Earn extra money driving
If you have a driving licence then you have plenty of extra opportunities
open to you to earn some extra money, by doing driving jobs.
As well as the most obvious ways of earning money driving with
your own car, such as: mini-cabbing, taxi-driving and night and
weekend driving jobs, there may be some others that you haven't
considered.
Driving for work providing catalogue delivery
and directory distribution can provide an occasional extra earner,
or can develop into a steady and regular income. There are several
direct sales outfits, like Kleeneze or Avon, who you can work
for and build into a useful part-time, or full-time income, if
the demand is there.
Becoming a qualified driving instructor
can fit in with your available hours, and you can steadily build
up a customer base, as more of your learner drivers recommend
you to their friends and family. As you teach your learner drivers
you are also advertising your driving skills if you have clear
contact details on your car. This is a good way to get more driving
instructor jobs.
As well as checking out the local ads for driving jobs, it is
quick and easy to find driving work online. You can also find
driving work by leaflet drops, placing cards in newsagents and
post offices and visiting likely businesses, who may need a driver.
If you need to brush up on your driving
skills or learn some new ones don't forget that there are affordable
driving courses as well as loads of online advice.
Buying and Selling
Cars
If you have an eye for a bargain, then buying and selling cars
on a small scale can be a 'nice little earner'.
There are great bargains to be had at the car auctions, if you
don't mind taking a risk, although in many ways it's safer than
buying privately as some auctions will check for outstanding HP,
accident write-offs etc. You can also pay for a vehicle check
of your own - this is important to consider, as you could lose
your money and the vehicle if it turns out to be stolen.
RAC
Vehicle Checks (opens in new window)
Many people are wary about buying at auction, as they feel uncomfortable
with the whole bidding procedure. If you've never done it before,
then pay a few visits to the auction before buying, to get the
feel of it and find out how it works. Don't forget to check
the going rate and don't forget buyers' premiums, VAT and
a deposit!
In the UK, the law says that trade sellers have many more obligations
to the buyer, than private sellers, so unless you want to fall
foul of trading standards, make sure you understand what rules
and regulations you need to comply with when you're selling cars
for profit.
Car Repairs
and Servicing
With the credit crunch biting into
everyone's motoring budget, if you are skilled in car mechanics
why not offer cut-price car repair and servicing? Without
the overheads of running a garage you can probably undercut
their expensive prices.
Everyone needs somebody they can
rely on to sort out their car problems, or just carry out
important routine maintenance, such as: servicing, oil changes
and battery replacement. If you have the necessary skills
and equipment, offer these services at the client's home
or workplace - go the extra mile and offer delivery and
collection services, how about collecting the customers
car from their workplace and returning it later that day
serviced and with a new MOT. Lots of people are time-poor
and anything that saves them the hassle having to find a
garage and arrange dropping off and collecting their vehicle
will appeal.
There are related services you could
offer such as repairs to caravans, campers and trailers,
scratch repair and dent-pulling services and alloy wheel
refurbishment Check out franchises
in this field.
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Car Valeting
This is a good example of a business which
you can grow organically, it's easy to get started with little
or no investment. Most part-timers start by travelling to the
customers' home or work. You'll need a vacuum cleaner and a full
range of interior and exterior cleaning products, for inside and
outside the vehicle - washing and polishing equipment. The advantage
of working at the customers' home or place of business is that
you may get extra business from passers by and colleagues. If
you are going to work from home you will need a driveway to work
in and preferably understanding neighbours. As in car repairs
above, you could add value by offering other services such as
scratch repair, dent-pulling and alloy wheel refurbishment.
Catalogue
Delivery and Distribution jobs
If you enjoy keeping fit and getting
out in the open air then catalogue, directory and leaflet
delivery might suit you. Work can be seasonal (catalogues),
or regular (leaflets) and can be carried out during the
day or evening. A catalogue delivery job can be quite physically
demanding as they normally have to be delivered within a
set time period. One of the major players in the UK is Home
Delivery Network.
Don't forget that there are also
catalogue sales opportunities like Kleeneze
where you distribute catalogues and take orders for a variety
of domestic products. Or you could join over 5 million women
and become a representative for the biggest direct selling
beauty company in the world Avon
. There are also opportunities with some companies to
increase your earnings with party
plans.
You can find freelance catalogue
delivery jobs, or work using your own car as a courier,
by looking in your local press or contacting your local
free-ads paper. Also it's worth asking any companies that
publish free magazines in your area, to see if they have
any local delivery work available.
