Take a look at which exchange websites are worth the membership fee to gain extra work for your courier business.
So you’re looking for more courier work, you have searched the internet and found lots of websites that promise they have 100s jobs available every day and that you can find loads immediately if you become a member. But can you trust them? Which sites really are the best ones to join?
That’s a question I asked myself over and over when I first started out as a courier. I was new to the industry and was looking for the best way to find extra work so that I could start paying the bills. But the trouble is, with most websites it’s hard to trust them when you have nothing to guarantee what kind of return you will get for your membership fee.
Some of the subscription fees can be relatively huge and to new owner-drivers, when you’ve just bought a van (along with your specialised courier insurance etc.) you will probably be watching every penny you spend until you start to see your own invoices being paid. That’s when I had the idea that, as I’ve already tried MOST of the main websites myself, I had enough information to give some fair advice about which sites are worth joining, and what you can realistically expect once you’re on there.
The recent lockdown caused by COVID-19 has seen a significant decrease in the number of deliveries required in the UK. Because of this, the number of loads posted across ALL work exchange platforms has dropped.
Some of our results were taken BEFORE the lockdown and may represent the peak periods where the more work was available. We are currently working on new reviews of many sites. If you are planning to sign up to any network, please take into account the changing situation around the UK.
The Courier Exchange is the one site you will hear other couriers talk about, commonly referred to as ‘CX’. It’s used by many large Hauliers, courier companies and freight forwarders sub out their work, meaning it offers the most potential to owner-drivers.
The downside of that is the increased competition for work, and the higher subscription fee compared to other providers.
Currently the most promising newcomer to the market. Work levels are increasing and the subscription fee is easily affordable for anyone, whether you’re starting out or a veteran. Simple to use system and new features added regularly.
When I started out in 2012, this was seen as a real competitor to the Courier Exchange, but the vast majority of loads now are for 7.5 tonne vehicles and up. Seems to have regular work available for anyone with that kind of capacity. Cheaper than CX, but more expensive than SDCN.
Read More (coming soon)
Shorter bar represents lower price. Some platforms charge annually and we have averaged those prices out to represent what the monthly fee would be.
Longer bar represents more loads. Our figures are rough estimates taken from averaging high/low traffic regions. Some areas get more loads than others.
Longer bar represents better value. This is only the opinion of Couriers TV researchers and is not influenced by the platforms represented in tests.
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This site has struggled over the last couple of years, with the only regular work being posted seeming to come from Courier Expert. May improve - watch this space.
Just a large courier company with a large sub-contractor base, by subscription. Sign up and pay a fee to be notified of work, but you can find many of the jobs on other sites for free, so why pay?
Shiply was once a big player due to its ability to draw interest from Ebay. Drivers earning power often low and would only ever use it for backloads. Free to use. New review coming soon.
Anyvan has changed and now more focussed on furniture removals. Seems to be heading to an 'Uber' style business model where drivers are almost tied into only working for them.
The loads on here are again more of the Shiply and Anyvan variety, despite the site trying to market itself more towards the Courier Exchange. Falls far short. Paid for service.
Not a lot to tell as, from what we've experienced, there has been no work for couriers. Focus seems to be on member benefits, but the member fee to join is huge. Read the full review here.
Used to be a cult-site that had a small number of members who seemed to share things between each other, but if you didn't know the secret handshake you didn't get anything. Now closed.
It's looking like Loadie has gone to the great website in the sky. No sign of recent maintenance or any effort to resurrect it. We've tried to contact them but no response
Missed one?
Are there any websites we haven't included here? Or do you have a different opinion on which sites are worth using? Let us know!
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