Courier Job Description

Learn about:

What is the scope of work of a courier?
How to recruit Couriers in Malaysia?
How much does a Courier make?
What are the career types of Couriers?
Popular takeaway/online shopping platforms for couriers in Malaysia?
What qualifications should couriers have?
What qualities do couriers need to have?
Pros and Cons of Courier and Skills Required?

What was the job of a courier? | Courier Job Scope

As a courier/postman/delivery person, your job involves being responsible for receiving, processing and delivering parcels, a seemingly simple task that plays an important role in modern society. You're more than just a delivery person, you're the link between people, businesses and goods. Your job starts with receiving and sorting packages. You keep an accurate record of each parcel and make sure they are delivered on time, which provides trust and convenience for both businesses and customers. Delivery is one of your most important tasks, delivering food, documents, gifts, medications and more to customers' doorsteps. Your efforts and timeliness can save people from unnecessary waiting and worrying. On top of that, you need to have excellent customer service skills. You may be the only courier interacting with customers, so your smile and friendly attitude can help them feel welcome and satisfied.

Parcel Receiving and Sorting: You will need to receive parcels from different senders, sort and label them, and ensure that each parcel is accurately recorded.
Parcel Delivery: Delivering a parcel to a specified recipient's address. This may involve driving a delivery van, motorcycle or bicycle, depending on the requirements of the courier company and the delivery area.
Route Planning: Plan the most efficient delivery route to save time and fuel costs. You need to consider traffic conditions and the order of delivery locations.
Customer Service: Interacts with customers to confirm delivery addresses, answer their questions and provide friendly service. Sometimes customers are required to sign for packages.
Maintaining Your Vehicle: If you are required to drive a delivery truck or motorcycle, you will be responsible for the day-to-day maintenance of the vehicle to ensure its safe operation.
Recording and Reporting: Record delivery information, including successful deliveries, reasons for non-delivery, and any problems or exceptions. This information usually needs to be reported to a supervisor or the company.
Compliance: Comply with courier company policies and procedures, including security regulations, package handling regulations, and delivery time requirements.
Heavy Goods Handling: In some cases, you may need to handle heavy or bulky items to ensure they arrive safely.
Work Safety: During the delivery process, pay attention to your own safety, comply with traffic regulations and safety measures to ensure that accidents and injuries are avoided.
Responsible for Problem Solving: Handle problems that arise during the delivery process, such as lost, damaged or delayed packages, and try to resolve customer complaints and concerns.
Taking care of personal equipment: You will need to ensure that you are equipped with suitable courier parcels or bags, if required, to carry and protect the package.

How to recruit Couriers in Malaysia?

Define your needs: First, identify how many couriers you will need as well as where they will work and during what hours. Estimate the number of people needed, taking into account the size of your business and the scope of your services.
Posting job advertisements: Create job advertisements that include job titles, job descriptions, requirements, salary and benefits information. Post ads on channels such as job boards, social media, corporate websites and employment agencies.
Screening Resumes: Gather resumes from candidates and screen those who meet the requirements. Focus on their work experience, driver's license, communication skills and reliability.
Interviewing Candidates: Schedule interviews to learn about candidates' skills, work ethic, and adaptability through face-to-face or telephone interviews. Ask questions about their experience, approach to work and ability to cope with problems.
Background Checks: Background checks are performed on final candidates to ensure that their resumes are truthful and that they have no criminal record. This is an important step in ensuring the credibility and safety of your employees.
Provide Training: Provide new employees with the necessary training on company policies, safety regulations, package handling and delivery procedures. Make sure they understand your business and expectations.
Setting Performance Standards: Establish clear performance standards and dispatch goals in order to evaluate employee performance and provide incentives.
Provide Benefits and Incentives: Offer competitive salaries and benefits to attract and retain quality couriers. Consider offering employee health insurance, transportation allowances, or performance bonuses.
Supervision and Management: Maintaining good communication with couriers, regularly checking their performance and providing feedback and support. Ensure they deliver parcels on time and maintain company reputation.
Provision of tools and equipment: Ensure that couriers have the appropriate tools and equipment, such as delivery vehicles, GPS navigation and parcel tracking systems.
Establishing a safety culture: Emphasize safety awareness and train couriers to comply with traffic regulations and safety measures to reduce the risk of accidents.