Yellow Pages, BT and other directories
are delivered in the UK by Deya Limited. More on delivery
Jobs with Deya. Jobs delivering Thompson
Local Directories. TNT
Post also offer jobs delivering leaflets and directories |
Courier Driving
- using your own car as courier, motorcycle courier, cycling courier
jobs or
self-employed courier jobs
If
you live in a big city then there can be opportunities to work
as a courier. You'll need to be fast and reliable and own your
own bike, cycle or car. Contact the courier companies direct,
watch local ads, or check out the Motorbike weekly and monthly
magazines. Most of the work tends to be during business hours,
so it's not generally an easy job to carry out on a part-time
basis, although it might suit you if you're working shifts. But
beware, as this is a job you need to be alert in.
It's a great job when the sun is shining and if you love driving
or biking, but there are generally plenty of traffic hazards and
discomforts. (To name but a few - you can be too hot, too cold,
too wet, get saddle sore, suffer an aching back, experience lorries
turning left, everyone wanting to turn right across your path,
and of course car doors opening in your path!)
In London particularly, there is also the option to do cycling
courier jobs, but many find the exhaust fumes difficult, so it
is wise to wear a mask if you are likely to be stuck in lots of
heavy traffic for a good part of your journey. Reflective clothing
and a helmet is a must for anyone on a bike. Over the past few
years, bicycle couriers have been more in evidence as cities become
ever more congested, especially during rush hours. Read about
one person's experience
as a bicycle courier.
Additionally, for the car or van owner,
home delivery driving jobs are also often carried out by owner-drivers
using their own vehicles. You'll usually be asked to pick up a
car or van load of catalogue goods from a distribution depot or
warehouse, and then carry out a multi-drop route delivering items
to customers' homes. You can find courier driver work on sites
such as Anyvan
where you post your details and can search for courier runs starting
in your area or return runs stc.
Finally a caveat - be careful and do your
research before parting with any cash for guides or e-books etc
that promise to tell you how to become a courier and earn up to
hundreds of pounds a day.
Driving Instructor
jobs
Driving
instruction fits in well as a work-from-home job, but does require
investment as regards training and vehicle costs. To train as
a qualified driving instructor you'll need to have held a full
UK driving licence for a minimum of three and a half years, have
less than six penalty points and not have been disqualified from
driving within the past four years.
You need to pass some stiff exams:
- a theory test
- a driving ability assessment
- a test of instructional ability
and also have a criminal record check as part of the process,
to ensure that you are a 'fit and proper person' to become an
instructor.
The DSA (Driving Standards Agency) has full details on how
to become a driving instructor on its website. Once you've
passed the exams you can register as an Approved Driving Instructor
(ADI) and work from home on a self-employed, employed or franchise
basis.
Earnings for a full-time instructor can be up to £30K per
annum, and much less pro-rata, as even if you teach driving as
a part-time job, the fixed costs such as paying for the car and
insurance remain the same, so unless you can arrange a job-share
or similar, it's really a full-time occupation.
Limo Driving work
Limo driving is another driving job that fits well around a daytime
job, as the highest demand is at nights and weekends.
Clients range from business users through weddings to proms and
hen nights so limo drivers need to be presentable, friendly, calm
and reliable and have a full, clean driving licence.
Some companies may also require a PCV licence and criminal record
check. Contact your local limo company to enquire about vacancies.
Lorry Driving - LGV and PCV licences for driving
lorries and buses
If you have the correct HGV licences required you can look for
lorry driving jobs. If you want to drive a large goods vehicle
(LGV) or a bus or coach - a passenger carrying vehicle (PCV),
you will need a full driving licence, and be over 21, before you
can apply for a provisional licence to learn to drive these larger
vehicles.
You will also need to complete a medical form, as part of your
application for a provisional licence, in order to drive a larger
vehicle. In the case of a PCV licence, you will also need to undergo
a criminal record check.
You have to take both theory and practical driving tests, and
also pass the Driver CPC theory and practical tests, if intending
to drive larger vehicles professionally.
More info from on Directgov on: driving
larger vehicles
The process of getting a LGV or PCV licence can be quite an investment,
requiring time, money and effort, but it will obviously open up
your choice of the best driving jobs in the UK. If you want to
drive abroad then you will need an International truck licence.
