Green Courier Jobs Could Mean More Business

Over the years, the movement to go green has become more and more mainstream. The general population are more concerned about the environment than ever before, and are taking steps in their everyday lives to improve how they treat the earth – recycling, using less electricity and reducing waste are just three examples of this. This could affect the logistics industry and courier jobs, and change the way that businesses operate.

If we’ve sparked your curiosity, read on to learn about what environmentally-conscious customers want and how you can cater to their desires.

By the Numbers

In a recent survey, it was revealed that a whopping two-fifths of Brits believe that retailers are doing poorly when it comes to offering sustainable delivery options. Now, this may not seem like a big deal, but studies have shown that 43% of the British population would shop with a rival retailer if they had more environmentally-friendly delivery choices. In fact, 26% of consumers were shocked to hear how many companies still only offered home delivery.

There’s no doubt here that customers have one colour on their mind (namely, green), which means that those who work courier jobs should as well.

Couriers Go Green

Home delivery is, of course, great – and although many consumers value the convenience, they are beginning to think it’s entirely overdone. They’ve noticed that sustainable delivery options are often offered as what appears to be an add-on or afterthought. Retailers should make sure to include alternatives such as prominent store kiosks, click and collect and consolidated deliveries.

A huge part to how these alternatives reduce environmental impact comes down to allowing fewer vehicles on the road. Understandably, this may seem a bit scary if you’re someone who works courier jobs – but it doesn’t have to at all. Many alternatives are a good thing for the logistics industry. They’ll allow you the chance to diversify your business and gain profitable new clients.

How is this so? Well, just think about it – if you’re offering green options, you’re going to attract a whole new kind of environmentally-conscious clientele. As this is still a fairly niche market, it’s good to get in early and establish relationships that could potentially last a lifetime… which means you could be conducting business with them for years to come.

Consider offering consolidated deliveries. As the name suggests, this is the practice of combining loads, parcels and packages that are due to be delivered to a particular area and placing them all in one vehicle – meaning you’ll only have to make one trip. Not only will this be appealing to potential retailers, but it will also reduce fuel consumption and vehicle wear and tear, meaning you’ll be saving a few pounds along the way.

If you’re in the logistics industry, expect your courier jobs to become greener and greener. However, a change of colour doesn’t mean a change in how much business you’ll have… at least not a negative one!

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Norman Dulwich is a correspondent for Courier Exchange, the world's largest neutral trading hub for same day courier jobs in the express freight exchange industry. Numerous transport exchange businesses are networked together on their website, trading jobs and capacity through what is now the fastest growing Freight Exchange in the UK.