Salary Wages for couriers

Courier salaries in Malaysia vary depending on a number of factors, including location, work experience, company size, and specific duties. Below are the approximate reference salary ranges:

Starting Salary: New couriers can usually expect to earn a starting salary of between MYR1,500 and MYR2,000 per month. This depends on the area and employer.
Experience: A courier's salary may increase over time as they gain experience. Couriers with a few years of experience can usually command a higher salary.
Area: Wages are usually higher in larger cities such as Kuala Lumpur and Penang, while wages may be lower in more remote areas.
Employers: Different courier companies offer different salaries and benefits packages. Large international companies usually pay higher salaries.
Special Duties: Some couriers may be required to handle special duties, such as heavy deliveries or tasks that require additional skills, which are often paid extra.
BONUSES AND BENEFITS: Some employers may offer year-end bonuses, transportation allowances, health insurance, and other benefits, which can add to total income.

According to Payscale, the basic salary of a courier/delivery person in Malaysia is RM 37k per year.

Types of Couriers

In Malaysia, there are various career types of couriers, which can be categorized into the following categories based on different delivery targets and areas:

Standard Couriers: These couriers are primarily responsible for delivering documents, parcels and goods to a customer's designated address. They may work for a courier company, postal service or independent courier service provider.
Food Delivery Man: Food delivery men specialize in delivering takeaway food from restaurants, takeaway services or food delivery apps to customers' homes or offices. This field is very popular in urban areas in Malaysia, especially with the growth of the online takeaway market.
Courier Drivers: These drivers usually drive trucks, vans, motorcycles, or bicycles and are responsible for the delivery of bulk goods or documents. They may work for a courier or freight company.
Medical Couriers: Medical couriers specialize in transporting medical documents, pharmaceuticals, medical equipment and biological samples (such as blood samples) to medical facilities, laboratories and patients' homes. They are required to adhere to the strict regulations of the medical industry.
Document Courier: Document couriers are primarily responsible for delivering important documents, contracts, legal documents and company papers. They usually require a high degree of reliability and confidentiality.
Specialty Courier: This type of courier may be involved in special assignments, such as cargo insurance couriers, special environment dispatchers (e.g., cold-chained shipments), and financial institution document dispatchers.
Parcel Tracker: The Parcel Tracker is responsible for overseeing and documenting the process of shipping and dispatching parcels to ensure they arrive on time.

Couriers Common delivery Platforms

GrabFood: Grab is a comprehensive mobile mobility and takeaway platform that offers the GrabFood service for ordering takeaway meals and express delivery. Users can order takeout and merchandise using the Grab app.
Foodpanda: Foodpanda is a takeout-focused platform where users can order a variety of meals and also offer delivery of goods.
Lalamove: Lalamove is a platform that provides instant takeout and cargo delivery, which users can use to find riders or drivers to deliver takeout, documents, cargo, and more.
Dahmakan: Dahmakan is a platform that offers healthy takeaway meals where users can choose and order a variety of meals.
Riders: Riders is a takeout and merchandise delivery platform that offers a wide selection of meals and merchandise that users can order using its app.
Zalora: Zalora is a major fashion and apparel e-commerce platform that offers online shopping for items such as apparel, shoes, and accessories, as well as item delivery services.
Shopee: Shopee is one of the largest e-commerce platforms in Malaysia, offering online shopping services for a wide range of products. It usually works with multiple logistics partners in order to dispatch the products.
Lazada: Lazada is also a major e-commerce platform in Malaysia that offers online shopping for a variety of goods. It usually works with different courier companies to deliver the goods.
GrabExpress: GrabExpress is a well-known courier service provider that offers instant delivery services. It usually works with riders and drivers to deliver packages from merchants or individuals to customers.
Pos Malaysia: Pos Malaysia is a national postal service provider that offers postal and courier services. They offer a wide coverage area for parcel delivery.
Ninja Van: Ninja Van is an up-and-coming courier service provider that offers parcel delivery services. They usually work with e-commerce platforms and merchants.
J&T Express: J&T Express is a fast-growing courier company that offers nationwide parcel delivery services. They have partnerships with many e-commerce platforms and online merchants.
City-Link Express: City-Link Express is a courier company that has been operating in Malaysia for many years, providing domestic and international parcel delivery services.
DHL Express: DHL Express is an international courier and logistics company providing international express delivery services in Malaysia.

What qualifications do couriers need?

