Anyone who is a part of a courier company understands the challenge severe weather brings to the success of a courier company. A national distribution service such as Naparex faces the challenge of battling all of the elements throughout the year. While a local or regional courier company in the Midwest for example can be prepared for blizzards in the winter and flooding and severe thunderstorms in the summer, Naparex must be prepared for weather conditions across the country at any point in the year.
When customers request direct service during inclement weather it is the expectation that dispatch and the courier will do everything in their power to get the package there quickly and safely. When a threat of a severe storm is in the area dispatchers often have to have their eye on the radar so that they can warn both the drivers and the customer of a delay in service.
While a lot of businesses have the opportunity to shut down during severe inclement weather; like the snow storms that pounded the Midwest and east coast this past winter, a courier company is not one of them. We have to be available for the work that businesses that stay open need done and for the residents who can’t leave their homes.
This sort of work is managed in a few different ways. Naparex relies on websites like the Weather Channel website to alert us hours before we are to expect any serious weather. This way we can try and get our scheduled deliveries finished with early for the day if possible. This also gives dispatch the opportunity to line up drivers that have vehicles available to handle the elements. Most important, dispatch will monitor the road conditions by visiting a number of different state’s websites, this way we can keep the driver’s safe.

A courier service is an organized business that provides a unique delivery experience of packages and documents that range in size from an envelope and multiple skids. A courier service is typically much faster delivery time than other methods typically provided by companies such as DHL, FedEx and UPS. The courier service industry is a fairly robust industry in the Western world with over 11,000 courier businesses in United States of America. Courier service industry is one of the oldest industries which has been around since the need to deliver messages over great lengths. In today’s world of international business, a courier service is a pivotal to we used in everyday business. Services such as the fax machine enough of simply complemented the great need of delivery or physical products.

Courier service industry in the United States is a $59 billion industry and the largest player being United Parcel Service delivers more than 1 million packages globally each day. The average courier company in the United States does approximately $2.5 million a year in volume. The courier service industry in the United States is a very fragmented industry that has failed consolidation of several attempts. There are little barriers to entry into this business with very little government intervention compared to other regulated industries.

Most courier companies in the Western world use independent contractors move packages. It is estimated that up to 80% of businesses in the United States use independent contractors were delivered. These independent contractors utilize their own vehicle to make a direct route of delivery and get paid a percentage of the revenue. They are typically responsible for all their own expenses and essentially an independent contractor is running their own business.

Companies that use a courier service range from attorneys two major parts manufacturers. Consumers are beginning to utilize courier services deliveries and white glove delivery is from retailers and e-commerce stores. Courier service industry can move practically any package across the country in the same day and many couriers are beginning to offer national retail distribution.  This industry can also deliver and set up furniture, goods, electronics and other products through a service called white glove delivery.

By utilizing multiple couriers and other cities, integration of technology, and existing infrastructures such as the commercial airline industry, a national network has been created compete with the overnight carriers and offer same-day delivery in the United States.

With the increasing demand of consumers, courier service industry is poised to join the retail and e-commerce industries. Online retailers like Amazon, offering their local express delivery service, have begun to provide same day delivery to their customers.

With increasing technology, courier service business and provide electronic tracking via GPS with electronic signature capture from the point of pickup through the point of delivery from any point in the country. This means that customers and track their packages and real-time and receive real-time delivery and pickup notifications. By utilizing existing wireless technology, existing commercial infrastructures such as the commercial Airlines, and existing courier businesses with independent contractors, this industry and deliver the same quality of service is the major players with their own network.

Recently announced, those who drive vehicles in the transportation industry and courier services industry are going to be federally banned from texting under federal guidelines that the US transportation Sec. Ray LaHood announced.

“We want the drivers of big rigs and buses and those who share the roads with them to be safe,” LaHood said in a statement. “This is an important safety step, and we will be taking more to eliminate the threat of distracted driving.”
This is effective immediately.

Those drivers who choose to text while conducting their commercial vehicle can receive the civil or criminal penalties up to $2750. This is received from the Department of Transportation in a news release.

There was no further information on the release on how prohibition will be enforced on the federal basis.
As recent as September 2009, the Transportation Department launched a website located at http://www.distraction.gov to raise awareness of the sheer magnitude of the dangers of this corrected drivers.

During this month, January 2010, the national safety Council President Janet Froetsher announced the creation of the ad as a group named FocusDriven.  This is an organization that sports the families from those victims of distracted drivers and this is a nonprofit organization That Is Modeled after Mothers Against Drunk Driving.

It is said that drivers take their eyes off the road for at least 4.5 seconds out of every 6 seconds while they are texting. This means that if driver chooses to text their eyes off the road at least 75% of the time.  There is a clear correlation with research that shows drivers who text are at least 2000% more likely to crash their vehicle.

