UKC

How easy is it to set yourself up as one of these? Is it something that is easy to leave and return to, for instance, between climbing trips abroad. Are there ongoing costs that need to be paid even if not working. Is it lucrative or do you just end up earning minimum wage?

In reply to Tyler:

I deal with courier drivers daily. Many of them sub contract to large companies such as UKMail or DHD, they seem to be on the shit end of a stick to me and not earning minimum wage. e.g. A DHD owner driver told me she gets two weeks holiday a year, i.e. DHD arranges cover, if she wants more, she has to arrange and pay for cover. So to have a week off is a double whammy of losing a weeks wages and paying another driver to cover for her.
I know another bloke who specialises in moving motor bikes. He bought a new or newish van and he is busy and makes a fair wage, however he did tell me he is not putting enough aside to cover the deprecation and buy a new van when the current one is knackered. So he is earning a wage but his capital investment is being lost.

In reply to J1234:

Similar story with a bloke I know who delivers for deliveroo.
He loves it because he takes home between £1000 and £1500 a month but he doesn't take in to account running his own motorbike, insurance costs, bike gear costs or ultimately replacing it when it's dead
Obviously no sick or holiday pay either.
All in all a crappy deal in my eyes.

In reply to J1234 and DaxH:
Thanks both, that's the sort of insight I was after. It's sounds as though if you want a second income or occasional work you'd be better off just stacking shelves.