Career Options
Today's couriers deliverIt was during the late 1960s and early 1970s that businesses (mainly banks) first began to realize the value of having a dedicated delivery service other than Canada Post. |
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 [ 2002-10-30 ] |
Industry growth was rapid from this time forward, with annual double digit increases right through until the mid 1980s, fueled by a series of postal strikes and an ever increasing pace of business.
The current total Canadian courier market is estimated at about $5 billion annually.
This business is handled by an estimated 2,400 courier companies, employing more than 62,000 people utilizing 16,000 delivery vehicles, hundreds of aircraft and more than 400 local sortation centres.
For those individuals who thrive in a fast-paced, ever-changing environment, the courier industry can offer some truly interesting employment opportunities.
One of the greatest areas of need in the industry at the present time, in terms of employment, is drivers. Courier companies utilize various types of drivers/vehicles to make deliveries including passenger cars, cube vans, straight trucks and even tractor-trailers.
A courier driver is also much more than a simple delivery person. As a front line representative, or ambassador of their company, most couriers have a number of responsibilities beyond driving alone. These include maintaining schedules, paperwork completion/report writing, quality assurance, customer service and cash management, to name a few.
Successful drivers typically possess a number of important skills and personality traits, including problem solving skills, communication skills (verbal and written), they pay attention to detail, a customer service ethic and time management skills.
For more information about about couriers, visit www.canadiancourier.org.
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