Mini Cab
work and Taxi Driving jobs
The
rules for mini cab and taxi driving vary around the country from
the rigorous 'knowledge' of the London Black Cab driver to less
demanding local requirements for minicab drivers. As a rule, mini
cabs or private hire vehicles are pre-booked by the customer and
are not allowed to pick up passengers who flag them down. Hackney
carriages or Taxi's can pick up passengers on the street or from
a taxi rank and need not be pre-booked.
How do I become a Taxi or Minicab Driver?
Generally speaking, you'll need to have held a full licence for
at least three years, undergo a criminal record check and, in
the case of owner-driving, own a modern saloon car. You'll also
need to be physically fit and will usually undergo a medical examination.
Drivers of minibuses having 9-16 passenger seats will normally
need to hold a PCV licence.
Highest demand for mini cabs or taxis is at night and weekends,
which means you'll need to be able to deal tactfully and safely
with drunk and sometimes aggressive customers. Contact private
hire companies in your area or check out the rules with your local
authority.
An interesting variation on taxi driving is the Scooterman service
- these scooter drivers supply a service for drivers who are over
the limit, but want to take their own car home. The scooter driver
turns up with a folding motorbike which he puts in the customers'
boot, before driving the customer and his or her car home. The
scooter man then takes his motorbike out of the boot, unfolds
it and returns to base.
Pizza and Food Delivery
Highest demand for this driving job is at nights and weekends
again, so it's great part-time work.
Some companies supply mopeds or scooters, or you can use your
own vehicle to do the delivery driving. Find work by contacting
take-aways and restaurants in your area. Pizza or take-away delivery
driver jobs are still plentiful, as even during a recession people
often order a take-away as a treat, in preference to a more expensive
restaurant meal or night out.
Essentials are a mobile phone and A-Z or satnav as even if you've
lived in the area all your life, you're guaranteed to get orders
from places you've never heard of. Downsides are that you'll be
out late at night carrying cash and leaving your vehicle unattended
in sometimes rough areas and dealing with drunk and stroppy customers.
Restoring
Cars and Bikes
This can be a good way of combining a hobby
with an income. If you are into tinkering with old vehicles, then
you can turn a profit if you buy at the right price and don't
spend too much on the restoration.
You could also look at buying and selling
second-hand cycles and bicycle repairs, as there can be a good
demand for these services, especially in areas with large populations
of students. Try eBay,
Craigslist,
and Freecycle
to source cheap or free stock to work on and also local classifieds
and auctions.
Rickshaw Service
If you're a keen cyclist, how about operating a rickshaw service?
You'll need to be very fit, but it can be an enjoyable way to
work in the open air and meet new people. There are a wide
range of vehicles available, some with
electric assist for those steep hills. You can also sell advertising
on the vehicles for extra income. Rickshaws do well in tourist
areas, you could even combine them with a guided tour if you have
enough breath left!
Taxi Driving
See above under mini cab and taxi driving.
Van Driving jobs
The ever popular man with a van is there to help customers with
all kinds of jobs, from removals to collecting and delivering
large purchases and getting rid of rubbish.
If you have a van and you're physically fit and friendly, then
this could be the ideal part time income for you. There are loads
of potential customers for the van owner driver - everything from
house moving to a taxi-van service, where clients pay by the hour
for the services of a van and driver.
Note that if you're disposing of waste on a commercial basis,
you'll need to talk to your local authority about a licence. You'll
also need an assistant for some jobs.
Insurance
Don't forget that if you're using your vehicle for any kind of
commercial use, you'll need the appropriate insurance to cover
business use. Inform your insurance company if you intend to do
any delivering or collecting work, as it is not worth taking any
risks that you could be uninsured if you were involved in an accident.
It is also important to check you are fully insured for any
loss of goods if your car or van is broken into, if you intend
to do any delivery or collection work. Contact your insurance
company or a reputable insurance broker before you start any driving
work.
Remember - it's illegal to use your vehicle for hire or reward
without the appropriate cover, and ordinary domestic policies
do not provide this.
Business Tax Allowance
Remember to keep a careful record of any mileage incurred for
business purposes, as you may be able to claim this and part of
the cost of your car as a business expense. These expenses may be
then deducted from your earnings, and so reduce the amount of income
tax you may have to pay. Contact your Inland Revenue offices for
further information on allowable business expenses for your driving
work.
More
ideas
Buying
and selling cars