Singlespeed & Fixed Gear - inexperienced bike messengers

what courier companies in chicago hire firsttime bike messengers?(besides CMS)

maybe you should intentionally run into a couple cars, then you can call yourself "experienced."

maybe all of us who might want to be messengers should create a bogus bike messenger company so we all look like we have experience.

uhhh... just kidding.

dynamex perhaps?

unless you work for an amazing co-op messenger service, don't messenger. there is no way that you can make an honest living from it without absolutely destroying your body and making your job rule your life. it is an old institution that is rapidly on its way out once law catches up with the internet and digital technology. on your bike or not, you'd still be acting as an abused slave to the system.

basically, if you post on a message board, you have skills that can make you more money than messengering. still want to work with bikes? go start up a bike co-op. you get to ride bikes all day, but you actually learn things.

^^^

whoooooosh!!!

as the wind goes out of my sails....

True Dynamex hires without experience, Although I think you might have to know your main vanity buildings 233 s wack (sears tower) hancock etc. I worked there when it was cannonball and later when it went to dyanmex. I made pretty decent cash at the time, But watch out for other companies which will rip you off or have low low rates, Which means you will working your a** off and making no money. Arrow and On time have pretty decent rates. But messengering has went down the tubes, I used to make like $600 a week messengering but this was in like 1998. and i would do like 45 to 50 runs a day. In the long run it is a dead job. But It was probably the best job I had as far as excitement went. Although I dont think all the accidents and hospital bills was worth it. But Whatevever you do don't work at comet, faster or best express and other small places which are real eager to hire. basically if you dont see any real bikers with decent bikes. and the guy riding the old rusted magna is their best biker Don't work there. My friend works at arrow now and They are looking for bikers, go there and talk to marshall for an application if you want to messenger. But like I said It's a fun job but some people get stuck doing it for longer than they need to be. (Including myself) And you get treated like a second rate citizen (no respect) from people and the authorities. They treat you like a criminal and all the business people scoff at you.

I think cms actually hires people out of prison release, Just though you would like to know. And you got to wear all that bright red, O'well it's better than the ugly sh*t brown they used to wear.

still want to work with bikes? go start up a bike co-op. you get to ride bikes all day, but you actually learn things.

Wait, I'm really curious about what you mean. I work at a co-op bike tool space/lending library, and we don't exactly offer living wage options. However, I have seen a number of co-op, worker-owned, not-for-profit bike stores, which are fantastic. Also, there are organizations like PedEx, which is what I assume you're talking about... co-op messenger/delivery services. We're starting something like that in our town, and if you're in on that circuit, we could use some tips on managing stuff...

THANKS for the info guys, i'll check out arrow and dynamex. P.s. i'm aware that mess'ing isn't gonna make me rich but i just need a job right now, it'd be better than being unemployed.

unless you work for an amazing co-op messenger service, don't messenger. there is no way that you can make an honest living from it without absolutely destroying your body and making your job rule your life. it is an old institution that is rapidly on its way out once law catches up with the internet and digital technology. on your bike or not, you'd still be acting as an abused slave to the system.

basically, if you post on a message board, you have skills that can make you more money than messengering. still want to work with bikes? go start up a bike co-op. you get to ride bikes all day, but you actually learn things.

Sorry that's been your experience. I've never been a slave to the system since I started...where do they keep you? I'm very fit without exercise for the sake of exercise. I make an honest living and have done so for quite some time. If you know of a wrench or bike co-op worker that gets to ride as much as I do...nevermind, you don't. Also something missing here is your advice on where to get the capital needed for such an undertaking, wrenches that don't own their own shop average $12-15 thousand a year...I haven't done that poorly since I was 16. It's a disgrace, wrenches earning so little, but maybe if you encourage all forms of cycling things would improve for them. As for learning things on the job, if it's your intention to jockey a desk someday it is an excellent way to lay groundwork for interpersonal networking. Pay attention and there will be very few issues that you won't be aware of, very few names that matter that you won't know, trends you haven't spotted and more importantly seeing which trends are ending. You'l be exposed to the backrooms of many industries, maybe you'll find one you like.