As of January 2010, there are at least 19 states have passed laws banning texting while driving. Six of these states including the District of Columbia and the Virgin Islands, completely ban the use of any handheld device while conducting a motor vehicle.
Included in this push, Pres. Obama signed an executive order requiring all federal employees do not text while driving any government-owned vehicles or government-owned equipment. This took effect January 1, 2010.
Information from the national Highway traffic safety administration, indicated more than 5900 people died in 2008 in automobile crashes that involved a driver that was texting, and there were at least half 1 million individuals in the United States that were injured.

In light of this new law, it is highly recommended and encouraged at every single independent contractor and driver in Courier and transportation industry do not utilize any of their devices while conducting their vehicle. When providing courier services, a driver to pull over to the side of the road to communicate with their electronic device.

Many local and national courier companies rely on the independent contractor model to successfully operate their business. In recent years abundant attention has been focused on the use of independent contractors by several different groups, among those groups is the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) as well as other federal and state labor agencies. These groups are looking closely at how companies are classifying their workers in an attempt to be sure the company is not avoiding taxation and other employee-related expenses. Class action lawyers have also joined in the advance by suing companies in the transportation industry as well as other industries.

Because of the recent spotlight and focus on the independent contractor model, companies are becoming frequently targeted by government agencies, plaintiff’s lawyers and unions. A company being targeted can find itself with unwanted publicity and unionization by existing workers and because of the previously lax laws regarding worker classification many companies are finding themselves in trouble and fines because of their misclassification. 

Several states have passed laws or are initiating legislation related to proper worker classification. Any Indianapolis Courier company and Pittsburgh Courier Company is going to have to be sure that they are not misclassifying their employee and independent contractors because both the state of Indiana and Pennsylvania introduced new legislation to take aggressive measures against worker misclassification.

There are important factors to remember when you own and/or operate a company that relies on the independent contractor model.  One of the most important being the use of properly worded formal written agreement between the independent contractor and the company. This agreement needs to highlight the rights of each party, the services that will be performed and many other facets of the business. The written and signed agreement needs to be kept in the contractor’s file along with other important documents to help distinguish the contractor from an employee if it is ever called into question. Contractor’s files should be looked at annually to check for any adjustments that need to be made. Taking a proactive approach with this issue is the best way to protect against the enforcement measures that are anticipated by state and federal legislation and the financial problems that could result.

Courierboard.com is offering a new resource to support the Independent Contractor Model. Courierboard.com has over 7,500 drivers with resumes to choose from. A company that uses Independent Contractor drivers can benefit from this resource because they will be able to maintain a diversified group of contractors and companies will reinforce their independent contractor status.

Independent contractor drivers can register for free on their own site, Courierboarddriver.com to create online profiles that include their resume; making it simple for them to apply for driving contracts  and to market themselves with driver available ads. Courierboard keeps an online summary of each driver’s advertising activity so that couriers can monitor that as well.

Courier companies are encouraged to reinforce their independent contractor drivers’ efforts to market and advertsie themselves; by maintaining a diverse contract base the a driver is more able to support their independent status. If you are the owner or operator of a Baltimore Courier Service, a Miami Courier Service, or any courier service in the U.S. you can benefit from this website.

A new website has been launched that will reach many people involved in the same day couriers business. http://couriersoftheworld.com is a website that was created with the intent to bring together individuals who are a part of many different aspects of the same day courier business. Members would include company owners, drivers, couriers, messengers and anyone else involved in the day to day operations of the same day courier industry. The best part is that the membership is free!

The website seeks to tailor its content for those in the same day courier business and they will find news, challenges, ideas and concerns that are relevant to those in the industry. Members will have access to discussion groups with topics that will be of interest to them and they will be aware of events happening near them. They will also benefit from social tools such as live chat and the capability to post and view videos.

Many will find that despite the distance and difference in cities and operations between the two companies they will share many of the same fears and challenges. An employee or independent contractor of a Chicago Courier Service now has the chance to offer someone who is a part of a Boston Courier Service some advice or helpful tips. This is an exciting opportunity for everyone involved in the same day courier industry or a national courier service to meet and network with others who work in the industry.

The courier service industry has been facing many challenges at the federal level in the past year and it looks as though it will continue to face those challenges throughout 2009. President Barack Obama and the Democrats have been working to push legislative agendas to the forefront. Two of those agendas are threatening to the courier business. The first would affects the way an employee driver based company would operate. The “Employee Free Choice Act” takes away a worker’s right to privacy when voting whether or not to join a union. A union would then be able to organize just by a majority of the workers signing a card; this is called a “card check”. The MCAA along with 500 other associations has joined the Coalition for a Democratic Workplace to oppose this legislation.
Those businesses that base their operations on independent contractors are also facing a serious threat. A legislation is being drafted to intensely modify if not eliminate the independent contractor model altogether. There will be congressional committee hearings and markups regarding this issue. The MCAA has been actively opposing this legislation as well. On March 5, 2009 in Washington, DC they hosted a MCAA Lobby Day, attendee’s were able to speak with their congressional office about the issues affecting the courier industry.