more economical riders, (monetarily and in use of riding effort and bike capabilities), than the commuters that surround them, no surprise there - do something eight or ten hours a day for umpteen years and you'll develop a certain skill.

[Matt-EUC]

do something eight or ten hours a day for umpteen years and you'll develop a certain skill.


That explains why some teenagers grow up to be w*nkers.

[Sid Squid]

That explains why some teenagers grow up to be w*nkers.
Are you speaking from experience?

[Matt-EUC]

Of course, I'm rubbish at everything else.

[SvNewbie]

Oh Matt. Bike talk just wouldn't be the same without your witty banter.

At 46p a mile you'd be doing 4500 miles a month to earn a reasonable living (£2000 pre-tax). Except that means you'd be spending £500 worth of fuel a month. And going through £300 worth of tires every 2-3 months.

I'm not sure how you'd actually make any money doing it.

[SvNewbie]

If you assume a bike has a reasonable useful life of 150,000 miles you'll have to change every 3 years.

[Matt-EUC]

I don't know if I've misunderstood but I'm not entirely sure it's JUST 46p a mile.
I get that on top of my wages like everyone else who's mentioned it.

[SvNewbie]

I don't know if I've misunderstood but I'm not entirely sure it's JUST 46p a mile.
I get that on top of my wages like everyone else who's mentioned it.

Yeah, the costs involve make that seem more likely, but I've fairly sure Lew would have said if that was the case.

Also, not to mention an oil change every month, and a new chain and sprockets twice a year.

[JulesW]

I get £0.45 per mile for changing my location at work.

Once the expenses have eroded the £0.46 the rate will drop significantly in real terms.