Parcel Force Courier

Name: Lee Webb. Age: 32. Salary: £13,000. Hours 41 per week. Special Requirements: You need to pass an advance motorcycle training course. Work Bike: Honda Deauville 600. Bike Extras: None.

After 5 years trudging round the streets of London as a posty, Lee Webb decided it was time for a change. A transfer to Parcel Force same-day couriers seemed the obvious next step.

” I’ve got a passion for bikes and enjoy a good thrash on the road, so it was chance to do what I enjoy doing whilst getting paid for it. It was also a chance to ride a big bike, I was just riding 250s up to then. ”

Parcel force couriers are on the road by 7am and start the day delivering Handsards (MPs minutes) to every MP in London. After that they operate much like your average courier doing pick-ups and deliveries on request. So what does Lee like most about his job?

” The best thing is the freedom. You can just go from A to B without a manager on your back, and the summers are great. ”

But dispatching has its downsides, most notably the risk of an accident. ” You’ve got to be very aware of what’s going on around you. When you filter through traffic in London pedestrians just walk straight out in front of you. You need to see danger before it happens. ”

Apart from the suicidal tendencies of London’s tourists, Webb reckons the worst aspect about his job is the British weather, especially winter. ” It’s an early start, sometimes in the pitch black, and after an hour on the bike it’s so cold you can end up with icicles hanging off your eyelids. ”

And after 8 hours in the saddle the last thing you want to do when you get home is jump back on a bike, right?

” I must admit, I’ve been doing it that long that when I get home I prefer to jump in the car. It’s a lot warmer and drier and you can listen to music. I still have my CR250 motocross bike and do off-road stuff, but road bikes are strictly for work. ”