One of the talents that you must (or at least should have) have is the natural born ability to operate a standard sized cargo van effectively.  The key word here is effectively .  Anyone can operate a car, but can you really drive it ?   Without pondering this subject to death, if - if you have 20/20 vision, then - spacial relationship (the distance between two objects) then for sure, you should not be a "professional driver".  Many people are sliping through the cracks.  DMV's around the United States are set up to give you the very basic of knowledge.  Where do you learn the rest ?  On the road - at others expense... sad but true.  That's why driving is so dangerous to your life.  And, lets not forget a dozen other factors that make driving dangerous (i.e.;  Drunk; Insane, First time, Old people, and the Asshole drivers).  Some people cannot tell the difference (in distance) between two objects.  These people should not be Independent Couriers. 

          As a Person:

          There are things you can do as a driver to be as effective as possible.

          They are:                               

                               1.   Go to the bathroom when you're out of your vehicle

                                2.   Haste makes waste / no hurry  no worry

                                3.   Wear your seat belt

                                4.   Don't feel groggy or tired     

                                5.   Be deliberate in how you look (with your eyes) at things

                                6.   Be aware of and understand what you're looking at

                                7.   Make sure you're sitting on a soft comfortable seat

                                8.   Following the flow-of-events with correct deliberate actions

 

          One of the departments you are in charge of as Owner Operator.  You are required to perform tasks while you are Driving.        

          As a Driver and Vehicle Commander:  

                              1.    Operate a Motor Vehicle
                              2.    Contend with Other Vehicles
                              3.    Pay Tolls
                              4.    Answer the Phone
                              5.    Clerical Production
                              6.    Process Delivery Orders
                              7.    Route Deliveries
                              8.    Loading and Unloading Laborer
                              9.    Public Relations Negotiator  
                              10.  Responsible Functioning American

 

 

 Background Intelligence 

     The Driver and Vehicle Commander aspect of your Courier Business is the labor or service your company provides.  This department handles "Operating your Van", and "Loading and Unloading items" from your vehicle to the delivery site.

     Most delivery work that couriers perform involves a substantial amount of physical labor.  Your duties as a Driver and Vehicle Commander are to operate your vehicle on the streets and highway's of the United States.  Every State has different Laws concerning the safe operation of any vehicle.  Do you know all the Motor Vehicle laws in all 50 states ?,  no.   So, if you make a delivery from your home-state to a neighboring state, when your cross the state line border, do you automatically know what the laws are in that state you just crossed over into ?, no.  So where does this leave you as far as your MO (modes-operandi) is concerned. 

     Well, the Laws in all 50 states are not all that different then the states that they neighbor, but there are subtle differences.  There are thousands of motor vehicle laws nationwide.  Do you know all of them ?, no.  You usually get a free education about motor vehicle laws if you violate the law.  Either the Police Officer issuing the ticket gives you the low-down, or when you get to court, the Judge can explain the law to you in more detail.  However, it is your responsibility to be aware of laws.  This is the only country in earth's history where the people or citizenry, make the laws. 

     The laws are conjured-up from common sense thinking about life.  Some States have different people living in them, different people in different states.  But, we are all Americans, and under that premise, we act as team players in order to function and be productive.  All this sounds philosophical and theoretical, but, basic rules of behavior apply.  The primary reasoning of all laws is what is reasonable.  The word Reasonable is open to a little interpretation, but it primarily means what a consensus of regular people find as an acceptable way of conducting their lives.  If you are unreasonable, than you are going against what your fellow citizens believe. 

     The Law Library in every county courthouse,  in every state has a series of books.  This particular category of books pertains to Motor Vehicle Laws, which are updated every year.  If you take half a day, and visit a Law Library, you should read the Motor Vehicle law books to get a better understanding of what mv laws are about.  A basic rule for Driving is, Keep your vehicle under control.  This means allot.  Keeping your vehicle under control means demonstrating a calm, cool demeanor when behind the wheel.  Driving is just one of the aspects of Driving (in the courier context) .  When doing a delivery, you will perform a half dozen duties in addition to driving.