Courier work and owner-driver opportunities in Hampshire, Berkshire and Surrey

Rapid Despatch works with self-employed owner-drivers around its four branches in Basingstoke, Reading, Farnborough and Southampton, with small vans, Transit and Sprinter-type vans and Lutons, on same-day work that comes in at any hour.

We work with drivers who understand that urgent delivery is about more than moving quickly. At both ends of the journey, the driver is Rapid Despatch as far as the customer is concerned.

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Open roles

1 role open

Every role below is a self-employed owner-driver contract with your own vehicle, working out of the branch named on it.

Nothing here that fits? It is still worth being on file. Work comes up at short notice and the drivers we already know are the ones we ring first.

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Requirements

  • Own van, with hire and reward insurance and Public Liability Insurance
  • Live within 10 miles of Basingstoke or Farnborough
  • Self-employed position
  • Prepared to work hard

The role

Rapid Despatch is a local independent business. We urgently require enthusiastic, hard working owner drivers with their own small van or large van to join our growing business at our busy Basingstoke office. Direct, A-B deliveries, we are not a multi-drop company, local and national work. We have regular work as well as ad-hoc bookings which can cover the whole of the UK.

Pay
£700 - £1,000 per week

What we offer

  • Excellent mileage rates
  • Flexible around your availability, one day or three days a week, no problem
  • Weekly pay direct into your account via BACS
  • Self-invoicing, no paperwork
  • Immediate starts available
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Same-day courier jobs: what the work involves

Work comes up for small vans, large Transit and Sprinter-type vans and Lutons.

Same-day courier work normally means collecting a consignment and delivering it directly to the destination. You get the collection and delivery information, check the consignment at collection, follow the operational instruction, keep the controller informed and complete the proof of delivery. Some runs are local; some cross the country. Same-day work comes in at any hour, so some of it falls well outside office hours.

A courier loading boxes into the back of a van on a town street

What we expect

Accurate proof of delivery

Complete the recipient name, time and signature or photograph properly; a blank POD is a serious problem even when the goods arrived on time.

Confidentiality

Customer names, addresses, products and documents are confidential; do not photograph, discuss or post them.

Safe and legal driving

No deadline justifies unsafe driving, illegal parking, overloading or hours breaches.

Owner-driver vehicle expectations

Exact requirements depend on the opportunity and get confirmed by us. Generally an owner-driver needs a roadworthy, clean and suitable commercial vehicle, the right insurance, legal documentation and the equipment the work calls for.

Useful kit includes load restraints, blankets, a sack truck, PPE, navigation and a phone that holds a charge. Larger or specialist vehicles bring their own equipment and qualification requirements.

The vehicle needs to be free of leaks, strong odours and anything else that could contaminate or damage goods. Know your internal dimensions and your payload. Accepting a load that exceeds capacity or can't be secured isn't acceptable at any price.

When you apply, give the exact make, model, body type, internal load dimensions, payload, registration year and any tail lift or specialist features. "Large van" tells an allocator nothing.

A courier checking a delivery list on a clipboard beside a loaded van

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Where opportunities arise

From our branches in Basingstoke, Reading, Farnborough and Southampton, we cover Berkshire, Hampshire and Surrey for local and same-day work, and deliver nationwide and internationally every day.

Work comes up around all four branches. Tell us where you're actually based and what response area is realistic from there, because telling a controller you're somewhere you aren't is the fastest way to stop getting calls.

Branch pages, if you want to see what each one covers: Basingstoke · Reading · Farnborough · Southampton. More about us on the about page.

Specialist work and working standards

Some work involves pallets, exhibition goods, confidential documents, high-value items or international road movements. That can require particular vehicles, experience, security, equipment, licences or qualifications.

Don't claim a qualification or capability you can't evidence. We verify the documents before allocating work that depends on them, and the same applies to dangerous goods in limited quantities and larger vehicles up to about 18 tonnes.

Courier work FAQs

Any open roles are listed at the top of this page. What we need changes with demand, area and season, so there are quiet periods as well as busy ones. If nothing is listed, or nothing listed fits, send the form anyway: work comes up at short notice and the drivers we already know are the ones we ring first.

Yes. Our drivers are self-employed owner-drivers with their own vehicles.

Small vans, large Transit and Sprinter-type vans and Lutons, depending on demand. Larger vehicles up to about 18 tonnes are available on request. Give us exact specifications when you apply.

Same-day work comes in at any hour, so out-of-hours work comes up. Declare your availability honestly, though it doesn't guarantee a particular volume of work.

It helps, and every opportunity has its own criteria. Reliability, safe driving, communication and accurate handling matter more than a CV.

It depends on the work and the contract, and may include commercial vehicle, hire-and-reward, goods-in-transit and public liability cover. We'll confirm exactly what evidence we need.

Yes, if you have the vehicles, experience and verifiable qualifications. State them accurately, because allocation is subject to verification and operational need.

The form links to our recruitment privacy notice.

Ready to apply?

Get your vehicle and experience details straight, and send the form. If you’re booking a courier or making a sales enquiry, use the contact page instead.

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