Where to start.
XDA rental, an XDA is a small computer often running Windows, but with custom software on, ours work as phones, how we get our work and where the customer signs, they often have sat-nav software.
The main costs are:
Bike rental and petrol, followed by wear and tear of all your gear, you soon find out that stuff sold for what for most people is a ride to work and back, or a pleasure ride at the weekend, is not up to the abuse of often 12 hours a day, day in.
Some companies charge bike rental, full stop. Our company works a points system, 2 points for each job you do, the more points you get the less you pay, and if you go over 15 jobs a day, every day for a week, you get a free week, but for example, get a job to Manchester and it takes all day so only 2 points, you then have to work harder to make up the points, most weeks I pay £25 rental, their is another AL rider on the board who I think manages to get a free bike most weeks. I prefer distance work, plug in the music and off I go.
Most firms allow you to use your own bike, but then you have to replace your own tyres, brake pads etc, during the winter I was going through a rear set of pads every two weeks, I probably go through a rear tyre every 8 weeks. If you use your own bike, you have to have courier insurance and your nice new bike is soon going to be a worn out wreck.
If you are sick, no pay. If you get knocked off, no pay, in theory you are self employed and can work when you want, but if you don’t work, you don’t get paid much and are no use to the company.
The rates you quoted are about average, city sprint are the lowest payers that I know of, I think they are on 55p a mile, Addison Lee (Who I work for) pay 85p and £3.75 minimum, and we do get a decent amount of cash work that pays nearly double and we keep it all (In theory if you pay tax, the tax man takes a share), some companies take some of it back.
When I last did the job in 1986, before I came back two years ago, we were on 45p a mile, but you could fill up a tank for less than a £5, I bought two houses and at one time was collecting a sovereign a month, I was earning 3 times average wage with ease, no where near that sort of money now.
Some companies take on complete novices but they tend to be the smaller companies, it is very unlikely Addison Lee would take you on, they can afford to be fussy as they pay well.
As a newbie you will really struggle, it takes a few months to find your feet, learn the companies account customers, find all the best routes around the west end and city that a sat-nav will never show you. A lot of people struggle to earn much at all for their first few weeks as you take a long time finding places so you do less jobs and pay more bike rental.
At the moment there are really too many riders chasing too few jobs, so the industry is suffering, but then that’s the same for every one.
The last few weeks have been a nightmare, coming home damp most days, riding in the rain for 10 or more hours is just not nice.
It is a job that can spoil you for other work, once you get used to the freedom (Yes there is some) it is hard to go back to a job with a boss and normal hours. For example get a job to Brighton after about 12noon and you can probably go and sit on the beach for the rest of the day, no one tells you what way to go.
Having said all of that, I choose to come back to this job after a 25 year lay off, I moan about it all day about it but in truth I do it because I want to, I own a very large house a long way away and could go back if I wanted, but I love the variety.
When I leave home in the morning, I never know where I will end up, I could spend the whole day in the west end and city, or I could be in Scotland or Wales (I even went to Northern Ireland once), a few months ago my first job was taking a kiddies heart from Portsmouth to the Brompton hospital, my next job was taking a curtain pelmet from sw3 to w8, you meet celebs (Some are really nice) I have met Myleene Klass, Gary lineker, Minty and Archie from Eastenders, Michael Palin (A few times and always have a laugh with him), I have delivered to and been inside No 10, the houses of commons and lords, the treasury, St James Palace, the gatehouse of Buckingham palace, loads of other interesting places.
My best advise is don’t do it, but if you do I will help you out if I can.
Bob
