Courier services are used by a myriad of businesses and organizations, including doctors, lawyers, automotive repair shops and other offices and hospitals. A courier service can be lucrative if all of the vehicles are kept in good shape and prices are kept in line with gas prices and maintenance costs.

A courier service provides delivery services for businesses, and might have an account with a business, or it may have businesses call them "on the spot" for a one-time delivery. A business that uses a courier service frequently will usually set up an account with the courier service. The courier service will then bill the business according to the terms of the contract signed between the two entities.

Courier services generally have at least 3 or 4 drivers. When a call comes in, the job is assigned to the next available driver. If there is no driver available, the dispatcher will advise the business when the first driver will be available. The dispatcher will then call the driver closest to being done with his current job, and send him immediately on the new job.

A courier service sometimes hires employees who drive their own vehicles. The courier service then is generally not responsible for vehicle maintenance, but may give the employee extra money to go towards vehicle service. Independent couriers (who work as contractors) are always responsible for their own vehicle maintenance and gas, but they can charge a courier service accordingly.

No matter which way the courier service is set up, if it stays on top of employees and vehicle maintenance, it can be a very lucrative business. The money received from the business helps pay overhead, and what is left over goes into the capital account.