Your courier set-up checklist
Everything you need before your first paid job, and the steps to your first 3–5 regular customers. Tick things off as you go — your progress is saved to your email, so you can pick up where you left off on any phone or laptop.
Got the course? The HAF Courier Playbook, our free course, walks you through every section of this list, step by step.
1. Your business
- Most people start as a sole trader. A limited company keeps your business separate from you.
- Your UTR is your 10-digit tax reference. You'll need it for invoices and your tax return.
- Only if you chose limited.
- Keeps tax and invoicing simple.
- A notes app or spreadsheet is fine to start.
2. Your documents
- Ordinary van insurance does not cover paid deliveries.
- Covers the goods you're carrying.
- Covers damage or injury to other people or property.
- Lets a business check your licence. Codes last 21 days.
3. Your van
- Payload is the weight your van can legally carry.
- Over 3.5 tonnes you need an operator's licence and may need a different licence category.
4. Your kit
- A photo of the goods where you left them, plus a name or signature.
5. Your prices
- Fuel, wear, insurance and finance. The HAF Courier Course shows you how (coming soon).
- How long is free, and what you charge after.
6. Getting found
- Customers can book you without a phone call.
- HAF jobs open at the collection only with the 6-digit code from your own Google Authenticator. On your phone, tap the link. On a computer, it shows a QR code to scan.
- Business name, hours and a short description.
- Free, and helps local people find you.
- The HAF Courier Course has one to copy (coming soon).
7. Your first customers
- The area you'll work most.
- Trade counters, showrooms, motor factors, printers, florists, online sellers.
- Walking in beats emailing.
- That's a business.
8. Getting paid and your accounts: our trusted partners
- CleverPay pays you for your HAF work. Pay weeks run Monday to Sunday, and drivers are paid on the Wednesday morning after.
- Gemma, from our trusted partners at CleverPay, can help you set up a limited company, do your accounts and tax return, and sort out VAT. Tap Ask Gemma, give your HAF username, and she'll get in touch. It costs nothing to ask.
9. Van care and kit: our trusted partners
- HAF's own ratchet straps, plus lifting gear from our trusted partners at Simark, so every load leaves secure.
- A clean van wins repeat work. Mechkleen's cleaning and detailing products are on the HAF Shop.
Ready for when the work comes in. Once your clients start booking, you won't be able to cover every job yourself. Join HAF and you can pass the extra jobs to other HAF couriers, so you never have to turn a client away.
Join HAF Open PLNAWhere this leads: your plan and HAF KNECT Members
Your monthly plan is your tools: Free, Plus £15/month + VAT or Pro £50/month + VAT. Cancel any time.
HAF KNECT Members is a one-off payment for your place on the wider network. Founder price £100 + VAT today. It steps up as the network hits milestones (up to £1,000). You can be a Member on any plan, including Free.
- Join free
- Run the Playbook to win your own work
- Build 3–5 regular clients
- Move to Plus or Pro when the work is regular
- Join HAF KNECT Members — HAF picks up your overflow
This is a starting point. It will stay flexible and adapt as the network grows. The one-off Members payment will come with extra systems, shared as they're ready. All prices exclude VAT.
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