Driver's License: If you will be driving a delivery truck, motorcycle or other motor vehicle, you will need to have the appropriate valid driver's license, such as a Class C or Class D license (depending on the type of vehicle you will be driving). This is very important as driving is part of a courier's job.
Good Driving Record: You need to have a good driving record with no serious traffic violations or accidents on your record. Employers will usually check your driving record to make sure you are safe behind the wheel.
Physical strength and endurance: Couriers are required to work in outdoor environments, sometimes driving or walking for long periods of time. Therefore, you need sufficient physical strength and stamina to meet the challenges of the job.
Geographic Knowledge: You will need to familiarize yourself with the geography and road network of the area in which you work in order to plan the most efficient delivery routes.
Basic Communication Skills: Good communication skills are important for interacting with customers and colleagues. You need to be able to convey information clearly, understand customer needs and provide a friendly service.
Reliability and Accountability: Couriers need to deliver packages accurately and within the specified time frame. Reliability and responsibility are very important qualities.
Safety Awareness: You are required to follow traffic laws and safety measures to ensure safety during delivery.
Background Checks: Some employers may perform background checks to ensure that you do not have a criminal record or other undesirable background.

Courier professionalism

Reliability: Couriers need to deliver packages on time and customers rely on their on-time delivery. Therefore, reliability is one of the most important qualities.
Patience: Sometimes couriers have to deal with customer questions, complaints or requests to track packages. Patience is the key to solving problems.
Self-driven: Couriers are often required to work independently, planning routes, managing time and solving problems on their own. Self-drive and autonomy are important for successful delivery.
Good Geographical Knowledge: Knowledge of the geography and road network of the area in which you are working helps to plan the most efficient delivery routes.
Communication Skills: Good communication skills are important for interacting with customers and coworkers. Clearly conveying information and understanding customer needs is a must.
Stress Resilience: Sometimes couriers may face challenges such as rush hour, traffic congestion or bad weather. Resilience and calmness in dealing with stress is a must.
Safety Awareness: Comply with traffic regulations and safety measures to ensure safety during the delivery process.
Adaptability: Couriers may be faced with a wide variety of delivery tasks and customer needs and need to have the ability to adapt to different situations.
Accountability: A sense of responsibility for the job and commitment to the customer is essential. Couriers need to ensure that packages are delivered safely and accurately.

The Pros and Cons of Couriers

Advantage:

Stable Employment Opportunities: Couriers are a career that is constantly in demand, especially with the growth of e-commerce, which means there are usually many job opportunities to choose from.
Flexible hours: Some couriers have the option to work flexible hours to fit their own schedules. This is attractive to those who need to organize their own work.
Outdoor Work: If you enjoy working outdoors, a job as a courier can provide that opportunity so you don't have to sit in an office all day.
Customer Interaction: Couriers have the opportunity to interact with a wide variety of customers, making social connections and providing friendly service.
Physical Exercise: Delivering packages requires a certain amount of physical strength, which helps to keep you healthy and fit.

Challenge:

Physical fatigue: The work of a courier can lead to physical fatigue, especially during peak hours or when working in unsuitable weather conditions.
Traffic and Weather Challenges: Couriers may be required to work in traffic congestion or inclement weather, which can make the job more challenging.
TIME CONSTRAINTS: Delivery tasks are often time constrained and the need to deliver packages on time can put pressure on working hours.
Repetitive work: The work of a courier is often repetitive, and delivering packages on a daily basis can create a sense of monotony.
Physical Risks: Couriers may be required to handle heavy loads or work in unsafe environments that may increase the risk of physical injury.

Courier Required Skills

Navigation Skills: Couriers need to be familiar with the geography of the area in which they work and be able to effectively plan delivery routes, using maps or GPS devices to navigate.
Driving Skills: If you are a courier driving a delivery truck, van or motorcycle, you need to have safe driving skills and obey traffic laws.
Communication Skills: Good communication skills are essential for interacting with customers and colleagues. You need to convey information clearly, understand customer needs and provide friendly service.
Time Management: Couriers need to manage their time effectively to ensure packages are delivered on time to meet customer expectations.
Problem Solving Skills: Problems may arise in the workplace, such as traffic jams and customers not being home. You need to have the ability to solve problems and find solutions.
Responsibility: Responsibility for your work and commitment to your customers is very important. You need to ensure that packages are delivered safely and accurately.
PATIENCE: There are times when you need to deal with customer questions, complaints, or requests to track down packages, so patience is the key to solving problems.
Physical strength and endurance: Couriers need to work outdoors, sometimes driving or walking for long periods of time, and therefore need sufficient physical strength and endurance.
Safety Awareness: Comply with traffic regulations and safety measures to ensure safety during the delivery process.
Attention to Detail: Couriers need to ensure the accuracy of packages by delivering them to the correct recipient and documenting delivery details.
Teamwork: If you work in a team, collaboration with coworkers is necessary to ensure a smooth workflow.