It's true that many American messenger services became lax and allowed themselves to languish on a strict diet of attorney based work, that's where the $$ was. That isn't the case everywhere and it won't be the case in those same American cities soon enough. I have an account with a messenger service myself. Why you ask? I live in a city and don't drive. They get things for me. Many households do the same. It's something that we (messengers) encourage. Cities also encourage proper utilization of our services especially for those who would drive to go get something. Cycling advocates too. Less than half the clients at the firm I work with are lawyers, that messengers are only useful to lawyers is a common misconception propogated by people that repeat it without thinking. Physical objects cannot be transported by the internet no matter how dependent you are on its magic.

Don't make me go into the benefits with regard to our industries aid in combating congestion and air pollution. The industry has had a downturn over the last decade but is seeking its roots and moving away from work based solely in the legal community.

You certainly offer strongly worded advice for someone with such limited view. Are you the sort of person you'd listen to tonite?

OP, a young, fit, single person can gain a good deal of life experience and be exposed to things they otherwise would miss by taking such a job. If you happen also to have a mind you can easily make 24K a year for a few years with an average work week of 35 hours and move on, or stay and find a place in an industry that isn't going anywhere. There is an infrastructure there, it isn't just people on bikes. Dispatch, Sales, Management, IT, etc etc
Or just stay awhile, many prefer to travel from place to place and the job is certainly good for that. You'll make friends for life, that's a gaurantee.

You'll learn also if you didn't know already not to take advice from people who fail in their endeavors, point strangers with signs made of crude imaginings or simply and bitterly never try.

and *, don't diss my people.

alright alright, i had no intention to make it a serious discussion; basically a semi-troll.

i'm tired of all the drama that goes on this board. too much **** around here doesn't need to be said. i don't want this to turn into that.

edit: **** man, i appologize for offending you. this forum has started going to crap in the past year or so because there is way more boarders than actual messengers. this forum used to be ****ing punk rock and now its like every other forum with its silly drama. you're punk rock, so am i.

Apology accepted, don't even sweat it. I got the insomnia too g'night

alright alright, i had no intention to make it a serious discussion; basically a semi-troll.

i'm tired of all the drama that goes on this board. too much **** around here doesn't need to be said. i don't want this to turn into that.

edit: **** man, i appologize for offending you. this forum has started going to crap in the past year or so because there is way more boarders than actual messengers. this forum used to be ****ing punk rock and now its like every other forum with its silly drama. you're punk rock, so am i.

Are you for real?

$600 a week for 40-50 runs a day is absolute bull. If you could actually pull 50 runs a day and had half a brain, you could make twice that without too much trouble.

Daerest Canadian --

I'm no messenger, but the difference between being a messenger in the States v. the Great White North can be summed up in four words: single-payer health care.


If you go through a windshield: big deal (apart from the going through the windshield part)

If your American counter-part goes through a windshield: hello permanent debt!

... too much **** around here doesn't need to be said.

...

basically a semi-troll.


___

^^^^^ hahahahahahhaahahahhahahahahahahahahaha

this forum used to be ****ing punk ... you're punk rock, so am i.

Seriously?

Wanna be a messenger? Maybe Urban Outfitters is hiring.

ZING!

unless you work for an amazing co-op messenger service, don't messenger. there is no way that you can make an honest living from it without absolutely destroying your body and making your job rule your life. it is an old institution that is rapidly on its way out once law catches up with the internet and digital technology. on your bike or not, you'd still be acting as an abused slave to the system.

basically, if you post on a message board, you have skills that can make you more money than messengering. still want to work with bikes? go start up a bike co-op. you get to ride bikes all day, but you actually learn things.

Wow, sounds like something I would say...of course, I work for an amazing co-op messenger service. I can give anyone lots of info about what really goes into it. (we weren't really profitable for the first 4 years (I wasn't around then ;-) ), and it's A LOT of work running your own business)

Wanna be a messenger? Maybe Urban Outfitters is hiring.

ZING!
lmao

Wow. I never knew Internet message boards were punk rock.

Maybe I am stuck in the late 70s.