Become a Shiply Courier

If you run a van, a trailer or a small fleet, Shiply can be a steady source of work — particularly for filling empty return legs that would otherwise earn nothing. This guide explains how to become a Shiply courier, how the bidding really works from the driver’s side, and how to build the profile that wins jobs at prices worth driving for.

What Shiply offers drivers

Shiply is a London-based transport marketplace (running since 2008) where customers list deliveries and transport companies bid for them. For drivers, the appeal is simple: a constant stream of jobs you can filter by route, so today’s delivery can pay for tomorrow’s return journey. Many couriers use it specifically for backloads — the empty-leg problem is the industry’s oldest margin killer, and Shiply exists largely to solve it.

Become a Shiply courier: signing up

Register as a transport provider on Shiply’s website — it’s a separate flow from the customer sign-up.
Complete your profile properly. Company name, services, vehicle types, coverage areas, and a clear description of what you do. Profiles with photos of your actual vehicles outperform blank ones.
Sort your paperwork first. You’ll need appropriate insurance (goods in transit as a minimum, plus hire-and-reward cover for the vehicle), and any licences your vehicle class requires. Don’t bid on jobs you aren’t legally covered to do.
Check the current fee terms during sign-up so you understand exactly how Shiply earns from each job before you price your first bid.

How bidding works (driver’s view)

Customers post jobs with descriptions, photos, routes and dates. You browse listings matching your capacity and routes, and submit quotes. It’s a reverse auction: customers see competing bids side by side with your feedback profile, and choose. Early on, you’ll win fewer jobs — new profiles with no history lose to established ones at equal prices. That’s normal, and there’s a way through it (below).

Winning your first jobs with no feedback

The cold-start problem is real. Tactics that work:

Bid on smaller, local jobs first. Less competition, faster completion, quicker reviews.
Price keenly — but not suicidally. Early jobs are marketing spend: you’re buying reviews. Price to win while covering costs, not to maximise margin on job one.
Write proper bid messages. Most couriers bid with a number and nothing else. Two sentences — your relevant experience, your plan for their job — genuinely stand out.
Over-deliver on communication. Confirm promptly, arrive when promised, update if delayed. Early reviews mention reliability more than anything else.
Ask for reviews. Politely, after a good job. Many satisfied customers simply forget.

Pricing jobs so you actually make money

The auction tempts everyone to race to the bottom. Don’t. Price from your real costs: fuel, time, wear, insurance, and the value of the slot in your schedule. The profitable Shiply work is almost always route-matched — jobs that fit trips you’re already making, where any revenue above marginal cost is gravy. Bidding on random jobs at thin margins to “stay busy” is how couriers go bust while looking employed.

Watch for red-flag listings too: vague descriptions with no photos, unrealistic dates, and customers who haggle aggressively before booking tend to become problem jobs. Your time is inventory — spend it on good customers.

Building a profile that wins at good prices

Specialise visibly. “Vehicle transport specialist” or “piano mover” beats “man with van” — specialists win better-paying niches with less competition.
Collect detailed reviews. A review saying “moved our grand piano up two flights without a scratch” sells your next ten piano jobs.
Keep your calendar honest. Nothing damages a profile faster than accepted jobs you can’t fulfil. Bid only on what you can actually do.
Respond fast. Customers often decide within hours. The quick, professional bidder beats the slow, cheap one surprisingly often.

The honest downsides

Shiply isn’t free money. Competition is fierce on popular routes, which compresses margins. You’re building reputation on someone else’s platform — the feedback equity stays there. And problem customers exist: late payers, inaccurate listings, access nightmares. Go in with proper insurance, priced discipline and a willingness to walk away from bad jobs, and it’s a solid channel. Go in desperate for any work at any price, and it’ll use you up.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much do Shiply couriers earn?

It varies enormously by vehicle, route and how well you pick jobs. Couriers who focus on route-matched backloads — filling otherwise-empty return legs — report it as profitable supplementary income; those chasing random jobs at auction-bottom prices often find margins thin. Your pricing discipline matters more than the platform.

Do I need special insurance to be a Shiply courier?

Yes — standard private car/van insurance doesn’t cover commercial carrying. You need hire-and-reward cover for the vehicle and goods-in-transit insurance for customers’ property as a minimum. Sort this before your first bid.

How long until I start winning bids?

Most new couriers win their first jobs within a couple of weeks if they bid actively on suitable smaller jobs and price competitively. Building the feedback base that lets you charge properly takes a few months of consistent work.

Can I do Shiply alongside my existing work?

That’s exactly how most couriers use it — as a backload finder around their core business. It’s particularly effective for removal firms and vehicle transporters with regular routes.

What vehicle do I need?

Whatever suits the jobs you want: small vans for parcels and single items, Transits and Lutons for furniture and part-moves, trailers or transporters for vehicles, larger lorries for full house moves. Match the vehicle to a niche rather than trying to cover everything.

Running a transport company? Register for free job alerts here — and if you want help winning more work, see our services for transport companies, including Shiply profile management.