Your own vehicle, free time, and an appetite for self-determined work — at its core, that's all it takes to earn money with courier runs. The decisive question isn't the vehicle, it's: where do the jobs come from?
Which vehicle works?
More than many think:
- Car and estate: documents, parcels, small items, spare parts — the bread-and-butter of city couriers.
- High-roof compact (Caddy & co.): the all-rounder for boxes and smaller furniture.
- Van up to 3.5 t: furniture, bulky goods, pallets — the highest order values. Keep the payload in mind (see kerb weight in the registration document).
The routes to jobs
1. Platforms and marketplaces. The fastest entry: register, get verified, and see available jobs in your region directly in the app. With Maxmove, registration is free; you accept jobs whenever you want — from documents to furniture transports.
2. Direct clients. Trade businesses, pharmacies, car dealerships, and law firms have regular courier needs. Building this takes longer, but margins are better. Realistically a second step once platform work covers your base utilisation.
3. Subcontracting for freight forwarders and parcel networks. Fixed tours and plannable income — but often tight schedules and price pressure. Rarely the best choice when starting with a single vehicle.
What you need
- Business registration: courier driving is a trade — registration costs a modest fee depending on the municipality.
- Category B licence covers everything up to 3.5 t gross vehicle weight.
- Insurance: your vehicle needs commercial use covered in its motor policy; cargo insurance makes sense depending on the type of jobs.
- Reliability: on platforms, ratings decide your next jobs. Punctuality and clean handover documentation are money in the bank.
What earnings depend on
Be sceptical of blanket promises ("X euros per hour guaranteed"). Realistically, earnings hinge on four factors: vehicle size (van tours pay better than car runs), region and utilisation, empty-run ratio (good tour planning is the biggest lever), and extras like carrying help, which are paid on top.
The fastest path to your first tours
- Register your business and sort insurance
- Sign up with a platform and get verified
- Drive your first jobs in your own city and collect ratings
- Grow into bigger tours and regular clients with experience
For the full path as a self-employed driver — from verification to first payout — see Self-employed drivers: finding transport jobs.
Bottom line
Courier jobs with your own vehicle are a realistic route into self-employment — no big investment, flexible hours. The bottleneck is never the vehicle; it's access to jobs. That's exactly what platforms solve: register as a driver for free and take your first tours in your region.
