2006 Civic: 900,000+ miles! ( engine #2)

[Shinare]

How much does a "courier" make anyway? If it pays more than I'm making right now then where do I sign up?

[Kal-El]

Originally Posted by mazilla

I used to put 100K a year on, it's no uncommon in this business...and yes, it's a luxury to be able to do it in the comfort of your own car vs. a tractor/trailer/box stuck in the slow lane or even a POS cargo van.

I'm a UPS driver. 10 hours a day driving a crappy 25 year old truck. Old crude stick shift, no power steering, no radio, no climate controls! A 20 year old economy car is pure luxury in comparison.

On another note, Mazilla, I'm curious at what ultimately went wrong with the first engine in your Yaris? I don't recall ever seeing a post on that. If you don't mind me asking.

Originally Posted by Shinare

How much does a "courier" make anyway? If it pays more than I'm making right now then where do I sign up?

I've always wondered that. These high mile couriers never seem to announce what they make. Lower mileage couriers don't make all that much I believe but guys that do well over 100K a year is a mystery.

Another question Mazilla may be able to weigh in on?

[mazilla]

Originally Posted by Kal-El

I'm a UPS driver. 10 hours a day driving a crappy 25 year old truck. Old crude stick shift, no power steering, no radio, no climate controls! A 20 year old economy car is pure luxury in comparison.

The hardest working men/women in the business from what I've seen...besides the way you guys tend to handle packages "with care" I have the utmost respect for UPS drivers...a couple hundred stops per day is hardcore.



On another note, Mazilla, I'm curious at what ultimately went wrong with the first engine in your Yaris? I don't recall ever seeing a post on that. If you don't mind me asking.

Nothing, I traded the engine for the labor to do the swap since it ran so well(the mechanic that maintained it before I bought it did the swap). I just wanted something fresh for the turbo...which I am lagging on BIG TIME.


I've always wondered that. These high mile couriers never seem to announce what they make. Lower mileage couriers don't make all that much I believe but guys that do well over 100K a year is a mystery.


Sadly, as couriers we don't make much. Our business is driven by the bottom line, since we specialized in business/business deliveries(who monitor every penny spent) we are only able to charge a fraction of what you'd see the average UPS/FEDEX/ETC customer pay. As such we generally pay a couple dollars over minimum for the small routes and about .30 or so a mile(up to .50 depending on vehicle type). For the all day, hundreds of miles drivers we usually pay minimum plus the their mileage rate...but we only put the most fuel efficient choice on these routes so we try to keep it at .25/.30 if we can hire there.


It looks light when you think "only .25 per mile + minimum wage" and it may very well be if you, as a driver, don't play your cards right.

The pros will get a Toyota truck with a shell, extended cab with the long bed. They'll get into a 300-400 mile per day route that gets them 9 or so hours. The truck can carry a lot, gets great gas mileage, and the depreciation wear/tear on a Toyota is as low as it gets.

That driver could make 100.00 in mileage(tax free) and roughly 70.00(after tax) in hourly...170.00 a day is not bad take home, but it's as good as you'd ever hope for as a driver in this business. Figure 3-5% per day dedicated to repairs/depreciation over the life of the vehicle.

They will almost always have a second driving job too.



Another question Mazilla may be able to weigh in on?

I'm writing this after getting up an our ago to deal with some delays...now I can't sleep because I'm worried about how the day is going to pan out. Good times!

[Kal-El]

Thanks Mazilla, good info.

[nookandcrannycar]

Originally Posted by mazilla

I'm writing this after getting up an our ago to deal with some delays...now I can't sleep because I'm worried about how the day is going to pan out. Good times!

IIRC, when you bought the company, with this Yaris and the 19 others, the engine on this Yaris had been replaced once because it was cheaper for the previous owner to replace it than repair it. What went wrong with the 'OEM' engine? Something typical that would be valuable knowledge for other Yaris owners ?

[mazilla]

Originally Posted by nookandcrannycar

IIRC, when you bought the company, with this Yaris and the 19 others, the engine on this Yaris had been replaced once because it was cheaper for the previous owner to replace it than repair it. What went wrong with the 'OEM' engine? Something typical that would be valuable knowledge for other Yaris owners ?

I don't know what happened with that one, the same mechanic did that swap too and he couldn't recall what the problem was...I've always wondered.

[nookandcrannycar]

Originally Posted by mazilla

I don't know what happened with that one, the same mechanic did that swap too and he couldn't recall what the problem was...I've always wondered.

[nookandcrannycar]

The weather and the topography would matter to me. The YouTube guy from Iowa (Toyota of Des Moines purchase -- Corolla -- 500k miles in 3 years) would have humidity in the Summer (and ugh, Winter in Iowa and the other 3 states he drives in) plus pretty flat topography. Trini = better Winter weather, but SOME of those drivers in South Florida (the worst drivers in the U.S.), ugh. Some of the drivers in Southern California are crazy, but I'd rather deal with the topography and the weather that Mazilla and his employees experience than the other two.