Courier Drivers Need These 27 Things on The Road | Pete the Courier Driver

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Knowing what to take with you on the road if you're new to courier driving can be a pain. Wouldn't it be great if you could find out all the most useful things you need to take with you before you start out? Today, Pete the Courier Driver tells you what you need and why.

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If you're just driving a van, all you actually need is a valid driving license and you need insurance. Which is either a higher and reward, or goods in transit insurance.

Some people also go for public liability. It’s not necessarily a must, it's a handy thing to have. On top of which if you're driving a bigger vehicle, like a seven half tonner or over, you may need a different license, depending on when you got your driving license and you'll need a CPC card and you'll need a driver's card. CPC card is one of these things you have to do every five years.

There are other things also that it's handy to have: Two forms of ID, your driver's license, then a passport or, if you've got one, company ID. This often is for airports and things like that they need two to let you in.

That's basically what you need by law. Then of course, there's the things you're going to need to run in; your clothes. You're going to want to be comfortable. It's very sunny at the moment, so I am currently standing here in shorts.

But also boots. Because a lot of the places you'd go to, probably 50% of the places you go to, might require PPE. So you're going to need some other PPE too.

So from the PPE point of view; you’ve got a hard hat, you've got a high-visibility vest. I've also got a padded one. You can have high visibility, jacket, gloves are not necessary, but you're gonna use them all the time, and glasses.

Here you go, here’s my strap box. We have five tonne straps. I have two tonne straps. That's the fancy one. That's like a recliner, that’s a retractable one. If you’ve just the normal ones, you’ll do absolutely fine. WD 40 in there. Corners for tramping down a load. Also in the back; shrink-wrap, anything that could take that you can put next to the load.

And then my drivers bag, there’s a flask for the tea. We've got a pad and paper, first aid kit This I need; my driver's card. Not everybody's going to need one of those, tea and coffee .

Your PPE is important because it can stop you getting onto site. Straps are important because it will stop you breaking stuff when you come over. If you go out on the road and you haven't got a cup of tea, you can always stop at one of those drive-through things to get yourself a cup of tea. So you don't necessarily have to have a flask. Some people like a nice coffee. I just won’t pay the money.

Other things. The most important thing, ironically enough, is this thing I'm carrying in my hand, the phone. The phone is going to be your sat nav, is going to be the way your jobs come through sometimes, it might be your DAB radio, it's the way you keep in contact with people.

So that's just a basic overview. But before we go on, I'd just like to say three things that I think people sometimes miss that I think are a blinder and that will carry you on with a job.

Firstly, you want to get yourself a torch. I know you got one on your phone, but if you're going to do your walk round check in the morning on the truck to make sure that everything's all right, and the wheels haven't fallen out, and no one's had a go at your diesel, it's very handy. If you're trying to find Rose Cottage in your small van at 10 o'clock at night in a dark village, you got the light on the phone, a decent torch will stand you in good stead, that’ a bit of a boon.

Also you want to grab yourself a knife. A knife is a very handy thing to have. You’re probably better with a Stanley, or a box cutter.

And last, but by no means least, this guy: It's a pen. But it's not just any pen, it's a fat marker pen. I mean, you can get the Pento ones or the Pilot ones.

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